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Paula's Choice vs Medik8

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

Paula's Choice and Medik8 are established skincare brands offering serums, moisturizers, toners, and more. The American brand, founded in 1995, builds its formulas around hyaluronic acid, glycerin, and vitamin c, suiting oily and acne-prone skin best. Meanwhile, the British brand, founded in 2009, relies on hyaluronic acid and suits dry and sensitive skin best. They differ primarily in their ownership, ingredient focus, and ideal skin types.

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

unilever.comtracxn.com

Medik8 is a British skincare brand founded in 2009 and owned by L'Oréal Groupe since 2025.

loreal.commedik8.comtracxn.com

This page compares some of the most popular Paula's Choice and Medik8 products; for every product of both brands, with a fit score for your own skin, use the Lovi app.

Popular Paula's Choice vs Medik8 products

People Say

Paula's ChoiceMedik8
  • Hydration and Moisture Mostly MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “Provides an internal level of hydration without leaving any heavy finish. — Paula's Choice Skin Balancing Pore-Reducing Toner”
    • “Absorbs quickly and leaves no greasy residue behind. — Paula's Choice Clear Oil-Free Moisturizer”
    • “Restores moisture — Medik8 Liquid Peptides”
    • “absorbed effortlessly — Medik8 Total Moisture Daily Facial Cream”
  • Texture and Pores Mostly MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “cleared my bumps — Paula's Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant”
    • “skin becomes very smooth — Paula's Choice 1% Retinol Treatment”
    • “pores look smaller — Paula's Choice 10% Niacinamide Booster”
    • “smoother skin — Medik8 Surface Radiance Cleanse”
  • Gentle Formulation Often MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “zero irritation or peeling — Medik8 CRYSTAL RETINAL 3”
    • “only Vitamin C my sensitive skin can tolerate — Medik8 C-Tetra Serum”
    • “Best retinol replacement — Medik8 Bakuchiol Peptides”
    • “Finally a vitamin C product I can use — Paula's Choice 25% Vitamin C + Glutathione Clinical Serum”
  • Glow and Brightening Often MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “visible glow — Paula's Choice C15 Super Booster”
    • “acne scars faded — Paula's Choice 10% Azelaic Acid Booster”
    • “I wake up glowing. It adds back that youthful bloom that I've lost. — Medik8 Sleep Glycolic”
    • “unlocked a serious glow — Medik8 C-Tetra Serum”
  • Anti-Aging and Firming Sometimes NotedOften Mentioned
    • “skin looks plumper — Paula's Choice Pro-Collagen Multi-Peptide Booster”
    • “softens lines and wrinkles — Paula's Choice 1% Retinol Treatment”
    • “Reduces fine lines — Medik8 Liquid Peptides”
    • “Plumps skin with moisture — Medik8 Bakuchiol Peptides”
  • Acne and Cleansing Often MentionedRarely Noted
    • “Helped clear my cystic acne — Paula's Choice CLEAR Pore Normalizing Cleanser”
    • “heals blemishes faster — Paula's Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant”
    • “Removes all my makeup easily — Paula's Choice CLEAR Pore Normalizing Cleanser”
    • “pores feel cleaner — Medik8 Surface Radiance Cleanse”
  • High Price Point Mostly MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “Expensive per bottle — Medik8 Liquid Peptides”
    • “very expensive for amount — Medik8 CRYSTAL RETINAL 3”
    • “hefty price tag — Medik8 C-Tetra Serum”
    • “tiny tube — Paula's Choice 10% Azelaic Acid Booster”
  • Dryness and Flaking Sometimes NotedSometimes Noted
    • “slightly drying — Medik8 Surface Radiance Cleanse”
    • “need a thick moisturizer — Medik8 CRYSTAL RETINAL 3”
    • “need more moisture — Medik8 Crystal Retinal Ceramide Eye 3”
    • “peeling and flaking — Paula's Choice 1% Retinol Treatment”
  • Packaging Issues Sometimes NotedSometimes Noted
    • “dropper leaks — Paula's Choice C15 Super Booster”
    • “dropper can be unpredictable — Paula's Choice Pro-Collagen Multi-Peptide Booster”
    • “Glass bottle breaks easily — Medik8 Liquid Peptides”
    • “hard to get last bit — Medik8 CRYSTAL RETINAL 3”

Paula's Choice vs Medik8 routines for dry skin

See multi-brand routine · 98% fit

Paula's Choice vs Medik8 routines for oily skin

See multi-brand routine · 97% fit

Paula's Choice vs Medik8 routines for combination skin

See multi-brand routine · 96% fit

Questions and answers

Paula's Choice or Medik8: which is better?

Paula's Choice is better for targeting texture, pores, acne, and cleansing, while Medik8 is better for gentle formulation and deep hydration. Overall, the products on this page offer tailored options depending on individual skin concerns and preferences.

What is the difference between Paula's Choice and Medik8?

Paula's Choice is better suited for oily and acne-prone skin with a focus on texture, pores, and cleansing, whereas Medik8 performs better for dry and sensitive skin with a gentle formulation. Both brands offer fragrance-free options and similar levels of hydration, brightening, and anti-aging benefits.

Paula's Choice or Medik8 for dry skin?

Medik8 fits dry skin with a Superior routine level, whereas Paula's Choice reaches High. Medik8 features products like Hydr8 B5 Intense and Bakuchiol Peptides, which help provide deep hydration and nourishment for dry skin types.

Dermatologic Therapy, 2022Drug Delivery, 2017

Paula's Choice or Medik8: which cleanser is better?

Paula's Choice is better for cleansers, as Lovi rates the products on this page higher for oily, acne-prone, and oily acne-prone skin.

Which is more affordable, Paula's Choice or Medik8?

Medik8 has a high price point that is often mentioned by reviewers, while Paula's Choice is mostly noted for high prices among its drawbacks.

Which brand has more fragrance-free products, Paula's Choice or Medik8?

Paula's Choice has more fragrance-free products, as every single product on its page lists no fragrance in its ingredients, whereas Medik8 has 11 out of 12 fragrance-free products.

Which brand performs better for texture and pores?

Paula's Choice performs better for texture and pores. Lovi rates the routine fit for oily skin as Superior for Paula's Choice and High for Medik8.

When was Medik8 founded and who owns it currently?

Medik8 was founded in 2009 in the United Kingdom and is currently owned by L'Oréal Groupe.

Paula's Choice or Medik8 for oily skin?

Paula's Choice is a superior fit for oily skin compared to Medik8, which has a high fit. The products on this page help manage oil and blemishes effectively.

Paula's Choice or Medik8: which moisturizer is better?

Medik8 is better for dry skin, as Lovi rates its routine fit as Superior compared to High for Paula's Choice, whereas Paula's Choice is better for oily skin with a Superior fit over Medik8's High fit. Both brands offer products with no fragrance on this page, though Medik8 features one moisturizer containing fragrance.

Paula's Choice or Medik8 for sensitive skin?

Both Paula's Choice and Medik8 achieve a Superior routine fit for sensitive skin. Paula's Choice offers fragrance-free products across its range, while Medik8 is often noted by reviewers for providing gentle and non-irritating serums.

Paula's Choice or Medik8 for acne-prone skin?

Both brands offer a superior fit for acne-prone skin, with Paula's Choice particularly excelling in acne and cleansing based on 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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