🇪🇸Spain

Paula's Choice vs Biore

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

Paula's Choice and Biore are established skincare brands offering distinct approaches to daily maintenance. Paula's Choice features serums, cleansers, moisturizers, toners, and more built around hyaluronic acid, glycerin, and vitamin c, while the Japanese brand is beloved for its thoughtful range of sunscreens, cleansers, masks, and makeup removers. Both options suit combination skin well, though the American line also fits oily skin best and the Kao Corporation line works best for sensitive skin. They differ largely in their key ingredients and targeted solutions, with the former using glycerin to significantly increase skin hydration and restore barrier function while the latter delivers reliable daily care through effective formulas.

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

unilever.comtracxn.com

Biore is a Japanese skincare brand founded in 1980 and owned by Kao Corporation.

biore.comkao.com

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

Popular Paula's Choice vs Biore products

People Say

Paula's ChoiceBiore
  • Lightweight and fast absorption Mostly MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “Absorbs quickly and leaves no greasy residue behind. — Paula's Choice Clear Oil-Free Moisturizer”
    • “absorbs instantly — Paula's Choice C15 Super Booster”
    • “watery consistency — Paula's Choice 10% Niacinamide Booster”
    • “melts into skin — Biore UV Aqua Rich”
  • Pore cleansing and clarity Sometimes NotedMostly Mentioned
    • “Gets the gunk out — Biore Deep Cleansing Pore Strips”
    • “Face feels squeaky clean — Biore Deep Pore Charcoal Cleanser”
    • “Helped clear my blackheads — Biore Deep Pore Charcoal Cleanser”
    • “cleared my bumps — Paula's Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant”
  • Skin texture smoothing Mostly MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “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”
    • “Leaves skin feeling clean — Biore Deep Cleansing Pore Strips”
  • Non-irritating and gentle Often MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “Finally a vitamin C product I can use — Paula's Choice 25% Vitamin C + Glutathione Clinical Serum”
    • “no stinging — Paula's Choice C15 Super Booster”
    • “Doesn't strip my skin — Paula's Choice CLEAR Pore Normalizing Cleanser”
    • “Leaves skin soft, doesn't dry out face. — Biore Makeup Remover Perfect Oil”
  • Excellent makeup base and removal Not notedOften Mentioned
    • “primer-like — Biore UV Aqua Rich”
    • “Removes waterproof mascara, eyeliner, foundation. — Biore Makeup Remover Perfect Oil”
  • Glow, radiance and brightening Often MentionedNot 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”
  • Unpleasant smell and strong 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 alcohol — Biore UV Aqua Rich”
    • “Smells like chemicals — Biore Deep Pore Charcoal Cleanser”
  • High price and small size Mostly MentionedNot noted
    • “surprisingly small bottle — Paula's Choice Skin-Smoothing Retinol Body Treatment”
  • Dryness, flaking and irritation Sometimes NotedOften Mentioned
    • “peeling and flaking — Paula's Choice 1% Retinol Treatment”
    • “dryness and scaliness — Paula's Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant”
    • “burnt skin off — Paula's Choice 1% Retinol Treatment”
    • “Made my skin peel — Biore Deep Pore Charcoal Cleanser”
  • Purging and breakouts Sometimes NotedSometimes Noted
    • “caused cystic acne — Biore UV Aqua Rich”
    • “Caused breakouts, closed comedones, cystic acne. — Biore Makeup Remover Perfect Oil”
    • “skin purged — Paula's Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant”

Paula's Choice vs Biore routines for dry skin

See multi-brand routine · 97% fit

Paula's Choice vs Biore routines for oily skin

See multi-brand routine · 95% fit

Paula's Choice vs Biore routines for combination skin

See multi-brand routine · 96% fit

Questions and answers

Paula's Choice or Biore: which is better?

Both Paula's Choice and Biore match on routine fit across all skin types, with Paula's Choice better for lightweight hydration and Biore better for pore cleansing and makeup removal.

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

Paula's Choice is an American brand founded in 1995 that features a large selection of targeted serums and exfoliants, whereas Biore is a Japanese brand founded in 1980 that focuses primarily on cleansers and pore strips.

Paula's Choice or Biore for dry skin?

Both Paula's Choice and Biore offer an equal High routine fit for dry skin. Paula's Choice features fragrance-free formulas with key ingredients like hyaluronic acid and glycerin that help hydrate and smooth the skin.

Drug Delivery, 2017Dermatologic Therapy, 2022

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

Paula's Choice cleansers provide a superior Lovi fit for oily and acne-prone skin types compared to Biore cleansers, which generally show an average fit for those skin types.

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

Biore performs better in terms of high price and small size being mentioned as negative review themes for the brand.

Where and when were Paula's Choice and Biore founded, and who owns them?

Paula's Choice was founded in 1995 in the United States and is owned by Unilever, while Biore was founded in 1980 in Japan and is owned by Kao Corporation.

Which brand does better for skin texture smoothing according to review themes?

Paula's Choice does better for skin texture smoothing.

What are the key ingredients across the products on the page?

The products on this page feature key ingredients like hyaluronic acid, glycerin, vitamin c, licorice root, niacinamide, salicylic acid, green tea, and vitamin e. These components help provide antioxidant protection and hydration.

Drug Delivery, 2017Dermatologic Therapy, 2022

Paula's Choice or Biore for oily skin?

Both Paula's Choice and Biore provide a High routine fit for oily skin. Paula's Choice helps with lightweight absorption and skin texture smoothing, while Biore is noted for pore cleansing and clarity.

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

Paula's Choice has a High Lovi fit for dry skin, combination skin, dry sensitive skin, and other skin types with the Youth-Extending Daily Hydrating Fluid SPF 50, whereas Biore offers the UV Aqua Rich sunscreen with a High Lovi fit for combination skin and a Caution fit for dry skin.

Paula's Choice or Biore for sensitive skin?

Both Paula's Choice and Biore offer an equal routine fit level of High for sensitive skin. Paula's Choice has fragrance-free products on this page and is often noted for being non-irritating and gentle.

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

Both Paula's Choice and Biore offer a High routine fit for acne-prone skin, so the choice depends on your specific product preferences. Paula's Choice helps with lightweight texture and skin smoothing, while Biore helps with pore cleansing.

Archives of Dermatology, 2007

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