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Paula's Choice vs Grown Alchemist

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

Paula's Choice and Grown Alchemist are skincare brands offering serums, cleansers, moisturizers, and toners. The American brand Paula's Choice, founded in 1995 and owned by Unilever since 2021, centers its formulas around hyaluronic acid, glycerin, and vitamin c, suiting oily and acne-prone skin best. Grown Alchemist is loved for its cleansers and serums, suiting sensitive, dry, and combination skin best. While both feature cleansers and serums, they differ in their standout ingredients and the skin types they target.

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

Popular Paula's Choice vs Grown Alchemist products

People Say

Paula's ChoiceGrown Alchemist
  • Lightweight and fast-absorbing formulas Mostly MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “Absorbs quickly and leaves no greasy residue behind. — Paula's Choice Clear Oil-Free Moisturizer”
    • “absorbs instantly — Paula's Choice C15 Super Booster”
    • “watery consistency — Paula's Choice 10% Niacinamide Booster”
    • “Very light weight — Grown Alchemist Instant Smoothing Serum”
  • Non-stripping and gentle cleansing Not notedMostly Mentioned
    • “Doesn't dry out my skin — Grown Alchemist Gentle Gel Facial Cleanser”
    • “Perfect for sensitive skin — Grown Alchemist Gentle Gel Facial Cleanser”
    • “calms my skin down — Grown Alchemist Hydra-Restore Cream Cleanser”
  • Elegant, pleasant, or soothing scent Rarely NotedMostly Mentioned
    • “Smells amazing — Grown Alchemist Gentle Gel Facial Cleanser”
    • “smell is divine — Grown Alchemist Hydra-Restore Cream Cleanser”
    • “Absorbs like a dream — Paula's Choice 25% Vitamin C + Glutathione Clinical Serum”
  • Improves skin texture and smoothness Mostly MentionedNot noted
    • “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”
  • Anti-aging and firming results Sometimes NotedSometimes Noted
    • “skin looks plumper — Paula's Choice Pro-Collagen Multi-Peptide Booster”
    • “softens lines and wrinkles — Paula's Choice 1% Retinol Treatment”
    • “Smooths out fine lines — Grown Alchemist Instant Smoothing Serum”
  • Thorough cleansing Rarely NotedOften Mentioned
    • “Gets everything nice and clean — Grown Alchemist Gentle Gel Facial Cleanser”
    • “Removes all my makeup easily — Paula's Choice CLEAR Pore Normalizing Cleanser”
  • High price, expensive for size, or poor value Mostly MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “expensive for what it is — Grown Alchemist Hydra-Restore Cream Cleanser”
    • “A bit pricey — Grown Alchemist Instant Smoothing Serum”
    • “tiny tube — Paula's Choice 10% Azelaic Acid Booster”
  • Unpleasant smell, scent, or fragrance Often MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “Too perfumy notes — Grown Alchemist Gentle Gel 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”
    • “tube cracks easily — Grown Alchemist Hydra-Restore Cream Cleanser”
  • Not ideal for makeup removal Not notedOften Mentioned
    • “Isn't going to be your makeup remover — Grown Alchemist Gentle Gel Facial Cleanser”

Questions and answers

Paula's Choice or Grown Alchemist: which is better?

Paula's Choice offers a much wider variety of targeted serums and exfoliants, whereas Grown Alchemist specializes in gentle, hydrating cleansers. Reviewers note that Paula's Choice excels at lightweight formulas and improving texture, while Grown Alchemist provides pleasant cleansing.

What is the difference between Paula's Choice and Grown Alchemist?

Paula's Choice offers a wider range of targeted treatment serums and exfoliants that fit oily and acne-prone skin at a Superior level, whereas Grown Alchemist focuses on gentle cleansers and hydrating formulas with average to high fits across skin types. Paula's Choice is noted for improving skin texture and lightweight formulas, while Grown Alchemist is recognized for non-stripping cleansing.

Paula's Choice or Grown Alchemist: which cleanser is better?

Paula's Choice offers cleansers with superior Lovi fit levels for oily and acne-prone skin types. Meanwhile, Grown Alchemist features gentle and non-stripping cleansers that reviewers mostly mention for their hydration.

Which is more affordable, Paula's Choice or Grown Alchemist?

Grown Alchemist is noted for being high in price and expensive for its size. Paula's Choice also faces reviews mentioning a high price, though it offers a wider range of products.

Which causes fewer breakouts, Paula's Choice or Grown Alchemist?

Paula's Choice fits acne-prone skin best, as the products on this page include targeted exfoliants that help keep pores clear, whereas Grown Alchemist does not feature acne-focused routines.

Between Paula's Choice and Grown Alchemist, which brand offers fragrance-free products?

Both Paula's Choice and Grown Alchemist offer fragrance-free options, as every product listed on this page for both brands contains no fragrance in its ingredients.

How do the founding years and corporate ownership of Paula's Choice and Grown Alchemist compare?

Paula's Choice was founded in the United States in 1995 and has been owned by Unilever since 2021, whereas Grown Alchemist was founded in 2008 and has been independently owned since 2024.

What are the main review criticisms and positive highlights for Paula's Choice versus Grown Alchemist?

Paula's Choice offers lightweight formulas and improves skin texture, but faces criticism for high prices and packaging issues. Grown Alchemist provides gentle, non-stripping cleansers with pleasant scents, but reviewers often mention poor value and packaging problems.

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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