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COSRX vs Paula's Choice

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

COSRX and Paula's Choice are well-regarded skincare brands that offer serums, cleansers, moisturizers, toners, and more. The Korean brand, founded in 2013, relies on hyaluronic acid, glycerin, and niacinamide to suit acne-prone and oily acne-prone skin best, while the American brand, founded in 1995, features hyaluronic acid, glycerin, and vitamin c to suit oily and combination skin best. Both utilize essential ingredients like glycerin, but they differ in their origins, ownership, and targeted formulations.

COSRX is a Korean skincare brand founded in 2013 and owned by Amorepacific Group since 2024.

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

Popular COSRX vs Paula's Choice products

People Say

COSRXPaula's Choice
  • Texture and glow improvements Often MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “woke up with soft, supple skin — COSRX Advanced Snail 92 All in One Cream”
    • “gives me that glass skin look — COSRX Advanced Snail 96 Mucin Power Essence”
    • “skin becomes very smooth — Paula's Choice 1% Retinol Treatment”
    • “visible glow — Paula's Choice C15 Super Booster”
  • Lightweight and fast-absorbing Often MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “absorbs instantly like water — COSRX The 6 Peptide Skin Booster Serum”
    • “sinks in immediately — COSRX Advanced Snail Peptide Eye Cream”
    • “Absorbs quickly and leaves no greasy residue behind. — Paula's Choice Clear Oil-Free Moisturizer”
    • “absorbs instantly — Paula's Choice C15 Super Booster”
  • Acne control and pore clearing Often MentionedMostly 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”
    • “helped to improve my acne after only 2 weeks — COSRX Salicylic Acid Daily Gentle Cleanser”
  • Gentle and non-stripping Mostly MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “No stinging or irritation — COSRX BHA Blackhead Power Liquid”
    • “extremely gentle — COSRX AHA/BHA Clarifying Treatment Toner”
    • “perfect for first-time retinol users — COSRX The Retinol 0.1 Cream”
    • “Finally a vitamin C product I can use — Paula's Choice 25% Vitamin C + Glutathione Clinical Serum”
  • Deep hydration and moisturization Often MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “skin drinks it up — COSRX Advanced Snail 96 Mucin Power Essence”
    • “gives a healthy glow — COSRX The 6 Peptide Skin Booster Serum”
    • “skin felt firm and plump — COSRX The Hyaluronic Acid 3 Serum”
    • “Provides an internal level of hydration without leaving any heavy finish. — Paula's Choice Skin Balancing Pore-Reducing Toner”
  • Deep cleansing and oil control Sometimes NotedSometimes Noted
    • “whisking away that excess shine — COSRX Salicylic Acid Daily Gentle Cleanser”
    • “removes every trace of oil — COSRX Salicylic Acid Daily Gentle Cleanser”
    • “Removes all my makeup easily — Paula's Choice CLEAR Pore Normalizing Cleanser”
    • “It works great to balance oil and is very refreshing, especially in the summer. — Paula's Choice Skin Balancing Pore-Reducing Toner”
  • Packaging, size, and pricing issues Often MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “only 20mls... significantly less product — COSRX The Hyaluronic Acid 3 Serum”
    • “tube is tiny — COSRX The Retinol 0.1 Cream”
    • “tube cracked on the side — COSRX The Retinol 0.1 Cream”
    • “surprisingly small bottle — Paula's Choice Skin-Smoothing Retinol Body Treatment”
  • Strong medicinal or unpleasant scent Sometimes NotedOften Mentioned
    • “smells like chemicals — COSRX Low pH Good Morning Gel Cleanser”
    • “smells like onions — COSRX The Retinol 0.1 Cream”
    • “smells like tea tree/medicinal — COSRX Oil-Free Ultra-Moisturizing Lotion (with Birch Sap)”
    • “smells like grain — Paula's Choice 10% Azelaic Acid Booster”
  • Drying or stripping effects Sometimes NotedSometimes Noted
    • “left my face tight — COSRX Low pH Good Morning Gel Cleanser”
    • “leaves skin feeling tight — COSRX Salicylic Acid Daily Gentle Cleanser”
    • “peeling and flaking — Paula's Choice 1% Retinol Treatment”
  • Caused breakouts and purging Sometimes NotedSometimes Noted
    • “gave me fungal acne — COSRX Advanced Snail 96 Mucin Power Essence”
    • “gave me tiny bumps — COSRX Low pH Good Morning Gel Cleanser”
    • “gave me closed comedones — COSRX The 6 Peptide Skin Booster Serum”
    • “skin purged — Paula's Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant”

COSRX vs Paula's Choice routines for dry skin

Buy COSRX routine · SAR 690.19 · 83% fitBuy Paula's Choice routine · SAR 1,588.72 · 79% fitSee multi-brand routine · 96% fit

COSRX vs Paula's Choice routines for oily skin

Buy COSRX routine · SAR 843.29 · 90% fitBuy Paula's Choice routine · SAR 1,883.71 · 89% fitSee multi-brand routine · 97% fit

COSRX vs Paula's Choice routines for combination skin

Buy COSRX routine · SAR 735.92 · 89% fitBuy Paula's Choice routine · SAR 1,601.99 · 89% fitSee multi-brand routine · 97% fit

Questions and answers

COSRX or Paula's Choice: which is better?

COSRX is better for sensitive and acne-prone skin because Lovi finds its routine fit superior for those types, while Paula's Choice is better for acne control and pore clearing based on reviewer feedback.

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

COSRX is a South Korean brand founded in 2013, while Paula's Choice is an American brand founded in 1995. COSRX provides a better fit for sensitive skin with a Superior level, whereas Paula's Choice offers a High fit for sensitive skin.

COSRX or Paula's Choice for dry skin?

Both COSRX and Paula's Choice are great options for dry skin, as Lovi rates both brands with a High routine fit level for this skin type. COSRX helps deliver deep hydration with key ingredients like hyaluronic acid, which supports skin quality and signs of aging.

Dermatologic Therapy, 2022

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

When it comes to cleansers on this page, COSRX is better for sensitive skin with a Lovi fit level of Superior, while Paula's Choice is better for acne control and pore clearing.

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

COSRX is more affordable, whereas reviewers note high pricing issues for Paula's Choice.

Which brand is better for acne control and pore clearing, COSRX or Paula's Choice?

Paula's Choice does better for acne control and pore clearing among the products on this page.

Which brand has more issues with packaging, size, and pricing?

COSRX has more issues with packaging, size, and pricing according to the reviewer themes on this page.

Which brand is more gentle and non-stripping for the skin?

COSRX is more gentle and non-stripping for the skin, as reviewers frequently note it for being gentle and non-irritating while Paula's Choice faces issues with drying or stripping effects.

COSRX or Paula's Choice for oily skin?

For oily skin, Lovi finds that COSRX has a Superior fit while Paula's Choice has a High fit.

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

Both COSRX and Paula's Choice offer moisturizers with key ingredients like hyaluronic acid and glycerin that help provide hydration, while COSRX achieves a Superior routine fit for oily skin and sensitive skin, and Paula's Choice achieves a High routine fit for both skin types.

Journal of Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences, 2015Drug Delivery, 2017

COSRX or Paula's Choice for sensitive skin?

For sensitive skin, COSRX has a Superior routine fit, whereas Paula's Choice has a High fit level. Reviewers note that COSRX is especially gentle and non-stripping.

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

Both COSRX and Paula's Choice offer sunscreens that fit dry skin, oily skin, and sensitive skin at a High level. Lovi shows that the products on this page for both brands provide strong sun protection options with key ingredients like hyaluronic acid.

Journal of Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences, 2015Dermatologic Therapy, 2022

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

For acne-prone skin, Lovi rates COSRX as Superior and Paula's Choice as High. Reviewers note that COSRX is especially gentle and non-stripping, while Paula's Choice excels at acne control and pore clearing.

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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