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The Ordinary vs Paula's Choice

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

The Ordinary and Paula's Choice are well-known skincare brands offering serums, cleansers, moisturizers, toners, and more. The Ordinary is best for dry and dry sensitive skin with ingredients like hyaluronic acid, glycerin, and squalane, whereas Paula's Choice suits combination and oily skin best through formulations built around hyaluronic acid, glycerin, and vitamin c. While both brands feature targeted solutions for acne, dark spots, and mature skin, they differ in their founding years, country of origin, corporate ownership, and specific active ingredient combinations.

The Ordinary is a Canadian skincare brand founded in 2016 and owned by The Estée Lauder Companies Inc. since 2021.

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

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

Popular The Ordinary vs Paula's Choice products

People Say

The OrdinaryPaula's Choice
  • Smoothes skin texture Often MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “glass skin effect — The Ordinary Glycolic Acid 7% Toning Solution”
    • “skin feels baby butt smooth — The Ordinary AHA 30% + BHA 2% Peeling Solution”
    • “skin becomes very smooth — Paula's Choice 1% Retinol Treatment”
    • “skin is insanely soft — Paula's Choice Weightless Body Treatment 2% BHA”
  • Clears acne and blemishes Often MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “pimples disappear within a day — The Ordinary Salicylic Acid 2% Solution”
    • “scars and hormonal acne faded — The Ordinary Azelaic Acid Suspension 10%”
    • “faded dark spots — The Ordinary Glycolic Acid 7% Toning Solution”
    • “Helped clear my cystic acne — Paula's Choice CLEAR Pore Normalizing Cleanser”
  • Great value and affordability Mostly MentionedNot noted
    • “lasts forever — The Ordinary Glycolic Acid 7% Toning Solution”
    • “can't beat the price — The Ordinary Salicylic Acid 2% Solution”
    • “extremely affordable — The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1%”
  • Lightweight absorption Sometimes NotedOften 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”
    • “Sinks in immediately — The Ordinary Multi-Peptide + Copper Peptides 1% Serum”
  • Gentle and non-irritating Sometimes NotedOften Mentioned
    • “Leaves my face feeling soft and not tight at all. — The Ordinary Squalane Cleanser”
    • “Finally a cleanser that doesn't sting my face. — The Ordinary Squalane Cleanser”
    • “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”
  • Hydration and plumping Sometimes NotedSometimes Noted
    • “skin feels immediately hydrated — The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5”
    • “leaves my skin radiant and clear — The Ordinary Mandelic Acid 10% + HA”
    • “Provides an internal level of hydration without leaving any heavy finish. — Paula's Choice Skin Balancing Pore-Reducing Toner”
    • “skin looks plumper — Paula's Choice Pro-Collagen Multi-Peptide Booster”
  • High price point Not notedOften Mentioned
    • “tiny tube — Paula's Choice 10% Azelaic Acid Booster”
  • Unpleasant scent Rarely NotedOften Mentioned
    • “Smells like vinegar — The Ordinary Multi-Peptide + Copper Peptides 1% Serum”
    • “smell is unbearable — The Ordinary Azelaic Acid Suspension 10%”
    • “has a slight chemical smell — The Ordinary Mandelic Acid 10% + HA”
    • “smells like grain — Paula's Choice 10% Azelaic Acid Booster”
  • Breakouts and purging Sometimes NotedSometimes Noted
    • “broke me out in cysts — The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1%”
    • “broke me out in cysts — The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5”
    • “gave me cystic acne — The Ordinary Glycolic Acid 7% Toning Solution”
    • “skin purged — Paula's Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant”
  • Small tube size and packaging Rarely NotedSometimes Noted
    • “The 50ml tube runs out way too fast. — The Ordinary Squalane Cleanser”
    • “Wish it came in a pump — The Ordinary Natural Moisturizing Factors + HA”
    • “surprisingly small bottle — Paula's Choice Skin-Smoothing Retinol Body Treatment”

The Ordinary vs Paula's Choice routines for dry skin

See multi-brand routine · 97% fit

The Ordinary vs Paula's Choice routines for oily skin

See multi-brand routine · 95% fit

The Ordinary vs Paula's Choice routines for combination skin

See multi-brand routine · 96% fit

Questions and answers

The Ordinary or Paula's Choice: which is better?

The Ordinary offers better value with great acne-clearing options, while Paula's Choice provides more lightweight absorption. Both brands feature fragrance-free formulas across the products on this page.

What is the difference between The Ordinary and Paula's Choice?

The Ordinary provides a superior fit for dry, oily, combination, sensitive, mature, dry sensitive, and oily acne-prone skin on this page, while Paula's Choice is often noted for a high price point and lightweight absorption. The Ordinary-focused routines help deliver hydration and may clear acne with ingredients like hyaluronic acid and squalane.

Drug Delivery, 2017

The Ordinary or Paula's Choice for dry skin?

The Ordinary is a better fit for dry skin, where Lovi rates its routine as Superior compared to Paula's Choice's High. The products on this page from The Ordinary provide great value and feature key hydrating ingredients like hyaluronic acid, glycerin, and squalane.

Dermatologic Therapy, 2022

The Ordinary or Paula's Choice: which cleanser is better?

Both The Ordinary and Paula's Choice offer cleansers with high fit levels for various skin types, but neither brand stands out as universally better. The Ordinary is often praised for affordability, while Paula's Choice is noted for lightweight absorption.

Which is more affordable, The Ordinary or Paula's Choice?

The Ordinary offers better affordability and greater value serums compared to Paula's Choice.

The Ordinary or Paula's Choice for clearing acne and blemishes?

The Ordinary is a better choice for clearing acne and blemishes because reviewers note it does better for acne-clearing serums.

The Ordinary or Paula's Choice for smoothing skin texture?

Both The Ordinary and Paula's Choice are equal for smoothing skin texture. The products on this page help improve overall skin quality.

Which brand has fragrance-free products, The Ordinary or Paula's Choice?

Both The Ordinary and Paula's Choice have fragrance-free options, as every product on this page lists no fragrance in its ingredients.

The Ordinary or Paula's Choice for oily skin?

For oily skin, Lovi rates The Ordinary as a Superior fit and Paula's Choice as a High fit. Reviewers note that the products on this page from The Ordinary provide great value and help clear acne and blemishes.

The Ordinary or Paula's Choice: which moisturizer is better?

Both The Ordinary and Paula's Choice offer options that are well-suited for hydration, with The Ordinary rated as having a Superior routine fit for dry skin compared to a High fit for Paula's Choice. Hyaluronic acid is a key ingredient across both brands, and its topical use helps improve skin quality and signs of skin aging.

Dermatologic Therapy, 2022

The Ordinary or Paula's Choice for sensitive skin?

The Ordinary is a Superior fit for sensitive skin on Lovi, whereas Paula's Choice is a High fit. Both brands offer products that are formulated without fragrance.

The Ordinary or Paula's Choice for acne-prone skin?

Both The Ordinary and Paula's Choice achieve a High routine fit for acne-prone skin. The Ordinary helps clear acne and blemishes better than Paula's Choice among 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

How does it fit your skin?

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