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Paula's Choice vs Aēsop

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

Paula's Choice and Aēsop are distinguished skincare lines that offer targeted serums, cleansers, and moisturizers designed to support overall skin health and resilience. The American brand launched in 1995 is built around glycerin, hyaluronic acid, and vitamin c to suit oily and acne-prone skin best, while the botanical-driven house relies on scientifically validated ingredients to suit balanced, combination, and sensitive skin. Ultimately, both brands differ through their distinct ingredient philosophies and the specific skin types their carefully crafted formulas serve.

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

Popular Paula's Choice vs Aēsop products

People Say

Paula's ChoiceAēsop
  • Lightweight and fast-absorbing Mostly MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “Provides an internal level of hydration without leaving any heavy finish. — Paula's Choice Skin Balancing Pore-Reducing Toner”
    • “Absorbs quickly and leaves no greasy residue behind. — Paula's Choice Clear Oil-Free Moisturizer”
    • “absorbs instantly — Paula's Choice C15 Super Booster”
    • “absorbs well into the skin — Aēsop Damascan Rose Facial Treatment”
  • Improves texture and smoothness Mostly MentionedNot noted
    • “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”
  • Deep hydration and skin rescue Not notedMostly Mentioned
    • “woke up with baby-soft skin — Aēsop Damascan Rose Facial Treatment”
    • “Savior of my winter-fueled dry skin. — Aēsop B Triple C Facial Balancing Gel”
    • “delivers deep hydration that really fills your skin — Aēsop Parsley Seed Anti-Oxidant Intense Serum”
  • Glow, radiance and brightening Mostly MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “visible glow — Paula's Choice C15 Super Booster”
    • “acne scars faded — Paula's Choice 10% Azelaic Acid Booster”
    • “Discoloration almost gone — Paula's Choice 25% Vitamin C + Glutathione Clinical Serum”
    • “Skin appears to be brighter, more radiant. — Aēsop B Triple C Facial Balancing Gel”
  • Reduces redness and soothes skin Rarely NotedOften Mentioned
    • “Reduces inflammation overnight. — Aēsop B Triple C Facial Balancing Gel”
    • “my small blemishes noticeably diminished — Aēsop Parsley Seed Anti-Oxidant Intense Serum”
    • “calmed redness immediately — Paula's Choice 10% Azelaic Acid Booster”
  • Pleasant scent Rarely NotedOften Mentioned
    • “smells divine — Aēsop Damascan Rose Facial Treatment”
    • “Soft herbal scent that feels fresh and floral. — Aēsop Parsley Seed Facial Cleanser”
    • “Doesn't smell at all — Paula's Choice 25% Vitamin C + Glutathione Clinical Serum”
  • High price and small size Mostly MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “surprisingly small bottle — Paula's Choice Skin-Smoothing Retinol Body Treatment”
    • “tiny tube — Paula's Choice 10% Azelaic Acid Booster”
    • “Sooooo expensive — Paula's Choice 25% Vitamin C + Glutathione Clinical Serum”
    • “quantity is too small — Aēsop Damascan Rose Facial Treatment”
  • Sticky residue and pilling Rarely NotedOften Mentioned
    • “sticky, oily film — Paula's Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant”
    • “pills under makeup — Paula's Choice 10% Azelaic Acid Booster”
    • “feels sticky — Paula's Choice 10% Niacinamide Booster”
    • “Thick, almost honey-like, and needs a moment to melt in. — Aēsop B Triple C Facial Balancing Gel”
  • Unpleasant smell or scent dislike Often MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “smells like carrots — Aēsop Damascan Rose Facial Treatment”
    • “Nasty smell... would not buy again. — Aēsop Parsley Seed Facial Cleanser”
    • “smells like grain — Paula's Choice 10% Azelaic Acid Booster”
  • Packaging issues and leaks Sometimes NotedOften Mentioned
    • “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”
    • “The downside is the pump. — Aēsop Parsley Seed Facial Cleanser”

Questions and answers

Paula's Choice or Aēsop: which is better?

Paula's Choice is better for lightweight textures, texture smoothing, and brightening, while Aēsop is better for deep hydration, skin rescue, and reducing redness.

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

Paula's Choice is rated Superior for oily and acne-prone skin on the products on this page, whereas Aēsop offers deep hydration and skin rescue. Paula's Choice also helps improve texture and smoothness, while Aēsop is noted for pleasant scents and reducing redness.

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

Paula's Choice offers a better cleanser selection for most users, as products on this page like the CLEAR Pore Normalizing Cleanser achieve a Superior Lovi fit level for oily, acne-prone, and combination skin types. In contrast, the Parsley Seed Facial Cleanser from Aēsop only reaches an Average fit for those same skin types and drops to a Low fit for dry skin.

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

Reviewers note that high prices affect both brands, with no clear indication on this page that one is more affordable than the other.

Which causes fewer breakouts, Paula's Choice or Aēsop?

Paula's Choice fits acne-prone skin best across the products on this page, whereas Aēsop does not list acne-prone skin among its best-fit types.

Paula's Choice or Aēsop: which brand was founded earlier and when?

Aēsop was founded earlier, in 1987, whereas Paula's Choice was founded in 1995.

Which brand is owned by L'Oréal Groupe, Paula's Choice or Aēsop?

Aēsop is owned by L'Or§al Groupe, having been acquired by the company in 2023.

Paula's Choice or Aēsop: which brand has better review themes for deep hydration and skin rescue?

Aēsop does better than Paula's Choice for deep hydration and skin rescue.

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

Paula's Choice offers a wide range of moisturizers like the Clear Oil-Free Moisturizer and Replenishing Moisturizer with varying fit levels across skin types, whereas Aēsop features options such as the Damascan Rose Facial Treatment which shows High fit for dry and sensitive skin. Reviewers often mention Aēsop for deep hydration and non-greasy, balancing moisturizers, while Paula's Choice is noted for lightweight and fast-absorbing formulas.

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

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