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Cetaphil vs Paula's Choice

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

Cetaphil and Paula's Choice are American skincare brands that offer thoughtful selections of cleansers, moisturizers, serums, sunscreens, and toners. The first brand is widely loved for compositions featuring glycerin, niacinamide, and panthenol that suit combination skin and acne-prone skin best, while the second brand builds its products around hyaluronic acid, glycerin, and vitamin c to fit oily skin and acne-prone skin. Both rely on glycerin to increase hydration and restore barrier function, but differ as the older brand uniquely incorporates niacinamide and panthenol to decrease hyperpigmentation, improve aging signs, and accelerate wound healing.

Cetaphil is an American skincare brand founded in 1947 and owned by Galderma Group AG.

en.wikipedia.orgcetaphil.co.uk

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 Cetaphil and Paula's Choice products; for every product of both brands, with a fit score for your own skin, use the Lovi app.

Popular Cetaphil vs Paula's Choice products

People Say

CetaphilPaula's Choice
  • Gentle on sensitive skin Mostly MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “The only thing my reactive skin tolerates. — Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser”
    • “No breakouts since switching to this. — Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser”
    • “cleans without stripping — Cetaphil Daily Facial Cleanser”
    • “Finally a vitamin C product I can use — Paula's Choice 25% Vitamin C + Glutathione Clinical Serum”
  • Lightweight and non-greasy absorption Often MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “absorbs instantly — Cetaphil Moisturizing Lotion”
    • “Absorbs quickly into skin without residue — Cetaphil Daily Hydrating Lotion”
    • “Absorbs quickly and leaves no greasy residue behind. — Paula's Choice Clear Oil-Free Moisturizer”
    • “absorbs instantly — Paula's Choice C15 Super Booster”
  • Hydration and moisture Mostly MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “cleared up flaky skin — Cetaphil Moisturizing Cream”
    • “healed my dry patches — Cetaphil Moisturising Cream”
    • “Leaves my face feeling soft, not tight. — Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser”
    • “Provides an internal level of hydration without leaving any heavy finish. — Paula's Choice Skin Balancing Pore-Reducing Toner”
  • Skin smoothing and texture Rarely NotedMostly Mentioned
    • “skin becomes very smooth — Paula's Choice 1% Retinol Treatment”
    • “skin is insanely soft — Paula's Choice Weightless Body Treatment 2% BHA”
    • “skin never been this silky — Paula's Choice Skin-Smoothing Retinol Body Treatment”
    • “Skin felt softer after one use — Cetaphil Gentle Exfoliating SA Cleanser”
  • Oil control and acne reduction Rarely 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”
    • “bumps be gone — Paula's Choice Weightless Body Treatment 2% BHA”
    • “Removes excess oil without drying. — Cetaphil Oily Skin Cleanser”
  • Brightening and complexion Rarely NotedSometimes Noted
    • “visible glow — Paula's Choice C15 Super Booster”
    • “Discoloration almost gone — Paula's Choice 25% Vitamin C + Glutathione Clinical Serum”
    • “immediate glow — Paula's Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant”
    • “skin looks more radiant — Cetaphil Vitamin C Serum”
  • Unpleasant smells Often MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “Overpowering masking fragrance — Cetaphil Gentle Cleansing Bar”
    • “smells like masking fragrance — Cetaphil Daily Facial Cleanser”
    • “smells like grain — Paula's Choice 10% Azelaic Acid Booster”
    • “smells like hot dog water — Paula's Choice C15 Super Booster”
  • High price point Rarely NotedMostly Mentioned
    • “expensive for drugstore — Cetaphil Moisturizing Cream”
    • “tiny tube — Paula's Choice 10% Azelaic Acid Booster”
  • Caused breakouts and purging Rarely NotedSometimes Noted
    • “caused whiteheads — Cetaphil Moisturizing Lotion”
    • “Broke me out bad — Cetaphil Gentle Exfoliating SA Cleanser”
    • “caused small bumps — Cetaphil Moisturising Cream”
    • “skin purged — Paula's Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant”

Cetaphil vs Paula's Choice routines for dry skin

Buy Paula's Choice routine · A$343.82 · 86% fitBuy Cetaphil routine · A$203.09 · 84% fitSee multi-brand routine · 97% fit

Cetaphil vs Paula's Choice routines for oily skin

Buy Paula's Choice routine · A$561.22 · 92% fitBuy Cetaphil routine · A$431.02 · 87% fitSee multi-brand routine · 96% fit

Cetaphil vs Paula's Choice routines for combination skin

Buy Paula's Choice routine · A$437.74 · 89% fitBuy Cetaphil routine · A$335.53 · 88% fitSee multi-brand routine · 95% fit

Questions and answers

Cetaphil or Paula's Choice: which is better?

Paula's Choice is better for oil control, acne reduction, and skin smoothing, while Cetaphil is better for gentle hydration on sensitive skin. Lovi gives Paula's Choice a Superior fit for oily skin, sensitive skin, acne-prone skin, and mature skin, compared to High for Cetaphil across those same skin types.

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

Paula's Choice outperforms Cetaphil for oily skin, acne-prone skin, mature skin, and sensitive skin, where Lovi fit is Superior compared to Cetaphil's High level. Additionally, niacinamide helps reduce cutaneous pigmentation.

The British Journal of Dermatology, 2002

Cetaphil or Paula's Choice for dry skin?

Both brands offer a High routine fit for dry skin. Cetaphil features hydrating, non-greasy moisturizers and is noted for being gentle on sensitive skin, while Paula's Choice provides options like the Advanced Replenishing Toner which has a Superior fit for dry skin.

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

Both brands offer cleansers that excel for different skin needs, with Cetaphil providing a Superior fit for gentle and hydrating cleansing on dry and sensitive skin, while Paula's Choice delivers a Superior fit for oil control and acne reduction on oily and acne-prone skin.

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

Cetaphil is more affordable than Paula's Choice, as high price points are noted as a primary drawback for Paula's Choice while Cetaphil is recognized for being less expensive on this page.

Cetaphil or Paula's Choice: which brand is better for anti-aging and skin texture?

Paula's Choice is better for anti-aging and skin texture because the products on this page achieve a Superior fit for mature skin. Ingredients like retinol help improve the appearance of aging skin.

Archives of Dermatology, 2007

Cetaphil or Paula's Choice: which brand has a better selection of fragrance-free products?

Paula's Choice has a better selection because every single product on its page lists no fragrance in its ingredients, whereas Cetaphil includes fragrance in its Oily Skin Cleanser.

Cetaphil or Paula's Choice for oily skin?

Paula's Choice is better for oily skin, offering a superior routine fit compared to Cetaphil's high fit. Niacinamide helps control sebum and oil production as a plain fact.

Antioxidants, 2021

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

Cetaphil is better for hydration and moisture, while Paula's Choice is better for anti-aging and skin smoothing. Cetaphil moisturizers like the Rich Hydrating Night Cream help provide strong hydration for dry skin, whereas Paula's Choice offers advanced options like the Clinical Ceramide-Enriched Firming Moisturizer.

Cetaphil or Paula's Choice for sensitive skin?

Paula's Choice is a better fit than Cetaphil for sensitive skin, achieving a Superior routine fit compared to Cetaphil's High rating.

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

Cetaphil has a superior Lovi fit level for its Sheer Mineral Sunscreen SPF 50 compared to the sunscreens on this page from Paula's Choice. Paula's Choice products on this page list no fragrance in their ingredients, while Cetaphil includes fragrance in only one product, the Oily Skin Cleanser.

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

Paula's Choice is better for acne-prone skin, as Lovi rates its routine as Superior compared to Cetaphil's High fit level.

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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