🇮🇹Italy

Paula's Choice vs Elemis

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

Paula's Choice and Elemis are established skincare brands that offer distinct approaches to complexion care. Paula's Choice is an American brand founded in 1995 and owned by Unilever since 2021, known for serums, cleansers, moisturizers, and toners built around hyaluronic acid, glycerin, and vitamin C that suit oily and acne-prone skin best. Elemis is a British brand founded in 1989 and owned by L'Occitane Group since 2019, celebrated for nourishing serums, rich moisturizers, gentle cleansers, and refining toners that weave together glycerin and shea to suit dry and mature skin best. Both brands differ significantly, as the former relies on glycerin to increase skin hydration and restore barrier function for oilier complexions, while the latter utilizes glycerin and shea butter to reduce inflammation and relieve skin pruritus for deeply restorative care.

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

unilever.comtracxn.com

Elemis is a British skincare brand founded in 1989 and owned by L'Occitane Group since 2019.

elemis.comau.elemis.comen.wikipedia.org

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

Popular Paula's Choice vs Elemis products

People Say

Paula's ChoiceElemis
  • Improving Skin Texture and Smoothness Mostly MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “skin becomes very smooth — Paula's Choice 1% Retinol Treatment”
    • “bumps be gone — Paula's Choice Weightless Body Treatment 2% BHA”
    • “skin is insanely soft — Paula's Choice Weightless Body Treatment 2% BHA”
    • “baby soft — Elemis Dynamic Resurfacing Facial Pads”
  • Fast Absorption and Lightweight Texture Mostly MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “Absorbs quickly and leaves no greasy residue behind. — Paula's Choice Clear Oil-Free Moisturizer”
    • “absorbs instantly — Paula's Choice C15 Super Booster”
    • “Absorbs almost immediately, and my skin feels well hydrated all day. — Elemis Pro-Collagen Marine Cream”
    • “weightless serum — Elemis Pro-Collagen Advanced Eye Treatment”
  • Instant and Deep Hydration Not notedMostly Mentioned
    • “The cream really hydrates and my face looks amazing. — Elemis Pro-Collagen Night Cream”
    • “Quenches thirsty skin... immediate improvement. — Elemis Pro-Collagen Marine Cream”
    • “skin feels baby soft — Elemis Pro-Collagen Cleansing Balm”
  • Glow, Radiance, and Brightening Often MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “visible glow — Paula's Choice C15 Super Booster”
    • “Discoloration almost gone — Paula's Choice 25% Vitamin C + Glutathione Clinical Serum”
    • “healthy glow — Elemis Dynamic Resurfacing Facial Pads”
    • “instantly fresh glow — Elemis Dynamic Resurfacing Facial Wash”
  • Pleasant Scent Rarely NotedOften Mentioned
    • “smells like a spa — Elemis Pro-Collagen Cleansing Balm”
    • “smells like a holiday — Elemis Papaya Enzyme Peel”
    • “smells like a tropical cocktail — Elemis Superfood Midnight Facial”
    • “Doesn't smell at all — Paula's Choice 25% Vitamin C + Glutathione Clinical 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”
    • “improved neck texture — Paula's Choice Skin-Smoothing Retinol Body Treatment”
    • “My neck doesn't sag... plumps my skin to look more youthful. — Elemis Pro-Collagen Night Cream”
  • High Price and Value Issues Mostly MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “tiny tube — Paula's Choice 10% Azelaic Acid Booster”
    • “Sooooo expensive — Paula's Choice 25% Vitamin C + Glutathione Clinical Serum”
    • “Complete waste of money for me. — Elemis Pro-Collagen Marine Cream”
    • “very expensive — Elemis Pro-Collagen Cleansing Balm”
  • Packaging Issues and Small Size Often MentionedRarely Noted
    • “jar looks half empty — Elemis Superfood Midnight Facial”
    • “tube feels half empty — Elemis Papaya Enzyme Peel”
    • “pump broke quickly — Elemis Dynamic Resurfacing Facial Wash”
    • “surprisingly small bottle — Paula's Choice Skin-Smoothing Retinol Body Treatment”
  • Unpleasant Smell or Scent Often MentionedRarely Noted
    • “smell is overpowering — Elemis Dynamic Resurfacing Facial Wash”
    • “smells like grain — Paula's Choice 10% Azelaic Acid Booster”

Paula's Choice vs Elemis routines for dry skin

See multi-brand routine · 99% fit

Paula's Choice vs Elemis routines for oily skin

See multi-brand routine · 95% fit

Paula's Choice vs Elemis routines for combination skin

See multi-brand routine · 95% fit

Questions and answers

Paula's Choice or Elemis: which is better?

Paula's Choice is better for oily and acne-prone skin with a Superior routine fit, while both brands offer High routine fit levels for dry, sensitive, and mature skin. Paula's Choice features fragrance-free formulas across its products, whereas Elemis includes fragrance in the majority of its range.

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

Paula's Choice fits oily skin at a Superior level, whereas Elemis fits it at an Average level. Reviewers note that Elemis offers hydrating moisturizers, while Paula's Choice excels in improving skin texture and smoothness.

Paula's Choice or Elemis for dry skin?

Both Paula's Choice and Elemis achieve a High routine fit for dry skin, but they suit different preferences. Paula's Choice relies on fragrance-free formulations with key ingredients like hyaluronic acid and glycerin, whereas Elemis offers luxurious, highly hydrating moisturizers that may feature strong fragrances.

Drug Delivery, 2017Dermatologic Therapy, 2022

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

Paula's Choice cleansers have a Superior fit for oily and acne-prone skin, whereas Elemis cleansers are better suited for dry and mature skin types. Paula's Choice products on this page list no fragrance, while Elemis cleansers often contain added fragrance.

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

Both brands feature high price points as a common drawback in reviews, meaning neither is notably more affordable than the other.

Between Paula's Choice and Elemis, which brand offers fragrance-free products?

Paula's Choice offers fragrance-free products, as every item on its page lists no fragrance in its ingredients. In contrast, most Elemis products on this page include added fragrance.

How do Paula's Choice and Elemis compare for anti-aging and firming results?

Paula's Choice outperforms Elemis for anti-aging and firming results. The products on this page help improve firmness and reduce signs of aging with key ingredients like retinol, which stimulates collagen accumulation in aged skin.

The Journal of Investigative Dermatology, 2000Archives of Dermatology, 2007

Which brand performs better for improving skin texture and smoothness?

Paula's Choice performs better for improving skin texture and smoothness. The products on this page help improve skin quality and signs of skin aging with ingredients like retinol and hyaluronic acid.

The Journal of Investigative Dermatology, 2000Dermatologic Therapy, 2022

Paula's Choice or Elemis for oily skin?

Paula's Choice is a better fit than Elemis for oily skin, as Lovi rates Paula's Choice as Superior for this skin type while Elemis is rated Average.

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

Paula's Choice offers a better moisturizer fit for oily skin with a Superior Lovi rating compared to Elemis, while Elemis provides better deep hydration for dry skin.

Paula's Choice or Elemis for sensitive skin?

Paula's Choice offers a Superior routine fit for sensitive skin, while Elemis reaches a High fit level. Every Paula's Choice product on this page lists no fragrance, which helps minimize irritation for sensitive skin, whereas most Elemis products contain added fragrance.

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

Paula's Choice is a better fit for acne-prone skin, offering a Superior routine compared to the High routine from Elemis. The products on this page help target blemishes with active ingredients like salicylic acid and niacinamide, which may reduce breakouts and control excess oil production.

The British Journal of Dermatology, 2002Antioxidants, 2021

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?

Scan your face, then any product: Lovi shows how well it fits you and what fits even better.

QR code: get the Lovi app
Download on theApp Store Get it onGoogle Play