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Some By Mi vs Paula's Choice

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

Some By Mi and Paula's Choice are well-regarded skincare brands that offer serums, cleansers, toners, and moisturizers. The Korean brand features niacinamide, centella asiatica, and salicylic acid to suit dry sensitive skin and dark spots, while the American brand relies on hyaluronic acid, glycerin, and vitamin c for oily skin and acne-prone skin. Both lines differ in their targeted formulations, with the former emphasizing gentle soothing and the latter focusing on targeted active solutions.

Some By Mi is a Korean skincare brand founded in 2016 and owned by JKL Partners since 2021.

kedglobal.compreqin.comtracxn.com

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

unilever.comtracxn.com

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

Popular Some By Mi vs Paula's Choice products

People Say

Some By MiPaula's Choice
  • Texture Smoothing Often MentionedMostly 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 became smoother — Some By Mi AHA-BHA-PHA 30 Days Miracle Toner”
  • Lightweight and Fast Absorbing Often MentionedMostly 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 — Some By Mi Yuja Niacin Brightening Moisture Gel Cream”
  • Brightening and Glow Often MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “Fades dark spots — Some By Mi Galactomyces Pure Vitamin C Glow Serum”
    • “skin looks visibly brighter — Some By Mi Yuja Niacin Anti Blemish Serum”
    • “visible glow — Paula's Choice C15 Super Booster”
    • “acne scars faded — Paula's Choice 10% Azelaic Acid Booster”
  • Gentle Formula Often MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “Zero irritation or redness — Some By Mi Retinol Intense Reactivating Serum”
    • “doesn't strip dry my skin — Some By Mi Super Matcha Pore Clean Clay Mask”
    • “Surprisingly gentle — Some By Mi AHA-BHA-PHA 30 Days Miracle Toner”
    • “Finally a vitamin C product I can use — Paula's Choice 25% Vitamin C + Glutathione Clinical Serum”
  • Acne and Blemish Control Often MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “Reduces pimples — Some By Mi AHA-BHA-PHA 30 Days Miracle Toner”
    • “cleared my cystic acne — Some By Mi AHA-BHA-PHA 30 Days Miracle Acne Clear Foam”
    • “Helped clear my cystic acne — Paula's Choice CLEAR Pore Normalizing Cleanser”
    • “heals blemishes faster — Paula's Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant”
  • Hydration and Moisture Often MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “Lasts 100 hours as claimed — Some By Mi Beta Panthenol Repair Cream”
    • “Absorbs quickly — Some By Mi Galactomyces Pure Vitamin C Glow Serum”
    • “lightweight texture — Some By Mi Retinol Intense Advanced Triple Action Eye Cream”
    • “Provides an internal level of hydration without leaving any heavy finish. — Paula's Choice Skin Balancing Pore-Reducing Toner”
  • Strong Scent and Fragrance Often MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “smells like grain — Paula's Choice 10% Azelaic Acid Booster”
    • “smells like hot dog water — Paula's Choice C15 Super Booster”
    • “weird glue-like smell — Paula's Choice Weightless Body Treatment 2% BHA”
    • “overwhelming citrus fragrance — Some By Mi V10 Hyal Air Fit Sunscreen”
  • High Price Point Rarely NotedMostly Mentioned
    • “expensive — Some By Mi Super Matcha Pore Clean Clay Mask”
    • “Too expensive for 50ml — Some By Mi Beta Panthenol Repair Cream”
    • “tiny tube — Paula's Choice 10% Azelaic Acid Booster”
  • Drying and Dehydration Often MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “not moisturizing enough — Some By Mi Yuja Niacin Brightening Moisture Gel Cream”
    • “Skin felt tight — Some By Mi AHA-BHA-PHA 30 Days Miracle Toner”
    • “peeling and flaking — Paula's Choice 1% Retinol Treatment”
    • “Not hydrating enough for winter. — Paula's Choice Clear Oil-Free Moisturizer”

Some By Mi vs Paula's Choice routines for dry skin

See multi-brand routine · 99% fit

Some By Mi vs Paula's Choice routines for oily skin

See multi-brand routine · 95% fit

Some By Mi vs Paula's Choice routines for combination skin

See multi-brand routine · 95% fit

Questions and answers

Some By Mi or Paula's Choice: which is better?

Both brands are great, but they fit different needs because Some By Mi is better for hydration and sensitive skin, while Paula's Choice excels at texture smoothing and acne control.

What is the difference between Some By Mi and Paula's Choice?

Some By Mi fits dry skin, dry sensitive skin, and skin with dark spots at a Superior level, whereas Paula's Choice is a Superior fit for oily skin, acne-prone skin, and mature skin. Paula's Choice helps smooth texture and absorb quickly, while Some By Mi helps provide a gentler formula.

Some By Mi or Paula's Choice for dry skin?

Some By Mi is the better fit for dry skin, achieving a Superior routine fit compared to Paula's Choice at High. Niacinamide helps reduce pigmentation and supports skin aging care.

The British Journal of Dermatology, 2002Antioxidants, 2021

Some By Mi or Paula's Choice: which cleanser is better?

Both brands offer effective cleansers, but Some By Mi is a better fit for dry sensitive skin while Paula's Choice excels for oily and acne-prone skin. Ingredients like niacinamide and salicylic acid help both brands provide deep cleansing and blemish control across the products on this page.

Which is more affordable, Some By Mi or Paula's Choice?

Some By Mi is more affordable, as high price point is noted as a negative review theme for Paula's Choice.

Between Some By Mi and Paula's Choice, which brand is better suited for treating skin with dark spots?

Some By Mi is better suited for treating skin with dark spots, as Lovi rates its routine fit as Superior compared to High for Paula's Choice. Niacinamide, a key ingredient featured in the products on this page, helps reduce pigmentation and suppress melanosome transfer.

The British Journal of Dermatology, 2002Antioxidants, 2021

How do the review themes for fragrance compare between Some By Mi and Paula's Choice?

Paula's Choice does better than Some By Mi on the review theme for strong scent and fragrance, because reviewers mention it less often.

Which brand performs better for mature skin according to the routine fit levels?

Paula's Choice performs better for mature skin, achieving a Superior routine fit compared to Some By Mi, which reaches a High fit level.

Some By Mi or Paula's Choice for sensitive skin?

Both Some By Mi and Paula's Choice are a Superior fit for sensitive skin. Some By Mi stands out for having a gentler formula.

Some By Mi or Paula's Choice: which moisturizer is better?

Some By Mi is better for hydration and moisture, while Paula's Choice is better for texture smoothing and suits oily skin better. Some By Mi fits dry skin with a Superior level, whereas Paula's Choice fits dry skin with a High level.

Some By Mi or Paula's Choice for acne-prone skin?

Paula's Choice is a superior fit for acne-prone skin, while Some By Mi is a high fit. Both brands feature salicylic acid and niacinamide across their products to help control breakouts. Retinol, found in both lines, may help improve skin texture.

The British Journal of Dermatology, 2002Antioxidants, 2021

Some By Mi or Paula's Choice: which sunscreen is better?

Both brands offer sunscreens on this page, but Lovi shows identical high fit levels for both the Some By Mi V10 Hyal Air Fit Sunscreen and the Paula's Choice Youth-Extending Daily Hydrating Fluid SPF 50 across nearly all skin types, including dry, oily, and sensitive skin.

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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