🇪🇸Spain

Paula's Choice vs Estée Lauder

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

Paula's Choice and Estée Lauder are American skincare brands that offer comprehensive ranges of serums, cleansers, moisturizers, and toners built around hyaluronic acid and glycerin. The first brand suits combination skin and oily skin best, while the second suits acne-prone skin and mature skin best. Both brands differ in their founding dates, corporate ownership, and specific target treatments like the Skin Balancing Pore-Reducing Toner and Micro Essence Treatment Lotion.

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

unilever.comtracxn.com

Estée Lauder is an American skincare brand founded in 1946 and owned by The Estée Lauder Companies Inc..

en.wikipedia.orgelcompanies.com

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

Popular Paula's Choice vs Estée Lauder products

People Say

Paula's ChoiceEstée Lauder
  • Fast Absorption and Lightweight Feel 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”
    • “Absorbs quickly into the skin — Estée Lauder Revitalizing Supreme+”
  • Smoothing Skin Texture 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”
    • “skin feels like a baby's bottom — Estée Lauder Advanced Night Repair”
  • Deep Hydration and Plumping Not notedMostly Mentioned
    • “skin drinks it up immediately — Estée Lauder Advanced Night Repair”
    • “The formula is incredibly hydrating and leaves my skin feeling smooth. — Estée Lauder Re-Nutriv”
    • “texture is dreamy — Estée Lauder Advanced Night Repair Eye Supercharged Gel-Creme”
  • Non-Irritating and Gentle Formulas Often MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “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 the skin — Estée Lauder Advanced Night Cleansing Gelée”
    • “Doesn't strip my skin — Estée Lauder Soft Clean Moisture Rich Foaming Cleanser”
  • Glow, Radiance, and Brightening Often 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”
    • “gives me that glass skin look — Estée Lauder Advanced Night Repair”
  • Anti-Aging and Firming Results Sometimes NotedSometimes Noted
    • “skin looks plumper — Paula's Choice Pro-Collagen Multi-Peptide Booster”
    • “softens lines and wrinkles — Paula's Choice 1% Retinol Treatment”
    • “Helps with skin firmness and reduces the appearance of lines. — Estée Lauder Re-Nutriv”
    • “Instantly blurs fine lines. — Estée Lauder Revitalizing Supreme+ Youth Power Eye Balm”
  • High Price Point and Value Mostly MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “tiny tube — Paula's Choice 10% Azelaic Acid Booster”
    • “Sooooo expensive — Paula's Choice 25% Vitamin C + Glutathione Clinical Serum”
    • “way too expensive for the size — Estée Lauder Advanced Night Repair”
    • “too pricey — Estée Lauder Micro Essence Treatment Lotion”
  • Unpleasant Smell or Scent Complaints Often MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “smells like grain — Paula's Choice 10% Azelaic Acid Booster”
    • “smells like hot dog water — Paula's Choice C15 Super Booster”
    • “Scent is too overpowering — Estée Lauder Revitalizing Supreme+”
    • “strong scent — Estée Lauder Advanced Night Cleansing Gelée”
  • Packaging Issues and Leaks Sometimes NotedSometimes Noted
    • “dropper leaks — Paula's Choice C15 Super Booster”
    • “dropper can be unpredictable — Paula's Choice Pro-Collagen Multi-Peptide Booster”
    • “lid is hard to open — Estée Lauder Advanced Night Cleansing Gelée”
    • “Please make a jar or refill that is not as big and heavy. — Estée Lauder Re-Nutriv”
  • Purging and Breakouts Sometimes NotedRarely Noted
    • “gave me tiny red bumps — Estée Lauder Advanced Night Repair”
    • “Caused small bumps on forehead — Estée Lauder Revitalizing Supreme+”
    • “cystic acne — Estée Lauder Micro Essence Treatment Lotion”
    • “skin purged — Paula's Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant”

Paula's Choice vs Estée Lauder routines for dry skin

See multi-brand routine · 97% fit

Paula's Choice vs Estée Lauder routines for oily skin

See multi-brand routine · 95% fit

Paula's Choice vs Estée Lauder routines for combination skin

See multi-brand routine · 96% fit

Questions and answers

Paula's Choice or Estée Lauder: which is better?

Paula's Choice is better for shoppers looking for lightweight hydration, texture smoothing, and targeted treatments, while Estée Lauder excels in deep hydration and plumping for various skin types. According to Lovi, Paula's Choice achieves a High routine fit across more skin types on this page compared to Estée Lauder.

What is the difference between Paula's Choice and Estée Lauder?

Paula's Choice has a High routine fit for dry skin and oily skin while Estée Lauder has an Average fit, making Paula's Choice better suited for those specific skin types on this page. Reviewers report that the products on this page for Paula's Choice offer faster absorption and smoother skin texture, whereas Estée Lauder provides deeper hydration and plumping.

Paula's Choice or Estée Lauder for dry skin?

Paula's Choice fits dry skin better with a High routine fit compared to Estée Lauder's Average routine fit on this page.

Paula's Choice or Estée Lauder: which cleanser is better?

Paula's Choice offers a better cleanser experience for acne-prone, oily, and combination skin, where its products achieve a Superior fit level. Estée Lauder's cleansers perform well for dry sensitive skin and sensitive skin, but Paula's Choice provides a broader selection of top-tier options.

Which is more affordable, Paula's Choice or Estée Lauder?

Both brands are frequently noted by reviewers for having a high price point. Lovi finds that neither brand clearly stands out as more affordable than the other on this page.

Between Paula's Choice and Estée Lauder, which brand performs better for smoothing skin texture according to review themes?

Paula's Choice performs better for smoothing skin texture according to review themes. The products on this page help improve skin texture with active ingredients like retinol and various exfoliants.

The Journal of Investigative Dermatology, 2000

How do the foundation years and parent companies of Paula's Choice and Estée Lauder compare?

Paula's Choice was founded in 1995 in the United States and has been owned by Unilever since 2021. In contrast, Estée Lauder was founded earlier, in 1946, also in the United States, and is owned by The Estée Lauder Companies Inc.

Which of the two brands includes products with added fragrance in their formulations?

Estée Lauder includes products on this page with added fragrance, specifically the DayWear Moisturizer and Soft Clean Moisture Rich Foaming Cleanser, whereas every product from Paula's Choice lists no fragrance.

Paula's Choice or Estée Lauder for oily skin?

Paula's Choice is a better fit for oily skin, offering High routine fit compared to Estée Lauder's Average routine fit for the products on this page.

Paula's Choice or Estée Lauder: which moisturizer is better?

Paula's Choice is better suited for most skin types, featuring products on this page like the Clear Oil-Free Moisturizer with a High fit for oily skin and the Replenishing Moisturizer with a Superior fit for mature skin. Estée Lauder also offers deep hydration options on this page, such as the Revitalizing Supreme+ moisturizer, though its overall routine fit is lower for dry skin.

Paula's Choice or Estée Lauder for sensitive skin?

Both Paula's Choice and Estée Lauder show a High routine fit for sensitive skin. Reviewers note that both brands offer gentle and non-irritating formulas.

Paula's Choice or Estée Lauder: which sunscreen is better?

Paula's Choice Youth-Extending Daily Hydrating Fluid SPF 50 and Estée Lauder DayWear Moisturizer both offer strong options, but Estée Lauder achieves a Superior fit level for dry skin and dry sensitive skin on this page. Estée Lauder DayWear Moisturizer features added fragrance in its ingredients, whereas the products on this page for Paula's Choice list no fragrance.

Paula's Choice or Estée Lauder for acne-prone skin?

Paula's Choice and Estée Lauder both fit acne-prone skin well. Lovi rates the routine fit for this skin type as High for both brands.

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