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CeraVe vs Paula's Choice

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

CeraVe and Paula's Choice are American skincare brands known for offering cleansers, moisturizers, serums, and more, formulated with supportive ingredients like hyaluronic acid and glycerin. The former suits acne-prone skin and combination skin best, while the latter fits oily skin and combination skin best. Both brands differ in their founding years, ownership, and specific targeted treatments for dark spots, acne, and mature skin.

CeraVe is an American skincare brand founded in 2005 and owned by L'Oréal since 2017.

en.wikipedia.orghappi.comloreal-finance.comcerave.com

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

Popular CeraVe vs Paula's Choice products

People Say

CeraVePaula's Choice
  • Texture and Lightweight Feel Mostly MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “Absorbs into skin without residue — CeraVe Daily Moisturizing Lotion”
    • “Sinks right into your skin — CeraVe PM Facial Moisturizing Lotion”
    • “Absorbs quickly and leaves no greasy residue behind. — Paula's Choice Clear Oil-Free Moisturizer”
    • “absorbs instantly — Paula's Choice C15 Super Booster”
  • Fragrance-Free and Gentle Formulas Mostly MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “doesn't leave face tight — CeraVe Hydrating Facial Cleanser”
    • “no burning sensation — CeraVe Resurfacing Retinol Serum”
    • “No scent, no irritation — CeraVe Moisturising Cream”
    • “Finally a vitamin C product I can use — Paula's Choice 25% Vitamin C + Glutathione Clinical Serum”
  • Acne and Oil Control Sometimes NotedMostly Mentioned
    • “cleared my bumps — Paula's Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant”
    • “Helped clear my cystic acne — Paula's Choice CLEAR Pore Normalizing Cleanser”
    • “pores look smaller — Paula's Choice 10% Niacinamide Booster”
    • “dialed back oiliness — CeraVe Foaming Facial Cleanser”
  • Hydration and Moisture Mostly MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “Saved my dry winter skin — CeraVe Moisturising Cream”
    • “woke up with plump skin — CeraVe Skin Renewing Night Cream”
    • “cured my dry patches — CeraVe Eye Repair Cream”
    • “Provides an internal level of hydration without leaving any heavy finish. — Paula's Choice Skin Balancing Pore-Reducing Toner”
  • Skin Texture Improvement Sometimes NotedMostly Mentioned
    • “skin becomes very smooth — Paula's Choice 1% Retinol Treatment”
    • “bumps be gone — Paula's Choice Weightless Body Treatment 2% BHA”
    • “skin is insanely soft — Paula's Choice Weightless Body Treatment 2% BHA”
    • “smoother complexion — CeraVe Resurfacing Retinol Serum”
  • Skin Tone and Mark Correction Rarely NotedSometimes Noted
    • “acne scars faded — Paula's Choice 10% Azelaic Acid Booster”
    • “calmed redness immediately — Paula's Choice 10% Azelaic Acid Booster”
    • “spots barely visible — Paula's Choice Skin-Smoothing Retinol Body Treatment”
    • “lightened dark spots — CeraVe Resurfacing Retinol Serum”
  • Price Point Concerns Rarely NotedMostly Mentioned
    • “expensive Vaseline — CeraVe Healing Ointment”
    • “tiny tube — Paula's Choice 10% Azelaic Acid Booster”
  • Packaging Issues Often MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “dropper leaks — Paula's Choice C15 Super Booster”
    • “dropper can be unpredictable — Paula's Choice Pro-Collagen Multi-Peptide Booster”
    • “Cap broke immediately — Paula's Choice CLEAR Pore Normalizing Cleanser”
    • “no safety seal included — CeraVe Skin Renewing Night Cream”
  • Breakouts and Purging Sometimes NotedSometimes Noted
    • “Gave me cystic acne — CeraVe Moisturising Cream”
    • “gave me closed comedones — CeraVe Hydrating Facial Cleanser”
    • “skin purged — Paula's Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant”
    • “caused cystic acne — Paula's Choice 10% Niacinamide Booster”

CeraVe vs Paula's Choice routines for dry skin

Buy CeraVe routine · SAR 659.02 · 89% fitBuy Paula's Choice routine · SAR 1,588.72 · 79% fitSee multi-brand routine · 96% fit

CeraVe vs Paula's Choice routines for oily skin

Buy Paula's Choice routine · SAR 1,883.71 · 89% fitBuy CeraVe routine · SAR 1,155.51 · 87% fitSee multi-brand routine · 97% fit

CeraVe vs Paula's Choice routines for combination skin

Buy CeraVe routine · SAR 993.85 · 91% fitBuy Paula's Choice routine · SAR 1,601.99 · 89% fitSee multi-brand routine · 97% fit

Questions and answers

CeraVe or Paula's Choice: which is better?

Both brands are great choices, but CeraVe is better for budget-friendly hydration and sensitive skin, while Paula's Choice is better for targeted anti-aging and exfoliating treatments.

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

CeraVe excels at providing deep hydration and gentle, fragrance-free formulas, whereas Paula's Choice is better known for targeted anti-aging serums and skin texture improvements. Both brands offer solid routines across most skin types, but CeraVe achieves a Superior Lovi fit for combination and acne-prone skin.

CeraVe or Paula's Choice for dry skin?

Both brands offer a High routine fit for dry skin with fragrance-free options. CeraVe features products on this page utilizing ceramides to help repair the skin barrier, while Paula's Choice relies on key ingredients like glycerin and hyaluronic acid for hydration.

Dermatologic Therapy, 2022

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

Both brands offer top-tier cleansers depending on your skin goals, as the products on this page feature gentle, non-stripping formulas from CeraVe and targeted blemish control from Paula's Choice. CeraVe achieves a Superior fit for acne-prone, oily, and combination skin with cleansers like the Foaming Facial Cleanser, while Paula's Choice excels in oil and pore management with options like the CLEAR Pore Normalizing Cleanser.

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

CeraVe is more affordable, whereas price point concerns are commonly noted for Paula's Choice.

Between CeraVe and Paula's Choice, which brand is better for combination skin?

CeraVe has a Superior routine fit for combination skin, whereas Paula's Choice has a High fit level. Reviewers mention that the products on this page from CeraVe provide deep hydration.

How do CeraVe and Paula's Choice compare when it comes to packaging issues?

Paula's Choice has packaging issues that are mostly noted by reviewers, whereas CeraVe occasionally has packaging issues. Both brands offer fragrance-free products on the products on this page.

Which brand performs better for acne and oil control: CeraVe or Paula's Choice?

Paula's Choice performs better for acne and oil control, as noted in the review themes on this page. CeraVe offers a Superior routine fit for acne-prone skin and oily acne-prone skin among the products on this page.

CeraVe or Paula's Choice for sensitive skin?

CeraVe achieves a High fit level for sensitive skin on the products on this page, and Paula's Choice reaches a High fit level as well. CeraVe features gentle, non-stripping cleansers and fragrance-free moisturizers, while Paula's Choice provides advanced serums that are also formulated without added fragrance.

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

CeraVe offers superior healing and texture in its moisturizers and provides deep hydration, whereas Paula's Choice features popular options like the Clear Oil-Free Moisturizer and Water-Infusing Electrolyte Moisturizer. Both brands provide fragrance-free formulas, but CeraVe is generally noted for being gentler on sensitive skin while Paula's Choice focuses more on targeted anti-aging and blemish control benefits.

Journal of Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences, 2015

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

CeraVe has a Superior fit level for acne-prone skin on the products on this page, while Paula's Choice has a High fit level.

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

Both brands offer solid sunscreen options on this page, with CeraVe featuring a Superior Lovi fit for mature skin, dry skin, and dry sensitive skin, and Paula's Choice providing reliable daily options like the Youth-Extending Daily Hydrating Fluid SPF 50. Reviewers find that CeraVe sunscreens excel at deep hydration, while Paula's Choice focuses on lightweight, antioxidant-rich fluids.

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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