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Paula's Choice vs Simple

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

Paula's Choice and Simple are skincare brands owned by Unilever, offering cleansers, moisturizers, and toners built around ingredients like glycerin. The American brand is known for serums and treatments featuring hyaluronic acid and vitamin C, suiting acne-prone and oily skin best, while the British brand is beloved for gentle formulations using niacinamide that suit acne-prone skin and skin with dark spots. Both brands differ in their specific product lineups, target skin concerns, and founding origins, giving buyers distinct options for targeted hydration and barrier support.

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

unilever.comtracxn.com

Simple is a British skincare brand founded in 1960 and owned by Unilever PLC since 2011.

en.wikipedia.orgsec.govprnewswire.comsimple.co.uk

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

Popular Paula's Choice vs Simple products

People Say

Paula's ChoiceSimple
  • Gentle on sensitive skin Sometimes NotedMostly Mentioned
    • “Does not cause any form of irritation on the skin which I love. — Simple Micellar Cleansing Water”
    • “The only cleanser that doesn't turn my face red. — Simple Micellar Water”
    • “no artificial perfume — Simple Hydrating Light Moisturiser”
    • “Finally a vitamin C product I can use — Paula's Choice 25% Vitamin C + Glutathione Clinical Serum”
  • Lightweight and fast absorbing texture Mostly MentionedOften 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”
    • “absorbs instantly — Paula's Choice C15 Super Booster”
    • “sinks in instantly — Simple Water Boost Hydrating Gel Cream”
  • Smoothes skin texture and fades dark spots Mostly MentionedNot noted
    • “skin becomes very smooth — Paula's Choice 1% Retinol Treatment”
    • “visible glow — Paula's Choice C15 Super Booster”
    • “pores look smaller — Paula's Choice 10% Niacinamide Booster”
  • Gentle, non-stripping daily cleansing Rarely NotedOften Mentioned
    • “Takes off any makeup residue and makes my face feel refreshed. — Simple Micellar Cleansing Water”
    • “Instantly boosts skin's hydration... face doesn't feel dry and tight. — Simple Micellar Cleansing Water”
    • “Love that it has absolutely no scent. — Simple Micellar Water”
    • “Doesn't strip my skin — Paula's Choice CLEAR Pore Normalizing Cleanser”
  • Convenient and affordable value Not notedMostly Mentioned
    • “great value for money — Simple Kind to Skin Soothing Facial Toner”
    • “super affordable — Simple Hydrating Light Moisturiser”
    • “No need to rinse... perfect for traveling or lazy nights. — Simple Micellar Cleansing Water”
  • Effective hydration and non-greasy feel Rarely NotedOften Mentioned
    • “banished dryness within days — Simple Replenishing Rich Moisturiser”
    • “cleared up my dry patches — Simple Water Boost Hydrating Gel Cream”
    • “absorbs super fast — Paula's Choice Skin-Smoothing Retinol Body Treatment”
  • High price and small bottle size Mostly MentionedRarely Noted
    • “I have to use 4-5 cotton pads to get clean. — Simple Micellar Water”
    • “surprisingly small bottle — Paula's Choice Skin-Smoothing Retinol Body Treatment”
  • Causes purging, breakouts or irritation Often MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “Gave me tiny bumps on my forehead. — Simple Micellar Water”
    • “caused major breakouts — Simple Hydrating Light Moisturiser”
    • “Gave me tiny red spots — Simple Refreshing Facial Wash”
    • “peeling and flaking — Paula's Choice 1% Retinol Treatment”
  • Sticky residue or unpleasant scent Often MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “Feels slimy on skin — Simple Refreshing Facial Wash”
    • “Still feeling a little bit of a film on my skin. — Simple Micellar Cleansing Water”
    • “Smells like chemicals — Simple Refreshing Facial Wash”
    • “smells like grain — Paula's Choice 10% Azelaic Acid Booster”

Paula's Choice vs Simple routines for dry skin

See multi-brand routine · 98% fit

Paula's Choice vs Simple routines for oily skin

See multi-brand routine · 95% fit

Paula's Choice vs Simple routines for combination skin

See multi-brand routine · 94% fit

Questions and answers

Paula's Choice or Simple: which is better?

Paula's Choice helps smooth skin texture and provides lightweight, fast-absorbing anti-aging serums, whereas Simple offers gentle, value-friendly cleansers and makeup removers that are well-suited for sensitive skin.

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

Paula's Choice offers lightweight textures and formulas that help smooth skin texture and fade dark spots, while Simple provides gentle, value-friendly cleansers and makeup removers. Lovi finds both brands have equal routine fit levels for most skin types, though Simple is a better fit for dry sensitive skin.

Paula's Choice or Simple for dry skin?

Paula's Choice and Simple both achieve a High routine fit level for dry skin on this page. Paula's Choice helps smooth skin texture, while Simple offers value-friendly and lightweight moisturizers.

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

Paula's Choice offers cleansers that rate as Superior for oily and acne-prone skin on Lovi, while Simple cleansers typically rate as Average or Low for those same skin types. Paula's Choice helps deliver targeted cleansing with options like the CLEAR Pore Normalizing Cleanser.

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

Simple is more affordable compared to Paula's Choice, offering convenient and affordable value with lightweight, value-friendly moisturizers.

Which brand has more products that suit dry sensitive skin?

Paula's Choice offers more products on this page that achieve a Superior or High fit for dry sensitive skin compared to Simple.

Do Paula's Choice and Simple products contain any fragrance?

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

When were Paula's Choice and Simple founded and who owns them?

Paula's Choice was founded in 1995 in the United States, while Simple was founded in 1960 in the United Kingdom. Both brands are currently owned by Unilever.

Paula's Choice or Simple for oily skin?

Both brands feature a High fit level for oily skin. Paula's Choice is often noted for its lightweight and fast absorbing texture.

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

Both Paula's Choice and Simple offer effective moisturizers, with Paula's Choice helping to smooth skin texture and Simple providing a lightweight, value-friendly feel. Reviewers note that Simple moisturizers are great for everyday hydration, while Paula's Choice products often target specific anti-aging and barrier needs.

Paula's Choice or Simple for sensitive skin?

Both Paula's Choice and Simple offer a High routine fit for sensitive skin. Paula's Choice helps smooth skin texture and provides lightweight, fast-absorbing products, while Simple is noted for gentle, non-stripping daily cleansing and sensitive-skin-friendly makeup removers.

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

Both Paula's Choice and Simple achieve a High routine fit level for acne-prone skin on this page. Paula's Choice helps smooth skin texture and fade dark spots, while Simple is noted for gentle, non-stripping daily cleansing.

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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