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Paula's Choice vs FRE

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

Paula's Choice and FRE are well-regarded skincare options with distinct approaches to complexion health. Paula's Choice is an American skincare brand founded in 1995 and owned by Unilever since 2021, offering serums, cleansers, moisturizers, toners, and more built around hyaluronic acid, glycerin, and vitamin c. FRE is widely loved for its targeted product types and nourishing formulas, including the Argan Oil for acne-prone skin. While both brands suit acne-prone skin best, the American brand also fits oily skin and mature skin, differing from the latter through its diverse product formulations and key ingredients like glycerin, which significantly increased skin hydration and restored barrier function.

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 FRE products; for every product of both brands, with a fit score for your own skin, use the Lovi app.

Popular Paula's Choice vs FRE products

Questions and answers

Paula's Choice or FRE: which is better?

Paula's Choice offers a much wider range of fragrance-free products on this page, with superior or high Lovi fit levels for oily and acne-prone skin types. FRE features only one product on the page, with high Lovi fit for dry sensitive skin.

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

Paula's Choice offers a wide variety of skincare items on this page with High to Superior Lovi fits for oily, acne-prone, and mature skin types, whereas FRE features only a single argan oil product with a High fit for dry sensitive skin. Both brands provide fragrance-free options, but Paula's Choice includes extensive routines and targeted boosters with key ingredients like hyaluronic acid and retinol.

The Journal of Investigative Dermatology, 2000Drug Delivery, 2017

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

Reviewers note that Paula's Choice products mostly have a high price.

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

Paula's Choice fits oily and acne-prone skin best, whereas the products on this page for FRE do not feature acne-focused routines. Salicylic acid in Paula's Choice exfoliants helps clear pores and may reduce breakouts.

When were Paula's Choice and FRE founded and who owns them?

Paula's Choice was founded in 1995 in the United States and has been owned by Unilever since 2021. FRE was founded in 2016, and it is independently owned.

Do Paula's Choice and FRE products contain any fragrance?

Every product on the Paula's Choice and FRE pages lists no fragrance in its ingredients.

What are some of the key ingredients used across Paula's Choice products?

Paula's Choice uses key ingredients across the products on this page such as hyaluronic acid, glycerin, vitamin C, licorice root, niacinamide, salicylic acid, green tea, and vitamin E. These ingredients help provide antioxidant and anti-aging effects.

Drug Delivery, 2017Carcinogenesis, 2001

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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