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Some By Mi vs Paula's Choice

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

Some By Mi and Paula's Choice are two prominent skincare brands offering serums, cleansers, toners, and moisturizers. The Korean brand is known for utilizing niacinamide, centella asiatica, and salicylic acid, fitting dry sensitive skin and skin with dark spots best, whereas the American brand builds its products around hyaluronic acid, glycerin, and vitamin c to suit oily skin and combination skin best. While both brands feature targeted options for acne-prone, dark spot, and mature skin, they differ fundamentally in their core formulations, regional heritage, and founding years.

Some By Mi is a Korean skincare brand founded in 2016 and owned by JKL Partners since 2021.

kedglobal.compreqin.comtracxn.com

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 Some By Mi and Paula's Choice products; for every product of both brands, with a fit score for your own skin, use the Lovi app.

Popular Some By Mi vs Paula's Choice products

People Say

Some By MiPaula's Choice
  • Texture Smoothing Often MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “skin becomes very smooth — Paula's Choice 1% Retinol Treatment”
    • “skin is insanely soft — Paula's Choice Weightless Body Treatment 2% BHA”
    • “skin never been this silky — Paula's Choice Skin-Smoothing Retinol Body Treatment”
    • “Skin became smoother — Some By Mi AHA-BHA-PHA 30 Days Miracle Toner”
  • Lightweight and Fast Absorbing Often 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”
    • “absorbs quickly — Some By Mi Yuja Niacin Brightening Moisture Gel Cream”
  • Brightening and Glow Often MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “Fades dark spots — Some By Mi Galactomyces Pure Vitamin C Glow Serum”
    • “skin looks visibly brighter — Some By Mi Yuja Niacin Anti Blemish Serum”
    • “visible glow — Paula's Choice C15 Super Booster”
    • “acne scars faded — Paula's Choice 10% Azelaic Acid Booster”
  • Gentle Formula Often MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “Zero irritation or redness — Some By Mi Retinol Intense Reactivating Serum”
    • “doesn't strip dry my skin — Some By Mi Super Matcha Pore Clean Clay Mask”
    • “Surprisingly gentle — Some By Mi AHA-BHA-PHA 30 Days Miracle Toner”
    • “Finally a vitamin C product I can use — Paula's Choice 25% Vitamin C + Glutathione Clinical Serum”
  • Acne and Blemish Control Often MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “Reduces pimples — Some By Mi AHA-BHA-PHA 30 Days Miracle Toner”
    • “cleared my cystic acne — Some By Mi AHA-BHA-PHA 30 Days Miracle Acne Clear Foam”
    • “Helped clear my cystic acne — Paula's Choice CLEAR Pore Normalizing Cleanser”
    • “heals blemishes faster — Paula's Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant”
  • Hydration and Moisture Often MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “Lasts 100 hours as claimed — Some By Mi Beta Panthenol Repair Cream”
    • “Absorbs quickly — Some By Mi Galactomyces Pure Vitamin C Glow Serum”
    • “lightweight texture — Some By Mi Retinol Intense Advanced Triple Action Eye Cream”
    • “Provides an internal level of hydration without leaving any heavy finish. — Paula's Choice Skin Balancing Pore-Reducing Toner”
  • Strong Scent and Fragrance Often MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “smells like grain — Paula's Choice 10% Azelaic Acid Booster”
    • “smells like hot dog water — Paula's Choice C15 Super Booster”
    • “weird glue-like smell — Paula's Choice Weightless Body Treatment 2% BHA”
    • “overwhelming citrus fragrance — Some By Mi V10 Hyal Air Fit Sunscreen”
  • High Price Point Rarely NotedMostly Mentioned
    • “expensive — Some By Mi Super Matcha Pore Clean Clay Mask”
    • “Too expensive for 50ml — Some By Mi Beta Panthenol Repair Cream”
    • “tiny tube — Paula's Choice 10% Azelaic Acid Booster”
  • Drying and Dehydration Often MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “not moisturizing enough — Some By Mi Yuja Niacin Brightening Moisture Gel Cream”
    • “Skin felt tight — Some By Mi AHA-BHA-PHA 30 Days Miracle Toner”
    • “peeling and flaking — Paula's Choice 1% Retinol Treatment”
    • “Not hydrating enough for winter. — Paula's Choice Clear Oil-Free Moisturizer”

Some By Mi vs Paula's Choice routines for dry skin

Buy Some By Mi routine · $124.60 · 91% fitBuy Paula's Choice routine · $198.70 · 84% fitSee multi-brand routine · 99% fit

Some By Mi vs Paula's Choice routines for oily skin

Buy Paula's Choice routine · $384.42 · 89% fitBuy Some By Mi routine · $232.30 · 87% fitSee multi-brand routine · 98% fit

Some By Mi vs Paula's Choice routines for combination skin

Buy Paula's Choice routine · $353.90 · 89% fitBuy Some By Mi routine · $232.30 · 88% fitSee multi-brand routine · 97% fit

Questions and answers

Some By Mi or Paula's Choice: which is better?

Some By Mi is better for dry sensitive skin, sensitive skin, and skin with dark spots, where Lovi rates its routines as Superior, whereas Paula's Choice is rated High. Both brands offer fragrance-free options and perform equally well for acne-prone, oily, and combination skin types.

What is the difference between Some By Mi and Paula's Choice?

Some By Mi is better suited for dry, sensitive skin and dark spots with Superior routine fits, while Paula's Choice excels in texture smoothing and lightweight formulas. Niacinamide in both brands helps reduce cutaneous pigmentation.

The British Journal of Dermatology, 2002

Some By Mi or Paula's Choice for dry skin?

Some By Mi fits dry skin better than Paula's Choice, with a Lovi fit level of Superior compared to High. Niacinamide helps reduce cutaneous pigmentation and skin aging.

The British Journal of Dermatology, 2002Antioxidants, 2021

Some By Mi or Paula's Choice: which cleanser is better?

Both Some By Mi and Paula's Choice offer cleansers with high fit levels for oily and acne-prone skin on this page, but Paula's Choice cleansers have a high price while Some By Mi cleansers may feel drying for some users.

Which is more affordable, Some By Mi or Paula's Choice?

Paula's Choice has a high price point while Some By Mi has a high price point.

Between Some By Mi and Paula's Choice, which brand offers better hydration and moisture according to review themes?

According to review themes, Some By Mi does better for hydration and moisture.

How do the founding years and corporate ownership of Some By Mi and Paula's Choice differ?

Some By Mi was founded in South Korea in 2016 and is owned by JKL Partners, whereas Paula's Choice was founded in the United States in 1995 and is owned by Unilever.

Which brand performs better for dry sensitive skin based on routine fit?

Some By Mi performs better for dry sensitive skin, as Lovi rates its routine fit as Superior while Paula's Choice achieves a High fit level.

Some By Mi or Paula's Choice for oily skin?

Both Some By Mi and Paula's Choice achieve a High fit for oily skin. The products on this page help manage oil and blemishes using key ingredients like salicylic acid and niacinamide.

The British Journal of Dermatology, 2002Antioxidants, 2021

Some By Mi or Paula's Choice: which moisturizer is better?

Some By Mi provides better routine fit levels for dry and dry sensitive skin than Paula's Choice, making its moisturizers a superior choice for those skin types. Niacinamide helps reduce skin pigmentation, and moisturizers featuring this ingredient may improve overall skin tone.

The British Journal of Dermatology, 2002Antioxidants, 2021

Some By Mi or Paula's Choice for sensitive skin?

Some By Mi is a Superior fit for sensitive skin, whereas Paula's Choice is a High fit.

Some By Mi or Paula's Choice: which sunscreen is better?

Some By Mi provides the V10 Hyal Air Fit Sunscreen, while Paula's Choice offers the Youth-Extending Daily Hydrating Fluid SPF 50, and both sunscreens have a High Lovi fit level for oily skin.

Some By Mi or Paula's Choice for acne-prone skin?

Both Some By Mi and Paula's Choice fit acne-prone skin well, offering a High routine fit level on this page. Niacinamide helps reduce skin pigmentation, and niacinamide treatments are available from both brands.

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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