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Paula's Choice vs Dermalogica

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

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

unilever.comtracxn.com

Dermalogica is an American skincare brand founded in 1986 and owned by Unilever since 2015.

en.wikipedia.orgcosmeticsbusiness.com

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

Popular Paula's Choice vs Dermalogica products

People Say

Paula's ChoiceDermalogica
  • Improving skin texture and smoothness Mostly MentionedOften 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 feels smooth as silk — Dermalogica Daily Microfoliant”
  • Fast absorption and lightweight feel Often MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “Absorbs quickly and leaves no greasy residue behind. — Paula's Choice Clear Oil-Free Moisturizer”
    • “watery consistency — Paula's Choice 10% Niacinamide Booster”
    • “blends seamlessly — Dermalogica Dynamic Skin Recovery SPF 50”
    • “feels like nothing — Dermalogica Active Moist”
  • Glow, radiance and brightening Often MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “visible glow — Paula's Choice C15 Super Booster”
    • “Discoloration almost gone — Paula's Choice 25% Vitamin C + Glutathione Clinical Serum”
    • “spots barely visible — Paula's Choice Skin-Smoothing Retinol Body Treatment”
    • “immediately brighter looking — Dermalogica Daily Microfoliant”
  • Unclogging pores and clearing acne Mostly MentionedRarely Noted
    • “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”
    • “Brings out all the gunk — Dermalogica Blackhead Clearing Fizz Mask”
  • Deep hydration and moisturization Not notedMostly Mentioned
    • “Saved my dry skin — Dermalogica Super Rich Repair”
    • “super hydrating — Dermalogica Multivitamin Power Recovery Masque”
    • “skin feels hydrated — Dermalogica Intensive Moisture Balance”
  • Reduces redness and soothes skin Sometimes NotedSometimes Noted
    • “helps calm and nourish my skin — Dermalogica Stabilizing Repair Cream”
    • “The redness is better — Dermalogica Stabilizing Repair Cream”
    • “Calms redness — Dermalogica Super Rich Repair”
    • “calmed redness immediately — Paula's Choice 10% Azelaic Acid Booster”
  • High price and expensive size Often MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “tiny tube — Paula's Choice 10% Azelaic Acid Booster”
    • “Sooooo expensive — Paula's Choice 25% Vitamin C + Glutathione Clinical Serum”
    • “expensive for body lotion — Paula's Choice Skin-Smoothing Retinol Body Treatment”
    • “hefty price tag — Dermalogica Daily Microfoliant”
  • Unpleasant smell or scent Often MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “smells like grain — Paula's Choice 10% Azelaic Acid Booster”
    • “smells like hot dog water — Paula's Choice C15 Super Booster”
    • “smells like puke — Dermalogica Daily Microfoliant”
    • “smells like medicine — Dermalogica Dynamic Skin Recovery SPF 50”
  • Purging, breakouts and skin reactions Sometimes NotedSometimes Noted
    • “Cystic acne flare-ups — Dermalogica Precleanse”
    • “Caused cystic acne — Dermalogica Super Rich Repair”
    • “gave me acne — Dermalogica Special Cleansing Gel”
    • “skin purged — Paula's Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant”
  • Packaging issues and leaks Sometimes NotedSometimes Noted
    • “dropper leaks — Paula's Choice C15 Super Booster”
    • “dropper can be unpredictable — Paula's Choice Pro-Collagen Multi-Peptide Booster”
    • “Leaky pump — Dermalogica Precleanse”
    • “pump dispenses too much — Dermalogica Special Cleansing Gel”

Paula's Choice vs Dermalogica routines for dry skin

Buy Paula's Choice routine · A$343.82 · 86% fitBuy Dermalogica routine · A$1,045.67 · 83% fitSee multi-brand routine · 97% fit

Paula's Choice vs Dermalogica routines for oily skin

Buy Paula's Choice routine · A$561.22 · 92% fitBuy Dermalogica routine · A$1,135.66 · 89% fitSee multi-brand routine · 96% fit

Paula's Choice vs Dermalogica routines for combination skin

Buy Paula's Choice routine · A$437.74 · 89% fitBuy Dermalogica routine · A$1,096.95 · 87% fitSee multi-brand routine · 95% fit

Questions and answers

Paula's Choice or Dermalogica: which is better?

Paula's Choice is better for oily and acne-prone skin on the products on this page, offering Superior Lovi fit levels for those skin types compared to Dermalogica's High. Paula's Choice also does better for improving skin texture and clearing acne, while Dermalogica is better for deep hydration and soothing skin.

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

Paula's Choice does better at clearing acne, unclogging pores, and improving skin texture, whereas Dermalogica excels at deep hydration and soothing skin. For overall routine fit, Paula's Choice is rated Superior for oily, sensitive, acne-prone, and mature skin, while Dermalogica is rated High for those same types.

Paula's Choice or Dermalogica for dry skin?

Both Paula's Choice and Dermalogica are a High fit for dry skin on the products on this page. Topical hyaluronic acid helps improve skin quality and signs of skin aging.

Dermatologic Therapy, 2022

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

Paula's Choice cleansers have a Lovi fit level of Superior for oily and acne-prone skin, whereas Dermalogica cleansers reach a Superior fit for specific options like oily acne-prone skin and dry sensitive skin. Both brands list no fragrance across the products on this page.

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

Reviewers on this page mention a high price for both brands, so neither is clearly more affordable. High price is mostly mentioned for Paula's Choice and also as a major drawback for Dermalogica.

Paula's Choice or Dermalogica: which brand is better for reducing redness and soothing skin?

Dermalogica is better for reducing redness and soothing skin. The products on this page help deliver deep moisturization and calming effects for sensitive complexions.

Which brand performs better for improving skin texture and smoothness, Paula's Choice or Dermalogica?

Paula's Choice performs better than Dermalogica for improving skin texture and smoothness. Topical use of retinol helps improve skin quality and signs of aging.

The Journal of Investigative Dermatology, 2000Dermatologic Therapy, 2022

Paula's Choice or Dermalogica: which brand is better for mature skin?

Paula's Choice is better for mature skin, achieving a Superior routine fit compared to Dermalogica's High fit level. Topical retinoids like retinol help stimulate collagen accumulation and improve signs of aging in mature skin.

The Journal of Investigative Dermatology, 2000

Paula's Choice or Dermalogica for oily skin?

Paula's Choice is a better fit for oily skin, offering a Lovi fit level of Superior compared to Dermalogica's High level. Niacinamide helps control sebum production and refines skin texture in oily skin types.

The British Journal of Dermatology, 2002Antioxidants, 2021

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

Both Paula's Choice and Dermalogica offer high-performing moisturizers, with Dermalogica being particularly noted for deep hydration and soothing moisturization. The products on this page for both brands contain ingredients like hyaluronic acid, which helps improve skin quality and signs of aging.

Dermatologic Therapy, 2022Drug Delivery, 2017

Paula's Choice or Dermalogica for sensitive skin?

Paula's Choice is a better fit for sensitive skin, offering a Superior routine compared to Dermalogica's High level. Both brands list no fragrance across the products on this page.

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

When it comes to sunscreens on this page, both Paula's Choice and Dermalogica offer products that fit various skin types well. For instance, the products on this page show that the Youth-Extending Daily Hydrating Fluid SPF 50 and Invisible Physical Defense SPF30 help provide reliable sun protection across different skin needs.

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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