Paula's Choice vs Skintific
Paula's Choice and Skintific are trusted skincare lines offering targeted solutions for diverse complexions. The American brand founded in 1995 features serums, cleansers, moisturizers, and toners built around hyaluronic acid, glycerin, and vitamin c, while Skintific provides thoughtful formulations spanning targeted moisturizers, potent serums, and protective sunscreens. Both collections suit different needs, as Paula's Choice fits combination skin and oily skin best, and its counterpart suits dry skin and dry sensitive skin best. Ultimately, they differ through their core ingredients and ideal skin types, with the former utilizing glycerin to significantly increase skin hydration and restore barrier function, and the latter balancing every component to provide reliable daily care.
Paula's Choice is an American skincare brand founded in 1995 and owned by Unilever since 2021.
This page compares some of the most popular Paula's Choice and Skintific products; for every product of both brands, with a fit score for your own skin, use the Lovi app.
Popular Paula's Choice vs Skintific products
People Say
Texture and Absorption 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 — Skintific 5X Ceramide Barrier Moisture Gel”
- “super light and leaves a radiant glow — Skintific All Day Light Sunscreen Mist”
Pore Care and Skin Smoothing Mostly MentionedSometimes Noted
- “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”
- “Kulit terasa lebih halus — Skintific AHA BHA PHA LHA Peeling Solution”
Redness Reduction and Soothing Often MentionedOften Mentioned
- “Finally a vitamin C product I can use — Paula's Choice 25% Vitamin C + Glutathione Clinical Serum”
- “calmed redness immediately — Paula's Choice 10% Azelaic Acid Booster”
- “redness berkurang — Skintific 5X Ceramide Barrier Moisture Gel”
- “healed my skin barrier — Skintific 5X Ceramide Barrier Moisture Gel”
Sun Protection and Practicality Rarely NotedMostly Mentioned
- “mess-free application — Skintific MUGWORT”
- “invisible, no white cast — Skintific All Day Light Sunscreen Mist”
- “maintain your makeup without any mess — Skintific All Day Light Sunscreen Mist”
- “air-tight pump bottle — Paula's Choice 1% Retinol Treatment”
Acne and Blemish Control Often MentionedSometimes 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”
- “calm my acne instantly — Skintific MUGWORT”
Skin Brightening and Even Tone Often MentionedSometimes Noted
- “visible glow — Paula's Choice C15 Super Booster”
- “acne scars faded — Paula's Choice 10% Azelaic Acid Booster”
- “Discoloration almost gone — Paula's Choice 25% Vitamin C + Glutathione Clinical Serum”
- “Tampak lebih cerah — Skintific AHA BHA PHA LHA Peeling Solution”
Packaging, Size and Price Mostly MentionedSometimes Noted
- “isinya sedikit — Skintific 5X Ceramide Barrier Moisture Gel”
- “runs out very quickly — Skintific All Day Light Sunscreen Mist”
- “surprisingly small bottle — Paula's Choice Skin-Smoothing Retinol Body Treatment”
Dryness, Peeling and Irritation Sometimes NotedOften Mentioned
- “peeling and flaking — Paula's Choice 1% Retinol Treatment”
- “Not hydrating enough for winter. — Paula's Choice Clear Oil-Free Moisturizer”
- “dryness and scaliness — Paula's Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant”
- “Panas banget di kulit — Skintific AHA BHA PHA LHA Peeling Solution”
Unpleasant Smell, Scent and Taste Often MentionedOften Mentioned
- “smells like grain — Paula's Choice 10% Azelaic Acid Booster”
- “smells like hot dog water — Paula's Choice C15 Super Booster”
- “scent is actually quite strong — Skintific All Day Light Sunscreen Mist”
- “Bau jamu/rempah — Skintific AHA BHA PHA LHA Peeling Solution”
Paula's Choice vs Skintific routines for dry skin
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Cleanser
CeraVe Hydrating Facial Cleanser
Morning · Evening · Once a week
CA$20.19
-
Hydrating Toner
Dear, Klairs Supple Preparation Unscented Toner
Morning
CA$27.99
-
Moisturizer
MUGWORT
Morning · Evening · Once a week
CA$18.23
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SPF
d'Alba Piedmont Waterfull Mild Sunscreen
Morning
CA$38.00
-
Pre-Cleanser
MISSHA Ultra Hyalon Cleansing Cream
Evening · Once a week
CA$17.99
-
Serum or Treatment
SKIN1004 Madagascar Centella Poremizing Fresh Ampoule
Evening · Once a week
CA$22.09
-
Nourishing Mask
MEDIHEAL Vita Essential Mask
Once a week
CA$29.99
-
Cleanser
CLEAR Pore Normalizing Cleanser
Morning · Evening · Once a week
CA$54.99
-
Hydrating Toner
Skin Recovery Enriched Calming Toner
Morning
CA$47.00
-
Moisturizer
Replenishing Moisturizer
Morning · Evening · Once a week
CA$68.00
-
SPF
Youth-Extending Daily Hydrating Fluid SPF 50
Morning
CA$55.00
-
Pre-Cleanser
MISSHA Ultra Hyalon Cleansing Cream
Evening · Once a week
CA$17.99
-
Serum or Treatment
Pro-Collagen Multi-Peptide Booster
Evening · Once a week
CA$84.00
-
Nourishing Mask
MEDIHEAL Vita Essential Mask
Once a week
CA$29.99
Buy Skintific routine · CA$174.48 · 95% fit
Buy Paula's Choice routine · CA$301.97 · 84% fitSee multi-brand routine · 99% fit
Paula's Choice vs Skintific routines for oily skin
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Cleanser
CeraVe Foaming Facial Cleanser
Morning · Evening · Once a week
CA$20.96
-
Hydrating Toner
Paula's Choice Skin Balancing Pore-Reducing Toner
Morning · Once a week
CA$37.60
-
Moisturizer
MUGWORT
Morning · Evening · Once a week
CA$18.23
-
SPF
La Roche-Posay Anthelios Clear Skin Dry Touch Sunscreen SPF 60
Morning
CA$35.95
-
Pre-Cleanser
Pyunkang Yul Deep Cleansing Oil
Evening · Once a week
CA$23.99
-
Cleansing Toner
Pixi Glow Tonic
Evening
CA$28.90
-
Serum or Treatment
The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1%
Evening · Once a week
CA$6.60
-
Enzyme Powder
Dermalogica Daily Microfoliant
Once a week
CA$29.50
-
Cleansing Mask
Tatcha The Clarifying Clay Mask
Once a week
CA$95.00
-
Cleanser
CLEAR Pore Normalizing Cleanser
Morning · Evening · Once a week
CA$54.99
-
Hydrating Toner
Advanced Replenishing Toner
Morning · Once a week
CA$41.00
-
Moisturizer
RESIST Intensive Wrinkle-Repair Retinol Serum
Morning · Evening · Once a week
CA$102.00
-
SPF
Youth-Extending Daily Hydrating Fluid SPF 50
Morning
CA$55.00
-
Pre-Cleanser
Pyunkang Yul Deep Cleansing Oil
Evening · Once a week
CA$23.99
-
Cleansing Toner
Pixi Glow Tonic
Evening
CA$28.90
-
Serum or Treatment
Niacinamide 20% Treatment
Evening · Once a week
CA$84.00
-
Enzyme Powder
Dermalogica Daily Microfoliant
Once a week
CA$29.50
-
Cleansing Mask
Tatcha The Clarifying Clay Mask
Once a week
CA$95.00
Buy Skintific routine · CA$296.73 · 91% fit
Buy Paula's Choice routine · CA$357.38 · 87% fitSee multi-brand routine · 96% fit
Paula's Choice vs Skintific routines for combination skin
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Cleanser
Fresh Soy Face Cleanser
Morning · Evening · Once a week
CA$44.95
-
Hydrating Toner
Paula's Choice Skin Balancing Pore-Reducing Toner
Morning · Once a week
CA$37.60
-
Moisturizer
MUGWORT
Morning · Evening · Once a week
CA$18.23
-
SPF
CeraVe AM Facial Moisturizing Lotion SPF 30
Morning
CA$20.96
-
Pre-Cleanser
Pyunkang Yul Deep Cleansing Oil
Evening · Once a week
CA$23.99
-
Cleansing Toner
Medicube Zero Pore Pad 2.0
Evening
CA$31.99
-
Serum or Treatment
The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1%
Evening · Once a week
CA$6.60
-
Enzyme Powder
Dermalogica Daily Microfoliant
Once a week
CA$29.50
-
Cleansing Mask
Origins Original Skin Retexturizing Mask with Rose Clay
Once a week
CA$50.00
-
Cleanser
CLEAR Pore Normalizing Cleanser
Morning · Evening · Once a week
CA$54.99
-
Hydrating Toner
Advanced Replenishing Toner
Morning · Once a week
CA$41.00
-
Moisturizer
Replenishing Moisturizer
Morning · Evening · Once a week
CA$68.00
-
SPF
Youth-Extending Daily Hydrating Fluid SPF 50
Morning
CA$55.00
-
Pre-Cleanser
Pyunkang Yul Deep Cleansing Oil
Evening · Once a week
CA$23.99
-
Cleansing Toner
Medicube Zero Pore Pad 2.0
Evening
CA$31.99
-
Serum or Treatment
Niacinamide 20% Treatment
Evening · Once a week
CA$84.00
-
Enzyme Powder
Dermalogica Daily Microfoliant
Once a week
CA$29.50
-
Cleansing Mask
Origins Original Skin Retexturizing Mask with Rose Clay
Once a week
CA$50.00
Buy Skintific routine · CA$263.82 · 92% fit
Buy Paula's Choice routine · CA$383.47 · 88% fitSee multi-brand routine · 96% fit
Questions and answers
Paula's Choice or Skintific: which is better?
Paula's Choice and Skintific both perform well, but Skintific achieves Superior routine fit levels across nearly all skin types on this page compared to Paula's Choice at High levels. Reviewers note that Paula's Choice helps better with pore care, acne control, and skin brightening, whereas Skintific does better with sun protection and practicality.
What is the difference between Paula's Choice and Skintific?
Paula's Choice and Skintific both offer fragrance-free skincare products, but they differ in their formulation focus and performance across various skin types and concerns. Paula's Choice features a larger range of products on this page and tends to do better for pore care, acne control, and skin brightening, whereas Skintific achieves superior routine fit levels for dry, oily, sensitive, and acne-prone skin.
Paula's Choice or Skintific for dry skin?
Skintific is a better fit for dry skin, where Lovi rates its routine as Superior compared to High for Paula's Choice.
Paula's Choice or Skintific: which moisturizer is better?
Paula's Choice offers a wider range of moisturizers with specialized formulas, while Skintific focuses on barrier repair options like its 5X Ceramide Barrier Moisture Gel.
Which is more affordable, Paula's Choice or Skintific?
Skintific is more affordable, as reviewers mostly mention high prices as a negative for Paula's Choice, whereas packaging, size, and price are noted as the negative themes for Skintific.
Paula's Choice or Skintific for oily skin?
For oily skin, Skintific is a better option because Lovi gives it a Superior routine fit compared to the High fit of Paula's Choice. Paula's Choice is better for pore care and blemish control, while Skintific offers practical sun protection.
Paula's Choice or Skintific: which sunscreen is better?
Skintific is better for sun protection and practicality according to the review themes on this page. The products on this page list no fragrance in their ingredients for either brand.
Paula's Choice or Skintific for sensitive skin?
Both Paula's Choice and Skintific are great options, as Lovi rates both brands as High fit for sensitive skin. Paula's Choice offers many fragrance-free products on this page that help soothe skin, while Skintific provides gentle options that are unlikely to cause irritation.
Paula's Choice or Skintific for acne-prone skin?
Paula's Choice is a better fit for acne-prone skin because the products on this page offer superior pore care and blemish control. Lovi rates the routine fit for this skin type as High for Paula's Choice.
Paula's Choice or Skintific for combination skin?
Both Paula's Choice and Skintific are great options for combination skin, with Lovi rating Paula's Choice High and Skintific Superior for this skin type. Paula's Choice features a wide range of exfoliants and serums tailored for combination skin, while Skintific focuses on barrier-friendly moisturizers and sunscreens.
Paula's Choice or Skintific for mature skin?
Both brands are great choices for mature skin, with Lovi giving Paula's Choice a High fit and Skintific a Superior fit for specific routines. Paula's Choice stands out on this page for pore care, skin smoothing, acne control, and skin brightening, while Skintific tends to be better for sun protection and practicality.
Paula's Choice or Skintific for skin with dark spots?
Both Paula's Choice and Skintific achieve a High routine fit for skin with dark spots. Paula's Choice helps improve skin brightening and even tone better.
Research behind their key ingredients
Molecular basis of retinol anti-ageing properties in naturally aged human skin in vivo
Effects of ascorbic acid on gingival melanin pigmentation in vitro and in vivo
Apigenin inhibits UVA-induced cytotoxicity in vitro and prevents signs of skin aging in vivo
Reduction in the appearance of facial hyperpigmentation by topical N-acetyl glucosamine
Microneedling by dermapen and glycolic acid peel for the treatment of acne scars: Comparative study
Topical glutathione amino acid precursors protect skin against environmental and oxidative stress
Tocotrienol-rich fraction attenuates UV-induced inflammaging: A bench to bedside study
Chemical peels for acne vulgaris: a systematic review of randomised controlled trials
In vivo and in vitro evaluation of octyl methoxycinnamate liposomes
The impacts of sodium lauroyl sarcosinate in facial cleanser on facial skin microbiome and lipidome
Nanostructured Lipid Carrier for Topical Application of N-Acetyl Glucosamine
Borage Oil Treated with Immobilized Lipase Inhibits Melanogenesis
Supramolecular collagen nanoparticles for anti-wrinkle, skin whitening, and moisturizing effects
Novel beads made of alpha-cyclodextrin and oil for topical delivery of a lipophilic drug
Functional properties and skin care effects of sodium trehalose sulfate
Treatment with Ascorbyl Glucoside-Arginine Complex Ameliorates Solar Lentigos
Targeting Circadian Rhythm for the Regulation of Skin Collagen Metabolism
Retrospective Review of Dermal Safety Studies of Organic Sunscreens
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.
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Co-founder, Medical Director
Cosmetic chemist, cosmetologist, aesthetic products developer
-

Co-founder, CEO and CTO
PhD in computer science, 3x US patent holder, ex-Google, ex-Yandex
-

Dr. Sofía Perea Pérez, MD, MSc
Medical Board
Aesthetic medicine practitioner, MSc in Longevity and Anti-Aging Medicine
-

Medical Board
Specialist dermatologist, MBBS, MD, IFAAD
-

Medical Board
Cosmetic chemist, SCS, IFSCC member
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Medical Board, Medical Advisor
Dermatology MD
-

Elina Nazarenko, MD
Medical Board
Dermatology and diagnostic consultant
-

Victoria Derkova, MS
Medical Board
Cosmetic chemist, cosmetic development technologist
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