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Paula's Choice vs Avène

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

Paula's Choice and Avène are skincare brands founded in the 1990s that offer serums, cleansers, moisturizers, and toners formulated with glycerin. The American brand is known for active formulas built around hyaluronic acid and vitamin C, while the French brand is loved for gentle, soothing products. Both brands suit oily, acne-prone skin and combination skin best. They differ primarily in their formulation focus, with the former emphasizing targeted treatments for various concerns and the latter emphasizing calming care.

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

unilever.comtracxn.com

Avène is a French skincare brand founded in 1990 and owned by Fondation Pierre Fabre.

pierre-fabre.comavene.co.ukaveneusa.com

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

Popular Paula's Choice vs Avène products

People Say

Paula's ChoiceAvène
  • Lightweight and fast absorption Mostly MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “visible glow — Paula's Choice C15 Super Booster”
    • “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”
    • “immediate radiance boost — Avène Vitamin Activ Cg Radiance Concentrated Serum”
  • Gentle and non-irritating Often MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “leaves face clean but not dry — Avène Cleanance”
    • “Nothing has ever worked to soothe or heal my skin like these before. — Avène Tolerance Control Soothing Skin Recovery Balm”
    • “Perfect cleanser for sensitive skin. — Avène Milk Cleanser”
    • “Finally a vitamin C product I can use — Paula's Choice 25% Vitamin C + Glutathione Clinical Serum”
  • Smooth texture and anti-aging Mostly MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “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 looks plumper — Paula's Choice Pro-Collagen Multi-Peptide Booster”
    • “skin instantly felt firmer — Avène Hyaluron Activ B3 Concentrated Plumping Serum”
  • Unclogs pores and controls acne 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”
    • “Helped clear my cystic acne — Paula's Choice CLEAR Pore Normalizing Cleanser”
    • “Keeps me matte for hours — Avène Cleanance Cleansing Gel”
  • Barrier repair, deep hydration and soothing Not notedOften Mentioned
    • “Calmed my angry red skin overnight — Avène Cicalfate+ Restorative Protective Cream”
    • “Saves my skin in winter — Avène Cold Cream”
    • “Healed my over-exfoliated skin in days — Avène Cicalfate+ Restorative Protective Cream”
  • High price and small size Mostly MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “Its a bit pricey but so worth it!! — Avène Tolerance Control Soothing Skin Recovery Balm”
    • “a bit pricey — Avène Cleanance”
    • “Tiny tube for the money — Avène Cold Cream”
    • “surprisingly small bottle — Paula's Choice Skin-Smoothing Retinol Body Treatment”
  • Causes dryness, purging, and irritation Often MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “Left my face tight — Avène Cleanance Cleansing Gel”
    • “it didn't do anything for my dark circles — Avène RetrinAL EYES”
    • “no difference — Avène Antirougeurs Fort Relief Concentrate”
    • “peeling and flaking — Paula's Choice 1% Retinol Treatment”
  • Packaging issues and product flaws Sometimes NotedOften Mentioned
    • “turned orange in weeks — Paula's Choice C15 Super Booster”
    • “dropper leaks — Paula's Choice C15 Super Booster”
    • “dropper can be unpredictable — Paula's Choice Pro-Collagen Multi-Peptide Booster”
    • “bring it back — Avène Antirougeurs Fort Relief Concentrate”

Paula's Choice vs Avène routines for dry skin

See multi-brand routine · 99% fit

Paula's Choice vs Avène routines for oily skin

See multi-brand routine · 96% fit

Paula's Choice vs Avène routines for combination skin

See multi-brand routine · 96% fit

Questions and answers

Paula's Choice or Avène: which is better?

Both brands offer a High routine fit for most skin types, but Paula's Choice achieves a High fit for dry sensitive skin where Avène reaches an Average fit. Paula's Choice features key ingredients like niacinamide, which helps reduce cutaneous pigmentation, and retinol, which stimulates collagen accumulation in aged skin.

The British Journal of Dermatology, 2002The Journal of Investigative Dermatology, 2000

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

Paula's Choice helps deliver lightweight textures and targets signs of aging, while Avène is recognized for soothing irritation and supporting barrier repair. Lovi shows both brands have a High routine fit for most skin types, though Paula's Choice achieves a Superior fit for dry sensitive skin.

Paula's Choice or Avène for dry skin?

Both Paula's Choice and Avène have a High routine fit for dry skin, though Paula's Choice offers a High fit for dry sensitive skin while Avène has an Average fit there. Every product on the Paula's Choice page lists no fragrance in its ingredients, whereas several Avène products contain fragrance.

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

Both brands offer cleansers that fit oily and acne-prone skin with a Superior level, though Paula's Choice features fragrance-free formulas across all products on this page while Avène includes fragrance in select cleansers.

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

The provided page facts and reviews do not contain price comparisons or cost information to determine whether Paula's Choice or Avène is more affordable.

Which brand has products with no fragrance, Paula's Choice or Avène?

Paula's Choice offers products on this page that all list no fragrance in their ingredients, whereas Avène includes fragrance in several of its products.

Paula's Choice or Avène for oily skin?

Both Paula's Choice and Avène offer a High routine fit for oily skin. Paula's Choice helps with lightweight absorption, while Avène is noted for effective oil control and gentle deep-cleaning cleansers.

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

Both brands offer moisturizers with varying performance depending on your skin needs. Paula's Choice focuses on antioxidant and active-rich options, whereas Avène emphasizes barrier repair and soothing hydration, such as with its Tolerance Control Soothing Skin Recovery Balm.

Paula's Choice or Avène for sensitive skin?

Paula's Choice has a High routine fit for sensitive skin, while Avène also has a High routine fit. Paula's Choice is known for lightweight and fast absorption, whereas Avène is noted for being gentle and non-irritating.

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

Paula's Choice offers the Youth-Extending Daily Hydrating Fluid SPF 50, which has a High fit level for dry and combination skin, while Avène provides multiple sunscreen options including Cleanance and Hydrance+. Avène's sunscreens are mostly mentioned by reviewers for being gentle and non-stripping.

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

Both Paula's Choice and Avène have a High routine fit for acne-prone skin. Paula's choice helps unclog pores and control acne, while Avène provides gentle and non-irritating care.

Paula's Choice or Avène for dry sensitive skin?

Paula's Choice helps dry sensitive skin better, as Lovi gives it a High routine fit compared to an Average fit for Avène. Paula's Choice is also entirely fragrance-free across the products on this page.

Paula's Choice or Avène for mature skin?

Both Paula's Choice and Avène offer a High routine fit for mature skin. Paula's Choice features fragrance-free formulas with active ingredients like retinol that may help stimulate collagen accumulation in naturally aged skin.

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

How does it fit your skin?

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