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Cetaphil vs Paula's Choice

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

Cetaphil and Paula's Choice are American skincare brands founded in 1947 and 1995, respectively. Cetaphil is widely loved for its cleansers, moisturizers, serums, and sunscreens, while the other brand offers serums, cleansers, moisturizers, and toners. Both suit acne-prone skin best, though the first brand also suits combination skin and the other brand suits oily skin. The brands differ in their key ingredients, as the first relies on glycerin, niacinamide, and panthenol, while Paula's Choice uses hyaluronic acid, glycerin, and vitamin c.

Cetaphil is an American skincare brand founded in 1947 and owned by Galderma Group AG.

en.wikipedia.orgcetaphil.co.uk

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 Cetaphil and Paula's Choice products; for every product of both brands, with a fit score for your own skin, use the Lovi app.

Popular Cetaphil vs Paula's Choice products

People Say

CetaphilPaula's Choice
  • Gentle on sensitive skin Mostly MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “The only thing my reactive skin tolerates. — Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser”
    • “No breakouts since switching to this. — Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser”
    • “cleans without stripping — Cetaphil Daily Facial Cleanser”
    • “Finally a vitamin C product I can use — Paula's Choice 25% Vitamin C + Glutathione Clinical Serum”
  • Lightweight and non-greasy absorption Often MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “absorbs instantly — Cetaphil Moisturizing Lotion”
    • “Absorbs quickly into skin without residue — Cetaphil Daily Hydrating Lotion”
    • “Absorbs quickly and leaves no greasy residue behind. — Paula's Choice Clear Oil-Free Moisturizer”
    • “absorbs instantly — Paula's Choice C15 Super Booster”
  • Hydration and moisture Mostly MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “cleared up flaky skin — Cetaphil Moisturizing Cream”
    • “healed my dry patches — Cetaphil Moisturising Cream”
    • “Leaves my face feeling soft, not tight. — Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser”
    • “Provides an internal level of hydration without leaving any heavy finish. — Paula's Choice Skin Balancing Pore-Reducing Toner”
  • Skin smoothing and texture Rarely NotedMostly 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 felt softer after one use — Cetaphil Gentle Exfoliating SA Cleanser”
  • Oil control and acne reduction Rarely NotedMostly Mentioned
    • “cleared my bumps — Paula's Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant”
    • “Helped clear my cystic acne — Paula's Choice CLEAR Pore Normalizing Cleanser”
    • “bumps be gone — Paula's Choice Weightless Body Treatment 2% BHA”
    • “Removes excess oil without drying. — Cetaphil Oily Skin Cleanser”
  • Brightening and complexion Rarely NotedSometimes Noted
    • “visible glow — Paula's Choice C15 Super Booster”
    • “Discoloration almost gone — Paula's Choice 25% Vitamin C + Glutathione Clinical Serum”
    • “immediate glow — Paula's Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant”
    • “skin looks more radiant — Cetaphil Vitamin C Serum”
  • Unpleasant smells Often MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “Overpowering masking fragrance — Cetaphil Gentle Cleansing Bar”
    • “smells like masking fragrance — Cetaphil Daily Facial Cleanser”
    • “smells like grain — Paula's Choice 10% Azelaic Acid Booster”
    • “smells like hot dog water — Paula's Choice C15 Super Booster”
  • High price point Rarely NotedMostly Mentioned
    • “expensive for drugstore — Cetaphil Moisturizing Cream”
    • “tiny tube — Paula's Choice 10% Azelaic Acid Booster”
  • Caused breakouts and purging Rarely NotedSometimes Noted
    • “caused whiteheads — Cetaphil Moisturizing Lotion”
    • “Broke me out bad — Cetaphil Gentle Exfoliating SA Cleanser”
    • “caused small bumps — Cetaphil Moisturising Cream”
    • “skin purged — Paula's Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant”

Cetaphil vs Paula's Choice routines for dry skin

See multi-brand routine · 98% fit

Cetaphil vs Paula's Choice routines for oily skin

See multi-brand routine · 95% fit

Cetaphil vs Paula's Choice routines for combination skin

See multi-brand routine · 94% fit

Questions and answers

Cetaphil or Paula's Choice: which is better?

Both brands perform well, as Cetaphil and Paula's Choice achieve equal routine fit levels for dry, oily, combination, sensitive, mature, and dark spot skin types. Cetaphil excels particularly at being gentle on sensitive skin and providing hydration, while Paula's Choice is better for skin smoothing, oil control, acne reduction, and brightening. Additionally, Niacinamide in both product lines may help reduce cutaneous pigmentation.

The British Journal of Dermatology, 2002Antioxidants, 2021

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

Cetaphil is better for gentle, hydrating care on sensitive or dry skin, while Paula's Choice is better for oil control, acne reduction, and skin smoothing with active ingredients. The products on this page show that Cetaphil focuses on simple nourishment with glycerin and niacinamide, whereas Paula's Choice relies heavily on targeted treatments like salicylic acid and retinol.

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

Cetaphil or Paula's Choice for dry skin?

Both brands achieve a High routine fit for dry skin, though Cetaphil is rated better for hydration and moisture while Paula's Choice excels in skin smoothing and texture.

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

Both brands offer cleansers that are well-rated for various skin needs, with Cetaphil noted for gentle, non-stripping options and Paula's Choice providing top-performing exfoliating and acne-targeted cleansers like the CLEAR Pore Normalizing Cleanser.

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

Cetaphil is more affordable than Paula's Choice, as high price point is a negative review theme noted for Paula's Choice while Cetaphil is recognized for being less expensive.

Between Cetaphil and Paula's Choice, which brand is better for dry sensitive skin?

Cetaphil is better for dry sensitive skin, achieving a High routine fit compared to Paula's Choice's Average fit. Cetaphil is recognized by reviewers for being gentle on sensitive skin and providing superior hydration and moisture.

How do Cetaphil and Paula's Choice compare regarding skin smoothing and texture?

Paula's Choice does better than Cetaphil regarding skin smoothing and texture. The products on this page help improve skin texture and smooth the skin using key ingredients like retinol, which may stimulate collagen accumulation.

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

Which brand has a fragrance-free option for its oily skin cleanser?

Both Cetaphil and Paula's Choice offer fragrance-free cleansers suitable for oily skin, as every Paula's Choice product on this page lists no fragrance while Cetaphil includes one fragranced option alongside 26 fragrance-free products.

Cetaphil or Paula's Choice for oily skin?

Both Cetaphil and Paula's Choice achieve a High routine fit for oily skin, but Paula's Choice is better for oil control and acne reduction based on the products on this page. Reviewers note that Paula's Choice excels in skin smoothing and texture as well as brightening and complexion.

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

Cetaphil is better for dry and sensitive skin as its moisturizers offer higher Lovi fit levels, such as the Rich Hydrating Night Cream, while Paula's Choice excels for oily and acne-prone skin with options like the Clear Oil-Free Moisturizer.

Cetaphil or Paula's Choice for sensitive skin?

Both brands are a good match for sensitive skin, as Lovi rates their routines as High for this skin type. Reviewers note that Cetaphil does better on being gentle on sensitive skin.

Cetaphil or Paula's Choice: which sunscreen is better?

Cetaphil is a better fit for sensitive skin with its Sheer Mineral Sunscreen SPF 50 rated as a Superior Lovi fit, while Paula's Choice offers options like the Youth-Extending Daily Hydrating Fluid SPF 50 rated as a High Lovi fit for dry and combination skin. Both sunscreens help protect the skin while avoiding added fragrance across the products on this page.

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

Cetaphil is better for acne-prone skin, as Lovi rates its routine as Superior compared to High for Paula's Choice. Reviewers note that Cetaphil provides gentle, non-stripping cleansers, while Paula's Choice often suffers from high prices and packaging issues.

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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