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Paula's Choice vs ISDIN

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

Paula's Choice and ISDIN are established skincare brands offering targeted serums, moisturizers, and cleansers built around effective ingredients like hyaluronic acid, glycerin, and vitamin c. The American brand is known for utilizing glycerin to significantly increase skin hydration and restore barrier function, while the Spanish brand is loved for sophisticated moisturizers and advanced sunscreens driven by meticulously engineered formulas. Both labels suit oily, acne-prone skin well, though the former tends to fit acne-prone skin best overall, and the latter is also tailored for sensitive skin. They ultimately differ in their exact compositions and founding origins, with the former leaning into exfoliating and balancing treatments and the latter focusing on expert daily protection.

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

unilever.comtracxn.com

ISDIN is a Spanish skincare brand founded in 1975 and owned by Puig.

puig.combeautymatter.comuploads.puig.com

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

Popular Paula's Choice vs ISDIN products

People Say

Paula's ChoiceISDIN
  • Texture and Lightweight Feel Mostly MentionedMostly 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 — ISDIN Eryfotona Actinica”
    • “ultra-light fluid product, which makes it super easy to apply — ISDIN Fusion Water”
  • Brightness, Tone and Anti-Aging Mostly MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “visible glow — Paula's Choice C15 Super Booster”
    • “skin looks plumper — Paula's Choice Pro-Collagen Multi-Peptide Booster”
    • “helps reduce swelling in the area of my under-eye bags — ISDIN K-Ox Eyes”
    • “Skin feels intensely hydrated — ISDIN Hyaluronic Concentrate”
  • Skin Texture Smoothing and Pores Mostly MentionedRarely Noted
    • “cleared my bumps — Paula's Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant”
    • “skin becomes very smooth — Paula's Choice 1% Retinol Treatment”
    • “pores look smaller — Paula's Choice 10% Niacinamide Booster”
    • “skin was much smoother — ISDIN Retinal Intense Serum”
  • Sensitive Skin and Gentle Care Often MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “Sensitive/reactive skin tolerates — ISDIN Hyaluronic Moisture”
    • “no excessive exfoliation — ISDIN Retinal Intense Serum”
    • “doesn't sting eyes — ISDIN Eryfotona Actinica”
    • “Finally a vitamin C product I can use — Paula's Choice 25% Vitamin C + Glutathione Clinical Serum”
  • Acne and Blemish Control Often MentionedNot noted
    • “Helped clear my cystic acne — Paula's Choice CLEAR Pore Normalizing Cleanser”
    • “heals blemishes faster — Paula's Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant”
    • “Removes all my makeup easily — Paula's Choice CLEAR Pore Normalizing Cleanser”
  • Makeup Compatibility and Finish Not notedOften Mentioned
    • “doesn't leave you white as a ghost — ISDIN Fusion Water”
    • “acts like a primer — ISDIN Eryfotona Actinica”
    • “dries down matte — ISDIN Eryfotona Actinica”
  • High Price and Value Issues Mostly MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “tiny tube — Paula's Choice 10% Azelaic Acid Booster”
    • “Sooooo expensive — Paula's Choice 25% Vitamin C + Glutathione Clinical Serum”
    • “very expensive — ISDIN Eryfotona Actinica”
    • “My only wish is that ISDIN would make this product in a bigger size bottle. — ISDIN Fusion Water”
  • Unpleasant Smell or Scent Concerns Often MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “smells like grain — Paula's Choice 10% Azelaic Acid Booster”
    • “smells like hot dog water — Paula's Choice C15 Super Booster”
    • “smell is overpowering — ISDIN Eryfotona Actinica”
    • “lingering headache inducing effect — ISDIN K-Ox Eyes”
  • Packaging and Size Issues Often MentionedRarely Noted
    • “Pump stopped working — ISDIN Hyaluronic Concentrate”
    • “I like the actual product, but the packaging is awful, I've already lost three bottles the applicator pops off. — ISDIN Flavo-C Serum”
    • “surprisingly small bottle — Paula's Choice Skin-Smoothing Retinol Body Treatment”
  • Product Formula and Stability Issues Sometimes NotedSometimes Noted
    • “turned orange in weeks — Paula's Choice C15 Super Booster”
    • “Did not notice any difference in my pores. — Paula's Choice Skin Balancing Pore-Reducing Toner”
    • “did nothing — Paula's Choice 10% Niacinamide Booster”
    • “don't see result — ISDIN K-Ox Eyes”

Paula's Choice vs ISDIN routines for dry skin

Buy ISDIN routine · A$223.48 · 94% fitBuy Paula's Choice routine · A$343.82 · 86% fitSee multi-brand routine · 97% fit

Paula's Choice vs ISDIN routines for oily skin

Buy ISDIN routine · A$440.85 · 94% fitBuy Paula's Choice routine · A$561.22 · 92% fitSee multi-brand routine · 96% fit

Paula's Choice vs ISDIN routines for combination skin

Buy ISDIN routine · A$384.33 · 93% fitBuy Paula's Choice routine · A$437.74 · 89% fitSee multi-brand routine · 95% fit

Questions and answers

Paula's Choice or ISDIN: which is better?

Paula's Choice is better for acne and pore smoothing on the products on this page, while ISDIN is better for sensitive skin care and makeup compatibility. Both brands fit mature skin, acne-prone skin, and oily acne-prone skin at equal levels according to Lovi.

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

Paula's Choice fits best for oily and acne-prone skin with fragrance-free formulas, whereas ISDIN is well-suited for sensitive skin and features ultralight sunscreens, though some of its products contain fragrance.

Paula's Choice or ISDIN for dry skin?

ISDIN is a Superior fit for dry skin, whereas Paula's Choice is a High fit. Reviewers mention that ISDIN offers lightweight moisturizers, while Paula's Choice products on this page list no fragrance.

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

Both Paula's Choice and ISDIN offer effective moisturizers depending on your skin needs, with ISDIN performing better overall for dry skin with a Superior routine fit compared to Paula's Choice at High. ISDIN is also noted for lightweight moisturizers, while Paula's Choice products on this page list no fragrance.

Dermatologic Therapy, 2022

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

Both brands are frequently noted by reviewers for having a high price point. The products on this page for both Paula's Choice and ISDIN share high price and value issues as a common drawback.

Paula's Choice or ISDIN for oily skin?

Both Paula's Choice and ISDIN fit oily skin at a Superior level with their brand-focused routines. Paula's Choice features fragrance-free formulas with key ingredients like salicylic acid and niacinamide, while ISDIN is known for its ultralight sunscreens.

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

Both Paula's Choice and ISDIN offer great sunscreens on their respective pages, but ISDIN stands out for having multiple options with ultralight, makeup-friendly, and skin-friendly formulas that reviewers frequently praise.

Paula's Choice or ISDIN for sensitive skin?

Both Paula's Choice and ISDIN are great for sensitive skin, with Lovi fit levels of Superior for both brands. ISDIN does better for sensitive skin and gentle care according to reviewers.

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

Both Paula's Choice and ISDIN fit acne-prone skin with a Superior routine fit level. Paula's Choice features fragrance-free formulas and performs better in acne and blemish control on the products on this page.

Paula's Choice or ISDIN for mature skin?

Both Paula's Choice and ISDIN fit mature skin with a Superior Lovi fit level, though they differ in their formulations and overall brand strengths. Paula's Choice features extensive options with key ingredients like retinol and vitamin C, whereas ISDIN is particularly noted for its ultralight sunscreens.

The Journal of Investigative Dermatology, 2000Archives of Dermatology, 2007

Paula's Choice or ISDIN for skin with dark spots?

For skin with dark spots, ISDIN fits best with a Superior routine rating, compared to Paula's Choice which has a High routine rating. ISDIN outperforms Paula's Choice in categories like makeup compatibility and sensitive skin care, while Paula's Choice offers more options focused on acne and pore smoothing.

Paula's Choice or ISDIN for dry sensitive skin?

For dry sensitive skin, Lovi rates ISDIN as Superior and Paula's Choice as High. ISDIN stands out for gentle care, whereas Paula's Choice features fragrance-free formulas across the products on this page.

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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