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CeraVe vs Paula's Choice

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

CeraVe and Paula's Choice are American skincare brands offering moisturizers, cleansers, serums, and more, formulated with key ingredients like hyaluronic acid and glycerin. The former suits dry skin and acne-prone skin best, while the latter fits combination skin and oily skin best. Ultimately, the brands differ in their standout solutions and target skin types, though both utilize ingredients that improve hydration and restore barrier function.

CeraVe is an American skincare brand founded in 2005 and owned by L'Oréal since 2017.

en.wikipedia.orghappi.comloreal-finance.comcerave.com

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

Popular CeraVe vs Paula's Choice products

People Say

CeraVePaula's Choice
  • Texture and Lightweight Feel Mostly MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “Absorbs into skin without residue — CeraVe Daily Moisturizing Lotion”
    • “Sinks right into your skin — CeraVe PM Facial Moisturizing Lotion”
    • “Absorbs quickly and leaves no greasy residue behind. — Paula's Choice Clear Oil-Free Moisturizer”
    • “absorbs instantly — Paula's Choice C15 Super Booster”
  • Fragrance-Free and Gentle Formulas Mostly MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “doesn't leave face tight — CeraVe Hydrating Facial Cleanser”
    • “no burning sensation — CeraVe Resurfacing Retinol Serum”
    • “No scent, no irritation — CeraVe Moisturising Cream”
    • “Finally a vitamin C product I can use — Paula's Choice 25% Vitamin C + Glutathione Clinical Serum”
  • Acne and Oil Control Sometimes NotedMostly Mentioned
    • “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”
    • “dialed back oiliness — CeraVe Foaming Facial Cleanser”
  • Hydration and Moisture Mostly MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “Saved my dry winter skin — CeraVe Moisturising Cream”
    • “woke up with plump skin — CeraVe Skin Renewing Night Cream”
    • “cured my dry patches — CeraVe Eye Repair Cream”
    • “Provides an internal level of hydration without leaving any heavy finish. — Paula's Choice Skin Balancing Pore-Reducing Toner”
  • Skin Texture Improvement Sometimes NotedMostly Mentioned
    • “skin becomes very smooth — Paula's Choice 1% Retinol Treatment”
    • “bumps be gone — Paula's Choice Weightless Body Treatment 2% BHA”
    • “skin is insanely soft — Paula's Choice Weightless Body Treatment 2% BHA”
    • “smoother complexion — CeraVe Resurfacing Retinol Serum”
  • Skin Tone and Mark Correction Rarely NotedSometimes Noted
    • “acne scars faded — Paula's Choice 10% Azelaic Acid Booster”
    • “calmed redness immediately — Paula's Choice 10% Azelaic Acid Booster”
    • “spots barely visible — Paula's Choice Skin-Smoothing Retinol Body Treatment”
    • “lightened dark spots — CeraVe Resurfacing Retinol Serum”
  • Price Point Concerns Rarely NotedMostly Mentioned
    • “expensive Vaseline — CeraVe Healing Ointment”
    • “tiny tube — Paula's Choice 10% Azelaic Acid Booster”
  • Packaging Issues Often MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “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”
    • “no safety seal included — CeraVe Skin Renewing Night Cream”
  • Breakouts and Purging Sometimes NotedSometimes Noted
    • “Gave me cystic acne — CeraVe Moisturising Cream”
    • “gave me closed comedones — CeraVe Hydrating Facial Cleanser”
    • “skin purged — Paula's Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant”
    • “caused cystic acne — Paula's Choice 10% Niacinamide Booster”

CeraVe vs Paula's Choice routines for dry skin

Buy CeraVe routine · CA$163.70 · 90% fitBuy Paula's Choice routine · CA$301.97 · 84% fitSee multi-brand routine · 99% fit

CeraVe vs Paula's Choice routines for oily skin

Buy Paula's Choice routine · CA$357.38 · 87% fitBuy CeraVe routine · CA$276.56 · 83% fitSee multi-brand routine · 96% fit

CeraVe vs Paula's Choice routines for combination skin

Buy Paula's Choice routine · CA$383.47 · 88% fitBuy CeraVe routine · CA$228.68 · 86% fitSee multi-brand routine · 96% fit

Questions and answers

CeraVe or Paula's Choice: which is better?

CeraVe is better for hydration and gentle, fragrance-free formulas, while Paula's Choice does better for acne, oil control, and skin texture improvement. Both brands offer fragrance-free options across the products on this page.

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

CeraVe focuses on fragrance-free, ceramide-rich barrier hydration that fits dry and sensitive skin with Superior levels, while Paula's Choice emphasizes active treatments like BHA exfoliants that excel at acne and oil control. CeraVe tends to be more affordable, whereas Paula's Choice features advanced targeted serums.

CeraVe or Paula's Choice for dry skin?

CeraVe is better for dry skin, offering a Superior routine fit compared to Paula's Choice, which has a High fit. CeraVe's products on this page help deliver deep hydration and barrier repair with ingredients like ceramides.

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

CeraVe provides fragrance-free and gentle formulas, making its cleansers a better option for sensitive skin. Paula's Choice is better for acne and oil control, offering specialized cleansers that target oily skin effectively.

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

CeraVe is more affordable, whereas price point concerns are frequently noted for Paula's Choice.

Between CeraVe and Paula's Choice, which brand is better for improving skin texture?

Paula's Choice does better than CeraVe for skin texture improvement. The products on this page help refine the skin through active ingredients like retinol and exfoliants.

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

How do CeraVe and Paula's Choice compare regarding packaging issues according to reviewers?

Reviewers note packaging issues for both brands, but such concerns are mentioned sometimes for CeraVe and mostly for the products on this page from Paula's Choice.

Which brand performs better for skin tone and mark correction, CeraVe or Paula's Choice?

Paula's Choice performs better for skin tone and mark correction. Its products on this page help improve skin texture and correct dark spots.

The British Journal of Dermatology, 2002Antioxidants, 2021

CeraVe or Paula's Choice for oily skin?

Both brands offer a High routine fit for oily skin. Paula's Choice does better for acne and oil control, while the products on this page from CeraVe are fragrance-free and gentle.

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

CeraVe offers better moisturizers for dry skin, achieving a Superior routine fit compared to the High fit of Paula's Choice. CeraVe's products on this page help provide deep hydration with ceramide-dominant barrier repair lipids.

CeraVe or Paula's Choice for sensitive skin?

Both CeraVe and Paula's Choice achieve a High routine fit for sensitive skin. CeraVe features fragrance-free and gentle formulas, while Paula's Choice includes options like green tea extract to help soothe irritation.

Carcinogenesis, 2001

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

CeraVe has a superior routine fit for dry skin compared to Paula's Choice, while both brands offer products that help provide sun protection and hydration. CeraVe features fragrance-free sunscreens with ceramide-dominant barrier repair lipids that may help alleviate skin irritation and protect against UV damage.

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

Both CeraVe and Paula's Choice achieve a High routine fit for acne-prone skin, with CeraVe offering fragrance-free and gentle formulas and Paula's Choice excelling in acne and oil control. Niacinamide helps control skin aging and pigmentation, and epigallocatechin gallate improves acne by modulating intracellular molecular targets and inhibiting P. acnes.

The British Journal of Dermatology, 2002Antioxidants, 2021

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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