🇫🇷France

Paula's Choice vs Lancôme

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

Paula's Choice and Lancôme are established skincare brands from America and France that offer diverse selections of cleansers, toners, serums, moisturizers, and more. Paula's Choice relies on key ingredients like glycerin, hyaluronic acid, and vitamin c, while Lancôme utilizes nourishing glycerin, hyaluronic acid, and adenosine. The American brand suits oily and acne-prone skin best, whereas the French brand excels for sensitive and mature skin. They differ primarily in their founding heritage, targeted skin types, and specific active formulations.

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

unilever.comtracxn.com

Lancôme is a French skincare brand founded in 1935 and owned by L'Oréal S.A. since 1964.

loreal.comen.wikipedia.orgcosmeticsbusiness.com

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

Popular Paula's Choice vs Lancôme products

People Say

Paula's ChoiceLancôme
  • Texture and Absorption Mostly MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “absorbs quickly — Lancôme RÉNERGIE”
    • “absorbs almost instantly — Lancôme Génifique Ultimate”
    • “absorbs instantly — Lancôme Advanced Génifique Eye Cream”
    • “absorbs instantly — Paula's Choice C15 Super Booster”
  • Skin Smoothing and Texture Improvement Mostly MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “skin becomes very smooth — Paula's Choice 1% Retinol Treatment”
    • “bumps be gone — Paula's Choice Weightless Body Treatment 2% BHA”
    • “skin is insanely soft — Paula's Choice Weightless Body Treatment 2% BHA”
    • “Skin feels cushiony soft — Lancôme Advanced Génifique Youth Activating Concentrate”
  • Hydration and Moisture Sometimes NotedMostly Mentioned
    • “gives my skin an instant dewy glow — Lancôme Tonique Confort”
    • “keeps the skin soft and hydrated — Lancôme HYDRA ZEN”
    • “The product provides deep hydration and visible rejuvenation. — Lancôme Advanced Génifique Night Cream”
    • “Provides an internal level of hydration without leaving any heavy finish. — Paula's Choice Skin Balancing Pore-Reducing Toner”
  • Brightening, Radiance, and Tone Mostly MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “visible glow — Paula's Choice C15 Super Booster”
    • “acne scars faded — Paula's Choice 10% Azelaic Acid Booster”
    • “calmed redness immediately — Paula's Choice 10% Azelaic Acid Booster”
    • “Skin looks lit from within — Lancôme Advanced Génifique Youth Activating Concentrate”
  • Gentle and Sensitive Skin Care Often MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “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”
    • “instantly soothed my skin — Lancôme Génifique Ultimate”
    • “Doesn't sting my eyes — Lancôme Bi-Facil Double Action Eye Makeup Remover”
  • Acne Clearing and Pores Mostly 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 Value Issues Mostly MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “tiny tube — Paula's Choice 10% Azelaic Acid Booster”
    • “Sooooo expensive — Paula's Choice 25% Vitamin C + Glutathione Clinical Serum”
    • “super expensive — Lancôme Absolue Precious Oil”
    • “expensive as hell — Lancôme RÉNERGIE”
  • Irritation, Dryness, and Breakouts Mostly MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “didn't notice much change in wrinkles — Lancôme Génifique Ultimate”
    • “Leaves a greasy film — Lancôme Bi-Facil Double Action Eye Makeup Remover”
    • “Did absolutely nothing — Lancôme Advanced Génifique Youth Activating Concentrate”
    • “peeling and flaking — Paula's Choice 1% Retinol Treatment”
  • Scent, Residue, and Texture Flaws Often MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “smells like grain — Paula's Choice 10% Azelaic Acid Booster”
    • “smells like hot dog water — Paula's Choice C15 Super Booster”
    • “My only issue with it is the fragrance. — Lancôme Hydra Zen Gel Cream”
    • “scent is too strong — Lancôme Absolue Revitalizing Eye Cream”

Paula's Choice vs Lancôme routines for dry skin

See multi-brand routine · 98% fit

Paula's Choice vs Lancôme routines for oily skin

See multi-brand routine · 97% fit

Paula's Choice vs Lancôme routines for combination skin

See multi-brand routine · 96% fit

Questions and answers

Paula's Choice or Lancôme: which is better?

Paula's Choice is better than Lancôme for most skin types on this page, offering superior fit levels for oily, acne-prone, and mature skin. The products on this page help improve skin texture and reduce dark spots, while Lancôme tends to be more expensive and contains strong fragrance in several formulas.

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

Paula's Choice outperforms Lancôme for oily and acne-prone skin on the products on this page, while Lancôme tends to focus more on deep hydration and fragrances. Niacinamide helps improve pigmentation and skin barrier function.

The British Journal of Dermatology, 2002Antioxidants, 2021

Paula's Choice or Lancôme for dry skin?

Paula's Choice fits dry skin with a High routine rating, whereas Lancôme gets an Average rating on this page. Paula's Choice helps deliver deep hydration using key ingredients like hyaluronic acid and glycerin without added fragrance.

Drug Delivery, 2017Dermatologic Therapy, 2022

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

Paula's Choice offers better cleansers on this page, with fit levels ranging from Superior to High for most skin types, whereas Lancôme products on this page receive warning ratings across multiple skin types.

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

Both Paula's Choice and Lancôme face similar feedback regarding high prices, as high price and value issues are noted equally for the products on this page.

Between Paula's Choice and Lancôme, which brand is better suited for mature skin and skin with dark spots?

Paula's Choice is better suited for mature skin and skin with dark spots, as Lovi rates its routine fit as Superior for mature skin and High for skin with dark spots, whereas Lancôme is rated Average for both. Retinol helps reduce signs of aging and vitamin C helps brighten tone in the skin.

The Journal of Investigative Dermatology, 2000Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2020

How do the fragrance options differ between Paula's Choice and Lancôme products?

Paula's Choice products on this page list no fragrance in their ingredients, whereas 11 of 14 Lancôme products contain fragrance. This means Lancôme is more likely to provide a scented experience, while Paula's Choice is better suited for fragrance-sensitive routines.

Which brand performs better when it comes to hydration and moisture versus acne clearing and pores?

Lancome performs better for hydration and moisture, while Paula's Choice is superior for acne clearing and pores.

Paula's Choice or Lancôme for oily skin?

Paula's Choice is a better fit for oily skin, earning a Superior routine fit compared to Lancôme's Average rating. The products on this page for Paula's Choice help control oil and clear pores, whereas Lancôme products may present texture issues for oily skin types.

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

Paula's Choice is generally better for moisturizers because its products on this page achieve higher fit levels for most skin types compared to Lancome. The products on this page help provide targeted care with fragrance-free formulas, whereas Lancome's moisturizers often contain added fragrance.

Paula's Choice or Lancôme for sensitive skin?

Paula's Choice fits sensitive skin better, as Lovi rates its routine as Superior compared to Lancôme's Average. Furthermore, every product on the Paula's Choice page lists no fragrance in its ingredients, whereas several Lancôme products include fragrance.

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

Paula's Choice is a superior fit for acne-prone skin compared to Lancôme, with products on this page achieving Superior fit levels for this skin type. The brand features fragrance-free formulations and key ingredients like salicylic acid that help manage breakouts.

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?

Scan your face, then any product: Lovi shows how well it fits you and what fits even better.

QR code: get the Lovi app
Download on theApp Store Get it onGoogle Play