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Paula's Choice vs Avène

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

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

unilever.comtracxn.com

Avène is a French skincare brand founded in 1990 and owned by Fondation Pierre Fabre.

pierre-fabre.comavene.co.ukaveneusa.com

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

Popular Paula's Choice vs Avène products

People Say

Paula's ChoiceAvène
  • Lightweight and fast absorption Mostly MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “visible glow — Paula's Choice C15 Super Booster”
    • “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”
    • “immediate radiance boost — Avène Vitamin Activ Cg Radiance Concentrated Serum”
  • Gentle and non-irritating Often MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “leaves face clean but not dry — Avène Cleanance”
    • “Nothing has ever worked to soothe or heal my skin like these before. — Avène Tolerance Control Soothing Skin Recovery Balm”
    • “Perfect cleanser for sensitive skin. — Avène Milk Cleanser”
    • “Finally a vitamin C product I can use — Paula's Choice 25% Vitamin C + Glutathione Clinical Serum”
  • Smooth texture and anti-aging Mostly MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “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 looks plumper — Paula's Choice Pro-Collagen Multi-Peptide Booster”
    • “skin instantly felt firmer — Avène Hyaluron Activ B3 Concentrated Plumping Serum”
  • Unclogs pores and controls acne Mostly MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “cleared my bumps — Paula's Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant”
    • “skin becomes very smooth — Paula's Choice 1% Retinol Treatment”
    • “Helped clear my cystic acne — Paula's Choice CLEAR Pore Normalizing Cleanser”
    • “Keeps me matte for hours — Avène Cleanance Cleansing Gel”
  • Barrier repair, deep hydration and soothing Not notedOften Mentioned
    • “Calmed my angry red skin overnight — Avène Cicalfate+ Restorative Protective Cream”
    • “Saves my skin in winter — Avène Cold Cream”
    • “Healed my over-exfoliated skin in days — Avène Cicalfate+ Restorative Protective Cream”
  • High price and small size Mostly MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “Its a bit pricey but so worth it!! — Avène Tolerance Control Soothing Skin Recovery Balm”
    • “a bit pricey — Avène Cleanance”
    • “Tiny tube for the money — Avène Cold Cream”
    • “surprisingly small bottle — Paula's Choice Skin-Smoothing Retinol Body Treatment”
  • Causes dryness, purging, and irritation Often MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “Left my face tight — Avène Cleanance Cleansing Gel”
    • “it didn't do anything for my dark circles — Avène RetrinAL EYES”
    • “no difference — Avène Antirougeurs Fort Relief Concentrate”
    • “peeling and flaking — Paula's Choice 1% Retinol Treatment”
  • Packaging issues and product flaws Sometimes NotedOften Mentioned
    • “turned orange in weeks — Paula's Choice C15 Super Booster”
    • “dropper leaks — Paula's Choice C15 Super Booster”
    • “dropper can be unpredictable — Paula's Choice Pro-Collagen Multi-Peptide Booster”
    • “bring it back — Avène Antirougeurs Fort Relief Concentrate”

Paula's Choice vs Avène routines for dry skin

See multi-brand routine · 98% fit

Paula's Choice vs Avène routines for oily skin

See multi-brand routine · 95% fit

Paula's Choice vs Avène routines for combination skin

See multi-brand routine · 94% fit

Questions and answers

Paula's Choice or Avène: which is better?

Both Paula's Choice and Avène offer an equal level of routine fit across all skin types on this page. Paula's Choice does better for lightweight absorption and clearing acne, while Avène does better for gentle soothing and barrier repair.

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

Paula's Choice helps with lightweight absorption and unclogging pores, whereas Avène helps soothe irritation and repair the skin barrier. Both brands achieve a High routine fit for most skin types on this page.

Paula's Choice or Avène for dry skin?

Both Paula's Choice and Avène offer a High routine fit for dry skin. Paula's Choice excels in lightweight and fast absorption, whereas Avène is noted for barrier repair, deep hydration and soothing.

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

Paula's Choice offers cleansers like the CLEAR Pore Normalizing Cleanser, which has a Superior fit for oily and acne-prone skin on this page, while Avène provides gentle options like the Cleanance Cleansing Gel. Reviewers note that Paula's Choice excels at unclogging pores, whereas Avène is known for deep, gentle cleaning.

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

Neither brand has pricing details on this page, but reviewers mention high prices for both. Paula's Choice is noted for high price and packaging issues, while Avène is noted for high price and small size.

Paula's Choice or Avène: which brand has a better fragrance policy?

Paula's Choice has a better fragrance policy because every product on this page lists no fragrance in its ingredients, whereas several Avène products contain fragrance.

Paula's Choice or Avène: which is better for anti-aging and smooth texture?

Paula's Choice does better for anti-aging and smooth texture. The products on this page help improve skin quality and signs of skin aging.

The Journal of Investigative Dermatology, 2000Dermatologic Therapy, 2022

Paula's Choice or Avène: which brand is better for barrier repair and soothing irritation?

Avène is better for barrier repair and soothing irritation because it focuses on soothing sensitive skin. Review themes show that Avène does better with barrier repair, deep hydration and soothing, and is gentle and non-irritating.

Paula's Choice or Avène for oily skin?

Both Paula's Choice and Avène offer a High routine fit for oily skin, but Paula's Choice is known for lighter textures and better oil control, whereas Avène focuses more on gentle soothing. Paula's Choice features fragrance-free products on this page, while some Avène products contain fragrance.

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

Both brands offer moisturizers with great fit levels depending on your skin needs. Paula's Choice focuses on lightweight textures and key ingredients like hyaluronic acid and glycerin, while Avène is well-loved for soothing irritation and providing deep hydration with thermal water.

Paula's Choice or Avène for sensitive skin?

Both Paula's Choice and Avène have a High routine fit for sensitive skin on the products on this page. Paula's Choice helps deliver lightweight textures and anti-aging serums, while Avène is frequently noted as gentle and non-irritating.

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

Paula's Choice offers the Youth-Extending Daily Hydrating Fluid SPF 50, which helps provide high routine fit for dry skin and combination skin, while Avène features Cleanance sunscreen, which achieves a Superior fit level for oily skin. Both brands provide gentle options, but shoppers with oily skin may find Avène to be more specifically tailored for oil control.

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

Both Paula's Choice and Avène offer a High routine fit for acne-prone skin on the products on this page. Paula's Choice is often noted for helping unclog pores and control acne, while Avène is frequently praised for its gentle deep clean cleansers and soothing irritation.

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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