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Paula's Choice vs Dermalogica

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

Paula's Choice and Dermalogica are American skincare brands owned by Unilever. The brands offer targeted serums, nourishing moisturizers, gentle cleansers, and more, formulated with key ingredients like hyaluronic acid, glycerin, and salicylic acid. Both suit combination skin and oily skin best, while differing in their specific standout treatments for acne-prone, dark spot, and mature skin concerns. Paula's Choice relies on glycerin to significantly increase skin hydration, whereas Dermalogica utilizes salicylic acid to reduce acne lesion counts.

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

unilever.comtracxn.com

Dermalogica is an American skincare brand founded in 1986 and owned by Unilever since 2015.

en.wikipedia.orgcosmeticsbusiness.com

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

Popular Paula's Choice vs Dermalogica products

People Say

Paula's ChoiceDermalogica
  • Improving skin texture and smoothness Mostly MentionedOften 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 feels smooth as silk — Dermalogica Daily Microfoliant”
  • Fast absorption and lightweight feel Often MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “Absorbs quickly and leaves no greasy residue behind. — Paula's Choice Clear Oil-Free Moisturizer”
    • “watery consistency — Paula's Choice 10% Niacinamide Booster”
    • “blends seamlessly — Dermalogica Dynamic Skin Recovery SPF 50”
    • “feels like nothing — Dermalogica Active Moist”
  • Glow, radiance and brightening Often MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “visible glow — Paula's Choice C15 Super Booster”
    • “Discoloration almost gone — Paula's Choice 25% Vitamin C + Glutathione Clinical Serum”
    • “spots barely visible — Paula's Choice Skin-Smoothing Retinol Body Treatment”
    • “immediately brighter looking — Dermalogica Daily Microfoliant”
  • Unclogging pores and clearing acne Mostly MentionedRarely 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”
    • “pores look smaller — Paula's Choice 10% Niacinamide Booster”
    • “Brings out all the gunk — Dermalogica Blackhead Clearing Fizz Mask”
  • Deep hydration and moisturization Not notedMostly Mentioned
    • “Saved my dry skin — Dermalogica Super Rich Repair”
    • “super hydrating — Dermalogica Multivitamin Power Recovery Masque”
    • “skin feels hydrated — Dermalogica Intensive Moisture Balance”
  • Reduces redness and soothes skin Sometimes NotedSometimes Noted
    • “helps calm and nourish my skin — Dermalogica Stabilizing Repair Cream”
    • “The redness is better — Dermalogica Stabilizing Repair Cream”
    • “Calms redness — Dermalogica Super Rich Repair”
    • “calmed redness immediately — Paula's Choice 10% Azelaic Acid Booster”
  • High price and expensive size Often 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”
    • “hefty price tag — Dermalogica Daily Microfoliant”
  • Unpleasant smell or scent Often MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “smells like grain — Paula's Choice 10% Azelaic Acid Booster”
    • “smells like hot dog water — Paula's Choice C15 Super Booster”
    • “smells like puke — Dermalogica Daily Microfoliant”
    • “smells like medicine — Dermalogica Dynamic Skin Recovery SPF 50”
  • Purging, breakouts and skin reactions Sometimes NotedSometimes Noted
    • “Cystic acne flare-ups — Dermalogica Precleanse”
    • “Caused cystic acne — Dermalogica Super Rich Repair”
    • “gave me acne — Dermalogica Special Cleansing Gel”
    • “skin purged — Paula's Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant”
  • Packaging issues and leaks Sometimes NotedSometimes Noted
    • “dropper leaks — Paula's Choice C15 Super Booster”
    • “dropper can be unpredictable — Paula's Choice Pro-Collagen Multi-Peptide Booster”
    • “Leaky pump — Dermalogica Precleanse”
    • “pump dispenses too much — Dermalogica Special Cleansing Gel”

Paula's Choice vs Dermalogica routines for dry skin

See multi-brand routine · 99% fit

Paula's Choice vs Dermalogica routines for oily skin

See multi-brand routine · 96% fit

Paula's Choice vs Dermalogica routines for combination skin

See multi-brand routine · 96% fit

Questions and answers

Paula's Choice or Dermalogica: which is better?

Paula's Choice is better for improving skin texture, unclogging pores, and brightening, while Dermalogica is better for deep hydration and soothing skin. Lovi rates the routine fit for oily and combination skin as Superior for Dermalogica and High for Paula's Choice, while both brands score High for dry, sensitive, and acne-prone skin.

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

Paula's Choice and Dermalogica are both US-based skincare brands owned by Unilever, with Paula's Choice generally doing better for texture, glow, and clearing acne, while Dermalogica is better known for deep hydration and soothing redness. Lovi shows that Dermalogica has a superior fit for oily and combination skin, whereas both brands offer a high fit for most other skin types.

Paula's Choice or Dermalogica for dry skin?

Both Paula's Choice and Dermalogica are great options, as Lovi rates the routine fit for dry skin as High for each brand. The products on this page help deliver deep hydration and moisturization, and topical hyaluronic acid may improve skin quality and signs of aging.

Dermatologic Therapy, 2022

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

Both Paula's Choice and Dermalogica offer cleansers that excel for oily and acne-prone skin, with the products on this page helping to clear pores without fragrance. Dermalogica is slightly better for overall deep hydration, while Paula's Choice is rated Superior for unclogging pores and clearing acne.

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

Both brands are similarly positioned as higher-end skincare lines with a high price point. Reviewers on this page note that both Paula's Choice and Dermalogica can be expensive, though Paula's Choice is specifically noted for high prices and expensive sizes.

Between Paula's Choice and Dermalogica, which brand does a better job at improving skin texture and smoothness?

Paula's Choice does a better job at improving skin texture and smoothness than Dermalogica, based on the review themes for the products on this page.

How do the corporate backgrounds of Paula's Choice and Dermalogica compare in terms of founding dates and parent companies?

Paula's Choice was founded in 1995 in the United States and has been owned by Unilever since 2021, while Dermalogica was founded earlier in 1986 in the United States and has been owned by Unilever since 2015.

Which brand performs better for brightening and adding radiance according to review themes?

Paula's Choice performs better for glow, radiance, and brightening among the products on this page.

Paula's Choice or Dermalogica for oily skin?

Dermalogica is the better fit for oily skin, as Lovi rates its routine as Superior compared to High for Paula's Choice. Both brands offer fragrance-free products on this page.

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

Dermalogica is better for deep hydration, offering products like Stabilizing Repair Cream that achieve a Superior routine fit for dry and sensitive skin, whereas Paula's Choice moisturizers generally reach a High fit level for those skin types. Both brands provide non-greasy formulations, but Dermalogica specifically stands out for deep moisturization.

Paula's Choice or Dermalogica for sensitive skin?

Both brands offer a High routine fit for sensitive skin. Paula's Choice features fragrance-free formulas with key ingredients like hyaluronic acid and glycerin, while Dermalogica provides soothing moisturizers and gentle, non-stripping cleansers that help reduce redness.

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

Both Paula's Choice and Dermalogica offer sunscreens on this page that are a High fit for dry, combination, oily, and acne-prone skin types. Dermalogica also has sunscreens with a Superior fit for mature skin, whereas Paula's Choice sunscreens achieve an Average fit for that skin type.

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

Both brands are a High fit for acne-prone skin, but Paula's Choice does better at unclogging pores and clearing acne. Niacinamide helps control skin aging and pigmentation.

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

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