🇩🇪Germany

Paula's Choice vs Simple

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

Paula's Choice and Simple are both Unilever-owned skincare brands offering thoughtful cleansers, toners, and moisturizers built around barrier-supporting glycerin and targeted actives like vitamin C, retinol, and niacinamide. Paula's Choice features serums, exfoliants, and treatments suited best to combination, oily, and acne-prone skin, whereas the British brand is deeply loved for its gentle makeup removers and micellar waters tailored to oily and acne-prone complexions. While both brands harness glycerin to significantly increase skin hydration and restore barrier function, they differ in their specific formulations and origins, with the American line established in 1995 and its counterpart founded in 1960.

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

unilever.comtracxn.com

Simple is a British skincare brand founded in 1960 and owned by Unilever PLC since 2011.

en.wikipedia.orgsec.govprnewswire.comsimple.co.uk

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

Popular Paula's Choice vs Simple products

People Say

Paula's ChoiceSimple
  • Gentle on sensitive skin Sometimes NotedMostly Mentioned
    • “Does not cause any form of irritation on the skin which I love. — Simple Micellar Cleansing Water”
    • “The only cleanser that doesn't turn my face red. — Simple Micellar Water”
    • “no artificial perfume — Simple Hydrating Light Moisturiser”
    • “Finally a vitamin C product I can use — Paula's Choice 25% Vitamin C + Glutathione Clinical Serum”
  • Lightweight and fast absorbing texture Mostly MentionedOften 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 instantly — Simple Water Boost Hydrating Gel Cream”
  • Smoothes skin texture and fades dark spots Mostly MentionedNot noted
    • “skin becomes very smooth — Paula's Choice 1% Retinol Treatment”
    • “visible glow — Paula's Choice C15 Super Booster”
    • “pores look smaller — Paula's Choice 10% Niacinamide Booster”
  • Gentle, non-stripping daily cleansing Rarely NotedOften Mentioned
    • “Takes off any makeup residue and makes my face feel refreshed. — Simple Micellar Cleansing Water”
    • “Instantly boosts skin's hydration... face doesn't feel dry and tight. — Simple Micellar Cleansing Water”
    • “Love that it has absolutely no scent. — Simple Micellar Water”
    • “Doesn't strip my skin — Paula's Choice CLEAR Pore Normalizing Cleanser”
  • Convenient and affordable value Not notedMostly Mentioned
    • “great value for money — Simple Kind to Skin Soothing Facial Toner”
    • “super affordable — Simple Hydrating Light Moisturiser”
    • “No need to rinse... perfect for traveling or lazy nights. — Simple Micellar Cleansing Water”
  • Effective hydration and non-greasy feel Rarely NotedOften Mentioned
    • “banished dryness within days — Simple Replenishing Rich Moisturiser”
    • “cleared up my dry patches — Simple Water Boost Hydrating Gel Cream”
    • “absorbs super fast — Paula's Choice Skin-Smoothing Retinol Body Treatment”
  • High price and small bottle size Mostly MentionedRarely Noted
    • “I have to use 4-5 cotton pads to get clean. — Simple Micellar Water”
    • “surprisingly small bottle — Paula's Choice Skin-Smoothing Retinol Body Treatment”
  • Causes purging, breakouts or irritation Often MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “Gave me tiny bumps on my forehead. — Simple Micellar Water”
    • “caused major breakouts — Simple Hydrating Light Moisturiser”
    • “Gave me tiny red spots — Simple Refreshing Facial Wash”
    • “peeling and flaking — Paula's Choice 1% Retinol Treatment”
  • Sticky residue or unpleasant scent Often MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “Feels slimy on skin — Simple Refreshing Facial Wash”
    • “Still feeling a little bit of a film on my skin. — Simple Micellar Cleansing Water”
    • “Smells like chemicals — Simple Refreshing Facial Wash”
    • “smells like grain — Paula's Choice 10% Azelaic Acid Booster”

Paula's Choice vs Simple routines for dry skin

See multi-brand routine · 99% fit

Paula's Choice vs Simple routines for oily skin

See multi-brand routine · 96% fit

Paula's Choice vs Simple routines for combination skin

See multi-brand routine · 96% fit

Questions and answers

Paula's Choice or Simple: which is better?

Both Paula's Choice and Simple offer an equal routine fit across all skin types, with Lovi rating both brands as High for dry, oily, combination, sensitive, acne-prone, mature, and dark-spotted skin. While Paula's Choice helps smooth skin texture and fade dark spots, Simple does better with gentle, non-stripping daily cleansing and convenient, affordable value.

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

Paula's Choice provides advanced treatments like anti-aging serums with a lightweight texture, whereas Simple offers affordable, gentle daily cleansers and makeup removers.

Paula's Choice or Simple for dry skin?

Both Paula's Choice and Simple achieve a high Lovi routine fit for dry skin, though Paula's Choice features targeted products like the Skin Recovery Enriched Calming Toner with a superior fit for dry skin.

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

Paula's Choice offers a cleanser that achieves a Superior Lovi fit for oily and acne-prone skin, whereas Simple cleansers reach an Average fit for those skin types.

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

Simple is more affordable, offering convenient and budget-friendly value through its products on this page compared to Paula's Choice.

Paula's Choice or Simple: which brand was founded earlier and where?

Simple was founded earlier in 1960 in the United Kingdom, whereas Paula's Choice was founded in 1995 in the United States.

Paula's Choice or Simple: which brand offers better results for smoothing skin texture and fading dark spots?

Paula's Choice offers better results for smoothing skin texture and fading dark spots, as it excels in lightweight and fast-absorbing texture while specifically smoothing skin texture and fading dark spots.

Paula's Choice or Simple: which products are fragrance-free across both brands?

Every single product on this page for both Paula's Choice and Simple lists no fragrance in its ingredients, making both brands completely fragrance-free across their featured ranges.

Paula's Choice or Simple for oily skin?

Both Paula's Choice and Simple achieve a high routine fit for oily skin on the products on this page. Paula's Choice features targeted ingredients like salicylic acid and niacinamide, while Simple provides lightweight, gentle cleansing and hydration.

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

Both Paula's Choice and Simple offer effective moisturizers, with Paula's Choice providing lightweight and fast-absorbing formulas while Simple is known for affordable and value-friendly options. Both brands achieve equal routine fit levels for dry, oily, combination, sensitive, and acne-prone skin types.

Paula's Choice or Simple for sensitive skin?

Both Paula's Choice and Simple offer an equal High routine fit for sensitive skin, so either brand helps depending on your preference. Paula's Choice is often noted for a lightweight and fast-absorbing texture, whereas Simple is recognized for providing gentle, non-stripping daily cleansing and being gentle on sensitive skin.

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

Both brands fit acne-prone skin well, with Lovi rating their routines as High. Paula's Choice features targeted exfoliants and serums with salicylic acid and niacinamide, while Simple provides gentle, budget-friendly cleansers and micellar waters.

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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