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Paula's Choice vs Medik8

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

Paula's Choice and Medik8 are established skincare brands offering serums, moisturizers, toners, and more. The American brand, founded in 1995, builds its formulas around hyaluronic acid, glycerin, and vitamin c, while the British brand, founded in 2009, centers its range on hyaluronic acid. Paula's Choice fits combination skin and oily skin best, whereas Medik8 suits dry skin and dry sensitive skin best. They differ primarily in their ownership, origins, and specific ingredient profiles, such as glycerin restoring barrier function in the former.

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

unilever.comtracxn.com

Medik8 is a British skincare brand founded in 2009 and owned by L'Oréal Groupe since 2025.

loreal.commedik8.comtracxn.com

This page compares some of the most popular Paula's Choice and Medik8 products; for every product of both brands, with a fit score for your own skin, use the Lovi app.

Popular Paula's Choice vs Medik8 products

People Say

Paula's ChoiceMedik8
  • Hydration and Moisture Mostly MentionedMostly 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”
    • “Restores moisture — Medik8 Liquid Peptides”
    • “absorbed effortlessly — Medik8 Total Moisture Daily Facial Cream”
  • Texture and Pores Mostly MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “cleared my bumps — Paula's Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant”
    • “skin becomes very smooth — Paula's Choice 1% Retinol Treatment”
    • “pores look smaller — Paula's Choice 10% Niacinamide Booster”
    • “smoother skin — Medik8 Surface Radiance Cleanse”
  • Gentle Formulation Often MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “zero irritation or peeling — Medik8 CRYSTAL RETINAL 3”
    • “only Vitamin C my sensitive skin can tolerate — Medik8 C-Tetra Serum”
    • “Best retinol replacement — Medik8 Bakuchiol Peptides”
    • “Finally a vitamin C product I can use — Paula's Choice 25% Vitamin C + Glutathione Clinical Serum”
  • Glow and Brightening Often MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “visible glow — Paula's Choice C15 Super Booster”
    • “acne scars faded — Paula's Choice 10% Azelaic Acid Booster”
    • “I wake up glowing. It adds back that youthful bloom that I've lost. — Medik8 Sleep Glycolic”
    • “unlocked a serious glow — Medik8 C-Tetra Serum”
  • Anti-Aging and Firming Sometimes NotedOften Mentioned
    • “skin looks plumper — Paula's Choice Pro-Collagen Multi-Peptide Booster”
    • “softens lines and wrinkles — Paula's Choice 1% Retinol Treatment”
    • “Reduces fine lines — Medik8 Liquid Peptides”
    • “Plumps skin with moisture — Medik8 Bakuchiol Peptides”
  • Acne and Cleansing Often MentionedRarely Noted
    • “Helped clear my cystic acne — Paula's Choice CLEAR Pore Normalizing Cleanser”
    • “heals blemishes faster — Paula's Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant”
    • “Removes all my makeup easily — Paula's Choice CLEAR Pore Normalizing Cleanser”
    • “pores feel cleaner — Medik8 Surface Radiance Cleanse”
  • High Price Point Mostly MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “Expensive per bottle — Medik8 Liquid Peptides”
    • “very expensive for amount — Medik8 CRYSTAL RETINAL 3”
    • “hefty price tag — Medik8 C-Tetra Serum”
    • “tiny tube — Paula's Choice 10% Azelaic Acid Booster”
  • Dryness and Flaking Sometimes NotedSometimes Noted
    • “slightly drying — Medik8 Surface Radiance Cleanse”
    • “need a thick moisturizer — Medik8 CRYSTAL RETINAL 3”
    • “need more moisture — Medik8 Crystal Retinal Ceramide Eye 3”
    • “peeling and flaking — Paula's Choice 1% Retinol Treatment”
  • Packaging Issues Sometimes NotedSometimes Noted
    • “dropper leaks — Paula's Choice C15 Super Booster”
    • “dropper can be unpredictable — Paula's Choice Pro-Collagen Multi-Peptide Booster”
    • “Glass bottle breaks easily — Medik8 Liquid Peptides”
    • “hard to get last bit — Medik8 CRYSTAL RETINAL 3”

Paula's Choice vs Medik8 routines for dry skin

See multi-brand routine · 97% fit

Paula's Choice vs Medik8 routines for oily skin

See multi-brand routine · 95% fit

Paula's Choice vs Medik8 routines for combination skin

See multi-brand routine · 96% fit

Questions and answers

Paula's Choice or Medik8: which is better?

Paula's Choice and Medik8 both offer strong formulas, with Paula's Choice having better options for acne and texture, while Medik8 provides superior gentle hydration and routines for dry or sensitive skin. Reviewers note that both brands share common concerns regarding high price points and packaging issues.

What is the difference between Paula's Choice and Medik8?

Paula's Choice is better for texture, pores, acne, and cleansing, whereas Medik8 performs better for gentle formulation.

Paula's Choice or Medik8 for dry skin?

Medik8 is a better fit for dry skin, offering a superior routine compared to Paula's Choice, which achieves a high fit. Hyaluronic acid helps maintain deep hydration and plumpness across the products on this page.

Drug Delivery, 2017Dermatologic Therapy, 2022

Paula's Choice or Medik8: which cleanser is better?

Paula's Choice offers a better fit for acne and cleansing on this page, with several cleansers achieving a Superior level for oily and acne-prone skin types. Medik8 also provides effective options, though reviewers note that Medik8 has a higher price point.

Which is more affordable, Paula's Choice or Medik8?

Reviewers mostly mention high prices for Paula's Choice and often mention a high price point for Medik8, but the page does not provide direct price comparisons to determine which brand is more affordable.

Between Paula's Choice and Medik8, which brand is better for anti-aging and firming according to the review themes?

According to the review themes for anti-aging and firming, Paula's Choice and Medik8 perform at an equal level.

Do Paula's Choice products contain any added fragrance, and how does that compare to Medik8?

Every product on the Paula's Choice page lists no fragrance in its ingredients, whereas Medik8 includes fragrance in one of its items on this page.

Which brand fits dry sensitive skin better based on the routine fit ratings?

Medik8 fits dry sensitive skin better, as Lovi rates its routine as Superior compared to High for Paula's Choice.

Paula's Choice or Medik8 for oily skin?

Both brands offer a High routine fit for oily skin, with Paula's Choice providing better results for texture and pores and Medik8 focusing more on gentle formulation.

Paula's Choice or Medik8: which moisturizer is better?

Medik8 is a better fit for dry skin, as Lovi rates its overall routine as Superior compared to High for Paula's Choice, though individual products on this page vary. Hyaluronic acid is featured across the products on this page to help provide deep hydration and improve skin texture.

Drug Delivery, 2017Dermatologic Therapy, 2022

Paula's Choice or Medik8 for sensitive skin?

Medik8 is a Superior fit for sensitive skin, whereas Paula's Choice is a High fit. Medik8 focuses on dry skin and gentle formulations, while the products on this page for Paula's Choice list no fragrance.

Paula's Choice or Medik8 for acne-prone skin?

Paula's Choice is a better fit for acne-prone skin, as the products on this page achieve a High routine fit compared to Medik8's High fit, and Paula's Choice does better for acne and cleansing.

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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