🇮🇪Ireland

Paula's Choice vs Simple

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

Paula's Choice and Simple are prominent skincare brands owned by Unilever, established in 1995 and 1960 respectively. The American creator offers targeted serums, cleansers, moisturizers, and toners built around hyaluronic acid, glycerin, and vitamin c, while the British counterpart provides gentle moisturizers, makeup removers, cleansers, and toners incorporating niacinamide and glycerin. Both brands suit oily skin well, though the former additionally targets mature and acne-prone skin with chemical exfoliants and retinoids, while the latter focuses primarily on acne-prone skin through soothing formulations. They differ notably in their active ingredients and specific solutions for dark spots, with one utilizing retinol and BHA exfoliants and the other relying on micellar waters and niacinamide.

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

unilever.comtracxn.com

Simple is a British skincare brand founded in 1960 and owned by Unilever PLC since 2011.

en.wikipedia.orgsec.govprnewswire.comsimple.co.uk

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

Popular Paula's Choice vs Simple products

People Say

Paula's ChoiceSimple
  • Gentle on sensitive skin Sometimes NotedMostly Mentioned
    • “Does not cause any form of irritation on the skin which I love. — Simple Micellar Cleansing Water”
    • “The only cleanser that doesn't turn my face red. — Simple Micellar Water”
    • “no artificial perfume — Simple Hydrating Light Moisturiser”
    • “Finally a vitamin C product I can use — Paula's Choice 25% Vitamin C + Glutathione Clinical Serum”
  • Lightweight and fast absorbing texture Mostly MentionedOften 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 instantly — Simple Water Boost Hydrating Gel Cream”
  • Smoothes skin texture and fades dark spots Mostly MentionedNot noted
    • “skin becomes very smooth — Paula's Choice 1% Retinol Treatment”
    • “visible glow — Paula's Choice C15 Super Booster”
    • “pores look smaller — Paula's Choice 10% Niacinamide Booster”
  • Gentle, non-stripping daily cleansing Rarely NotedOften Mentioned
    • “Takes off any makeup residue and makes my face feel refreshed. — Simple Micellar Cleansing Water”
    • “Instantly boosts skin's hydration... face doesn't feel dry and tight. — Simple Micellar Cleansing Water”
    • “Love that it has absolutely no scent. — Simple Micellar Water”
    • “Doesn't strip my skin — Paula's Choice CLEAR Pore Normalizing Cleanser”
  • Convenient and affordable value Not notedMostly Mentioned
    • “great value for money — Simple Kind to Skin Soothing Facial Toner”
    • “super affordable — Simple Hydrating Light Moisturiser”
    • “No need to rinse... perfect for traveling or lazy nights. — Simple Micellar Cleansing Water”
  • Effective hydration and non-greasy feel Rarely NotedOften Mentioned
    • “banished dryness within days — Simple Replenishing Rich Moisturiser”
    • “cleared up my dry patches — Simple Water Boost Hydrating Gel Cream”
    • “absorbs super fast — Paula's Choice Skin-Smoothing Retinol Body Treatment”
  • High price and small bottle size Mostly MentionedRarely Noted
    • “I have to use 4-5 cotton pads to get clean. — Simple Micellar Water”
    • “surprisingly small bottle — Paula's Choice Skin-Smoothing Retinol Body Treatment”
  • Causes purging, breakouts or irritation Often MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “Gave me tiny bumps on my forehead. — Simple Micellar Water”
    • “caused major breakouts — Simple Hydrating Light Moisturiser”
    • “Gave me tiny red spots — Simple Refreshing Facial Wash”
    • “peeling and flaking — Paula's Choice 1% Retinol Treatment”
  • Sticky residue or unpleasant scent Often MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “Feels slimy on skin — Simple Refreshing Facial Wash”
    • “Still feeling a little bit of a film on my skin. — Simple Micellar Cleansing Water”
    • “Smells like chemicals — Simple Refreshing Facial Wash”
    • “smells like grain — Paula's Choice 10% Azelaic Acid Booster”

Paula's Choice vs Simple routines for dry skin

See multi-brand routine · 98% fit

Paula's Choice vs Simple routines for oily skin

See multi-brand routine · 96% fit

Paula's Choice vs Simple routines for combination skin

See multi-brand routine · 95% fit

Questions and answers

Paula's Choice or Simple: which is better?

Paula's Choice is better for oily and acne-prone skin with its superior Lovi fit levels, whereas both brands offer equal High fit levels for dry, sensitive, and combination skin types. Reviewers note that Paula's Choice helps smooth skin texture and fade dark spots, while Simple is valued for being convenient and affordable.

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

Paula's Choice helps smooth skin texture and fade dark spots better, while Simple is better at being gentle on sensitive skin. Paula's Choice is a superior fit for oily, acne-prone, and mature skin types on the products on this page.

Paula's Choice or Simple for dry skin?

Paula's Choice and Simple offer an equal level of routine fit for dry skin, with both brands rated High. Paula's Choice helps deliver targeted anti-aging and brightening benefits for dry skin using ingredients like hyaluronic acid and retinol.

Drug Delivery, 2017The Journal of Investigative Dermatology, 2000

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

Paula's Choice offers a better cleanser fit for oily and acne-prone skin, with Lovi rating them as Superior compared to Simple's Average. Simple cleansers are noted as gentle and non-stripping for daily cleansing, but may cause breakouts or irritation for some users.

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

Simple is more affordable, offering convenient and budget-friendly products for shoppers. Paula's Choice is often noted by reviewers for its high price.

Between Paula's Choice and Simple, which brand is owned by Unilever?

Both Paula's Choice and Simple are owned by Unilever. Paula's Choice has been owned by Unilever since 2021, while Simple has been owned by Unilever PLC since 2011.

What are the key ingredients found across Paula's Choice products?

Paula's Choice features key ingredients such as hyaluronic acid, glycerin, vitamin C, licorice root, niacinamide, salicylic acid, green tea, and vitamin E across the products on this page.

Drug Delivery, 2017The British Journal of Dermatology, 2002

Which brand performs better for smoothing skin texture and fading dark spots?

Paula's Choice performs better than Simple for smoothing skin texture and fading dark spots. The products on this page help target these concerns with active ingredients like niacinamide and retinol, which may improve pigmentation and skin renewal.

The Journal of Investigative Dermatology, 2000The British Journal of Dermatology, 2002

Paula's Choice or Simple for oily skin?

Paula's Choice is a superior fit for oily skin, whereas Simple reaches a high fit level. Paula's Choice helps oily skin better through targeted treatments containing niacinamide, which is supported by studies on reducing pigmentation and controlling skin aging.

The British Journal of Dermatology, 2002Antioxidants, 2021

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

Paula's Choice helps provide a better moisturizer experience than Simple for oily skin, where Lovi rates Paula's Choice as High and Simple as Average. Paula's Choice also helps deliver lightweight and fast-absorbing textures, whereas Simple moisturizers may sometimes cause breakouts or irritations.

Paula's Choice or Simple for sensitive skin?

Paula's Choice and Simple both fit sensitive skin at a High level on this page. Paula's Choice helps smooth skin texture and provides a lightweight feel, while Simple is noted for being gentle on sensitive skin.

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

Paula's Choice is a better fit for acne-prone skin, where Lovi rates its products as Superior compared to Simple's High fit level. The products on this page for Paula's Choice help target blemishes with ingredients like salicylic acid.

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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