🇫🇷France

Paula's Choice vs Clarins

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

Paula's Choice and Clarins are two distinct skincare lines established in 1995 and 1954, respectively. The American brand is known for serums, cleansers, moisturizers, toners, and more, built around hyaluronic acid, glycerin, and vitamin c, suiting oily skin and acne-prone skin best. Conversely, the French brand is loved for nourishing moisturizers, targeted serums, delicate eye products, and refreshing toners harnessing soothing shea and replenishing squalane, offering gentle yet effective care that suits sensitive skin and mature skin best. Ultimately, they differ through their ingredients and formulations, as glycerin significantly increases skin hydration and restores barrier function for the former, while shea butter reduces redness and protects the skin, and squalane increases collagen and fights skin damage for the latter.

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

unilever.comtracxn.com

Clarins is a French skincare brand founded in 1954 and owned by Famille C (Groupe Clarins).

groupeclarins.comen.wikipedia.orghappi.com

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

Popular Paula's Choice vs Clarins products

People Say

Paula's ChoiceClarins
  • Lightweight and fast-absorbing formula 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 immediately — Clarins Double Serum Eye”
  • Glow and radiance Often MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “visible glow — Paula's Choice C15 Super Booster”
    • “acne scars faded — Paula's Choice 10% Azelaic Acid Booster”
    • “skin drinks it up — Clarins Double Serum”
    • “skin looks brighter immediately — Clarins Cryo-Flash Cream-Mask”
  • Texture smoothing and refinement 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”
    • “neck feels smoother — Clarins Extra-Firming Neck & Décolleté Cream”
  • Deep hydration and softness Not notedMostly Mentioned
    • “keeps skin moist — Clarins Multi-Active Jour”
    • “woke up with baby soft skin — Clarins Multi-Active Nuit”
    • “no more dry patches — Clarins Super Restorative Night Cream”
  • Anti-aging and firming results Sometimes NotedOften Mentioned
    • “visibly tighter, lifted skin — Clarins Super Restorative Night Cream”
    • “plumped my fine lines — Clarins Double Serum”
    • “softened crow's feet — Clarins Double Serum Eye”
    • “skin looks plumper — Paula's Choice Pro-Collagen Multi-Peptide Booster”
  • Pore cleansing and clarity Often MentionedNot 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”
    • “pores look smaller — Paula's Choice 10% Niacinamide Booster”
  • High price and small size Mostly MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “surprisingly small bottle — Paula's Choice Skin-Smoothing Retinol Body Treatment”
    • “tiny tube — Paula's Choice 10% Azelaic Acid Booster”
    • “way too expensive — Clarins Double Serum”
    • “too expensive for results — Clarins Total Eye Lift”
  • Unpleasant smell or scent issues 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”
    • “smells like perfume — Clarins Multi-Active Jour”
  • Packaging and pump issues Sometimes NotedOften 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”
    • “dispenses too much product — Clarins Total Eye Lift”
  • Dryness, flaking, and irritation Sometimes NotedSometimes Noted
    • “not moisturizing enough — Clarins Total Eye Lift”
    • “caused redness — Clarins Double Serum Eye”
    • “made my face burn — Clarins Cryo-Flash Cream-Mask”
    • “peeling and flaking — Paula's Choice 1% Retinol Treatment”

Paula's Choice vs Clarins routines for dry skin

See multi-brand routine · 98% fit

Paula's Choice vs Clarins routines for oily skin

See multi-brand routine · 97% fit

Paula's Choice vs Clarins routines for combination skin

See multi-brand routine · 96% fit

Questions and answers

Paula's Choice or Clarins: which is better?

Paula's Choice is better for oily and acne-prone skin, while Clarins is better suited for dry or sensitive skin. Both brands offer products with hyaluronic acid that may help improve skin hydration and reduce signs of aging.

Drug Delivery, 2017Dermatologic Therapy, 2022

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

Paula's Choice is best for oily and acne-prone skin with fragrance-free formulas, while Clarins is best for mature and sensitive skin with luxurious, scented products. Both brands offer high routine fit levels for dry and sensitive skin types.

Paula's Choice or Clarins for dry skin?

Both Paula's Choice and Clarins achieve a High routine fit level for dry skin. Paula's Choice offers fragrance-free options and is generally better suited for lightweight formulas and pore clarity, while Clarins excels in deep hydration and luxurious textures.

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

Paula's Choice is better suited for oily and acne-prone skin types, offering Superior fit levels for its cleansers on the products on this page, whereas Clarins is better tailored for dry and sensitive skin. Additionally, the products on this page for Paula's Choice list no fragrance in their ingredients, while most Clarins cleansers contain added fragrance.

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

Reviewers note a high price point for both Paula's Choice and Clarins, with no clear price advantage between them on the page. Both brands share a negative mention regarding high pricing.

Paula's Choice or Clarins: which brand offers fragrance-free products?

Paula's Choice offers fragrance-free products across its entire page, whereas almost all Clarins products list fragrance in their ingredients.

Paula's Choice or Clarins: which provides better anti-aging and firming results?

Clarins provides better anti-aging and firming results, thanks to formulas that help improve mature skin. Retinol also helps support collagen accumulation in naturally aged skin.

The Journal of Investigative Dermatology, 2000

Paula's Choice or Clarins for oily skin?

Paula's Choice is a better option for oily skin, as Lovi rates its routine as Superior while rating Clarins as High. Paula's Choice features fragrance-free formulas with key ingredients like salicylic acid and niacinamide, which help manage oil and refine pores effectively.

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

Both brands offer strong options, but Paula's Choice is better suited for oily skin with a Superior fit level, while Clarins excels in deep hydration and anti-aging results. Paula's Choice moisturizers are fragrance-free and lightweight, whereas Clarins formulas often include fragrance and provide luxurious textures for dry or mature skin.

Paula's Choice or Clarins for sensitive skin?

Paula's Choice is a superior fit for sensitive skin, while Clarins has a high fit. Paula's Choice features fragrance-free formulas across all products on this page, whereas almost all Clarins products contain fragrance.

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

Paula's Choice is superior for acne-prone skin, while Clarins is high. Paula's Choice focuses heavily on targeted treatments for acne and pore clarity, helping to manage breakouts effectively.

Paula's Choice or Clarins for mature skin?

For mature skin, Lovi finds that Paula's Choice has a Superior fit while Clarins has a High fit. Paula's Choice helps with texture smoothing and anti-aging serums, whereas Clarins is noted for deep hydration and firming results.

The Journal of Investigative Dermatology, 2000

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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