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Paula's Choice vs Avène

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

Paula's Choice and Avène are established skincare brands offering distinct approaches to daily care, with the American line featuring serums, cleansers, moisturizers, toners, and more built around hyaluronic acid, glycerin, and vitamin c, while the French label is universally loved for its versatile moisturizers, reliable sunscreens, targeted serums, and gentle cleansers all formulated with nourishing glycerin. Both brands rely on key ingredients where glycerin significantly increased skin hydration and restored barrier function. Paula's Choice products fit oily skin and combination skin best, whereas Avène suits acne-prone skin and oily acne-prone skin best, offering profound relief without heaviness. Ultimately, they differ in their specific targeted formulations and regional origins, since the former was founded in 1995 and owned by Unilever since 2021, and the latter was founded in 1990 and owned by Fondation Pierre Fabre.

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

unilever.comtracxn.com

Avène is a French skincare brand founded in 1990 and owned by Fondation Pierre Fabre.

pierre-fabre.comavene.co.ukaveneusa.com

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

Popular Paula's Choice vs Avène products

People Say

Paula's ChoiceAvène
  • Lightweight and fast absorption Mostly MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “visible glow — Paula's Choice C15 Super Booster”
    • “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”
    • “immediate radiance boost — Avène Vitamin Activ Cg Radiance Concentrated Serum”
  • Gentle and non-irritating Often MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “leaves face clean but not dry — Avène Cleanance”
    • “Nothing has ever worked to soothe or heal my skin like these before. — Avène Tolerance Control Soothing Skin Recovery Balm”
    • “Perfect cleanser for sensitive skin. — Avène Milk Cleanser”
    • “Finally a vitamin C product I can use — Paula's Choice 25% Vitamin C + Glutathione Clinical Serum”
  • Smooth texture and anti-aging Mostly MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “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 looks plumper — Paula's Choice Pro-Collagen Multi-Peptide Booster”
    • “skin instantly felt firmer — Avène Hyaluron Activ B3 Concentrated Plumping Serum”
  • Unclogs pores and controls acne Mostly MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “cleared my bumps — Paula's Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant”
    • “skin becomes very smooth — Paula's Choice 1% Retinol Treatment”
    • “Helped clear my cystic acne — Paula's Choice CLEAR Pore Normalizing Cleanser”
    • “Keeps me matte for hours — Avène Cleanance Cleansing Gel”
  • Barrier repair, deep hydration and soothing Not notedOften Mentioned
    • “Calmed my angry red skin overnight — Avène Cicalfate+ Restorative Protective Cream”
    • “Saves my skin in winter — Avène Cold Cream”
    • “Healed my over-exfoliated skin in days — Avène Cicalfate+ Restorative Protective Cream”
  • High price and small size Mostly MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “Its a bit pricey but so worth it!! — Avène Tolerance Control Soothing Skin Recovery Balm”
    • “a bit pricey — Avène Cleanance”
    • “Tiny tube for the money — Avène Cold Cream”
    • “surprisingly small bottle — Paula's Choice Skin-Smoothing Retinol Body Treatment”
  • Causes dryness, purging, and irritation Often MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “Left my face tight — Avène Cleanance Cleansing Gel”
    • “it didn't do anything for my dark circles — Avène RetrinAL EYES”
    • “no difference — Avène Antirougeurs Fort Relief Concentrate”
    • “peeling and flaking — Paula's Choice 1% Retinol Treatment”
  • Packaging issues and product flaws Sometimes NotedOften Mentioned
    • “turned orange in weeks — Paula's Choice C15 Super Booster”
    • “dropper leaks — Paula's Choice C15 Super Booster”
    • “dropper can be unpredictable — Paula's Choice Pro-Collagen Multi-Peptide Booster”
    • “bring it back — Avène Antirougeurs Fort Relief Concentrate”

Paula's Choice vs Avène routines for dry skin

Buy Paula's Choice routine · SAR 1,588.72 · 79% fitBuy Avène routine · SAR 1,135.93 · 77% fitSee multi-brand routine · 96% fit

Paula's Choice vs Avène routines for oily skin

Buy Paula's Choice routine · SAR 1,883.71 · 89% fitBuy Avène routine · SAR 1,148.69 · 87% fitSee multi-brand routine · 97% fit

Paula's Choice vs Avène routines for combination skin

Buy Paula's Choice routine · SAR 1,601.99 · 89% fitBuy Avène routine · SAR 1,208.83 · 85% fitSee multi-brand routine · 97% fit

Questions and answers

Paula's Choice or Avène: which is better?

Both Paula's Choice and Avène offer products on this page that perform well across most skin types. Lovi finds that Paula's Choice has a High fit for dry sensitive skin, whereas Avène has an Average fit for it.

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

Paula's Choice is better for lightweight absorption, anti-aging, and acne control, while Avène is better known for soothing irritation and barrier repair. Lovi gives Paula's Choice a High fit level for dry sensitive skin and Avène an Average fit level.

Paula's Choice or Avène for dry skin?

Paula's Choice is a better option for dry skin on this page, achieving a High routine fit compared to Avène's Average fit for dry sensitive skin. Paula's Choice helps deliver targeted hydration and barrier support through products like the Advanced Replenishing Toner.

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

Paula's Choice offers cleansers like the CLEAR Pore Normalizing Cleanser, which has a Superior fit for oily acne-prone, oily, acne-prone, and combination skin on this page. Avène also provides options such as the Cleanance Cleansing Gel, which is a High fit for oily acne-prone and oily skin types.

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

Reviewers note that Paula's Choice tends to have a high price, while Avène has a high price and small size mentioned as a drawback.

Paula's Choice or Avène: which brand has fragrance-free products?

Paula's Choice offers fragrance-free options because every product on the products on this page lists no fragrance in its ingredients. Avène is different, as several products on the page contain added fragrance.

Paula's Choice or Avène for oily skin?

Both Paula's Choice and Avène have a High routine fit for oily skin. Paula's Choice offers lightweight textures and fast absorption, whereas Avène provides effective oil control and gentle deep-cleaning cleansers.

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

Both Paula's Choice and Avène offer moisturizers with a High routine fit for dry, oily, combination, sensitive, and acne-prone skin on the products on this page. Paula's Choice is noted for lightweight and fast absorption, while Avène is recognized for barrier repair, deep hydration, and soothing. Topical hyaluronic acid helps improve skin quality and signs of skin aging.

Dermatologic Therapy, 2022

Paula's Choice or Avène for sensitive skin?

Paula's Choice offers a High routine fit for sensitive skin, whereas Avène has a High routine fit as well. Paula's Choice is formulated without any fragrance on this page, while several Avène products contain added fragrance.

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

Both brands offer solid options, but Paula's Choice Youth-Extending Daily Hydrating Fluid SPF 50 helps hydrate dry, combination, and dry sensitive skin at a High Lovi fit level. Meanwhile, Avène Cleanance sunscreen is a strong choice for oily skin with a Superior Lovi fit level.

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

Both Paula's Choice and Avène offer a High routine fit for acne-prone skin. Paula's Choice products on this page often help control acne and unclog pores, while Avène is known for soothing irritation and providing gentle cleansers.

Paula's Choice or Avène for dry sensitive skin?

Paula's Choice is a better fit for dry sensitive skin, as Lovi rates its routine as High while Avène is Average. Paula's Choice helps deliver fragrance-free formulations and targeted active ingredients for sensitive types.

Paula's Choice or Avène for mature skin?

Both Paula's Choice and Avène offer a High routine fit for mature skin. Paula's Choice is noted for smooth texture and anti-aging serums, while Avène is recognized for barrier repair, deep hydration and soothing.

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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