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Paula's Choice vs Clinique

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

Paula's Choice and Clinique are American skincare brands known for thoughtful ranges of serums, cleansers, moisturizers, toners, and more. Paula's Choice relies on key ingredients like hyaluronic acid, glycerin, and vitamin c to suit oily skin and mature skin best. Conversely, Clinique incorporates hydrating hyaluronic acid, nourishing glycerin, and invigorating caffeine to suit dry sensitive skin and oily skin best. While both brands share a focus on barrier-restoring glycerin, they differ in their founding years, ownership, and targeted product solutions.

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

unilever.comtracxn.com

Clinique is an American skincare brand founded in 1968 and owned by The Estée Lauder Companies Inc..

en.wikipedia.orgelcompanies.combusinesswire.comglossy.co

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

Popular Paula's Choice vs Clinique products

People Say

Paula's ChoiceClinique
  • Lightweight and fast absorbing 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”
    • “absorbs instantly — Paula's Choice C15 Super Booster”
    • “sinks in immediately — Clinique moisture surge”
  • Gentle and non-irritating Often MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “never irritated my eyes — Clinique All About Eyes”
    • “No stinging eyes — Clinique Take The Day Off Cleansing Balm”
    • “cools the heat in my cheeks — Clinique Redness Solutions Daily Relief Cream”
    • “Finally a vitamin C product I can use — Paula's Choice 25% Vitamin C + Glutathione Clinical Serum”
  • Smoothes texture and refines pores Mostly MentionedRarely Noted
    • “skin becomes very smooth — Paula's Choice 1% Retinol Treatment”
    • “pores look smaller — Paula's Choice 10% Niacinamide Booster”
    • “bumps be gone — Paula's Choice Weightless Body Treatment 2% BHA”
    • “leaves face porcelain smooth — Clinique 7 Day Scrub Cream Rinse-Off Formula”
  • Glow and radiance Often MentionedRarely Noted
    • “visible glow — Paula's Choice C15 Super Booster”
    • “softens lines and wrinkles — Paula's Choice 1% Retinol Treatment”
    • “acne scars faded — Paula's Choice 10% Azelaic Acid Booster”
    • “wake up glowing — Clinique Moisture Surge Overnight Mask”
  • Unclogs pores and clears acne 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”
    • “heals blemishes faster — Paula's Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant”
  • Firms and plumps Sometimes NotedSometimes Noted
    • “skin looks plumper — Paula's Choice Pro-Collagen Multi-Peptide Booster”
    • “improved neck texture — Paula's Choice Skin-Smoothing Retinol Body Treatment”
    • “glass skin look — Clinique moisture surge”
    • “visibly plumped up — Clinique Smart Clinical Repair Wrinkle Correcting Serum”
  • High price and small size Mostly MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “surprisingly small bottle — Paula's Choice Skin-Smoothing Retinol Body Treatment”
    • “tiny tube — Paula's Choice 10% Azelaic Acid Booster”
    • “jar is too small for the cost — Clinique moisture surge”
    • “quite pricey — Clinique Smart Clinical Repair Wrinkle Correcting Serum”
  • Causes purging or breakouts Often MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “peeling and flaking — Paula's Choice 1% Retinol Treatment”
    • “skin purged — Paula's Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant”
    • “Woke up with whiteheads on my chin — Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion+”
    • “gave me tiny bumps — Clinique moisture surge”
  • Unpleasant smell or scent Often MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “Smells like nail polish remover — Clinique Clarifying Lotion 2”
    • “Smells like old oil — Clinique Take The Day Off Cleansing Balm”
    • “Has a weird plastic-like smell — Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion+”
    • “smells like grain — Paula's Choice 10% Azelaic Acid Booster”
  • Drying and flaking Sometimes NotedOften Mentioned
    • “Not hydrating enough for winter. — Paula's Choice Clear Oil-Free Moisturizer”
    • “dryness and scaliness — Paula's Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant”
    • “Made my skin flaky — Paula's Choice CLEAR Pore Normalizing Cleanser”
    • “skin felt tight — Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Gel”

Paula's Choice vs Clinique routines for dry skin

See multi-brand routine · 98% fit

Paula's Choice vs Clinique routines for oily skin

See multi-brand routine · 96% fit

Paula's Choice vs Clinique routines for combination skin

See multi-brand routine · 95% fit

Questions and answers

Paula's Choice or Clinique: which is better?

Paula's Choice is better for oily, acne-prone, and mature skin types, whereas both brands offer a High routine fit for dry and sensitive skin. Reviewers note that Paula's Choice is superior for smoothing texture, refining pores, and clearing acne.

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

Paula's Choice achieves a Superior Lovi routine fit for oily, oily acne-prone, acne-prone, and mature skin, whereas Clinique achieves a High fit for those types. Paula's Choice relies heavily on exfoliants like salicylic acid, while Clinique focuses more on hydrating moisturizers and makeup removers.

Paula's Choice or Clinique for dry skin?

Both Paula's Choice and Clinique fit dry skin well, offering a High routine fit on the products on this page. Paula's Choice helps with targeted exfoliation and hydrating toners, while Clinique is known for its gentle cleansers and soothing moisturizers.

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

Paula's Choice cleansers generally achieve a Superior fit for oily and acne-prone skin, whereas Clinique cleansers vary widely with several ratings in the lower or warning tiers for those skin types.

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

Both Paula's Choice and Clinique face negative feedback regarding their high price points from reviewers on this page.

Which brand has a better routine fit for oily acne-prone skin?

Paula's Choice has a superior routine fit for oily acne-prone skin, whereas Clinique has a high routine fit for this skin type.

Paula's Choice or Clinique: which is better for skin with dark spots?

Paula's Choice is better for skin with dark spots, offering a High routine fit compared to Clinique's Average level. Niacinamide helps reduce cutaneous pigmentation and suppresses melanosome transfer.

The British Journal of Dermatology, 2002

Paula's Choice or Clinique for oily skin?

Paula's Choice is a better fit for oily skin, offering a Superior routine compared to Clinique's High fit level. The products on this page help control oil and refine pores effectively.

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

Paula's Choice moisturizers are generally better suited for oily and acne-prone skin types, whereas Clinique moisturizers excel in providing lightweight, hydrating, and gentle care across various skin types.

Paula's Choice or Clinique for sensitive skin?

Both Paula's Choice and Clinique are well-suited for sensitive skin, with Lovi giving both brands a High fit level. Reviewers note that Clinique is particularly gentle and non-irritating.

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

Paula's Choice is better suited for acne-prone skin, achieving a Superior routine fit compared to Clinique's Average fit on this page. Paula's Choice features fragrance-free products that help unclog pores and clear acne.

Paula's Choice or Clinique for mature skin?

Paula's Choice is a superior fit for mature skin, whereas Clinique achieves a high fit level. Paula's choice products on this page help smooth texture and provide anti-aging serums.

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

How does it fit your skin?

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