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Paula's Choice vs Medik8

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

Paula's Choice and Medik8 are established skincare brands offering cleansers, toners, serums, moisturizers, and more, built around key ingredients like hyaluronic acid and glycerin. The American brand Paula's Choice, founded in 1995 and owned by Unilever since 2021, features formulas that suit combination skin and oily skin best, whereas the British brand Medik8, founded in 2009 and acquired by L'oréal Groupe in 2025, fits dry skin and sensitive skin best. Both houses cater to diverse needs through specialized treatments, though their underlying formulations and ingredient emphases differ.

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

unilever.comtracxn.com

Medik8 is a British skincare brand founded in 2009 and owned by L'Oréal Groupe since 2025.

loreal.commedik8.comtracxn.com

This page compares some of the most popular Paula's Choice and Medik8 products; for every product of both brands, with a fit score for your own skin, use the Lovi app.

Popular Paula's Choice vs Medik8 products

People Say

Paula's ChoiceMedik8
  • Hydration and Moisture 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”
    • “Restores moisture — Medik8 Liquid Peptides”
    • “absorbed effortlessly — Medik8 Total Moisture Daily Facial Cream”
  • Texture and Pores 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”
    • “smoother skin — Medik8 Surface Radiance Cleanse”
  • Gentle Formulation Often MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “zero irritation or peeling — Medik8 CRYSTAL RETINAL 3”
    • “only Vitamin C my sensitive skin can tolerate — Medik8 C-Tetra Serum”
    • “Best retinol replacement — Medik8 Bakuchiol Peptides”
    • “Finally a vitamin C product I can use — Paula's Choice 25% Vitamin C + Glutathione Clinical Serum”
  • Glow and Brightening Often MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “visible glow — Paula's Choice C15 Super Booster”
    • “acne scars faded — Paula's Choice 10% Azelaic Acid Booster”
    • “I wake up glowing. It adds back that youthful bloom that I've lost. — Medik8 Sleep Glycolic”
    • “unlocked a serious glow — Medik8 C-Tetra Serum”
  • Anti-Aging and Firming Sometimes NotedOften Mentioned
    • “skin looks plumper — Paula's Choice Pro-Collagen Multi-Peptide Booster”
    • “softens lines and wrinkles — Paula's Choice 1% Retinol Treatment”
    • “Reduces fine lines — Medik8 Liquid Peptides”
    • “Plumps skin with moisture — Medik8 Bakuchiol Peptides”
  • Acne and Cleansing Often MentionedRarely Noted
    • “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”
    • “pores feel cleaner — Medik8 Surface Radiance Cleanse”
  • High Price Point Mostly MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “Expensive per bottle — Medik8 Liquid Peptides”
    • “very expensive for amount — Medik8 CRYSTAL RETINAL 3”
    • “hefty price tag — Medik8 C-Tetra Serum”
    • “tiny tube — Paula's Choice 10% Azelaic Acid Booster”
  • Dryness and Flaking Sometimes NotedSometimes Noted
    • “slightly drying — Medik8 Surface Radiance Cleanse”
    • “need a thick moisturizer — Medik8 CRYSTAL RETINAL 3”
    • “need more moisture — Medik8 Crystal Retinal Ceramide Eye 3”
    • “peeling and flaking — Paula's Choice 1% Retinol Treatment”
  • Packaging Issues Sometimes NotedSometimes Noted
    • “dropper leaks — Paula's Choice C15 Super Booster”
    • “dropper can be unpredictable — Paula's Choice Pro-Collagen Multi-Peptide Booster”
    • “Glass bottle breaks easily — Medik8 Liquid Peptides”
    • “hard to get last bit — Medik8 CRYSTAL RETINAL 3”

Paula's Choice vs Medik8 routines for dry skin

See multi-brand routine · 99% fit

Paula's Choice vs Medik8 routines for oily skin

See multi-brand routine · 96% fit

Paula's Choice vs Medik8 routines for combination skin

See multi-brand routine · 96% fit

Questions and answers

Paula's Choice or Medik8: which is better?

Medik8 is better for dry, sensitive, and mature skin with a Superior routine fit, while Paula's Choice is better for acne and pores.

What is the difference between Paula's Choice and Medik8?

Paula's Choice is better suited for texture, pores, acne, and cleansing, while Medik8 excels in gentle formulation. For routine fit, Paula's Choice is High across all skin types, whereas Medik8 reaches Superior fit for dry, sensitive, dry sensitive, combination, and mature skin.

Paula's Choice or Medik8 for dry skin?

Medik8 is a better fit for dry skin, as Lovi rates its routine as Superior compared to High for Paula's Choice.

Paula's Choice or Medik8: which cleanser is better?

Paula's Choice is better for acne and cleansing on this page, offering cleansers with Superior fit levels for oily and acne-prone skin.

Which is more affordable, Paula's Choice or Medik8?

Medik8 is more affordable, as a high price point is mostly mentioned for Paula's Choice and only often mentioned for Medik8.

Between Paula's Choice and Medik8, which brand has better fragrance-free product options across its range?

Paula's Choice offers better fragrance-free product options across its range, as every single product on its page lists no fragrance in its ingredients.

How do the founding years and corporate ownerships of Paula's Choice and Medik8 compare?

Paula's Choice was founded in 1995 in the United States and has been owned by Unilever since 2021, whereas Medik8 was founded in 2009 in the United Kingdom and is owned by L'Oréal Groupe since 2025.

Which brand performs better for texture and pores according to the review themes?

Paula's Choice performs better for texture and pores.

Paula's Choice or Medik8 for sensitive skin?

Medik8 is a better fit for sensitive skin, offering a Superior routine fit compared to Paula's Choice's High fit. Medik8 focuses on gentle formulations that help minimize irritation while providing deep hydration.

Paula's Choice or Medik8: which moisturizer is better?

Both brands feature strong moisturizers, but Paula's Choice helps oily and acne-prone skin while Medik8 achieves a superior fit for dry and sensitive skin. For instance, the Medik8 Hydr8 B5 Intense moisturizer contains hyaluronic acid, which may provide deep hydration and plumping benefits.

Drug Delivery, 2017Dermatologic Therapy, 2022

Paula's Choice or Medik8 for acne-prone skin?

Paula's Choice is better for acne-prone skin, as the products on this page offer superior acne and cleansing care.

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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