🇪🇸Spain

Paula's Choice vs Aēsop

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

Paula's Choice and Aēsop are two distinct skincare lines known for thoughtful formulations addressing diverse complexions. The American brand founded in 1995 relies on hyaluronic acid, glycerin, and vitamin c within serums, cleansers, moisturizers, and toners to suit combination and oily skin, whereas the beloved botanical-driven house offers gentle moisturizers, cleansers, and serums tailored for balanced, combination, and sensitive skin. While both brands feature targeted solutions for acne-prone skin, dark spots, and mature skin, they differ fundamentally in their ingredient philosophies and ideal skin types.

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 Paula's Choice and Aēsop products; for every product of both brands, with a fit score for your own skin, use the Lovi app.

Popular Paula's Choice vs Aēsop products

People Say

Paula's ChoiceAēsop
  • Lightweight and fast-absorbing 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”
    • “absorbs well into the skin — Aēsop Damascan Rose Facial Treatment”
  • Improves texture and smoothness Mostly MentionedNot noted
    • “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”
  • Deep hydration and skin rescue Not notedMostly Mentioned
    • “woke up with baby-soft skin — Aēsop Damascan Rose Facial Treatment”
    • “Savior of my winter-fueled dry skin. — Aēsop B Triple C Facial Balancing Gel”
    • “delivers deep hydration that really fills your skin — Aēsop Parsley Seed Anti-Oxidant Intense Serum”
  • Glow, radiance and brightening Mostly MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “visible glow — Paula's Choice C15 Super Booster”
    • “acne scars faded — Paula's Choice 10% Azelaic Acid Booster”
    • “Discoloration almost gone — Paula's Choice 25% Vitamin C + Glutathione Clinical Serum”
    • “Skin appears to be brighter, more radiant. — Aēsop B Triple C Facial Balancing Gel”
  • Reduces redness and soothes skin Rarely NotedOften Mentioned
    • “Reduces inflammation overnight. — Aēsop B Triple C Facial Balancing Gel”
    • “my small blemishes noticeably diminished — Aēsop Parsley Seed Anti-Oxidant Intense Serum”
    • “calmed redness immediately — Paula's Choice 10% Azelaic Acid Booster”
  • Pleasant scent Rarely NotedOften Mentioned
    • “smells divine — Aēsop Damascan Rose Facial Treatment”
    • “Soft herbal scent that feels fresh and floral. — Aēsop Parsley Seed Facial Cleanser”
    • “Doesn't smell at all — Paula's Choice 25% Vitamin C + Glutathione Clinical Serum”
  • High price and small size Mostly MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “surprisingly small bottle — Paula's Choice Skin-Smoothing Retinol Body Treatment”
    • “tiny tube — Paula's Choice 10% Azelaic Acid Booster”
    • “Sooooo expensive — Paula's Choice 25% Vitamin C + Glutathione Clinical Serum”
    • “quantity is too small — Aēsop Damascan Rose Facial Treatment”
  • Sticky residue and pilling Rarely NotedOften Mentioned
    • “sticky, oily film — Paula's Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant”
    • “pills under makeup — Paula's Choice 10% Azelaic Acid Booster”
    • “feels sticky — Paula's Choice 10% Niacinamide Booster”
    • “Thick, almost honey-like, and needs a moment to melt in. — Aēsop B Triple C Facial Balancing Gel”
  • Unpleasant smell or scent dislike Often MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “smells like carrots — Aēsop Damascan Rose Facial Treatment”
    • “Nasty smell... would not buy again. — Aēsop Parsley Seed Facial Cleanser”
    • “smells like grain — Paula's Choice 10% Azelaic Acid Booster”
  • Packaging issues and leaks Sometimes NotedOften Mentioned
    • “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”
    • “The downside is the pump. — Aēsop Parsley Seed Facial Cleanser”

Questions and answers

Paula's Choice or Aēsop: which is better?

Paula's Choice is a better fit for lightweight texture, smooth skin, and targeted routines, while Aēsop is a better fit for deep hydration, skin rescue, and reduced redness. For products on this page, reviewers frequently mention that Paula's Choice helps improve skin texture and offers anti-aging serums, whereas Aēsop helps provide deep hydration and non-greasy, balancing moisturizers.

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

Paula's Choice is better suited for oily and acne-prone skin with a focus on lightweight textures and brightening, whereas Aēsop stands out for deep hydration and soothing redness. Paula's Choice features a much larger range of products on this page compared to Aēsop, though both brands share a fragrance-free formulation across their lines.

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

Paula's Choice offers a better range of cleansers for the products on this page, with top options like the CLEAR Pore Normalizing Cleanser achieving a Superior fit for oily, acne-prone, and combination skin, whereas Aēsop has fewer cleansers on this page and generally achieves lower fit levels for those skin types.

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

Reviewers note a high price for both Paula's Choice and Aēsop.

Which causes fewer breakouts, Paula's Choice or Aēsop?

Paula's Choice fits acne-prone skin best across the products on this page, whereas Aēsop has only one product on the page that achieves a high fit for acne-prone skin. Paula's Choice helps target breakouts effectively with specialized formulations, while Aēsop focuses more on balancing and deep hydration.

Between Paula's Choice and Aēsop, which brand is better for reducing redness and soothing the skin?

Aesop does better for reducing redness and soothing skin according to reviewer themes.

Which of the two brands offers better options for improving skin texture and smoothness?

Paula's Choice offers better options for improving skin texture and smoothness because reviewers note it is better at improving texture and smoothness than Aēsop. Its products on this page feature key ingredients like retinol that help stimulate collagen accumulation in naturally aged human skin.

The Journal of Investigative Dermatology, 2000

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

Paula's Choice was founded in the United States in 1995 and has been owned by Unilever since 2021, whereas Aēsop was founded in 1987 and is owned by L'Oréal Groupe as of 2023.

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

Paula's Choice offers moisturizers like the Clear Oil-Free Moisturizer, which has a High fit level for oily and acne-prone skin on this page, whereas Aēsop features options like the Damascan Rose Facial Treatment with a High fit for dry and sensitive skin. Reviewers note that Paula's Choice products on this page have a smooth texture, while Aēsop provides deep hydration and non-greasy balancing moisturizers.

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?

Scan your face, then any product: Lovi shows how well it fits you and what fits even better.

QR code: get the Lovi app
Download on theApp Store Get it onGoogle Play