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Paula's Choice vs Dermalogica

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

Paula's Choice and Dermalogica are American skincare brands founded in 1995 and 1986, respectively, and both are now owned by Unilever. Paula's Choice features serums, cleansers, moisturizers, toners, and more built around hyaluronic acid, glycerin, and vitamin c, while the second brand is known for targeted serums, nourishing moisturizers, gentle cleansers, purifying masks, and more formulated with hyaluronic acid, glycerin, and salicylic acid. The first brand fits oily skin and mature skin best, whereas its counterpart suits oily skin and combination skin best. They differ because their active formulations and targeted solutions address specific concerns differently, utilizing ingredients like glycerin to increase skin hydration and restore barrier function, hyaluronic acid, and salicylic acid to reduce acne lesion counts.

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

unilever.comtracxn.com

Dermalogica is an American skincare brand founded in 1986 and owned by Unilever since 2015.

en.wikipedia.orgcosmeticsbusiness.com

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

Popular Paula's Choice vs Dermalogica products

People Say

Paula's ChoiceDermalogica
  • Improving skin texture and smoothness Mostly MentionedOften 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 feels smooth as silk — Dermalogica Daily Microfoliant”
  • Fast absorption and lightweight feel Often MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “Absorbs quickly and leaves no greasy residue behind. — Paula's Choice Clear Oil-Free Moisturizer”
    • “watery consistency — Paula's Choice 10% Niacinamide Booster”
    • “blends seamlessly — Dermalogica Dynamic Skin Recovery SPF 50”
    • “feels like nothing — Dermalogica Active Moist”
  • Glow, radiance and brightening Often MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “visible glow — Paula's Choice C15 Super Booster”
    • “Discoloration almost gone — Paula's Choice 25% Vitamin C + Glutathione Clinical Serum”
    • “spots barely visible — Paula's Choice Skin-Smoothing Retinol Body Treatment”
    • “immediately brighter looking — Dermalogica Daily Microfoliant”
  • Unclogging pores and clearing acne Mostly MentionedRarely 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”
    • “Brings out all the gunk — Dermalogica Blackhead Clearing Fizz Mask”
  • Deep hydration and moisturization Not notedMostly Mentioned
    • “Saved my dry skin — Dermalogica Super Rich Repair”
    • “super hydrating — Dermalogica Multivitamin Power Recovery Masque”
    • “skin feels hydrated — Dermalogica Intensive Moisture Balance”
  • Reduces redness and soothes skin Sometimes NotedSometimes Noted
    • “helps calm and nourish my skin — Dermalogica Stabilizing Repair Cream”
    • “The redness is better — Dermalogica Stabilizing Repair Cream”
    • “Calms redness — Dermalogica Super Rich Repair”
    • “calmed redness immediately — Paula's Choice 10% Azelaic Acid Booster”
  • High price and expensive size Often MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “tiny tube — Paula's Choice 10% Azelaic Acid Booster”
    • “Sooooo expensive — Paula's Choice 25% Vitamin C + Glutathione Clinical Serum”
    • “expensive for body lotion — Paula's Choice Skin-Smoothing Retinol Body Treatment”
    • “hefty price tag — Dermalogica Daily Microfoliant”
  • Unpleasant smell or scent Often MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “smells like grain — Paula's Choice 10% Azelaic Acid Booster”
    • “smells like hot dog water — Paula's Choice C15 Super Booster”
    • “smells like puke — Dermalogica Daily Microfoliant”
    • “smells like medicine — Dermalogica Dynamic Skin Recovery SPF 50”
  • Purging, breakouts and skin reactions Sometimes NotedSometimes Noted
    • “Cystic acne flare-ups — Dermalogica Precleanse”
    • “Caused cystic acne — Dermalogica Super Rich Repair”
    • “gave me acne — Dermalogica Special Cleansing Gel”
    • “skin purged — Paula's Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant”
  • Packaging issues and leaks Sometimes NotedSometimes Noted
    • “dropper leaks — Paula's Choice C15 Super Booster”
    • “dropper can be unpredictable — Paula's Choice Pro-Collagen Multi-Peptide Booster”
    • “Leaky pump — Dermalogica Precleanse”
    • “pump dispenses too much — Dermalogica Special Cleansing Gel”

Paula's Choice vs Dermalogica routines for dry skin

See multi-brand routine · 98% fit

Paula's Choice vs Dermalogica routines for oily skin

See multi-brand routine · 96% fit

Paula's Choice vs Dermalogica routines for combination skin

See multi-brand routine · 95% fit

Questions and answers

Paula's Choice or Dermalogica: which is better?

Paula's Choice fits better for acne-prone and mature skin, while both brands are equal for oily, dry, combination, sensitive, and dark spot skin. Dermalogica helps provide deeper hydration, whereas Paula's Choice is better at improving skin texture and clearing acne.

Dermatologic Therapy, 2022

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

Paula's Choice is better for acne-prone and mature skin, while Dermalogica is often noted for deep hydration and soothing sensitive skin. Both brands offer fragrance-free products on this page.

Paula's Choice or Dermalogica for dry skin?

Both Paula's Choice and Dermalogica are a High fit for dry skin. Paula's Choice relies on hydrating formulas with ingredients like hyaluronic acid, while Dermalogica provides deep moisturization and soothing benefits.

Dermatologic Therapy, 2022

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

Both Paula's Choice and Dermalogica offer excellent cleansers, with Paula's Choice providing Superior fit levels for oily and acne-prone skin and Dermalogica achieving High to Superior fit levels across most skin types. Paula's Choice cleansers help unclog pores and clear acne effectively, while Dermalogica cleansers are noted for gentle, non-stripping deep hydration.

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

Both Paula's Choice and Dermalogica are noted for having a high price point among the products on this page.

Paula's Choice or Dermalogica: which brand is better for reducing redness and soothing skin?

Dermalogica does better for reducing redness and soothing skin. Both brands offer fragrance-free products on the products on this page.

Which brand performs better for unclogging pores and clearing acne, Paula's Choice or Dermalogica?

Paula's Choice performs better than Dermalogica for unclogging pores and clearing acne. Lovi rates Paula's Choice as Superior for acne-prone skin, while Dermalogica is rated High.

Paula's Choice or Dermalogica: which is better for mature skin?

Paula's Choice is better for mature skin, achieving a Superior routine fit compared to Dermalogica's High. Paula's Choice also does better at improving skin texture and smoothness and at adding glow, radiance, and brightening.

Paula's Choice or Dermalogica for oily skin?

Both Paula's Choice and Dermalogica are a Superior fit for oily skin. Paula's Choice leans toward clearing pores and smoothing texture, while Dermalogica is noted for deep hydration and soothing moisturizers.

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

Both Paula's Choice and Dermalogica offer high-performing moisturizers that suit dry skin well. Dermalogica focuses more on deep hydration and soothing benefits, while Paula's Choice products on this page often target specific concerns like texture and pores.

Paula's Choice or Dermalogica for sensitive skin?

Both brands offer a High routine fit for sensitive skin. Paula's Choice features fragrance-free formulas, while Dermalogica provides soothing moisturizers that help reduce redness and calm skin.

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

Both brands offer solid sunscreen options with high Lovi fit levels for most skin types, such as Paula's Choice Youth-Extending Daily Hydrating Fluid SPF 50 and Dermalogica Dynamic Skin Recovery SPF 50. Paula's Choice works well for dry and combination skin, while Dermalogica fits mature skin at a Superior level.

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

Paula's Choice is a superior fit for acne-prone skin on the products on this page, while Dermalogica has a high fit. Paula's Choice does better at unclogging pores and clearing acne.

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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