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Paula's Choice vs Bioderma

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

Paula's Choice and Bioderma are respected skincare brands originating from the United States and France, respectively. The American line, founded in 1995, features serums, cleansers, moisturizers, and toners built around hyaluronic acid, glycerin, and vitamin C, making it best suited for combination and oily skin. Meanwhile, the French brand, established in 1977, is revered for a thoughtful array of moisturizers, makeup removers, serums, and cleansers carefully formulated with nourishing glycerin to suit dry and combination skin best. While both brands rely on glycerin to significantly increase skin hydration and restore barrier function, they differ in their targeted compositions and ideal skin types.

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

unilever.comtracxn.com

Bioderma is a French skincare brand founded in 1977 and owned by Jean-Noël Thorel Foundation since 2018.

bioderma.usnaos.com

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

Popular Paula's Choice vs Bioderma products

People Say

Paula's ChoiceBioderma
  • Non-irritating and gentle Often MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “doesn't sting my eyes — Bioderma Sensibio H2O”
    • “doesn't cause any irritation — Bioderma Sensibio Micellar Cleansing Oil”
    • “mildest face wash I've tried — Bioderma Sensibio Gel Moussant”
    • “Finally a vitamin C product I can use — Paula's Choice 25% Vitamin C + Glutathione Clinical Serum”
  • Lightweight and fast absorption 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”
    • “absorbs instantly — Bioderma Hydrabio Serum”
  • Smoothes skin texture 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”
  • Hydrating and moisturizing Not notedOften Mentioned
    • “healed my dry skin — Bioderma Sébium Hydra”
    • “skin feels plump — Bioderma Atoderm Crème Ultra”
    • “leaves skin feeling hydrated — Bioderma Sensibio Micellar Cleansing Oil”
  • Unclogs pores and clears acne Often MentionedRarely Noted
    • “cleared my bumps — Paula's Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant”
    • “Helped clear my cystic acne — Paula's Choice CLEAR Pore Normalizing Cleanser”
    • “heals blemishes faster — Paula's Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant”
    • “It removed my acne from my face. — Bioderma Sébium Gel moussant”
  • Balances oily skin and minimizes pores Sometimes NotedSometimes Noted
    • “pores look smaller — Paula's Choice 10% Niacinamide Booster”
    • “It works great to balance oil and is very refreshing, especially in the summer. — Paula's Choice Skin Balancing Pore-Reducing Toner”
    • “Keeps you shine free — Bioderma Sébium Pore Refiner”
    • “Noticeable difference in size of pores — Bioderma Sébium Pore Refiner”
  • High price and value issues Mostly MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “pricier than other brands — Bioderma Sensibio Gel Moussant”
    • “finished too quickly — Bioderma Hydrabio Serum”
    • “pricey for water — Bioderma Sensibio H2O”
    • “surprisingly small bottle — Paula's Choice Skin-Smoothing Retinol Body Treatment”
  • Drying and flaking Sometimes NotedSometimes Noted
    • “peeling and flaking — Paula's Choice 1% Retinol Treatment”
    • “Not hydrating enough for winter. — Paula's Choice Clear Oil-Free Moisturizer”
    • “Skin looks like sandpaper — Bioderma Sébium Pore Refiner”
    • “It isn't a cleanser I can use every day... it can be very drying. — Bioderma Sébium Gel moussant”
  • Unpleasant smell or scent Often MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “Very unpleasant chemical smell. You definitely don't want this accidentally going into your mouth. — Bioderma Sébium Gel moussant”
    • “scent is too strong — Bioderma Hydrabio Serum”
    • “strong scent — Bioderma Sébium Hydra”
    • “smells like grain — Paula's Choice 10% Azelaic Acid Booster”

Paula's Choice vs Bioderma routines for dry skin

Buy Bioderma routine · CA$239.94 · 89% fitBuy Paula's Choice routine · CA$301.97 · 84% fitSee multi-brand routine · 99% fit

Paula's Choice vs Bioderma routines for oily skin

Buy Paula's Choice routine · CA$357.38 · 87% fitBuy Bioderma routine · CA$363.91 · 87% fitSee multi-brand routine · 96% fit

Paula's Choice vs Bioderma routines for combination skin

Buy Bioderma routine · CA$307.01 · 89% fitBuy Paula's Choice routine · CA$383.47 · 88% fitSee multi-brand routine · 96% fit

Questions and answers

Paula's Choice or Bioderma: which is better?

Both brands offer a High routine fit for all skin types. Paula's Choice features fragrance-free formulas with key ingredients like salicylic acid and niacinamide, whereas Bioderma includes fragrance in some products and focuses on gentle cleansers and soothing moisturizers.

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

Paula's Choice focuses on targeted serums and exfoliants with ingredients like retinol and niacinamide, while Bioderma offers gentle cleansers and soothing moisturizers that emphasize barrier repair. Paula's Choice helps smooth texture and clear pores, whereas Bioderma excels at providing non-irritating care for sensitive skin.

The Journal of Investigative Dermatology, 2000The British Journal of Dermatology, 2002

Paula's Choice or Bioderma for dry skin?

Both Paula's Choice and Bioderma fit dry skin with a High routine fit level. Paula's Choice features fragrance-free formulas with key ingredients like hyaluronic acid and glycerin, whereas Bioderma offers barrier-repairing moisturizers that may help soothe dryness.

Drug Delivery, 2017Dermatologic Therapy, 2022

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

Both brands offer cleansers with high Lovi fit levels across multiple skin types, so neither is definitively better. Paula's Choice features fragrance-free formulas with key ingredients like salicylic acid that help unclog pores, while Bioderma provides gentle, soothing options that may be preferred depending on individual skin sensitivity.

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

Both Paula's Choice and Bioderma face user feedback noting high price and value concerns. However, specific comparative affordability between the two brands is not detailed on this page.

Between Paula's Choice and Bioderma, which brand does a better job at smoothing skin texture according to reviewers?

Paula's Choice does a better job at smoothing skin texture according to reviewers.

How do Paula's Choice and Bioderma differ regarding the inclusion of fragrance in their products?

Paula's Choice includes no fragrance across the products on this page. In contrast, Bioderma includes fragrance in several of its products on this page.

Which brand performs better for being non-irritating and gentle, Paula's Choice or Bioderma?

Bioderma performs better for being non-irritating and gentle. Reviewers mostly mention its soothing and barrier-repairing moisturizers as well as its gentle cleansers and makeup removers.

Paula's Choice or Bioderma for oily skin?

Both brands offer a High routine fit for oily skin. Paula's Choice is often preferred for unclogging pores and clearing acne, while Bioderma is known for its soothing and barrier-repairing moisturizers.

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

Both brands offer moisturizers that help hydrate and nourish the skin effectively, with Bioderma being particularly known for its soothing and barrier-repairing moisturizers. Lovi rates the routine fit for both brands as High across all skin types.

Paula's Choice or Bioderma for sensitive skin?

Both brands offer a High routine fit for sensitive skin. Paula's Choice features fragrance-free formulas with key ingredients like hyaluronic acid and niacinamide, which helps hydrate and soothe the skin.

Drug Delivery, 2017Antioxidants, 2021

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

Both Paula's Choice and Bioderma achieve a High routine fit level for acne-prone skin on the products on this page. Paula's Choice helps unclog pores and clear acne better than Bioderma, whereas Bioderma provides soothing and barrier-repairing moisturizers.

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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