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Paula's Choice vs Estée Lauder

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

Paula's Choice and Estée Lauder are American skincare brands offering serums, cleansers, moisturizers, and more, built around hydrating ingredients like hyaluronic acid and glycerin. The former brand is best for oily and acne-prone skin, featuring standout formulas with key ingredients such as glycerin, which significantly increased skin hydration and restored barrier function. Conversely, the latter brand suits mature and acne-prone skin best, addressing diverse needs with targeted care and ingredients that lengthen the effect of botulinum toxin. Ultimately, both brands differ through their distinct foundation years, parent companies, and specific top-rated treatments for concerns like dark spots.

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

unilever.comtracxn.com

Estée Lauder is an American skincare brand founded in 1946 and owned by The Estée Lauder Companies Inc..

en.wikipedia.orgelcompanies.com

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

Popular Paula's Choice vs Estée Lauder products

People Say

Paula's ChoiceEstée Lauder
  • Fast Absorption and Lightweight Feel 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”
    • “watery consistency — Paula's Choice 10% Niacinamide Booster”
    • “Absorbs quickly into the skin — Estée Lauder Revitalizing Supreme+”
  • Smoothing Skin Texture Mostly MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “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 like a baby's bottom — Estée Lauder Advanced Night Repair”
  • Deep Hydration and Plumping Not notedMostly Mentioned
    • “skin drinks it up immediately — Estée Lauder Advanced Night Repair”
    • “The formula is incredibly hydrating and leaves my skin feeling smooth. — Estée Lauder Re-Nutriv”
    • “texture is dreamy — Estée Lauder Advanced Night Repair Eye Supercharged Gel-Creme”
  • Non-Irritating and Gentle Formulas Often MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “Finally a vitamin C product I can use — Paula's Choice 25% Vitamin C + Glutathione Clinical Serum”
    • “no stinging — Paula's Choice C15 Super Booster”
    • “doesn't strip the skin — Estée Lauder Advanced Night Cleansing Gelée”
    • “Doesn't strip my skin — Estée Lauder Soft Clean Moisture Rich Foaming Cleanser”
  • Glow, Radiance, and Brightening Often MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “visible glow — Paula's Choice C15 Super Booster”
    • “acne scars faded — Paula's Choice 10% Azelaic Acid Booster”
    • “Discoloration almost gone — Paula's Choice 25% Vitamin C + Glutathione Clinical Serum”
    • “gives me that glass skin look — Estée Lauder Advanced Night Repair”
  • Anti-Aging and Firming Results Sometimes NotedSometimes Noted
    • “skin looks plumper — Paula's Choice Pro-Collagen Multi-Peptide Booster”
    • “softens lines and wrinkles — Paula's Choice 1% Retinol Treatment”
    • “Helps with skin firmness and reduces the appearance of lines. — Estée Lauder Re-Nutriv”
    • “Instantly blurs fine lines. — Estée Lauder Revitalizing Supreme+ Youth Power Eye Balm”
  • High Price Point and Value Mostly MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “tiny tube — Paula's Choice 10% Azelaic Acid Booster”
    • “Sooooo expensive — Paula's Choice 25% Vitamin C + Glutathione Clinical Serum”
    • “way too expensive for the size — Estée Lauder Advanced Night Repair”
    • “too pricey — Estée Lauder Micro Essence Treatment Lotion”
  • Unpleasant Smell or Scent Complaints Often MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “smells like grain — Paula's Choice 10% Azelaic Acid Booster”
    • “smells like hot dog water — Paula's Choice C15 Super Booster”
    • “Scent is too overpowering — Estée Lauder Revitalizing Supreme+”
    • “strong scent — Estée Lauder Advanced Night Cleansing Gelée”
  • 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”
    • “lid is hard to open — Estée Lauder Advanced Night Cleansing Gelée”
    • “Please make a jar or refill that is not as big and heavy. — Estée Lauder Re-Nutriv”
  • Purging and Breakouts Sometimes NotedRarely Noted
    • “gave me tiny red bumps — Estée Lauder Advanced Night Repair”
    • “Caused small bumps on forehead — Estée Lauder Revitalizing Supreme+”
    • “cystic acne — Estée Lauder Micro Essence Treatment Lotion”
    • “skin purged — Paula's Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant”

Paula's Choice vs Estée Lauder routines for dry skin

See multi-brand routine · 99% fit

Paula's Choice vs Estée Lauder routines for oily skin

See multi-brand routine · 95% fit

Paula's Choice vs Estée Lauder routines for combination skin

See multi-brand routine · 95% fit

Questions and answers

Paula's Choice or Estée Lauder: which is better?

Paula's Choice is better for most skin types on this page, offering Superior fit levels for oily, combination, sensitive, acne-prone, and mature skin compared to Estée Lauder. Reviewers frequently note Paula's Choice for fast absorption and smoothing skin texture, while Estée Lauder excels in deep hydration and plumping the skin.

What is the difference between Paula's Choice and Estée Lauder?

Paula's Choice outperforms Estée Lauder with a superior fit for oily, combination, acne-prone, and mature skin types on the products on this page, while both brands offer a high fit for dry sensitive skin. Paula's Choice relies entirely on fragrance-free formulations and achieves better review themes for fast absorption, skin texture smoothing, and brightening, whereas Estée Lauder frequently features deep hydration.

Paula's Choice or Estée Lauder for dry skin?

Paula's Choice is a better choice for dry skin, offering a High routine fit compared to Estée Lauder's Average fit. The products on this page help deliver deep hydration with ingredients like hyaluronic acid and glycerin.

Dermatologic Therapy, 2022Journal of Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences, 2015

Paula's Choice or Estée Lauder: which cleanser is better?

Paula's Choice and Estée Lauder both offer quality cleansers, but Paula's Choice is a superior fit for oily and acne-prone skin types with products like the CLEAR Pore Normalizing Cleanser. Estée Lauder also provides highly rated options, such as the Advanced Night Cleansing Gelée, which fits acne-prone skin well.

Which is more affordable, Paula's Choice or Estée Lauder?

Both Paula's Choice and Estée Lauder face shopper complaints about a high price point, so neither brand stands out as more affordable.

Which brand performs better for deep hydration and plumping?

Estée Lauder performs better for deep hydration and plumping. The products on this page help deliver deep moisture and a plumper look.

Journal of Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences, 2015Dermatologic Therapy, 2022

Do Paula's Choice products contain any fragrance?

Paula's Choice products on this page list no fragrance in their ingredients.

Paula's Choice or Estée Lauder for oily skin?

Paula's Choice is a better fit for oily skin, as Lovi rates the routine fit for this brand as Superior compared to Average for Estée Lauder. The products on this page for Paula's Choice also feature ingredients like niacinamide, which helps control oil and improve skin texture.

The British Journal of Dermatology, 2002Antioxidants, 2021

Paula's Choice or Estée Lauder: which moisturizer is better?

Paula's Choice offers a better moisturizer selection on this page for oily skin, whereas Estée Lauder's moisturizers focus more on deep hydration and a lightweight feel. Lovi rates the Paula's Choice routine fit for dry skin as High and Estée Lauder as Average.

Paula's Choice or Estée Lauder for sensitive skin?

Paula's Choice is a better choice than Estée Lauder for sensitive skin, as Lovi rates Paula's Choice as Superior for sensitive skin while Estée Lauder reaches a High level. Paula's Choice also includes no fragrance across the products on this page.

Paula's Choice or Estée Lauder: which sunscreen is better?

Paula's Choice offers solid sunscreen options like Youth-Extending Daily Hydrating Fluid SPF 50, while Estée Lauder features DayWear Moisturizer, which has a superior Lovi fit level for dry and sensitive skin types among the products on this page.

Paula's Choice or Estée Lauder for acne-prone skin?

Paula's Choice is a better fit than Estée Lauder for acne-prone skin, offering a Superior routine fit compared to Estée Lauder's High fit on this page. The products on this page help target breakouts without added fragrance.

Paula's Choice or Estée Lauder for mature skin?

Paula's Choice is a superior fit for mature skin, while Estée Lauder offers a high fit. The products on this page from Paula's Choice frequently include retinol, which helps stimulate collagen accumulation in naturally aged skin.

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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