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Paula's Choice vs Elemis

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

Paula's Choice and Elemis are established skincare brands that offer serums, cleansers, moisturizers, toners, and more. Paula's Choice suits combination skin and oily skin best with hyaluronic acid, glycerin, and vitamin c, whereas Elemis is celebrated for nourishing serums, rich moisturizers, gentle cleansers, refreshing toners, and more anchored by glycerin and softening shea that suit mature skin and dry skin best. Both brands differ in their formulations and targeted skin types, as glycerin significantly increases skin hydration and barrier function across both ranges, while shea butter reduces inflammation and relieves skin pruritus specifically for the British brand.

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

unilever.comtracxn.com

Elemis is a British skincare brand founded in 1989 and owned by L'Occitane Group since 2019.

elemis.comau.elemis.comen.wikipedia.org

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

Popular Paula's Choice vs Elemis products

People Say

Paula's ChoiceElemis
  • Improving Skin Texture and Smoothness Mostly MentionedOften 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”
    • “baby soft — Elemis Dynamic Resurfacing Facial Pads”
  • Fast Absorption and Lightweight Texture 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”
    • “Absorbs almost immediately, and my skin feels well hydrated all day. — Elemis Pro-Collagen Marine Cream”
    • “weightless serum — Elemis Pro-Collagen Advanced Eye Treatment”
  • Instant and Deep Hydration Not notedMostly Mentioned
    • “The cream really hydrates and my face looks amazing. — Elemis Pro-Collagen Night Cream”
    • “Quenches thirsty skin... immediate improvement. — Elemis Pro-Collagen Marine Cream”
    • “skin feels baby soft — Elemis Pro-Collagen Cleansing Balm”
  • Glow, Radiance, and Brightening Often MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “visible glow — Paula's Choice C15 Super Booster”
    • “Discoloration almost gone — Paula's Choice 25% Vitamin C + Glutathione Clinical Serum”
    • “healthy glow — Elemis Dynamic Resurfacing Facial Pads”
    • “instantly fresh glow — Elemis Dynamic Resurfacing Facial Wash”
  • Pleasant Scent Rarely NotedOften Mentioned
    • “smells like a spa — Elemis Pro-Collagen Cleansing Balm”
    • “smells like a holiday — Elemis Papaya Enzyme Peel”
    • “smells like a tropical cocktail — Elemis Superfood Midnight Facial”
    • “Doesn't smell at all — Paula's Choice 25% Vitamin C + Glutathione Clinical Serum”
  • Anti-Aging and Firming Sometimes NotedSometimes Noted
    • “skin looks plumper — Paula's Choice Pro-Collagen Multi-Peptide Booster”
    • “softens lines and wrinkles — Paula's Choice 1% Retinol Treatment”
    • “improved neck texture — Paula's Choice Skin-Smoothing Retinol Body Treatment”
    • “My neck doesn't sag... plumps my skin to look more youthful. — Elemis Pro-Collagen Night Cream”
  • High Price and Value Issues Mostly MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “tiny tube — Paula's Choice 10% Azelaic Acid Booster”
    • “Sooooo expensive — Paula's Choice 25% Vitamin C + Glutathione Clinical Serum”
    • “Complete waste of money for me. — Elemis Pro-Collagen Marine Cream”
    • “very expensive — Elemis Pro-Collagen Cleansing Balm”
  • Packaging Issues and Small Size Often MentionedRarely Noted
    • “jar looks half empty — Elemis Superfood Midnight Facial”
    • “tube feels half empty — Elemis Papaya Enzyme Peel”
    • “pump broke quickly — Elemis Dynamic Resurfacing Facial Wash”
    • “surprisingly small bottle — Paula's Choice Skin-Smoothing Retinol Body Treatment”
  • Unpleasant Smell or Scent Often MentionedRarely Noted
    • “smell is overpowering — Elemis Dynamic Resurfacing Facial Wash”
    • “smells like grain — Paula's Choice 10% Azelaic Acid Booster”

Paula's Choice vs Elemis routines for dry skin

See multi-brand routine · 97% fit

Paula's Choice vs Elemis routines for oily skin

See multi-brand routine · 95% fit

Paula's Choice vs Elemis routines for combination skin

See multi-brand routine · 96% fit

Questions and answers

Paula's Choice or Elemis: which is better?

Both brands offer a High routine fit across all skin types, so the better choice depends on your specific skin goals and ingredient preferences. Paula's Choice is better suited for improving skin texture and targeting anti-aging concerns, whereas Elemis excels at delivering instant, deep hydration with luxurious textures and pleasant scents.

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

Paula's Choice focuses on combination, oily, and acne-prone skin with fragrance-free formulas containing key ingredients like niacinamide and salicylic acid, whereas Elemis focuses on mature and dry skin with luxurious textures and scented products. Both brands offer high routine fit levels across major skin types on this page.

Paula's Choice or Elemis for dry skin?

Both brands achieve a High routine fit for dry skin, though Paula's Choice features no fragrance across the products on this page while Elemis offers deep hydration through rich moisturizers like the Pro-Collagen Night Cream.

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

Both Paula's Choice and Elemis offer cleansers with high or superior Lovi fit levels for most skin types on this page. However, the products on this page show that Paula's Choice cleansers contain no fragrance, while Elemis cleansers may include added fragrance.

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

Both Paula's Choice and Elemis face similar complaints regarding high prices, so neither stands out as more affordable.

Between Paula's Choice and Elemis, which brand offers a better selection of fragrance-free products?

Paula's Choice offers a better selection of fragrance-free options, as every single product on the Paula's Choice page lists no fragrance in its ingredients, whereas most Elemis products on this page contain fragrance. This makes Paula's Choice the more suitable choice if you want to avoid added scents.

How do Paula's Choice and Elemis compare when it comes to anti-aging and firming results?

When it comes to anti-aging and firming results, Paula's Choice does better than Elemis according to review themes. Both brands offer products with anti-aging benefits, such as retinol and peptides, which may help improve skin firmness.

The Journal of Investigative Dermatology, 2000Archives of Dermatology, 2007

Which brand performs better for improving skin texture and smoothness according to reviewers?

According to reviewers, Paula's Choice performs better for improving skin texture and smoothness. Reviewers frequently note smooth texture and anti-aging serums for this brand.

Paula's Choice or Elemis for oily skin?

Both Paula's Choice and Elemis achieve a High Lovi routine fit for oily skin, making them equally suitable choices. Paula's Choice features fragrance-free formulations with key ingredients like salicylic acid and niacinamide, whereas Elemis includes scented products and offers rich cleansing and toning options.

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

Both Paula's Choice and Elemis offer moisturizers with a High routine fit for dry and sensitive skin. Elemis is often noted for luxurious and hydrating moisturizers, while Paula's Choice provides fragrance-free formulas with key ingredients like hyaluronic acid.

Drug Delivery, 2017Dermatologic Therapy, 2022

Paula's Choice or Elemis for sensitive skin?

Both Paula's Choice and Elemis fit sensitive skin at a High level. Paula's Choice lists no fragrance across the products on this page, whereas Elemis includes fragrance in most formulas and sometimes notes skin irritation.

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

Both brands offer High routine fit for acne-prone skin on the products on this page, but Paula's Choice is often noted for improving skin texture and smoothness. Paula's Choice also lists no fragrance in its ingredients across the products on this page.

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

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