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Paula's Choice vs Dr. Barbara Sturm

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

Paula's Choice and Dr. Barbara Sturm are two distinct skincare lines that cater to different complexions and concerns. The American brand, founded in 1995, focuses on serums, cleansers, moisturizers, and toners built around hyaluronic acid, glycerin, and vitamin c to best suit acne-prone and oily skin. Conversely, the German brand founded in 2014 offers gentle moisturizers, clarifying exfoliants, and nourishing serums featuring scientifically advanced formulas that suit sensitive, dry, and balanced skin. While both incorporate vitamin c and hyaluronic acid into their treatments, they differ fundamentally in their target skin types and specific ingredient functions.

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

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Dr. Barbara Sturm is a German skincare brand founded in 2014 and owned by Puig since 2024.

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

Popular Paula's Choice vs Dr. Barbara Sturm products

People Say

Paula's ChoiceDr. Barbara Sturm
  • Fast absorption and lightweight 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”
    • “sinks in immediately — Dr. Barbara Sturm Hyaluronic Serum”
    • “sinks in quickly — Dr. Barbara Sturm The Good C Vitamin C Serum”
  • Non-irritating and gentle formulas Often MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “doesn't irritate my sensitive skin — Dr. Barbara Sturm The Good C Vitamin C Serum”
    • “deep yet gentle cleanse — Dr. Barbara Sturm Enzyme Cleanser”
    • “skin feels softer — Dr. Barbara Sturm The Good C Vitamin C Serum”
    • “Finally a vitamin C product I can use — Paula's Choice 25% Vitamin C + Glutathione Clinical Serum”
  • Skin texture smoothing and improvement Mostly MentionedOften 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 texture is immediately more even — Dr. Barbara Sturm Enzyme Cleanser”
  • Glow, radiance and brightening Often MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “visible glow — Paula's Choice C15 Super Booster”
    • “acne scars faded — Paula's Choice 10% Azelaic Acid Booster”
    • “skin looks brighter — Dr. Barbara Sturm The Good C Vitamin C Serum”
    • “healthy glow — Dr. Barbara Sturm Hyaluronic Serum”
  • Anti-aging and firming results Sometimes NotedOften Mentioned
    • “lines less visible — Dr. Barbara Sturm Hyaluronic Serum”
    • “skin feels softer — Dr. Barbara Sturm The Good C Vitamin C Serum”
    • “skin looks plumper — Paula's Choice Pro-Collagen Multi-Peptide Booster”
  • Lightweight hydration and oil balance Sometimes NotedSometimes Noted
    • “Provides an internal level of hydration without leaving any heavy finish. — Paula's Choice Skin Balancing Pore-Reducing Toner”
    • “It works great to balance oil and is very refreshing, especially in the summer. — Paula's Choice Skin Balancing Pore-Reducing Toner”
    • “great for combination skin — Dr. Barbara Sturm Enzyme Cleanser”
    • “lasts almost 5 months — Dr. Barbara Sturm Enzyme Cleanser”
  • High price and expensive for size 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”
    • “way too expensive — Dr. Barbara Sturm Hyaluronic Serum”
  • Purging, breakouts and irritation Often MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “quite red after — Dr. Barbara Sturm Enzyme Cleanser”
    • “appearance of imperfections — Dr. Barbara Sturm The Good C Vitamin C Serum”
    • “skin purged — Paula's Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant”
  • No visible results or slow progress Rarely NotedOften Mentioned
    • “takes months to work — Paula's Choice Skin-Smoothing Retinol Body Treatment”
    • “did nothing — Paula's Choice 10% Niacinamide Booster”
    • “did nothing — Dr. Barbara Sturm Hyaluronic Serum”
  • Dryness, flaking and insufficient hydration Sometimes NotedSometimes Noted
    • “peeling and flaking — Paula's Choice 1% Retinol Treatment”
    • “Not hydrating enough for winter. — Paula's Choice Clear Oil-Free Moisturizer”
    • “face feels a bit tight — Dr. Barbara Sturm Enzyme Cleanser”

Questions and answers

Paula's Choice or Dr. Barbara Sturm: which is better?

Paula's Choice works better for skin texture smoothing and improvement, whereas Dr. Barbara Sturm is better for anti-aging and firming results and non-irritating, gentle formulas.

What is the difference between Paula's Choice and Dr. Barbara Sturm?

Paula's Choice offers a much wider range of fragrance-free products that lean toward skin texture smoothing and skin types like acne-prone and oily skin, while Dr. Barbara Sturm provides a smaller selection known for gentle, non-irritating formulas and anti-aging results.

Paula's Choice or Dr. Barbara Sturm: which moisturizer is better?

Paula's Choice offers a wider range of moisturizers with specialized fit levels across different skin types, whereas Dr. Barbara Sturm features fewer options like the Hyaluronic Serum, which has a High fit for oily skin and Average fit for most others.

Which is more affordable, Paula's Choice or Dr. Barbara Sturm?

Paula's Choice products on this page often face review feedback noting high prices and packaging issues, but the brand generally offers a wider variety of options compared to Dr. Barbara Sturm.

Which causes fewer breakouts, Paula's Choice or Dr. Barbara Sturm?

Dr. Barbara Sturm is noted by reviewers for more gentle formulas, whereas Paula's Choice has products that may cause purging and breakouts.

Which brand has been on the market longer, Paula's Choice or Dr. Barbara Sturm?

Paula's Choice has been on the market longer, having been founded in 1995 compared to Dr. Barbara Sturm, which was founded in 2014.

Which brand's products are known for better anti-aging and firming results?

Dr. Barbara Sturm does better for anti-aging and firming results.

Do any products from Paula's Choice or Dr. Barbara Sturm contain fragrance?

Every product on this page from both Paula's Choice and Dr. Barbara Sturm lists no fragrance in its ingredients.

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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