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Some By Mi vs Paula's Choice

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

Some By Mi and Paula's Choice are a 2016 Korean skincare brand and a 1995 American skincare brand, respectively. Some By Mi builds its serums, cleansers, toners, and moisturizers around niacinamide, centella asiatica, and salicylic acid to best suit dry sensitive skin and dry skin, while Paula's Choice builds its serums, cleansers, moisturizers, and toners around hyaluronic acid, glycerin, and vitamin c to best suit oily skin and acne-prone skin. Both brands differ significantly in their targeted skin types, featured key ingredients, and regional origins.

Some By Mi is a Korean skincare brand founded in 2016 and owned by JKL Partners since 2021.

kedglobal.compreqin.comtracxn.com

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 Some By Mi and Paula's Choice products; for every product of both brands, with a fit score for your own skin, use the Lovi app.

Popular Some By Mi vs Paula's Choice products

People Say

Some By MiPaula's Choice
  • Texture Smoothing Often 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 never been this silky — Paula's Choice Skin-Smoothing Retinol Body Treatment”
    • “Skin became smoother — Some By Mi AHA-BHA-PHA 30 Days Miracle Toner”
  • Lightweight and Fast Absorbing Often 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”
    • “watery consistency — Paula's Choice 10% Niacinamide Booster”
    • “absorbs quickly — Some By Mi Yuja Niacin Brightening Moisture Gel Cream”
  • Brightening and Glow Often MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “Fades dark spots — Some By Mi Galactomyces Pure Vitamin C Glow Serum”
    • “skin looks visibly brighter — Some By Mi Yuja Niacin Anti Blemish Serum”
    • “visible glow — Paula's Choice C15 Super Booster”
    • “acne scars faded — Paula's Choice 10% Azelaic Acid Booster”
  • Gentle Formula Often MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “Zero irritation or redness — Some By Mi Retinol Intense Reactivating Serum”
    • “doesn't strip dry my skin — Some By Mi Super Matcha Pore Clean Clay Mask”
    • “Surprisingly gentle — Some By Mi AHA-BHA-PHA 30 Days Miracle Toner”
    • “Finally a vitamin C product I can use — Paula's Choice 25% Vitamin C + Glutathione Clinical Serum”
  • Acne and Blemish Control Often MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “Reduces pimples — Some By Mi AHA-BHA-PHA 30 Days Miracle Toner”
    • “cleared my cystic acne — Some By Mi AHA-BHA-PHA 30 Days Miracle Acne Clear Foam”
    • “Helped clear my cystic acne — Paula's Choice CLEAR Pore Normalizing Cleanser”
    • “heals blemishes faster — Paula's Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant”
  • Hydration and Moisture Often MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “Lasts 100 hours as claimed — Some By Mi Beta Panthenol Repair Cream”
    • “Absorbs quickly — Some By Mi Galactomyces Pure Vitamin C Glow Serum”
    • “lightweight texture — Some By Mi Retinol Intense Advanced Triple Action Eye Cream”
    • “Provides an internal level of hydration without leaving any heavy finish. — Paula's Choice Skin Balancing Pore-Reducing Toner”
  • Strong Scent and Fragrance 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”
    • “overwhelming citrus fragrance — Some By Mi V10 Hyal Air Fit Sunscreen”
  • High Price Point Rarely NotedMostly Mentioned
    • “expensive — Some By Mi Super Matcha Pore Clean Clay Mask”
    • “Too expensive for 50ml — Some By Mi Beta Panthenol Repair Cream”
    • “tiny tube — Paula's Choice 10% Azelaic Acid Booster”
  • Drying and Dehydration Often MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “not moisturizing enough — Some By Mi Yuja Niacin Brightening Moisture Gel Cream”
    • “Skin felt tight — Some By Mi AHA-BHA-PHA 30 Days Miracle Toner”
    • “peeling and flaking — Paula's Choice 1% Retinol Treatment”
    • “Not hydrating enough for winter. — Paula's Choice Clear Oil-Free Moisturizer”

Some By Mi vs Paula's Choice routines for dry skin

See multi-brand routine · 98% fit

Some By Mi vs Paula's Choice routines for oily skin

See multi-brand routine · 97% fit

Some By Mi vs Paula's Choice routines for combination skin

See multi-brand routine · 96% fit

Questions and answers

Some By Mi or Paula's Choice: which is better?

Some By Mi fits dry sensitive skin, dry skin, and sensitive skin best, while Paula's Choice is best for oily skin, acne-prone skin, and oily acne-prone skin. Reviewers note that Some By Mi offers a more gentle formula, whereas Paula's Choice provides better texture smoothing.

What is the difference between Some By Mi and Paula's Choice?

Some By Mi fits best for dry, sensitive, and dark-spot prone skin, while Paula's Choice works best for oily and acne-prone skin. Reviewers note that Some By Mi offers gentle hydration, whereas Paula's Choice provides smoothing textures and anti-aging serums.

Some By Mi or Paula's Choice for dry skin?

Some By Mi is a better fit for dry skin than Paula's Choice, achieving a Superior routine fit compared to Paula's Choice's High level.

Some By Mi or Paula's Choice: which cleanser is better?

Some By Mi is better for gentle cleansing, as reviewers frequently note it provides deep pore cleansing cleansers with a gentle formula. Paula's Choice also offers strong pore-normalizing options, but Some By Mi achieves a Superior Lovi fit for sensitive skin types on this page.

Which is more affordable, Some By Mi or Paula's Choice?

Paula's Choice has a high price point while Some By Mi has a high price point, but reviewers note a high price for Paula's Choice as well.

Between Some By Mi and Paula's Choice, which brand offers better hydration and moisture?

Some By Mi offers better hydration and moisture, matching its strength in dry skin and dry sensitive skin routines where it rates as Superior compared to Paula's Choice at High.

How do the founding years and corporate ownership of Some By Mi and Paula's Choice compare?

Some By Mi was founded in South Korea in 2016 and is owned by JKL Partners, whereas Paula's Choice was founded in the United States in 1995 and is owned by Unilever.

Which brand performs better for smoothing skin texture according to reviewer themes?

Paula's Choice performs better for smoothing skin texture according to reviewer themes, helping to provide smoother and more refined skin. Niacinamide may help support this smoothing effect by improving overall skin quality.

The British Journal of Dermatology, 2002Antioxidants, 2021

Some By Mi or Paula's Choice for oily skin?

Paula's Choice is better for oily skin, as Lovi rates its routine as Superior compared to High for Some By Mi. Niacinamide helps control sebum and balance oil production.

The British Journal of Dermatology, 2002Antioxidants, 2021

Some By Mi or Paula's Choice: which moisturizer is better?

When choosing a moisturizer, Some By Mi is better for dry sensitive skin with a Superior Lovi fit level, whereas Paula's Choice is better tailored for oily skin.

Some By Mi or Paula's Choice for sensitive skin?

Both Some By Mi and Paula's Choice achieve a Superior Lovi fit level for sensitive skin. Reviewers note that Some By Mi offers a gentler formula, while Paula's Choice is often cited for texture smoothing.

Some By Mi or Paula's Choice: which sunscreen is better?

Both brands offer sunscreens on this page that hold a High fit level for oily, acne-prone, and sensitive skin types, making them equally suitable for everyday sun protection. Paula's Choice Youth-Extending Daily Hydrating Fluid SPF 50 and Some By Mi V10 Hyal Air Fit Sunscreen both share fragrance-free formulas.

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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