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CeraVe vs Paula's Choice

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

CeraVe and Paula's Choice are two American skincare brands offering expertly formulated cleansers, moisturizers, serums, and more. CeraVe is known for nourishing hyaluronic acid and glycerin, suiting mature and oily acne-prone skin best with gentle daily care, while Paula's Choice is built around hyaluronic acid, glycerin, and vitamin c, fitting combination and oily skin best. Ultimately, both differ in their specific product lines and targeted formulations, allowing individuals to select the ideal routine for their unique complexion.

CeraVe is an American skincare brand founded in 2005 and owned by L'Oréal since 2017.

en.wikipedia.orghappi.comloreal-finance.comcerave.com

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

unilever.comtracxn.com

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

Popular CeraVe vs Paula's Choice products

People Say

CeraVePaula's Choice
  • Texture and Lightweight Feel Mostly MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “Absorbs into skin without residue — CeraVe Daily Moisturizing Lotion”
    • “Sinks right into your skin — CeraVe PM Facial Moisturizing Lotion”
    • “Absorbs quickly and leaves no greasy residue behind. — Paula's Choice Clear Oil-Free Moisturizer”
    • “absorbs instantly — Paula's Choice C15 Super Booster”
  • Fragrance-Free and Gentle Formulas Mostly MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “doesn't leave face tight — CeraVe Hydrating Facial Cleanser”
    • “no burning sensation — CeraVe Resurfacing Retinol Serum”
    • “No scent, no irritation — CeraVe Moisturising Cream”
    • “Finally a vitamin C product I can use — Paula's Choice 25% Vitamin C + Glutathione Clinical Serum”
  • Acne and Oil Control Sometimes NotedMostly Mentioned
    • “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”
    • “dialed back oiliness — CeraVe Foaming Facial Cleanser”
  • Hydration and Moisture Mostly MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “Saved my dry winter skin — CeraVe Moisturising Cream”
    • “woke up with plump skin — CeraVe Skin Renewing Night Cream”
    • “cured my dry patches — CeraVe Eye Repair Cream”
    • “Provides an internal level of hydration without leaving any heavy finish. — Paula's Choice Skin Balancing Pore-Reducing Toner”
  • Skin Texture Improvement Sometimes NotedMostly Mentioned
    • “skin becomes very smooth — Paula's Choice 1% Retinol Treatment”
    • “bumps be gone — Paula's Choice Weightless Body Treatment 2% BHA”
    • “skin is insanely soft — Paula's Choice Weightless Body Treatment 2% BHA”
    • “smoother complexion — CeraVe Resurfacing Retinol Serum”
  • Skin Tone and Mark Correction Rarely NotedSometimes Noted
    • “acne scars faded — Paula's Choice 10% Azelaic Acid Booster”
    • “calmed redness immediately — Paula's Choice 10% Azelaic Acid Booster”
    • “spots barely visible — Paula's Choice Skin-Smoothing Retinol Body Treatment”
    • “lightened dark spots — CeraVe Resurfacing Retinol Serum”
  • Price Point Concerns Rarely NotedMostly Mentioned
    • “expensive Vaseline — CeraVe Healing Ointment”
    • “tiny tube — Paula's Choice 10% Azelaic Acid Booster”
  • Packaging Issues Often MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “dropper leaks — Paula's Choice C15 Super Booster”
    • “dropper can be unpredictable — Paula's Choice Pro-Collagen Multi-Peptide Booster”
    • “Cap broke immediately — Paula's Choice CLEAR Pore Normalizing Cleanser”
    • “no safety seal included — CeraVe Skin Renewing Night Cream”
  • Breakouts and Purging Sometimes NotedSometimes Noted
    • “Gave me cystic acne — CeraVe Moisturising Cream”
    • “gave me closed comedones — CeraVe Hydrating Facial Cleanser”
    • “skin purged — Paula's Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant”
    • “caused cystic acne — Paula's Choice 10% Niacinamide Booster”

CeraVe vs Paula's Choice routines for dry skin

See multi-brand routine · 97% fit

CeraVe vs Paula's Choice routines for oily skin

See multi-brand routine · 95% fit

CeraVe vs Paula's Choice routines for combination skin

See multi-brand routine · 96% fit

Questions and answers

CeraVe or Paula's Choice: which is better?

Both CeraVe and Paula's Choice are great options depending on your specific skin needs, as both offer high fit levels across all major skin types. CeraVe does better for hydration, moisture, and gentle fragrance-free formulas, while Paula's Choice is superior for acne and oil control, skin texture improvement, and skin tone correction.

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

CeraVe does better for hydration and gentle, fragrance-free formulas, while Paula's Choice is stronger for acne and oil control, skin texture improvement, and skin tone correction.

CeraVe or Paula's Choice for dry skin?

Both CeraVe and Paula's Choice fit dry skin at a High level on this page. CeraVe offers better hydration and moisture, while Paula's Choice brings advanced anti-aging serums and specialized exfoliants.

Dermatologic Therapy, 2022

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

Both CeraVe and Paula's Choice offer top-performing cleansers, with CeraVe doing better for fragrance-free and gentle formulas, while Paula's Choice does better for acne and oil control among the products on this page.

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

CeraVe does better with price point concerns compared to Paula's Choice.

Between CeraVe and Paula's Choice, which brand is better for skin tone and dark spot correction?

Paula's Choice does better for skin tone and mark correction. Niacinamide helps reduce cutaneous pigmentation and suppress melanosome transfer.

The British Journal of Dermatology, 2002Antioxidants, 2021

Which brand has fewer issues with product packaging?

CeraVe does better than Paula's Choice regarding packaging issues, as Paula's Choice frequently receives negative notes about its packaging.

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

CeraVe was founded in the United States in 2005 and has been owned by L'Oréal since 2017, whereas Paula's Choice was founded in the United States in 1995 and has been owned by Unilever since 2021.

CeraVe or Paula's Choice for oily skin?

Both CeraVe and Paula's Choice offer a High routine fit for oily skin, but Paula's Choice is better for acne and oil control while CeraVe excels in hydration and gentle, fragrance-free formulas.

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

CeraVe does better for hydration and moisture on the products on this page, while both brands feature lightweight, non-greasy moisturizers. CeraVe offers superior healing and texture in its moisturizers with a High routine fit for dry skin, and every product on this page lists no fragrance in its ingredients.

CeraVe or Paula's Choice for sensitive skin?

Both CeraVe and Paula's Choice fit sensitive skin at a High level on this page. CeraVe does better for fragrance-free and gentle formulas, while both brands feature products with no fragrance listed in their ingredients.

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

Both CeraVe and Paula's Choice offer sunscreens with high fit levels across multiple skin types on this page. CeraVe features fragrance-free formulas with key ingredients like ceramides and niacinamide, while Paula's Choice provides options incorporating antioxidants such as green tea and vitamin E.

Antioxidants, 2021

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

Both CeraVe and Paula's Choice offer products on this page that fit acne-prone skin well, with CeraVe doing better for fragrance-free and gentle formulas and hydration, while Paula's Choice does better for acne and oil control. CeraVe features a high routine fit for acne-prone skin, and its products like the Foaming Facial Cleanser and Blemish Control Cleanser help manage oil and blemishes.

The Journal of Investigative Dermatology, 2013

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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