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Paula's Choice vs Clinique

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

Paula's Choice and Clinique are American skincare brands offering thoughtfully formulated cleansers, moisturizers, serums, and more, built around hydrating hyaluronic acid, nourishing glycerin, and vitamin C or caffeine. Paula's Choice suits combination skin and oily skin best with ingredients like glycerin, whereas Clinique is widely loved for suiting dry sensitive skin and oily skin best with comforting, balancing ingredients. Both brands address specific concerns effectively, differing mainly in their founding heritage, parent companies, and targeted formulation approaches.

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

unilever.comtracxn.com

Clinique is an American skincare brand founded in 1968 and owned by The Estée Lauder Companies Inc..

en.wikipedia.orgelcompanies.combusinesswire.comglossy.co

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

Popular Paula's Choice vs Clinique products

People Say

Paula's ChoiceClinique
  • Lightweight and fast absorbing 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 — Paula's Choice C15 Super Booster”
    • “sinks in immediately — Clinique moisture surge”
  • Gentle and non-irritating Often MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “never irritated my eyes — Clinique All About Eyes”
    • “No stinging eyes — Clinique Take The Day Off Cleansing Balm”
    • “cools the heat in my cheeks — Clinique Redness Solutions Daily Relief Cream”
    • “Finally a vitamin C product I can use — Paula's Choice 25% Vitamin C + Glutathione Clinical Serum”
  • Smoothes texture and refines pores Mostly MentionedRarely Noted
    • “skin becomes very smooth — Paula's Choice 1% Retinol Treatment”
    • “pores look smaller — Paula's Choice 10% Niacinamide Booster”
    • “bumps be gone — Paula's Choice Weightless Body Treatment 2% BHA”
    • “leaves face porcelain smooth — Clinique 7 Day Scrub Cream Rinse-Off Formula”
  • Glow and radiance Often MentionedRarely Noted
    • “visible glow — Paula's Choice C15 Super Booster”
    • “softens lines and wrinkles — Paula's Choice 1% Retinol Treatment”
    • “acne scars faded — Paula's Choice 10% Azelaic Acid Booster”
    • “wake up glowing — Clinique Moisture Surge Overnight Mask”
  • Unclogs pores and clears acne Often MentionedNot noted
    • “cleared my bumps — Paula's Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant”
    • “Helped clear my cystic acne — Paula's Choice CLEAR Pore Normalizing Cleanser”
    • “heals blemishes faster — Paula's Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant”
  • Firms and plumps Sometimes NotedSometimes Noted
    • “skin looks plumper — Paula's Choice Pro-Collagen Multi-Peptide Booster”
    • “improved neck texture — Paula's Choice Skin-Smoothing Retinol Body Treatment”
    • “glass skin look — Clinique moisture surge”
    • “visibly plumped up — Clinique Smart Clinical Repair Wrinkle Correcting Serum”
  • High price and small size Mostly MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “surprisingly small bottle — Paula's Choice Skin-Smoothing Retinol Body Treatment”
    • “tiny tube — Paula's Choice 10% Azelaic Acid Booster”
    • “jar is too small for the cost — Clinique moisture surge”
    • “quite pricey — Clinique Smart Clinical Repair Wrinkle Correcting Serum”
  • Causes purging or breakouts Often MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “peeling and flaking — Paula's Choice 1% Retinol Treatment”
    • “skin purged — Paula's Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant”
    • “Woke up with whiteheads on my chin — Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion+”
    • “gave me tiny bumps — Clinique moisture surge”
  • Unpleasant smell or scent Often MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “Smells like nail polish remover — Clinique Clarifying Lotion 2”
    • “Smells like old oil — Clinique Take The Day Off Cleansing Balm”
    • “Has a weird plastic-like smell — Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion+”
    • “smells like grain — Paula's Choice 10% Azelaic Acid Booster”
  • Drying and flaking Sometimes NotedOften Mentioned
    • “Not hydrating enough for winter. — Paula's Choice Clear Oil-Free Moisturizer”
    • “dryness and scaliness — Paula's Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant”
    • “Made my skin flaky — Paula's Choice CLEAR Pore Normalizing Cleanser”
    • “skin felt tight — Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Gel”

Paula's Choice vs Clinique routines for dry skin

See multi-brand routine · 99% fit

Paula's Choice vs Clinique routines for oily skin

See multi-brand routine · 96% fit

Paula's Choice vs Clinique routines for combination skin

See multi-brand routine · 96% fit

Questions and answers

Paula's Choice or Clinique: which is better?

Paula's Choice outperforms Clinique on this page, offering High routine fit across all skin types compared to Clinique's mix of High and Average levels. Reviewers note that Paula's Choice is superior for smoothing texture, unclogging pores, and boosting radiance, whereas Clinique is recognized for gentle hydration.

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

Paula's Choice outperforms Clinique in several key areas, offering High routine fit for dry skin, combination skin, acne-prone skin, and skin with dark spots, where Clinique's fit is Average. Paula's Choice is also noted for smoothing texture, enhancing glow, and clearing acne better than Clinique.

Paula's Choice or Clinique for dry skin?

Paula's Choice is a better fit for dry skin, offering High routine fit compared to Clinique's Average fit. The products on this page help improve skin hydration and barrier repair with ingredients like hyaluronic acid and ceramides.

Dermatologic Therapy, 2022

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

Paula's Choice is better because its cleansers have a Superior Lovi fit level for oily and acne-prone skin on the page. In contrast, Clinique's all about clean cleanser has a Warning fit level for dry skin.

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

Both brands are noted for having a high price point among reviewers, meaning neither is clearly more affordable than the other.

Paula's Choice or Clinique: which has better options for mature skin?

Paula's Choice offers better options for mature skin, achieving a High routine fit compared to Clinique's Average fit. Retinol helps stimulate collagen accumulation in naturally aged human skin.

The Journal of Investigative Dermatology, 2000

Paula's Choice or Clinique: which brand is better for treating dark spots?

Paula's Choice is better for treating dark spots, as the products on this page achieve a High routine fit compared to Clinique's Average fit. Niacinamide, an ingredient found across Paula's Choice products, helps reduce cutaneous pigmentation.

The British Journal of Dermatology, 2002Antioxidants, 2021

Paula's Choice or Clinique: how do their ingredient lists compare regarding fragrance?

Both brands offer fragrance-free options, as every single product listed on these Paula's Choice and Clinique pages contains no fragrance in its ingredients.

Paula's Choice or Clinique for oily skin?

Both Paula's Choice and Clinique are a High fit for oily skin. Paula's Choice relies on high concentrations of ingredients like salicylic acid and niacinamide, while Clinique utilizes lightweight formulations to manage oil without irritation.

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

Paula's Choice offers a better overall range of moisturizers, particularly with higher routine fit ratings for dry and combination skin types compared to Clinique. Both brands feature fragrance-free formulas, but Paula's Choice is often noted for a smoother texture and effective anti-aging serums across its products.

Paula's Choice or Clinique for sensitive skin?

Both brands offer a High routine fit for sensitive skin, but Paula's Choice features more top-rated products for this skin type.

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

Paula's Choice is a better fit for acne-prone skin, achieving a High routine fit compared to Clinique's Average level. The products on this page help smooth texture and unclog pores.

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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