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Paula's Choice vs Allies of Skin

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

Paula's Choice and Allies of Skin are skincare brands offering targeted treatments for diverse skin types and concerns. The American brand, founded in 1995 and owned by Unilever since 2021, features serums, cleansers, moisturizers, and toners built around hyaluronic acid, glycerin, and vitamin C that fit oily and combination skin best. Conversely, Allies of Skin is loved for its luxurious moisturizers, potent serums, and targeted eye products formulated with powerhouse ingredients like niacinamide that suit dry skin and acne-prone skin best. While both brands address acne, dark spots, and mature skin through specific formulations, they differ in their core ingredients and primary skin type suitability.

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

unilever.comtracxn.com

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

Popular Paula's Choice vs Allies of Skin products

People Say

Paula's ChoiceAllies of Skin
  • Absorption and Texture Feel Mostly MentionedMostly 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”
    • “sinks easily into damp skin — Allies of Skin Tranexamic & Arbutin Advanced Brightening Serum”
  • Pores and Texture 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”
    • “Woke up looking well-rested — Allies of Skin Retinal & Peptides Repair Night Cream”
  • Glow, Radiance, and Tone Mostly MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “visible glow — Paula's Choice C15 Super Booster”
    • “acne scars faded — Paula's Choice 10% Azelaic Acid Booster”
    • “calmed redness immediately — Paula's Choice 10% Azelaic Acid Booster”
    • “gives skin an instant dewy glow — Allies of Skin Tranexamic & Arbutin Advanced Brightening Serum”
  • Acne and Blemish Control Often MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “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”
    • “Dramatic impact on acne — Allies of Skin Retinal & Peptides Repair Night Cream”
  • Deep Hydration and Plumping Rarely NotedMostly Mentioned
    • “nourished and hydrated — Allies of Skin Peptides & Omegas Firming Eye Cream”
    • “more like a spray serum — Allies of Skin Molecular Saviour Probiotics Treatment Mist”
    • “Skin feels hydrated — Allies of Skin Copper Tripeptide & Ectoin Advanced Repair Serum”
    • “Provides an internal level of hydration without leaving any heavy finish. — Paula's Choice Skin Balancing Pore-Reducing Toner”
  • Gentle and Non-Irritating Formulation Often MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “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”
    • “Best retinol for sensitive skin — Allies of Skin Retinal & Peptides Repair Night Cream”
    • “feels super soothing, doesn't trigger redness — Allies of Skin Tranexamic & Arbutin Advanced Brightening Serum”
  • High Price and Value Mostly MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “tiny tube — Paula's Choice 10% Azelaic Acid Booster”
    • “Sooooo expensive — Paula's Choice 25% Vitamin C + Glutathione Clinical Serum”
    • “expensive for body lotion — Paula's Choice Skin-Smoothing Retinol Body Treatment”
    • “Pricey — Allies of Skin Copper Tripeptide & Ectoin Advanced Repair Serum”
  • Packaging Issues Often MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “surprisingly small bottle — Paula's Choice Skin-Smoothing Retinol Body Treatment”
    • “dropper leaks — Paula's Choice C15 Super Booster”
    • “pump head is fixed — Allies of Skin Peptides & Omegas Firming Eye Cream”
    • “bad spritz mechanism — Allies of Skin Molecular Saviour Probiotics Treatment Mist”
  • Unpleasant Scent or Smell Often MentionedRarely Noted
    • “Distinct rancid smell — Allies of Skin Copper Tripeptide & Ectoin Advanced Repair Serum”
    • “gives a weird fermented stench — Allies of Skin Tranexamic & Arbutin Advanced Brightening Serum”
    • “smells like grain — Paula's Choice 10% Azelaic Acid Booster”
  • Ineffective Results Rarely NotedSometimes Noted
    • “Did not notice any difference in my pores. — Paula's Choice Skin Balancing Pore-Reducing Toner”
    • “did nothing — Paula's Choice 10% Niacinamide Booster”
    • “still not impressed with the results — Allies of Skin Tranexamic & Arbutin Advanced Brightening Serum”

Paula's Choice vs Allies of Skin routines for dry skin

Buy Allies of Skin routine · $249.67 · 98% fitBuy Paula's Choice routine · $198.70 · 84% fitSee multi-brand routine · 99% fit

Paula's Choice vs Allies of Skin routines for oily skin

Buy Allies of Skin routine · $482.96 · 94% fitBuy Paula's Choice routine · $384.42 · 89% fitSee multi-brand routine · 98% fit

Paula's Choice vs Allies of Skin routines for combination skin

Buy Allies of Skin routine · $474.55 · 94% fitBuy Paula's Choice routine · $353.90 · 89% fitSee multi-brand routine · 97% fit

Questions and answers

Paula's Choice or Allies of Skin: which is better?

Both brands are great, but Allies of Skin has a Superior routine fit across all skin types on this page, while Paula's Choice is a strong choice with High routine fit across every skin type.

What is the difference between Paula's Choice and Allies of Skin?

Paula's Choice offers a larger range of fragrance-free products on this page with lower prices, whereas Allies of Skin focuses on specialized treatments with higher price points. Lovi gives Allies of Skin a Superior fit for all skin types, while Paula's Choice is rated High across those same categories.

Paula's Choice or Allies of Skin for dry skin?

Both brands offer solid routines for dry skin, with Allies of Skin reaching a Superior fit level and Paula's Choice achieving High. Reviewers mention that Allies of Skin provides deep hydration and plumping, while Paula's Choice focuses on smooth textures and anti-aging serums.

Paula's Choice or Allies of Skin: which moisturizer is better?

Allies of Skin outperforms Paula's Choice for moisturizers on the products on this page, earning a Superior routine fit for dry and oily skin compared to Paula's Choice's High rating. Reviewers also note Allies of Skin for gentle, effective moisturizers, while Paula's Choice moisturizers are less consistently top-rated.

Which is more affordable, Paula's Choice or Allies of Skin?

Both brands are noted by shoppers for having a high price point, though Paula's Choice is specifically cited under reviews for high price and value concerns.

Between Paula's Choice and Allies of Skin, which brand performs better for deep hydration and plumping?

Allies of Skin does better for deep hydration and plumping. Lovi rates its routine fit for dry skin as Superior, while Paula's Choice is High.

Which brand has fewer issues with unpleasant scents, Paula's Choice or Allies of Skin?

Paula's Choice does better than Allies of Skin when it comes to avoiding unpleasant scents. Review themes note that unpleasant scent or smell is a downside for Allies of Skin.

How do the founding years and corporate ownership of Paula's Choice and Allies of Skin compare?

Paula's Choice was founded in the United States in 1995 and has been owned by Unilever since 2021, whereas Allies of Skin was founded in 2016 and is owned by Allies Group Pte. Ltd.

Paula's Choice or Allies of Skin for oily skin?

Allies of Skin is rated Superior for oily skin, whereas Paula's Choice has a High routine fit for this skin type.

Paula's Choice or Allies of Skin for sensitive skin?

Both Paula's Choice and Allies of Skin offer great options for sensitive skin, as Lovi rates the routine fit for both brands as High. Reviewers note that the products on this page for both brands are generally gentle and non-irritating.

Paula's Choice or Allies of Skin for acne-prone skin?

Both brands are great for acne-prone skin, with Lovi giving Paula's Choice a High fit and Allies of Skin a Superior fit for the products on this page. Paula's Choice focuses more on blemish control, while Allies of Skin stands out for its hydrating and plumping serums.

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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