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The Ordinary vs Paula's Choice

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

The Ordinary and Paula's Choice are well-known skincare brands offering serums, cleansers, moisturizers, toners, and more. The Canadian brand centers its formulations on hyaluronic acid, glycerin, and squalane to suit dry skin and dry sensitive skin best. Conversely, the American brand relies on hyaluronic acid, glycerin, and vitamin c to suit oily skin and acne-prone skin best. Ultimately, both lines differ in their targeted skin types, ingredient profiles, and specialized treatments for concerns like acne, dark spots, and aging.

The Ordinary is a Canadian skincare brand founded in 2016 and owned by The Estée Lauder Companies Inc. since 2021.

glossy.coen.wikipedia.org

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

Popular The Ordinary vs Paula's Choice products

People Say

The OrdinaryPaula's Choice
  • Smoothes skin texture Often MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “glass skin effect — The Ordinary Glycolic Acid 7% Toning Solution”
    • “skin feels baby butt smooth — The Ordinary AHA 30% + BHA 2% Peeling Solution”
    • “skin becomes very smooth — Paula's Choice 1% Retinol Treatment”
    • “skin is insanely soft — Paula's Choice Weightless Body Treatment 2% BHA”
  • Clears acne and blemishes Often MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “pimples disappear within a day — The Ordinary Salicylic Acid 2% Solution”
    • “scars and hormonal acne faded — The Ordinary Azelaic Acid Suspension 10%”
    • “faded dark spots — The Ordinary Glycolic Acid 7% Toning Solution”
    • “Helped clear my cystic acne — Paula's Choice CLEAR Pore Normalizing Cleanser”
  • Great value and affordability Mostly MentionedNot noted
    • “lasts forever — The Ordinary Glycolic Acid 7% Toning Solution”
    • “can't beat the price — The Ordinary Salicylic Acid 2% Solution”
    • “extremely affordable — The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1%”
  • Lightweight absorption Sometimes NotedOften 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”
    • “Sinks in immediately — The Ordinary Multi-Peptide + Copper Peptides 1% Serum”
  • Gentle and non-irritating Sometimes NotedOften Mentioned
    • “Leaves my face feeling soft and not tight at all. — The Ordinary Squalane Cleanser”
    • “Finally a cleanser that doesn't sting my face. — The Ordinary Squalane Cleanser”
    • “Finally a vitamin C product I can use — Paula's Choice 25% Vitamin C + Glutathione Clinical Serum”
    • “no stinging — Paula's Choice C15 Super Booster”
  • Hydration and plumping Sometimes NotedSometimes Noted
    • “skin feels immediately hydrated — The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5”
    • “leaves my skin radiant and clear — The Ordinary Mandelic Acid 10% + HA”
    • “Provides an internal level of hydration without leaving any heavy finish. — Paula's Choice Skin Balancing Pore-Reducing Toner”
    • “skin looks plumper — Paula's Choice Pro-Collagen Multi-Peptide Booster”
  • High price point Not notedOften Mentioned
    • “tiny tube — Paula's Choice 10% Azelaic Acid Booster”
  • Unpleasant scent Rarely NotedOften Mentioned
    • “Smells like vinegar — The Ordinary Multi-Peptide + Copper Peptides 1% Serum”
    • “smell is unbearable — The Ordinary Azelaic Acid Suspension 10%”
    • “has a slight chemical smell — The Ordinary Mandelic Acid 10% + HA”
    • “smells like grain — Paula's Choice 10% Azelaic Acid Booster”
  • Breakouts and purging Sometimes NotedSometimes Noted
    • “broke me out in cysts — The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1%”
    • “broke me out in cysts — The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5”
    • “gave me cystic acne — The Ordinary Glycolic Acid 7% Toning Solution”
    • “skin purged — Paula's Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant”
  • Small tube size and packaging Rarely NotedSometimes Noted
    • “The 50ml tube runs out way too fast. — The Ordinary Squalane Cleanser”
    • “Wish it came in a pump — The Ordinary Natural Moisturizing Factors + HA”
    • “surprisingly small bottle — Paula's Choice Skin-Smoothing Retinol Body Treatment”

The Ordinary vs Paula's Choice routines for dry skin

Buy The Ordinary routine · A$192.91 · 96% fitBuy Paula's Choice routine · A$343.82 · 86% fitSee multi-brand routine · 97% fit

The Ordinary vs Paula's Choice routines for oily skin

Buy The Ordinary routine · A$285.78 · 92% fitBuy Paula's Choice routine · A$561.22 · 92% fitSee multi-brand routine · 96% fit

The Ordinary vs Paula's Choice routines for combination skin

Buy The Ordinary routine · A$219.69 · 91% fitBuy Paula's Choice routine · A$437.74 · 89% fitSee multi-brand routine · 95% fit

Questions and answers

The Ordinary or Paula's Choice: which is better?

The Ordinary offers better value and affordability, while Paula's Choice is often preferred for lightweight absorption. Both brands provide fragrance-free products on this page, but they cater best to different skin types.

What is the difference between The Ordinary and Paula's Choice?

The Ordinary provides great value and affordability for acne-clearing and texture-smoothing serums, whereas Paula's Choice is often noted for lightweight absorption and premium anti-aging options. Topical hyaluronic acid helps improve skin quality and signs of aging.

Dermatologic Therapy, 2022Drug Delivery, 2017

The Ordinary or Paula's Choice for dry skin?

For dry skin, The Ordinary provides a Superior routine fit while Paula's Choice offers a High fit. The products on this page for The Ordinary are well suited for this skin type, featuring key ingredients like hyaluronic acid which helps support skin quality.

Dermatologic Therapy, 2022

The Ordinary or Paula's Choice: which cleanser is better?

The products on this page from The Ordinary and Paula's Choice both offer effective cleansers, with The Ordinary providing great value and affordability while Paula's Choice is known for lightweight absorption.

Which is more affordable, The Ordinary or Paula's Choice?

The Ordinary offers better value and affordability than Paula's Choice. Reviewers note that The Ordinary provides great value and affordability for its serums.

The Ordinary or Paula's Choice for dark spots?

For dark spots, The Ordinary is the better fit because Lovi rates its routine as Superior compared to High for Paula's Choice. Topical niacinamide helps suppress melanosome transfer to reduce cutaneous pigmentation.

The British Journal of Dermatology, 2002Antioxidants, 2021

Which brand has better value for serums, The Ordinary or Paula's Choice?

The Ordinary does better for great value and affordability of serums compared to Paula's Choice.

The Ordinary or Paula's Choice for oily skin?

Both The Ordinary and Paula's Choice fit oily skin equally well at a Superior level. Niacinamide helps control skin aging and pigmentation.

Antioxidants, 2021

The Ordinary or Paula's Choice: which moisturizer is better?

Both The Ordinary and Paula's Choice offer great options, but The Ordinary fits dry, dry sensitive, and sensitive skin types best, while Paula's Choice excels for oily and acne-prone skin.

The Ordinary or Paula's Choice for sensitive skin?

For sensitive skin, both The Ordinary and Paula's Choice fit exceptionally well, with Lovi rating them both as Superior for this skin type. Niacinamide, found in the products on this page, may help control skin aging and pigmentation.

Antioxidants, 2021

The Ordinary or Paula's Choice for acne-prone skin?

For acne-prone skin, Paula's Choice is a better fit with a Superior routine level, while The Ordinary offers a High routine fit. The products on this page help clear blemishes effectively.

The Ordinary or Paula's Choice for mature skin?

For mature skin, both The Ordinary and Paula's Choice fit exceptionally well, as Lovi rates their routines as Superior. The products on this page help improve skin elasticity and may reduce visible aging signs.

The Journal of Investigative Dermatology, 2000

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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