🇨🇦Canada

Paula's Choice vs Medik8

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

Paula's Choice and Medik8 are established skincare brands offering serums, moisturizers, toners, and more. The American brand, founded in 1995, builds its formulas around hyaluronic acid, glycerin, and vitamin c, while the British brand, founded in 2009, centers its range on hyaluronic acid. Paula's Choice fits combination skin and oily skin best, whereas Medik8 suits dry skin and dry sensitive skin best. They differ primarily in their ownership, origins, and specific ingredient profiles, such as glycerin restoring barrier function in the former.

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

unilever.comtracxn.com

Medik8 is a British skincare brand founded in 2009 and owned by L'Oréal Groupe since 2025.

loreal.commedik8.comtracxn.com

This page compares some of the most popular Paula's Choice and Medik8 products; for every product of both brands, with a fit score for your own skin, use the Lovi app.

Popular Paula's Choice vs Medik8 products

People Say

Paula's ChoiceMedik8
  • Hydration and Moisture 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”
    • “Restores moisture — Medik8 Liquid Peptides”
    • “absorbed effortlessly — Medik8 Total Moisture Daily Facial Cream”
  • Texture and Pores Mostly MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “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”
    • “smoother skin — Medik8 Surface Radiance Cleanse”
  • Gentle Formulation Often MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “zero irritation or peeling — Medik8 CRYSTAL RETINAL 3”
    • “only Vitamin C my sensitive skin can tolerate — Medik8 C-Tetra Serum”
    • “Best retinol replacement — Medik8 Bakuchiol Peptides”
    • “Finally a vitamin C product I can use — Paula's Choice 25% Vitamin C + Glutathione Clinical Serum”
  • Glow and Brightening Often MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “visible glow — Paula's Choice C15 Super Booster”
    • “acne scars faded — Paula's Choice 10% Azelaic Acid Booster”
    • “I wake up glowing. It adds back that youthful bloom that I've lost. — Medik8 Sleep Glycolic”
    • “unlocked a serious glow — Medik8 C-Tetra Serum”
  • Anti-Aging and Firming Sometimes NotedOften Mentioned
    • “skin looks plumper — Paula's Choice Pro-Collagen Multi-Peptide Booster”
    • “softens lines and wrinkles — Paula's Choice 1% Retinol Treatment”
    • “Reduces fine lines — Medik8 Liquid Peptides”
    • “Plumps skin with moisture — Medik8 Bakuchiol Peptides”
  • Acne and Cleansing Often MentionedRarely 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”
    • “pores feel cleaner — Medik8 Surface Radiance Cleanse”
  • High Price Point Mostly MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “Expensive per bottle — Medik8 Liquid Peptides”
    • “very expensive for amount — Medik8 CRYSTAL RETINAL 3”
    • “hefty price tag — Medik8 C-Tetra Serum”
    • “tiny tube — Paula's Choice 10% Azelaic Acid Booster”
  • Dryness and Flaking Sometimes NotedSometimes Noted
    • “slightly drying — Medik8 Surface Radiance Cleanse”
    • “need a thick moisturizer — Medik8 CRYSTAL RETINAL 3”
    • “need more moisture — Medik8 Crystal Retinal Ceramide Eye 3”
    • “peeling and flaking — Paula's Choice 1% Retinol Treatment”
  • Packaging Issues Sometimes NotedSometimes Noted
    • “dropper leaks — Paula's Choice C15 Super Booster”
    • “dropper can be unpredictable — Paula's Choice Pro-Collagen Multi-Peptide Booster”
    • “Glass bottle breaks easily — Medik8 Liquid Peptides”
    • “hard to get last bit — Medik8 CRYSTAL RETINAL 3”

Paula's Choice vs Medik8 routines for dry skin

Buy Medik8 routine · CA$134.16 · 97% fitBuy Paula's Choice routine · CA$301.97 · 84% fitSee multi-brand routine · 99% fit

Paula's Choice vs Medik8 routines for oily skin

Buy Medik8 routine · CA$386.00 · 88% fitBuy Paula's Choice routine · CA$357.38 · 87% fitSee multi-brand routine · 96% fit

Paula's Choice vs Medik8 routines for combination skin

Buy Medik8 routine · CA$350.00 · 93% fitBuy Paula's Choice routine · CA$383.47 · 88% fitSee multi-brand routine · 96% fit

Questions and answers

Paula's Choice or Medik8: which is better?

Medik8 is a better fit for dry, sensitive, combination, and mature skin types on this page, while Paula's Choice does better for texture, pores, acne, and cleansing. Both brands perform equally well for hydration, glow, and anti-aging.

What is the difference between Paula's Choice and Medik8?

Paula's Choice fits best with combination, oily, and acne-prone skin, whereas Medik8 fits best with dry, dry sensitive, and combination skin. Paula's Choice scores higher for texture and pores as well as acne and cleansing, while Medik8 excels in gentle formulation.

Paula's Choice or Medik8 for dry skin?

Medik8 is the better choice for dry skin, as Lovi rates its routine as Superior compared to High for Paula's Choice. Topical hyaluronic acid, featured in Medik8 products, helps provide deep hydration and improve skin quality.

Dermatologic Therapy, 2022Drug Delivery, 2017

Paula's Choice or Medik8: which cleanser is better?

Paula's Choice is better for acne and cleansing on this page, offering superior cleansers like CLEAR Pore Normalizing Cleanser for oily and acne-prone skin. Medik8 also provides effective options such as Surface Radiance Cleanse, but Paula's Choice wins out on this page for cleansing performance.

Which is more affordable, Paula's Choice or Medik8?

Medik8 is more affordable, but it has a high price point. Paula's Choice also has a high price.

Paula's Choice or Medik8 for oily skin?

For oily skin, Paula's Choice and Medik8 both fit at a high level. Paula's Choice features fragrance-free formulas with active ingredients like salicylic acid and niacinamide, while Medik8 provides targeted treatments that help manage oiliness.

Paula's Choice or Medik8: which moisturizer is better?

Medik8's Total Moisture Daily Facial Cream and Hydr8 B5 Intense provide strong options for dry and mature skin, while Paula's Choice offers versatile alternatives like the Replenishing Moisturizer.

Paula's Choice or Medik8 for sensitive skin?

For sensitive skin, Lovi rates Medik8 as Superior and Paula's Choice as High. Medik8 does better for gentle formulation, while Paula's Choice has every product on this page listing no fragrance.

Paula's Choice or Medik8 for acne-prone skin?

For acne-prone skin, Lovi rates both Paula's Choice and Medik8 as a High fit. Paula's Choice stands out on this page for targeting acne and cleansing better than Medik8, while Medik8 offers a particularly gentle formulation.

Paula's Choice or Medik8 for mature skin?

Medik8 is rated as a Superior routine fit for mature skin, whereas Paula's Choice is rated as High. Medik8's formulations help provide deep hydration and gentle anti-aging benefits.

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

Paula's Choice or Medik8 for combination skin?

For combination skin, Lovi finds that Medik8 has a Superior routine fit while Paula's Choice has a High routine fit. Both brands offer products that help improve skin texture and hydration.

Paula's Choice or Medik8 for skin with dark spots?

Both brands are a high fit for skin with dark spots, with Paula's Choice providing a wider range of targeted boosters and acids while Medik8 is often noted for gentle formulations and brightening. Niacinamide helps reduce cutaneous pigmentation.

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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