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Paula's Choice vs Good Molecules

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

Paula's Choice and Good Molecules are American skincare brands established in 1995 and 2019, respectively, offering diverse products such as serums, cleansers, and moisturizers built around ingredients like glycerin, hyaluronic acid, and vitamin C. Paula's Choice suits combination skin and oily skin best, whereas Good Molecules best suits dry skin and dry sensitive skin owing to moisture-binding formulas. Both feature ingredients where glycerin significantly increases skin hydration and restores barrier function.

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

unilever.comtracxn.com

Good Molecules is an American skincare brand founded in 2019 and owned by Beautylish, Inc..

beautymatter.comgoodmolecules.compitchbook.compreqin.com

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

Popular Paula's Choice vs Good Molecules products

People Say

Paula's ChoiceGood Molecules
  • Fast absorption and lightweight texture 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 — Paula's Choice C15 Super Booster”
    • “absorbs quickly... zero irritation or tacky feeling — Good Molecules Discoloration Correcting Serum”
  • Smoothes texture and refines pores Mostly MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “skin becomes very smooth — Paula's Choice 1% Retinol Treatment”
    • “pores look smaller — Paula's Choice 10% Niacinamide Booster”
    • “bumps be gone — Paula's Choice Weightless Body Treatment 2% BHA”
    • “skin looks like brand new baby skin — Good Molecules Overnight Exfoliating Treatment”
  • Affordable price and great value Not notedMostly Mentioned
    • “best value for money — Good Molecules Hyaluronic Acid Serum”
    • “great value — Good Molecules Niacinamide Serum”
  • Non-irritating and gentle formula Often MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “no skin purging — Good Molecules Gentle Retinol Cream”
    • “Non-abrasive, suitable for sensitive skin, no stinging — Good Molecules Pineapple Exfoliating Powder”
    • “leaves my face feeling clean without the drying — Good Molecules Hydrating Facial Cleansing Gel”
    • “Finally a vitamin C product I can use — Paula's Choice 25% Vitamin C + Glutathione Clinical Serum”
  • Glow, radiance, and brightening Often MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “visible glow — Paula's Choice C15 Super Booster”
    • “Discoloration almost gone — Paula's Choice 25% Vitamin C + Glutathione Clinical Serum”
    • “spots barely visible — Paula's Choice Skin-Smoothing Retinol Body Treatment”
    • “scar on your chin doesn't look nearly as noticeable — Good Molecules Discoloration Correcting Serum”
  • Hydrates, plumps, and layers well Not notedOften Mentioned
    • “skin appears smooth and supple — Good Molecules Hyaluronic Acid Serum”
    • “Skin feels bouncy — Good Molecules Super Peptide Serum”
    • “softened fine lines — Good Molecules Gentle Retinol Cream”
  • High price and packaging issues Mostly MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “Metal tube cracks — Good Molecules Yerba Mate Wake Up Eye Gel”
    • “Hole is too big — Good Molecules Pineapple Exfoliating Powder”
    • “dropper... getting only a little bit is difficult — Good Molecules Discoloration Correcting Serum”
    • “surprisingly small bottle — Paula's Choice Skin-Smoothing Retinol Body Treatment”
  • Causes breakouts and purging Sometimes NotedSometimes Noted
    • “skin purged — Paula's Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant”
    • “caused cystic acne — Paula's Choice 10% Niacinamide Booster”
    • “face broke out everywhere — Good Molecules Discoloration Correcting Serum”
    • “gave me little white bumps — Good Molecules Niacinamide Serum”
  • Unpleasant smell or scent issues Often MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “Strong bergamot smell — Good Molecules Super Peptide Serum”
    • “weird faint smell — Good Molecules Gentle Retinol Cream”
    • “smelled of glycolic acid — Good Molecules Overnight Exfoliating Treatment”
    • “smells like grain — Paula's Choice 10% Azelaic Acid Booster”

Paula's Choice vs Good Molecules routines for dry skin

Buy Good Molecules routine · CA$190.71 · 92% fitBuy Paula's Choice routine · CA$301.97 · 84% fitSee multi-brand routine · 99% fit

Paula's Choice vs Good Molecules routines for oily skin

Buy Paula's Choice routine · CA$357.38 · 87% fitBuy Good Molecules routine · CA$311.61 · 87% fitSee multi-brand routine · 96% fit

Paula's Choice vs Good Molecules routines for combination skin

Buy Paula's Choice routine · CA$383.47 · 88% fitBuy Good Molecules routine · CA$252.71 · 88% fitSee multi-brand routine · 96% fit

Questions and answers

Paula's Choice or Good Molecules: which is better?

Both brands are great, but Paula's Choice is better suited for oily, combination, and acne-prone skin, while Good Molecules is a better fit for dry and sensitive skin. Reviewers note that Paula's Choice provides fast absorption and glow, whereas Good Molecules is known for affordability and gentle hydration.

What is the difference between Paula's Choice and Good Molecules?

Paula's Choice best fits combination, oily, and acne-prone skin, while Good Molecules best fits dry, dry sensitive, and sensitive skin. Reviewers often note that Paula's Choice is great for fast absorption and smoothing texture, whereas Good Molecules is recognized for its affordable price and gentle formulas.

Paula's Choice or Good Molecules for dry skin?

Good Molecules is a better fit for dry skin, offering a Superior routine compared to Paula's Choice's High routine fit. Products like the Lightweight Daily Moisturizer and Sheer Mineral Sunscreen SPF 30 help deliver hydration and protection for dry skin types.

Paula's Choice or Good Molecules: which cleanser is better?

Both brands offer cleansers with high fit levels, but Paula's Choice is better suited for oily and acne-prone skin, while Good Molecules is a better fit for dry and sensitive skin.

Which is more affordable, Paula's Choice or Good Molecules?

Good Molecules is more affordable, as reviewers on the products on this page mostly mention its affordable price and great value, whereas high price is a noted drawback for Paula's Choice.

Which brand has better packaging or fewer packaging issues according to reviewers?

Paula's Choice helps deliver a better packaging experience, as Good Molecules is more commonly noted by reviewers for having packaging issues.

Paula's Choice or Good Molecules for oily skin?

Both Paula's Choice and Good Molecules offer a high routine fit for oily skin. Paula's Choice is noted for fast absorption and lightweight texture, while Good Molecules is recognized for affordable price and great value.

Paula's Choice or Good Molecules: which moisturizer is better?

Good Molecules offers a superior routine fit for dry skin, while Paula's Choice provides a high fit. Good Molecules also stands out for its affordable and hydrating moisturizers.

Paula's Choice or Good Molecules for sensitive skin?

Good Molecules is a better fit for sensitive skin, offering a Superior routine compared to Paula's Choice's High routine fit. Reviewers frequently note that Good Molecules provides very gentle serums.

Paula's Choice or Good Molecules: which sunscreen is better?

Good Molecules offers a sunscreen with a superior Lovi fit for dry sensitive skin, dry skin, sensitive skin, skin with dark spots, and mature skin, while Paula's Choice has a high fit for those skin types. Both brands provide high fits for oily skin, combination skin, acne-prone skin, and oily acne-prone skin.

Paula's Choice or Good Molecules for acne-prone skin?

Both Paula's Choice and Good Molecules fit acne-prone skin well, with high routine fit levels. Paula's Choice is focused on oily, combination, and acne-prone skin types.

Paula's Choice or Good Molecules for mature skin?

Paula's Choice and Good Molecules both suit mature skin well, with Good Molecules reaching a Superior routine fit and Paula's Choice achieving a High routine fit on the products on this page. Paula's Choice is often noted for anti-aging serums and smooth texture, while Good Molecules is reviewed as affordable and great value.

Paula's Choice or Good Molecules for dry sensitive skin?

Good Molecules is a better fit for dry sensitive skin, offering a Superior routine compared to Paula's Choice's High routine fit. The products on this page help hydrate and soothe dry sensitive skin with key ingredients like hyaluronic acid.

Dermatologic Therapy, 2022Drug Delivery, 2017

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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