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Paula's Choice vs BYOMA

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

Paula's Choice and BYOMA are distinct skincare brands offering a thoughtful range of serums, cleansers, moisturizers, toners, and more. The American brand is known for utilizing hyaluronic acid, glycerin, and vitamin c to suit oily skin and acne-prone skin best, while the British brand relies on a signature tri-ceramide complex and squalane to suit dry skin and oily skin best. Ultimately, they differ in their founding origins, key ingredients, and precise target benefits, giving both unique strengths for individual routines.

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

unilever.comtracxn.com

BYOMA is a British skincare brand founded in 2022 and owned by Bansk Group since 2025.

cosmeticsbusiness.com

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

Popular Paula's Choice vs BYOMA products

People Say

Paula's ChoiceBYOMA
  • Lightweight and fast-absorbing 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 instantly — BYOMA Moisturizing Gel-Cream”
    • “sinks in quickly — BYOMA Brightening Serum”
  • Improves 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”
    • “Keeps my face soft and not oily — BYOMA Brightening Toner”
  • Non-irritating and gentle Often MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “doesn't strip skin — BYOMA Creamy Jelly Cleanser”
    • “no irritation at all — BYOMA Sensitive Retinol Oil”
    • “great for sensitive skin — BYOMA Balancing Face Mist”
    • “Finally a vitamin C product I can use — Paula's Choice 25% Vitamin C + Glutathione Clinical Serum”
  • Reduces redness and soothes Sometimes NotedOften Mentioned
    • “healed my skin barrier — BYOMA Hydrating Milky Toner”
    • “skin feels soft — BYOMA Brightening Serum”
    • “calming and soothing ingredients — BYOMA Balancing Face Mist”
    • “calmed redness immediately — Paula's Choice 10% Azelaic Acid Booster”
  • Deep hydration Not notedOften Mentioned
    • “skin feels so hydrated — BYOMA Hydrating Milky Toner”
    • “feels refreshing on the skin — BYOMA Balancing Face Mist”
    • “Skin feels soft — BYOMA Moisturizing Rich Cream”
  • Unclogs pores and clears acne Often MentionedRarely Noted
    • “cleared my bumps — Paula's Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant”
    • “Helped clear my cystic acne — Paula's Choice CLEAR Pore Normalizing Cleanser”
    • “heals blemishes faster — Paula's Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant”
    • “breakouts are nearly non existent — BYOMA Clarifying Serum”
  • Packaging issues Sometimes NotedMostly Mentioned
    • “dropper leaks — Paula's Choice C15 Super Booster”
    • “dropper can be unpredictable — Paula's Choice Pro-Collagen Multi-Peptide Booster”
    • “Cap broke immediately — Paula's Choice CLEAR Pore Normalizing Cleanser”
    • “Opening is huge — BYOMA Brightening Toner”
  • High price and value issues Mostly MentionedNot noted
    • “tiny tube — Paula's Choice 10% Azelaic Acid Booster”
  • Unpleasant smell or scent Often MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “has a weird chemically smell — BYOMA Milky Moisture Cleanser”
    • “smell is annoying — BYOMA Milky Oil Cleanser”
    • “smells like plastic — BYOMA Creamy Jelly Cleanser”
    • “smells like grain — Paula's Choice 10% Azelaic Acid Booster”

Paula's Choice vs BYOMA routines for dry skin

See multi-brand routine · 98% fit

Paula's Choice vs BYOMA routines for oily skin

See multi-brand routine · 97% fit

Paula's Choice vs BYOMA routines for combination skin

See multi-brand routine · 96% fit

Questions and answers

Paula's Choice or BYOMA: which is better?

Paula's Choice and BYOMA both offer great options depending on your specific skincare goals, with Paula's Choice excelling in unclogging pores and clearing acne while BYOMA stands out for deep hydration and soothing sensitive skin. For dry skin, BYOMA achieves a Superior routine fit compared to the High fit of Paula's Choice.

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

Paula's Choice helps improve skin texture and unclogs pores to clear acne, whereas BYOMA helps provide deep hydration, soothes skin, and is non-irritating and gentle. Lovi routine fit shows that Paula's Choice is Superior for sensitive skin, while BYOMA is Superior for skin with dark spots.

Paula's Choice or BYOMA for dry skin?

For dry skin, BYOMA offers a Superior routine fit, while Paula's Choice provides a High routine fit. BYOMA excels in deep hydration, while the products on this page from Paula's Choice help support dry skin with targeted ingredients like hyaluronic acid.

Dermatologic Therapy, 2022

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

When comparing cleansers, BYOMA helps provide hydrating and non-stripping options, whereas Paula's Choice is known for unclogging pores and clearing acne. Lovi rates the CLEAR Pore Normalizing Cleanser from Paula's Choice as Superior for oily acne-prone skin, while BYOMA features top choices like the Milky Moisture Cleanser which has a Superior fit for dry skin.

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

Reviewers note that BYOMA has high price and value issues, whereas Paula's Choice reviewers mention high price.

Between Paula's Choice and BYOMA, which brand is better for improving skin texture?

Paula's Choice does better for improving skin texture than BYOMA. The products on this page help smooth texture and target signs of aging.

The Journal of Investigative Dermatology, 2000

How do the founding years and corporate ownership of Paula's Choice and BYOMA compare?

Paula's Choice was founded in the United States in 1995 and has been owned by Unilever since 2021. In contrast, BYOMA was founded in the United Kingdom in 2022 and has been owned by Bansk Group since 2025.

Which brand performs better when it comes to deep hydration according to review themes?

According to the review themes on this page, BYOMA performs better when it comes to deep hydration.

Paula's Choice or BYOMA for oily skin?

Both brands offer a Superior routine fit for oily skin on the products on this page. Reviewers note that BYOMA is better for non-irritating and gentle care, while Paula's Choice is better for unclogging pores and clearing acne.

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

Both Paula's Choice and BYOMA offer effective moisturizers, with Paula's Choice achieving a High routine fit for dry skin and BYOMA achieving a Superior fit. BYOMA is noted by reviewers for strengthening the skin barrier with its moisturizers, while Paula's Choice focuses heavily on targeted treatments containing key ingredients like hyaluronic acid.

Dermatologic Therapy, 2022

Paula's Choice or BYOMA for sensitive skin?

Paula's Choice has a Superior routine fit for sensitive skin, while BYOMA has a High fit. Reviewers note that BYOMA does better at being non-irritating and gentle, whereas Paula's Choice features fragrance-free products on this page.

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

Both brands are a Superior fit for acne-prone skin. Paula's Choice helps unclog pores and clear acne better, while BYOMA is noted for being particularly non-irritating and gentle.

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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