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Paula's Choice vs Olay

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

Paula's Choice and Olay are two skincare brands offering serums, cleansers, moisturizers, and toners. Paula's Choice relies on hyaluronic acid, glycerin, and vitamin c, suiting oily and acne-prone skin best. Olay pairs niacinamide and glycerin to suit acne-prone and mature skin best. While both brands use glycerin, the American brand founded in 1995 differs through its specific formulation approaches and targeted product selections.

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

unilever.comtracxn.com

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

Popular Paula's Choice vs Olay products

People Say

Paula's ChoiceOlay
  • Improves Skin Texture Mostly MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “skin becomes very smooth — Paula's Choice 1% Retinol Treatment”
    • “skin is insanely soft — Paula's Choice Weightless Body Treatment 2% BHA”
    • “skin feels baby soft — Olay Retinol24”
    • “Skin feels like silk — Olay Regenerist Retinol 24 Night Moisturizer”
  • Lightweight and Fast Absorption Mostly MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “Absorbs quickly and leaves no greasy residue behind. — Paula's Choice Clear Oil-Free Moisturizer”
    • “absorbs instantly — Paula's Choice C15 Super Booster”
    • “sinks in quickly — Olay Super Serum”
    • “absorbs quickly — Olay Vitamin C Serum”
  • Glow, Brightening and Even Tone Mostly MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “visible glow — Paula's Choice C15 Super Booster”
    • “acne scars faded — Paula's Choice 10% Azelaic Acid Booster”
    • “Discoloration almost gone — Paula's Choice 25% Vitamin C + Glutathione Clinical Serum”
    • “iridescent glow — Olay Super Serum”
  • Gentle and Non-Irritating Formula 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”
    • “doesn't strip my skin — Olay Regenerating Cream Cleanser”
    • “fragrance-free — Olay Eye Lifting Serum”
  • Intense and Deep Hydration Not notedOften Mentioned
    • “Instantly smoother, softer, and more hydrated — Olay Regenerist Micro-Sculpting Cream”
    • “hydrates the skin — Olay Advanced Eye Cream”
    • “My skin feels so hydrated and plump. — Olay Regenerist Regenerating Serum”
  • Anti-Aging and Firming Sometimes NotedSometimes Noted
    • “skin looks plumper — Paula's Choice Pro-Collagen Multi-Peptide Booster”
    • “softens lines and wrinkles — Paula's Choice 1% Retinol Treatment”
    • “clears up puffiness — Olay Advanced Eye Cream”
    • “Helps my skin and eye wrinkles — Olay Regenerist Micro-Sculpting Cream”
  • High Price Point Mostly MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “expensive for drugstore — Olay Super Serum”
    • “expensive — Olay Super Serum Night Repair”
    • “small quantity (0.5 oz) — Olay Eye Lifting Serum”
    • “tiny tube — Paula's Choice 10% Azelaic Acid Booster”
  • Packaging Issues and Flaws 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”
    • “hard to dispense — Olay Super Serum”
  • Unpleasant Smell and Scent Issues Often MentionedRarely Noted
    • “smells like plastic — Olay Retinol24”
    • “Smells like plastic — Olay Regenerist Retinol 24 Night Moisturizer”
    • “too perfumey — Olay Vitamin C Serum”
    • “smells like grain — Paula's Choice 10% Azelaic Acid Booster”

Paula's Choice vs Olay routines for dry skin

See multi-brand routine · 98% fit

Paula's Choice vs Olay routines for oily skin

See multi-brand routine · 97% fit

Paula's Choice vs Olay routines for combination skin

See multi-brand routine · 96% fit

Questions and answers

Paula's Choice or Olay: which is better?

Paula's Choice and Olay both offer excellent options, with Paula's Choice providing a Superior routine fit for oily and combination skin, while Olay delivers deep hydration. Both brands feature fragrance-free options across most of the products on this page.

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

Paula's Choice and Olay both offer effective formulas, but Paula's Choice tends to fit oily and combination skin at a Superior level, whereas Olay reaches a High level for those skin types. Olay often provides intense hydration, while Paula's Choice is frequently recognized for brightening and even tone effects.

Paula's Choice or Olay for dry skin?

Both brands are a High fit for dry skin. Paula's Choice and Olay offer effective hydration products, with Paula's Choice providing a Superior fit for oily and combination skin types while Olay excels in intense hydration.

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

Paula's Choice is better for oily and acne-prone skin, with cleansers like CLEAR Pore Normalizing Cleanser earning a Superior fit level for those skin types, whereas Olay features options like Regenerating Cream Cleanser that fit acne-prone and oily skin well at a High level.

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

Olay is more affordable, as Paula's Choice has a higher price point.

Between Paula's Choice and Olay, which brand provides better intense and deep hydration according to reviews?

Olay provides better intense and deep hydration according to reviews. Both brands offer solid routines for dry skin, but reviewers frequently highlight Olay for intense hydration.

Which brand has more fragrance-free options, Paula's Choice or Olay?

Paula's Choice has more fragrance-free options, as every product on its page lists no fragrance. Olay also offers many fragrance-free products on this page, but one of its toners includes fragrance.

How do the ownership histories of Paula's Choice and Olay compare?

Paula's Choice was founded in 1995 in the United States and has been owned by Unilever since 2021. Meanwhile, Olay was founded in 1952 and has been owned by The Procter & Gamble Company since 1985.

Paula's Choice or Olay for oily skin?

Paula's Choice is a better fit for oily skin, offering a Superior routine compared to Olay's High fit. The products on this page for Paula's Choice help control oil with targeted BHA and niacinamide options.

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

Paula's Choice and Olay both offer effective moisturizers, with Olay providing more intense hydration while Paula's Choice focuses on targeted treatments with fragrance-free options. Both brands achieve high fit levels for dry and mature skin types across the products on this page.

Paula's Choice or Olay for sensitive skin?

Both Paula's Choice and Olay offer a Superior routine fit for sensitive skin. Paula's Choice features fragrance-free products on this page, while Olay is noted for fragrance-free options alongside intense hydration.

Paula's Choice or Olay: which sunscreen is better?

Paula's Choice offers higher fit levels for sunscreens on this page, with the Youth-Extending Daily Hydrating Fluid SPF 50 achieving a High fit for dry, combination, and dry sensitive skin.

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

Both brands provide a Superior fit for acne-prone skin on the products on this page, making them equally effective choices. Paula's Choice features fragrance-free formulas with key ingredients like salicylic acid and green tea, which helps soothe inflammation and clear pores. Olay offers intense hydration and lightweight textures with ingredients like niacinamide, which may improve overall skin clarity.

The Journal of Investigative Dermatology, 2013The British Journal of Dermatology, 2002

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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