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Some By Mi vs Paula's Choice

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

Some By Mi and Paula's Choice are skincare brands known for serums, cleansers, toners, and moisturizers built around ingredients like niacinamide, centella asiatica, salicylic acid, hyaluronic acid, glycerin, and vitamin c. The first brand fits dry sensitive skin and dry skin best, whereas the second brand suits combination skin and oily skin best. They differ primarily in their core formulations and targeted complexions, as niacinamide and salicylic acid decrease hyperpigmentation, reduce acne lesions, and maintain skin clarity, while glycerin significantly increases skin hydration and restores barrier function.

Some By Mi is a Korean skincare brand founded in 2016 and owned by JKL Partners since 2021.

kedglobal.compreqin.comtracxn.com

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

Popular Some By Mi vs Paula's Choice products

People Say

Some By MiPaula's Choice
  • Texture Smoothing Often MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “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 became smoother — Some By Mi AHA-BHA-PHA 30 Days Miracle Toner”
  • Lightweight and Fast Absorbing Often MentionedMostly 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 — Some By Mi Yuja Niacin Brightening Moisture Gel Cream”
  • Brightening and Glow Often MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “Fades dark spots — Some By Mi Galactomyces Pure Vitamin C Glow Serum”
    • “skin looks visibly brighter — Some By Mi Yuja Niacin Anti Blemish Serum”
    • “visible glow — Paula's Choice C15 Super Booster”
    • “acne scars faded — Paula's Choice 10% Azelaic Acid Booster”
  • Gentle Formula Often MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “Zero irritation or redness — Some By Mi Retinol Intense Reactivating Serum”
    • “doesn't strip dry my skin — Some By Mi Super Matcha Pore Clean Clay Mask”
    • “Surprisingly gentle — Some By Mi AHA-BHA-PHA 30 Days Miracle Toner”
    • “Finally a vitamin C product I can use — Paula's Choice 25% Vitamin C + Glutathione Clinical Serum”
  • Acne and Blemish Control Often MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “Reduces pimples — Some By Mi AHA-BHA-PHA 30 Days Miracle Toner”
    • “cleared my cystic acne — Some By Mi AHA-BHA-PHA 30 Days Miracle Acne Clear Foam”
    • “Helped clear my cystic acne — Paula's Choice CLEAR Pore Normalizing Cleanser”
    • “heals blemishes faster — Paula's Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant”
  • Hydration and Moisture Often MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “Lasts 100 hours as claimed — Some By Mi Beta Panthenol Repair Cream”
    • “Absorbs quickly — Some By Mi Galactomyces Pure Vitamin C Glow Serum”
    • “lightweight texture — Some By Mi Retinol Intense Advanced Triple Action Eye Cream”
    • “Provides an internal level of hydration without leaving any heavy finish. — Paula's Choice Skin Balancing Pore-Reducing Toner”
  • Strong Scent and Fragrance Often MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “smells like grain — Paula's Choice 10% Azelaic Acid Booster”
    • “smells like hot dog water — Paula's Choice C15 Super Booster”
    • “weird glue-like smell — Paula's Choice Weightless Body Treatment 2% BHA”
    • “overwhelming citrus fragrance — Some By Mi V10 Hyal Air Fit Sunscreen”
  • High Price Point Rarely NotedMostly Mentioned
    • “expensive — Some By Mi Super Matcha Pore Clean Clay Mask”
    • “Too expensive for 50ml — Some By Mi Beta Panthenol Repair Cream”
    • “tiny tube — Paula's Choice 10% Azelaic Acid Booster”
  • Drying and Dehydration Often MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “not moisturizing enough — Some By Mi Yuja Niacin Brightening Moisture Gel Cream”
    • “Skin felt tight — Some By Mi AHA-BHA-PHA 30 Days Miracle Toner”
    • “peeling and flaking — Paula's Choice 1% Retinol Treatment”
    • “Not hydrating enough for winter. — Paula's Choice Clear Oil-Free Moisturizer”

Some By Mi vs Paula's Choice routines for dry skin

See multi-brand routine · 97% fit

Some By Mi vs Paula's Choice routines for oily skin

See multi-brand routine · 95% fit

Some By Mi vs Paula's Choice routines for combination skin

See multi-brand routine · 96% fit

Questions and answers

Some By Mi or Paula's Choice: which is better?

Some By Mi is better for dry and sensitive skin as Lovi rates its routines as Superior, whereas Paula's Choice is better for skin texture smoothing. Both brands are equal in their effectiveness for acne and blemish control as well as skin brightening and glow.

What is the difference between Some By Mi and Paula's Choice?

Some By Mi is better suited for dry and sensitive skin as well as fading dark spots, whereas Paula's Choice focuses more on texture smoothing and lightweight formulas. Both brands offer fragrance-free options and share key ingredients like niacinamide and salicylic acid.

The British Journal of Dermatology, 2002

Some By Mi or Paula's Choice for dry skin?

Some By Mi fits dry skin better than Paula's Choice, as Lovi rates Some By Mi as Superior and Paula's Choice as High for dry skin routines. Reviewers note that Some By Mi delivers better hydration and moisture, while the products on this page list no fragrance in their ingredients.

Some By Mi or Paula's Choice: which cleanser is better?

Both Some By Mi and Paula's Choice offer cleansers with strong options for oily and acne-prone skin, such as the Snail Truecica Miracle Repair Low pH Gel Cleanser and the CLEAR Pore Normalizing Cleanser. Reviewers note that Some By Mi cleansers tend to provide deep pore cleansing while maintaining gentle formulas, whereas Paula's Choice cleansers focus on smoothing textures.

Which is more affordable, Some By Mi or Paula's Choice?

Paula's Choice often has high price and packaging issues as a drawback mentioned by reviewers, while Some By Mi features a high price point among its negative review themes. Both brands offer products on this page without clear overall price comparisons specified in the reviews.

Between Some By Mi and Paula's Choice, which brand is better suited for skin with dark spots?

Some By Mi is better suited for skin with dark spots, as Lovi rates its routine as Superior compared to High for Paula's Choice. Niacinamide helps reduce cutaneous pigmentation.

The British Journal of Dermatology, 2002

Which brand has a better routine fit for dry sensitive skin: Some By Mi or Paula's Choice?

Some By Mi is the better choice for dry sensitive skin, as Lovi rates its routine as Superior compared to High for Paula's Choice. Reviewers note that Some By Mi offers a gentler formula, whereas Paula's Choice products have a higher price point.

How do the review themes for texture smoothing compare between Some By Mi and Paula's Choice?

Paula's Choice does better than Some By Mi for texture smoothing. Reviewers frequently note that Paula's Choice delivers smooth texture and anti-aging serums.

Some By Mi or Paula's Choice for oily skin?

Both Some By Mi and Paula's Choice fit oily skin at a High level on the products on this page. Some By Mi reviewers mostly mention gentle serums and deep pore cleansing, while Paula's Choice features effective chemical exfoliants like salicylic acid.

Some By Mi or Paula's Choice: which moisturizer is better?

Both Some By Mi and Paula's Choice offer moisturizers, but Some By Mi is better suited for dry, sensitive skin as Lovi rates its overall routine as Superior compared to High for Paula's Choice. Reviewers note that Some By Mi excels in hydration and moisture, whereas Paula's Choice leans towards higher prices and packaging issues.

Some By Mi or Paula's Choice for sensitive skin?

Some By Mi fits sensitive skin better than Paula's Choice, earning a Superior routine fit compared to High. Reviewers note that Some By Mi offers a more gentle formula.

Some By Mi or Paula's Choice: which sunscreen is better?

Both Some By Mi and Paula's Choice offer sunscreens that fit dry, oily, and sensitive skin at a High level.

Some By Mi or Paula's Choice for acne-prone skin?

Both Some By Mi and Paula's Choice fit acne-prone skin at a High level with their routines. The products on this page help manage breakouts using key ingredients like salicylic acid and niacinamide.

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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