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Paula's Choice vs RoC

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

Paula's Choice and RoC are well-regarded skincare brands offering serums, cleansers, moisturizers, and more, built around effective ingredients like glycerin, vitamin c, and retinol. Paula's Choice suits combination skin and oily skin best, while the French brand is fondly loved for providing deeply nourishing care that addresses aging and dryness in mature skin and dry skin. Both utilize glycerin to significantly increase skin hydration and restore barrier function, but only the second brand relies heavily on retinol to significantly reduce fine wrinkles and increase collagen.

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

unilever.comtracxn.com

RoC is a French skincare brand founded in 1957 and owned by Bridgepoint Group plc since 2024.

en.wikipedia.orgprnewswire.combeautymatter.com

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

Popular Paula's Choice vs RoC products

People Say

Paula's ChoiceRoC
  • Skin texture improvement and smoothing Mostly MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “skin becomes very smooth — Paula's Choice 1% Retinol Treatment”
    • “skin is insanely soft — Paula's Choice Weightless Body Treatment 2% BHA”
    • “diminished my forehead lines — RoC Derm Correxion Fill + Treat Serum”
    • “face looked smoother — RoC Daily Resurfacing Disks”
  • Lightweight and fast-absorbing formulas 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 — RoC Derm Correxion Fill + Treat Serum”
  • Anti-aging and wrinkle reduction Rarely NotedOften Mentioned
    • “wrinkles look less deep — RoC Retinol Correxion Deep Wrinkle Night Cream”
    • “Fine lines definitely softer — RoC Retinol Correxion Line Smoothing Eye Cream”
    • “crow's feet are fading — RoC Retinol Correxion Deep Wrinkle Serum”
    • “softens lines and wrinkles — Paula's Choice 1% Retinol Treatment”
  • Non-irritating and gentle formulas Often MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “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”
    • “doesn't leave my skin feeling tight — RoC BARRIER RENEW® GEL-TO-FOAM CLEANSER”
    • “No irritation for me — RoC Retinol Correxion Line Smoothing Eye Cream”
  • Deep hydration Rarely NotedOften Mentioned
    • “skin is no longer dry — RoC Retinol Correxion Line Smoothing Max Hydration Cream”
    • “Areas stay hydrated all day — RoC Multi Correxion Hydrate + Plump Eye Cream”
    • “My skin looks smoother and hydrated. — RoC Derm Correxion Contour Cream”
    • “Provides an internal level of hydration without leaving any heavy finish. — Paula's Choice Skin Balancing Pore-Reducing Toner”
  • Non-greasy formulas Not notedOften Mentioned
    • “absorbs nicely — RoC Retinol Correxion Deep Wrinkle Night Cream”
    • “Absorbs easily and quickly — RoC Retinol Correxion Line Smoothing Eye Cream”
    • “absorbs quickly without residue — RoC Retinol Correxion Line Smoothing Max Hydration Cream”
  • Unpleasant smell or strong fragrance Often MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “smells like perfume — RoC Retinol Correxion Deep Wrinkle Night Cream”
    • “smell is too strong — RoC Retinol Correxion Deep Wrinkle Serum”
    • “perfume smell is too strong — RoC Retinol Correxion Line Smoothing Max Hydration Cream”
    • “smells like grain — Paula's Choice 10% Azelaic Acid Booster”
  • Skin irritation and burning Sometimes NotedOften Mentioned
    • “burnt skin off — Paula's Choice 1% Retinol Treatment”
    • “caused cystic acne — Paula's Choice 10% Niacinamide Booster”
    • “ruined my skin barrier — Paula's Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant”
    • “caused redness and stinging — RoC Retinol Correxion Deep Wrinkle Night Cream”
  • High price and value concerns Often MentionedRarely Noted
    • “small bottle — RoC Multi Correxion Revive + Glow Daily Serum”
    • “tiny tube — Paula's Choice 10% Azelaic Acid Booster”

Paula's Choice vs RoC routines for dry skin

Buy RoC routine · CA$216.11 · 91% fitBuy Paula's Choice routine · CA$301.97 · 84% fitSee multi-brand routine · 99% fit

Paula's Choice vs RoC routines for oily skin

Buy RoC routine · CA$353.85 · 89% fitBuy Paula's Choice routine · CA$357.38 · 87% fitSee multi-brand routine · 96% fit

Paula's Choice vs RoC routines for combination skin

Buy RoC routine · CA$320.94 · 89% fitBuy Paula's Choice routine · CA$383.47 · 88% fitSee multi-brand routine · 96% fit

Questions and answers

Paula's Choice or RoC: which is better?

Paula's Choice and RoC both perform well, with Paula's Choice being better for lightweight formulas while RoC is better for anti-aging and deep hydration. Retinol helps reduce signs of aging in mature skin.

Archives of Dermatology, 2007

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

Paula's Choice best fits combination, oily, and acne-prone skin with fragrance-free formulas, while RoC best fits mature, dry skin and skin with dark spots. RoC does better for deep hydration and wrinkle reduction, whereas Paula's Choice is better for lightweight formulas.

Paula's Choice or RoC for dry skin?

RoC has a Superior routine fit for dry skin, whereas Paula's Choice has a High routine fit. RoC helps provide deep hydration with its range.

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

Paula's Choice is better for oily and acne-prone skin types, where its cleansers achieve a Superior Lovi fit level. RoC offers strong options too, but Paula's Choice has more top-rated daily cleansers for those specific skin concerns.

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

RoC provides better value according to reviewer feedback on the products on this page, while Paula's Choice faces frequent mentions of high prices.

Which brand has more fragrance-free products, Paula's Choice or RoC?

Paula's Choice has more fragrance-free products, as every product on its page lists no fragrance in its ingredients, whereas RoC includes fragrance in 2 of its 12 products on this page.

Paula's Choice or RoC for oily skin?

Both Paula's Choice and RoC are a High fit for oily skin. The products on this page help tackle oiliness with lightweight and non-greasy formulas.

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

Both brands offer solid options, but RoC tends to provide deeper hydration with moisturizers like Retinol Correxion Line Smoothing Max Hydration Cream. Paula's Choice focuses more on targeted ingredients like niacinamide and ceramides, with products such as Clinical Ceramide-Enriched Firming Moisturizer.

Paula's Choice or RoC for sensitive skin?

Paula's Choice is a solid option for sensitive skin, as Lovi rates the routine fit for sensitive skin as High. RoC also offers a High routine fit for sensitive skin on the products on this page.

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

Paula's Choice offers the Youth-Extending Daily Hydrating Fluid SPF 50, and RoC features the BARRIER RENEW AM MOISTURIZER SPF 30 on this page. Lovi rates the Paula's Choice sunscreen as High for dry skin, combination skin, and dry sensitive skin, and Average for acne-prone skin, oily skin, oily acne-prone skin, skin with dark spots, sensitive skin, and mature skin. Lovi rates the RoC sunscreen as High for dry sensitive skin, dry skin, mature skin, sensitive skin, skin with dark spots, combination skin, and oily skin, and Average for oily acne-prone skin and acne-prone skin.

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

For acne-prone skin, both brands offer products on this page with High fit levels, though Paula's Choice is noted for gentle, fragrance-free formulas while RoC helps with anti-aging. Retinol helps stimulate collagen and improve skin structure in aging skin.

The Journal of Investigative Dermatology, 2000

Paula's Choice or RoC for mature skin?

RoC is better for mature skin on this page, as Lovi rates its routine as Superior compared to High for Paula's Choice. RoC helps reduce wrinkles and fine lines, while retinol supports aging skin by stimulating collagen accumulation.

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

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

For skin with dark spots, RoC is a better fit with a Superior routine rating compared to Paula's Choice, which has a High rating on this page. Ingredients like retinol help improve skin appearance by addressing signs of aging and pigmentation.

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

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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