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CeraVe vs Paula's Choice

Rated by Lovi · Unbiased, science-based skincare AI trained on real user outcomes · How the Fit score works

CeraVe and Paula's Choice are American skincare brands offering thoughtfully formulated cleansers, moisturizers, serums, and more, built around key ingredients like hyaluronic acid, glycerin, and vitamin c. The former suits dry skin and acne-prone skin best, while the latter fits oily skin and acne-prone skin best. Both brands differ in their specific standout solutions for concerns like acne, dark spots, and aging, as well as their unique emphasis on ingredients.

CeraVe is an American skincare brand founded in 2005 and owned by L'Oréal since 2017.

en.wikipedia.orghappi.comloreal-finance.comcerave.com

Paula's Choice is an American skincare brand founded in 1995 and owned by Unilever since 2021.

unilever.comtracxn.com

This page compares some of the most popular CeraVe and Paula's Choice products; for every product of both brands, with a fit score for your own skin, use the Lovi app.

Popular CeraVe vs Paula's Choice products

People Say

CeraVePaula's Choice
  • Texture and Lightweight Feel Mostly MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “Absorbs into skin without residue — CeraVe Daily Moisturizing Lotion”
    • “Sinks right into your skin — CeraVe PM Facial Moisturizing Lotion”
    • “Absorbs quickly and leaves no greasy residue behind. — Paula's Choice Clear Oil-Free Moisturizer”
    • “absorbs instantly — Paula's Choice C15 Super Booster”
  • Fragrance-Free and Gentle Formulas Mostly MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “doesn't leave face tight — CeraVe Hydrating Facial Cleanser”
    • “no burning sensation — CeraVe Resurfacing Retinol Serum”
    • “No scent, no irritation — CeraVe Moisturising Cream”
    • “Finally a vitamin C product I can use — Paula's Choice 25% Vitamin C + Glutathione Clinical Serum”
  • Acne and Oil Control Sometimes NotedMostly Mentioned
    • “cleared my bumps — Paula's Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant”
    • “Helped clear my cystic acne — Paula's Choice CLEAR Pore Normalizing Cleanser”
    • “pores look smaller — Paula's Choice 10% Niacinamide Booster”
    • “dialed back oiliness — CeraVe Foaming Facial Cleanser”
  • Hydration and Moisture Mostly MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “Saved my dry winter skin — CeraVe Moisturising Cream”
    • “woke up with plump skin — CeraVe Skin Renewing Night Cream”
    • “cured my dry patches — CeraVe Eye Repair Cream”
    • “Provides an internal level of hydration without leaving any heavy finish. — Paula's Choice Skin Balancing Pore-Reducing Toner”
  • Skin Texture Improvement Sometimes NotedMostly Mentioned
    • “skin becomes very smooth — Paula's Choice 1% Retinol Treatment”
    • “bumps be gone — Paula's Choice Weightless Body Treatment 2% BHA”
    • “skin is insanely soft — Paula's Choice Weightless Body Treatment 2% BHA”
    • “smoother complexion — CeraVe Resurfacing Retinol Serum”
  • Skin Tone and Mark Correction Rarely NotedSometimes Noted
    • “acne scars faded — Paula's Choice 10% Azelaic Acid Booster”
    • “calmed redness immediately — Paula's Choice 10% Azelaic Acid Booster”
    • “spots barely visible — Paula's Choice Skin-Smoothing Retinol Body Treatment”
    • “lightened dark spots — CeraVe Resurfacing Retinol Serum”
  • Price Point Concerns Rarely NotedMostly Mentioned
    • “expensive Vaseline — CeraVe Healing Ointment”
    • “tiny tube — Paula's Choice 10% Azelaic Acid Booster”
  • Packaging Issues Often MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “dropper leaks — Paula's Choice C15 Super Booster”
    • “dropper can be unpredictable — Paula's Choice Pro-Collagen Multi-Peptide Booster”
    • “Cap broke immediately — Paula's Choice CLEAR Pore Normalizing Cleanser”
    • “no safety seal included — CeraVe Skin Renewing Night Cream”
  • Breakouts and Purging Sometimes NotedSometimes Noted
    • “Gave me cystic acne — CeraVe Moisturising Cream”
    • “gave me closed comedones — CeraVe Hydrating Facial Cleanser”
    • “skin purged — Paula's Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant”
    • “caused cystic acne — Paula's Choice 10% Niacinamide Booster”

CeraVe vs Paula's Choice routines for dry skin

Buy CeraVe routine · A$226.69 · 89% fitBuy Paula's Choice routine · A$343.82 · 86% fitSee multi-brand routine · 97% fit

CeraVe vs Paula's Choice routines for oily skin

Buy Paula's Choice routine · A$561.22 · 92% fitBuy CeraVe routine · A$392.56 · 82% fitSee multi-brand routine · 96% fit

CeraVe vs Paula's Choice routines for combination skin

Buy Paula's Choice routine · A$437.74 · 89% fitBuy CeraVe routine · A$347.16 · 85% fitSee multi-brand routine · 95% fit

Questions and answers

CeraVe or Paula's Choice: which is better?

CeraVe and Paula's Choice both fit routines well, but CeraVe offers better value and hydration while Paula's Choice is superior for acne and anti-aging treatments.

What is the difference between CeraVe and Paula's Choice?

CeraVe focuses on gentle barrier repair with ingredients like ceramides, making it well-suited for hydration and sensitive skin, while Paula's Choice emphasizes advanced treatments with ingredients like salicylic acid and retinol to target acne, oil control, and skin texture.

The Journal of Investigative Dermatology, 2000

CeraVe or Paula's Choice for dry skin?

Both CeraVe and Paula's Choice fit dry skin well, with Lovi routines achieving a High fit for this skin type. CeraVe features fragrance-free moisturizers that are noted for deep hydration and barrier repair, while Paula's Choice provides ingredients like hyaluronic acid and glycerin across the products on this page.

Dermatologic Therapy, 2022

CeraVe or Paula's Choice: which cleanser is better?

Both CeraVe and Paula's Choice offer top-rated cleansers, but Paula's Choice is better for acne and oil control while CeraVe is better for deep hydration and gentle, non-stripping formulas. The products on this page for both brands are fragrance-free.

Which is more affordable, CeraVe or Paula's Choice?

CeraVe is more affordable than Paula's Choice, as Paula's Choice has high price point concerns noted by reviewers. CeraVe offers budget-friendly products with lower overall costs.

Between CeraVe and Paula's Choice, which brand is better for improving skin texture and reducing dark spots?

Paula's Choice does better for skin texture improvement and skin tone and mark correction. The products on this page feature key ingredients like niacinamide, which helps reduce cutaneous pigmentation.

The British Journal of Dermatology, 2002

How do the key ingredients in CeraVe products compare to the key ingredients in Paula's Choice products?

CeraVe products rely on barrier-repair ingredients like ceramides and hyaluronic acid, whereas Paula's Choice features targeted actives such as salicylic acid and retinol. Both brands use glycerin and niacinamide across their lines, but Paula's Choice additionally includes green tea and vitamin C.

Journal of Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences, 2015

Which brand has better options for anti-aging serums and treatments?

Paula's Choice has better options for anti-aging serums and treatments, with the products on this page offering superior performance for aging concerns. Retinol helps stimulate collagen accumulation to improve the look of naturally aged skin.

The Journal of Investigative Dermatology, 2000Archives of Dermatology, 2007

CeraVe or Paula's Choice for oily skin?

Paula's Choice fits oily skin better, with a Superior routine fit compared to CeraVe's High fit. The products on this page for Paula's Choice excel in acne and oil control, while both brands maintain fragrance-free formulas.

CeraVe or Paula's Choice: which moisturizer is better?

CeraVe is better for moisturizers, as the products on this page provide superior hydration and moisture. Reviewers note that CeraVe features lightweight, non-greasy moisturizers with superior healing and texture.

Dermatologic Therapy, 2022

CeraVe or Paula's Choice for sensitive skin?

Paula's Choice offers a Superior routine fit for sensitive skin, whereas CeraVe provides a High fit. Reviewers note that CeraVe does better for fragrance-free and gentle formulas.

CeraVe or Paula's Choice: which sunscreen is better?

CeraVe provides a wide selection of sunscreens on this page with High to Superior fit levels for various skin types, whereas Paula's Choice features only one sunscreen option. Both brands offer fragrance-free sunscreen formulas.

CeraVe or Paula's Choice for acne-prone skin?

Paula's Choice fits acne-prone skin with a Superior routine level, whereas CeraVe achieves a High fit level for this skin type.

Research behind their key ingredients

Behind this comparison

Lovi compares products by their fit scores, calculated from the full ingredient list with brand-independent rules our dermatologists and cosmetic chemists build and review, and personalizes every pick with AI trained on the real results of millions of users. Lovi trains its fit score models on a proprietary dataset built from more than 10,000 expert-labeled products and more than 100,000 simulated examples, following an internally consistent methodology presented at Cosmoprof, AMWC, and Skin of Color Update.

  • Nadia Kapleva, MS

    Nadia Kapleva, MS

    Co-founder, Medical Director

    Cosmetic chemist, cosmetologist, aesthetic products developer

  • Alexey Shagraev, PhD

    Alexey Shagraev, PhD

    Co-founder, CEO and CTO

    PhD in computer science, 3x US patent holder, ex-Google, ex-Yandex

  • Dr. Sofía Perea Pérez, MD, MSc

    Dr. Sofía Perea Pérez, MD, MSc

    Medical Board

    Aesthetic medicine practitioner, MSc in Longevity and Anti-Aging Medicine

  • Aishani Shah, MD

    Aishani Shah, MD

    Medical Board

    Specialist dermatologist, MBBS, MD, IFAAD

  • Asya Zubkova, MS

    Asya Zubkova, MS

    Medical Board

    Cosmetic chemist, SCS, IFSCC member

  • Hanna Kurets, MD

    Hanna Kurets, MD

    Medical Board, Medical Advisor

    Dermatology MD

  • Elina Nazarenko, MD

    Elina Nazarenko, MD

    Medical Board

    Dermatology and diagnostic consultant

  • Victoria Derkova, MS

    Victoria Derkova, MS

    Medical Board

    Cosmetic chemist, cosmetic development technologist

How does it fit your skin?

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