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Paula's Choice vs The INKEY List

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

Paula's Choice and The INKEY List are well-regarded skincare brands that offer diverse cleansers, toners, serums, and moisturizers built around nourishing ingredients like glycerin. The American brand leans toward oily and acne-prone skin with targeted treatments, while the British brand suits dry and sensitive skin best with gentle hydration. Ultimately, both labels rely on proven science to support skin health, yet they differ in their foundational origins, specific ingredient concentrations, and ideal skin types.

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

unilever.comtracxn.com

The INKEY List is a British skincare brand founded in 2018 and owned by Brand Evangelists for Beauty Limited.

cosmeticsbusiness.comprnewswire.comtheinkeylist.comtracxn.com

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

Popular Paula's Choice vs The INKEY List products

People Say

Paula's ChoiceThe INKEY List
  • 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”
    • “sits beautifully under makeup — The INKEY List Caffeine Eye Cream”
    • “Gel consistency — The INKEY List Tranexamic Acid Serum”
  • Improves texture and smoothness Mostly MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “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”
    • “Skin feels softer — The INKEY List PHA Toner”
  • Gentle and non-irritating formula 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”
    • “Great for sensitive skin — The INKEY List PHA Toner”
    • “Never tight or stripped — The INKEY List Salicylic Acid Cleanser”
  • Affordable price and value Not notedMostly Mentioned
    • “Good for the price — The INKEY List Salicylic Acid Cleanser”
    • “One of the best balms for quality and also price — The INKEY List Oat Cleansing Balm”
    • “unbeatable value — The INKEY List Hyaluronic Acid Serum”
  • Radiance, glow, and dark spots Often MentionedRarely 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”
    • “Visibly reduces acne scars — The INKEY List Tranexamic Acid Serum”
  • Reduces redness and soothes skin Sometimes NotedOften Mentioned
    • “Safe and gentle especially for my dry, sensitive skin — The INKEY List Oat Cleansing Balm”
    • “calmed my menopausal redness — The INKEY List ECTOIN HYDRO-BARRIER SERUM”
    • “calms redness instantly — The INKEY List 10% Azelaic Acid Serum”
    • “calmed redness immediately — Paula's Choice 10% Azelaic Acid Booster”
  • Packaging issues and small size Often MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “surprisingly small bottle — Paula's Choice Skin-Smoothing Retinol Body Treatment”
    • “dropper leaks — Paula's Choice C15 Super Booster”
    • “Pump breaks easily — The INKEY List Tranexamic Acid Serum”
    • “Very difficult to squeeze out at first — The INKEY List Oat Cleansing Balm”
  • High price and poor value Mostly MentionedNot noted
    • “tiny tube — Paula's Choice 10% Azelaic Acid Booster”
  • Unpleasant smell or scent Often MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “Smells like BBQ/meat — The INKEY List Tranexamic Acid Serum”
    • “Smells like chemicals — The INKEY List Polyglutamic Acid Serum”
    • “smells plasticky — The INKEY List ECTOIN HYDRO-BARRIER SERUM”
    • “smells like grain — Paula's Choice 10% Azelaic Acid Booster”

Paula's Choice vs The INKEY List routines for dry skin

See multi-brand routine · 99% fit

Paula's Choice vs The INKEY List routines for oily skin

See multi-brand routine · 95% fit

Paula's Choice vs The INKEY List routines for combination skin

See multi-brand routine · 95% fit

Questions and answers

Paula's Choice or The INKEY List: which is better?

Paula's Choice has a Superior routine fit for oily, acne-prone, and mature skin, whereas The INKEY List has a Superior routine fit for dry and dry sensitive skin. Reviewers note that Paula's Choice does better for improving texture and radiance, while The INKEY List offers a more affordable price and value.

What is the difference between Paula's Choice and The INKEY List?

Paula's Choice fits best for oily, acne-prone, and mature skin, while The INKEY List is a strong choice for dry, sensitive, and dry sensitive skin. Both brands offer fragrance-free formulations, but Paula's Choice excels in anti-aging serums and texture improvement.

Paula's Choice or The INKEY List for dry skin?

For dry skin, The INKEY List has a Superior routine fit, whereas Paula's Choice has a High routine fit. Hyaluronic acid helps improve skin hydration and moisture retention.

Dermatologic Therapy, 2022

Paula's Choice or The INKEY List: which cleanser is better?

Both brands offer cleansers that fit oily and acne-prone skin at a Superior level, while Paula's Choice is better suited for mature skin and The INKEY List for dry sensitive skin.

Which is more affordable, Paula's Choice or The INKEY List?

The INKEY List offers more affordable pricing and value among the products on this page compared to Paula's Choice, which is known for its higher prices. Reviewers frequently note affordability as a positive aspect of The INKEY List.

Between Paula's Choice and The INKEY List, which brand does better for reducing redness and soothing skin?

The INKEY List does better for reducing redness and soothes skin.

Which brand performs better for radiance, glow, and dark spots?

Paula's Choice performs better for radiance, glow, and dark spots compared to The INKEY List.

How do the routines for dry skin compare between Paula's Choice and The INKEY List?

For dry skin, Paula's Choice achieves a High routine fit, while The INKEY List achieves a Superior routine fit.

Paula's Choice or The INKEY List for oily skin?

Paula's Choice offers a Superior routine fit for oily skin, whereas The INKEY List provides a High fit.

Paula's Choice or The INKEY List: which moisturizer is better?

Paula's Choice offers a high routine fit for dry skin with products like its Replenishing Moisturizer, whereas The INKEY List provides a superior fit with hydrating options like its Polyglutamic Acid Serum and Omega Water Cream. Both brands feature fragrance-free formulations, but The INKEY List is frequently noted by reviewers for offering affordable and lightweight moisturizers.

Paula's Choice or The INKEY List for sensitive skin?

Both brands fit sensitive skin well, but Lovi rates Paula's Choice as Superior and The INKEY List as Superior. Reviewers note that The INKEY List helps reduce redness and soothe skin better than Paula's Choice.

Paula's Choice or The INKEY List for acne-prone skin?

Paula's Choice offers a Superior routine fit for acne-prone skin, whereas The INKEY List has a High fit for this skin type.

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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