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Paula's Choice vs Medik8

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

Paula's Choice and Medik8 are established skincare brands offering serums, moisturizers, toners, and cleansers built around ingredients like hyaluronic acid, glycerin, and vitamin c. The American brand suits acne-prone and oily skin best with glycerin that significantly increased skin hydration and restored barrier function, while the British brand fits dry and dry sensitive skin best with hyaluronic acid that lengthens toxin wrinkle effect duration. Both brands differ in their founding years, ownership, and specific top-rated formulations for various skin concerns.

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

unilever.comtracxn.com

Medik8 is a British skincare brand founded in 2009 and owned by L'Oréal Groupe since 2025.

loreal.commedik8.comtracxn.com

This page compares some of the most popular Paula's Choice and Medik8 products; for every product of both brands, with a fit score for your own skin, use the Lovi app.

Popular Paula's Choice vs Medik8 products

People Say

Paula's ChoiceMedik8
  • Hydration and Moisture Mostly MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “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”
    • “Restores moisture — Medik8 Liquid Peptides”
    • “absorbed effortlessly — Medik8 Total Moisture Daily Facial Cream”
  • Texture and Pores 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”
    • “smoother skin — Medik8 Surface Radiance Cleanse”
  • Gentle Formulation Often MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “zero irritation or peeling — Medik8 CRYSTAL RETINAL 3”
    • “only Vitamin C my sensitive skin can tolerate — Medik8 C-Tetra Serum”
    • “Best retinol replacement — Medik8 Bakuchiol Peptides”
    • “Finally a vitamin C product I can use — Paula's Choice 25% Vitamin C + Glutathione Clinical Serum”
  • Glow and Brightening Often MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “visible glow — Paula's Choice C15 Super Booster”
    • “acne scars faded — Paula's Choice 10% Azelaic Acid Booster”
    • “I wake up glowing. It adds back that youthful bloom that I've lost. — Medik8 Sleep Glycolic”
    • “unlocked a serious glow — Medik8 C-Tetra Serum”
  • Anti-Aging and Firming Sometimes NotedOften Mentioned
    • “skin looks plumper — Paula's Choice Pro-Collagen Multi-Peptide Booster”
    • “softens lines and wrinkles — Paula's Choice 1% Retinol Treatment”
    • “Reduces fine lines — Medik8 Liquid Peptides”
    • “Plumps skin with moisture — Medik8 Bakuchiol Peptides”
  • Acne and Cleansing Often MentionedRarely Noted
    • “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”
    • “pores feel cleaner — Medik8 Surface Radiance Cleanse”
  • High Price Point Mostly MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “Expensive per bottle — Medik8 Liquid Peptides”
    • “very expensive for amount — Medik8 CRYSTAL RETINAL 3”
    • “hefty price tag — Medik8 C-Tetra Serum”
    • “tiny tube — Paula's Choice 10% Azelaic Acid Booster”
  • Dryness and Flaking Sometimes NotedSometimes Noted
    • “slightly drying — Medik8 Surface Radiance Cleanse”
    • “need a thick moisturizer — Medik8 CRYSTAL RETINAL 3”
    • “need more moisture — Medik8 Crystal Retinal Ceramide Eye 3”
    • “peeling and flaking — Paula's Choice 1% Retinol Treatment”
  • Packaging Issues Sometimes NotedSometimes Noted
    • “dropper leaks — Paula's Choice C15 Super Booster”
    • “dropper can be unpredictable — Paula's Choice Pro-Collagen Multi-Peptide Booster”
    • “Glass bottle breaks easily — Medik8 Liquid Peptides”
    • “hard to get last bit — Medik8 CRYSTAL RETINAL 3”

Paula's Choice vs Medik8 routines for dry skin

See multi-brand routine · 98% fit

Paula's Choice vs Medik8 routines for oily skin

See multi-brand routine · 95% fit

Paula's Choice vs Medik8 routines for combination skin

See multi-brand routine · 94% fit

Questions and answers

Paula's Choice or Medik8: which is better?

Both brands perform well, but Paula's Choice is better suited for texture, pores, acne, and cleansing, while Medik8 excels in gentle formulations and hydration for sensitive skin.

What is the difference between Paula's Choice and Medik8?

Paula's Choice tends to be better for acne and pores, while Medik8 is often noted for gentle formulations and deep hydration. Paula's Choice is focused on skin types like acne-prone and oily skin, whereas Medik8 fits dry and sensitive skin best.

Paula's Choice or Medik8 for dry skin?

For dry skin, Medik8 has a Superior routine fit while Paula's Choice has a High routine fit. Medik8 focuses on dry skin and dry sensitive skin, offering deep hydration and plumping effects.

Paula's Choice or Medik8: which cleanser is better?

Paula's Choice is better for acne-prone and oily skin cleansers, where the products on this page show superior fit levels. Medik8 also offers strong options, but reviewers note that Paula's Choice excels particularly in acne and cleansing.

Which is more affordable, Paula's Choice or Medik8?

Medik8 is noted for having a high price point more often by reviewers than Paula's Choice, suggesting Paula's Choice tends to be more affordable.

Which brand has better texture and pores results, Paula's Choice or Medik8?

Paula's Choice performs better for texture and pores than Medik8. The products on this page help improve skin texture and manage pores effectively.

Paula's Choice or Medik8: which offers more gentle formulations?

Medik8 does better for gentle formulations. Reviewers mostly mention Medik8 for being gentle and non-irritating.

Paula's Choice or Medik8 for oily skin?

Both brands are a strong match for oily skin, with Paula's Choice fitting best for acne-prone and oily skin types and Medik8 offering an equal high level of routine fit. Paula's Choice may help more with texture and pores, while Medik8 is known for gentle formulations.

Paula's Choice or Medik8: which moisturizer is better?

Both Paula's Choice and Medik8 offer effective moisturizers on this page, but they suit different skin needs. Paula's Choice features options that are great for oily and acne-prone skin, while Medik8 provides exceptional deep hydration that helps dry and sensitive skin.

Paula's Choice or Medik8 for sensitive skin?

For sensitive skin, Lovi rates Medik8 as Superior and Paula's Choice as High. Reviewers note that Medik8 offers gentle and non-irritating serums.

Paula's Choice or Medik8 for dry sensitive skin?

For dry sensitive skin, Medik8 is the better choice because Lovi rates its routine as Superior, while Paula's Choice is rated Average. Medik8 also helps deliver gentle hydration with key ingredients like hyaluronic acid.

Drug Delivery, 2017Dermatologic Therapy, 2022

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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