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Paula's Choice vs Allies of Skin

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

Paula's Choice and Allies of Skin are skincare brands catering to distinct complexions through targeted formulations. The American brand founded in 1995 and owned by Unilever since 2021 offers serums, cleansers, moisturizers, toners, and more built around hyaluronic acid, glycerin, and vitamin c, suiting acne-prone and oily skin best with key ingredients like glycerin to significantly increase skin hydration and restore barrier function. Conversely, Allies of Skin is loved for its luxurious moisturizers, potent serums, and targeted eye products formulated with powerhouse ingredients like niacinamide, suiting dry and acne-prone skin best thanks to deeply nourishing and clarifying formulations where niacinamide improves skin aging signs and decreases hyperpigmentation to restore a clear, balanced complexion. While both serve overlapping concerns with specialized treatments, they differ in their foundational approaches to texture, active concentrations, and skin type affinity.

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

Popular Paula's Choice vs Allies of Skin products

People Say

Paula's ChoiceAllies of Skin
  • Absorption and Texture Feel Mostly 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”
    • “sinks easily into damp skin — Allies of Skin Tranexamic & Arbutin Advanced Brightening Serum”
  • Pores and Texture Mostly MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “cleared my bumps — Paula's Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant”
    • “skin becomes very smooth — Paula's Choice 1% Retinol Treatment”
    • “pores look smaller — Paula's Choice 10% Niacinamide Booster”
    • “Woke up looking well-rested — Allies of Skin Retinal & Peptides Repair Night Cream”
  • Glow, Radiance, and Tone Mostly MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “visible glow — Paula's Choice C15 Super Booster”
    • “acne scars faded — Paula's Choice 10% Azelaic Acid Booster”
    • “calmed redness immediately — Paula's Choice 10% Azelaic Acid Booster”
    • “gives skin an instant dewy glow — Allies of Skin Tranexamic & Arbutin Advanced Brightening Serum”
  • Acne and Blemish Control Often MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “Helped clear my cystic acne — Paula's Choice CLEAR Pore Normalizing Cleanser”
    • “heals blemishes faster — Paula's Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant”
    • “Removes all my makeup easily — Paula's Choice CLEAR Pore Normalizing Cleanser”
    • “Dramatic impact on acne — Allies of Skin Retinal & Peptides Repair Night Cream”
  • Deep Hydration and Plumping Rarely NotedMostly Mentioned
    • “nourished and hydrated — Allies of Skin Peptides & Omegas Firming Eye Cream”
    • “more like a spray serum — Allies of Skin Molecular Saviour Probiotics Treatment Mist”
    • “Skin feels hydrated — Allies of Skin Copper Tripeptide & Ectoin Advanced Repair Serum”
    • “Provides an internal level of hydration without leaving any heavy finish. — Paula's Choice Skin Balancing Pore-Reducing Toner”
  • Gentle and Non-Irritating Formulation 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”
    • “Best retinol for sensitive skin — Allies of Skin Retinal & Peptides Repair Night Cream”
    • “feels super soothing, doesn't trigger redness — Allies of Skin Tranexamic & Arbutin Advanced Brightening Serum”
  • High Price 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”
    • “expensive for body lotion — Paula's Choice Skin-Smoothing Retinol Body Treatment”
    • “Pricey — Allies of Skin Copper Tripeptide & Ectoin Advanced Repair Serum”
  • Packaging Issues Often MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “surprisingly small bottle — Paula's Choice Skin-Smoothing Retinol Body Treatment”
    • “dropper leaks — Paula's Choice C15 Super Booster”
    • “pump head is fixed — Allies of Skin Peptides & Omegas Firming Eye Cream”
    • “bad spritz mechanism — Allies of Skin Molecular Saviour Probiotics Treatment Mist”
  • Unpleasant Scent or Smell Often MentionedRarely Noted
    • “Distinct rancid smell — Allies of Skin Copper Tripeptide & Ectoin Advanced Repair Serum”
    • “gives a weird fermented stench — Allies of Skin Tranexamic & Arbutin Advanced Brightening Serum”
    • “smells like grain — Paula's Choice 10% Azelaic Acid Booster”
  • Ineffective Results Rarely NotedSometimes Noted
    • “Did not notice any difference in my pores. — Paula's Choice Skin Balancing Pore-Reducing Toner”
    • “did nothing — Paula's Choice 10% Niacinamide Booster”
    • “still not impressed with the results — Allies of Skin Tranexamic & Arbutin Advanced Brightening Serum”

Paula's Choice vs Allies of Skin routines for dry skin

See multi-brand routine · 98% fit

Paula's Choice vs Allies of Skin routines for oily skin

See multi-brand routine · 95% fit

Paula's Choice vs Allies of Skin routines for combination skin

See multi-brand routine · 94% fit

Questions and answers

Paula's Choice or Allies of Skin: which is better?

Both brands offer solid options, but Paula's Choice is often favored for targeted blemish and texture concerns, while Allies of Skin tends to excel in deep hydration. Reviewers frequently note high prices for both brands, and Allies of Skin may sometimes cause initial skin reactions.

What is the difference between Paula's Choice and Allies of Skin?

Paula's Choice offers a wide selection of targeted serums and exfoliants that excel at smoothing texture and managing blemishes, while Allies of Skin provides rich moisturizers and hydrating treatments tailored for deep nourishment. Both brands feature fragrance-free products on this page, but Paula's Choice is often noted for higher prices, whereas Allies of Skin may sometimes cause initial skin reactions.

Paula's Choice or Allies of Skin for dry skin?

Allies of Skin is a superior fit for dry skin, whereas Paula's Choice is a high fit. Allies of Skin focuses on deep hydration and plumping with gentle, effective moisturizers.

Paula's Choice or Allies of Skin: which moisturizer is better?

Both brands offer solid options, but Allies of Skin is generally considered better for moisturizers due to its focus on deep hydration and plumping. Reviewers note that Allies of Skin provides gentle and effective moisturizers, whereas Paula's Choice moisturizers are sometimes associated with ineffective results.

Which is more affordable, Paula's Choice or Allies of Skin?

Reviewers frequently mention a high price point for Allies of Skin, while Paula's Choice is noted for having a high price and value as a drawback on the products on this page.

Paula's Choice or Allies of Skin for acne and blemish control?

Paula's Choice is better for acne and blemish control as it outperforms Allies of Skin in this category, and Lovi rates Paula's Choice as a High fit for acne-prone skin.

Which brand has better absorption and texture feel, Paula's Choice or Allies of Skin?

Paula's Choice does better for absorption and texture feel than Allies of Skin. Reviewers note that Paula's Choice delivers smooth texture and anti-aging serums.

Paula's Choice or Allies of Skin for deep hydration and plumping?

Allies of Skin is the better choice for deep hydration and plumping because reviewers note it for gentle and effective moisturizers as well as hydrating and plumping serums. Hyaluronic acid helps bind moisture within the skin, supporting hydration and a plumper appearance.

Drug Delivery, 2017Dermatologic Therapy, 2022

Paula's Choice or Allies of Skin for oily skin?

Both brands are a strong match for oily skin, with Lovi giving Paula's Choice a High fit and Allies of Skin a Superior fit for this skin type. Paula's Choice focuses heavily on targeted treatments like exfoliants and serums for acne and pores, while Allies of Skin offers hydrating formulas that reviewers note for being gentle and effective.

Paula's Choice or Allies of Skin for sensitive skin?

Both brands are a High fit for sensitive skin, but Allies of Skin may be preferred for deep hydration and plumping. Reviewers note that Allies of Skin provides gentle and effective moisturizers, while Paula's Choice helps with smooth texture.

Paula's Choice or Allies of Skin for acne-prone skin?

Both brands are a strong match for acne-prone skin, with Lovi rating Paula's Choice as High and Allies of Skin as Superior. Paula's Choice features a wide range of targeted blemish treatments, while Allies of Skin is noted for gentle, effective moisturizers that help calm the 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

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