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Paula's Choice vs Lancôme

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

Paula's Choice and Lancôme are established skincare brands offering serums, cleansers, moisturizers, toners, and more, built around key ingredients like glycerin, hyaluronic acid, and vitamin c or adenosine. The American brand Paula's Choice, founded in 1995, features products that fit oily skin and combination skin best, using glycerin to significantly increase skin hydration and restore barrier function. Meanwhile, the French brand Lancôme, founded in 1935, suits dry, mature, acne-prone, and uneven skin best because of its hydrating, smoothing, and restorative properties. Both brands differ in their specific formulations and targeted skin types, providing distinct options for addressing concerns such as dark spots, acne, and aging.

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

unilever.comtracxn.com

Lancôme is a French skincare brand founded in 1935 and owned by L'Oréal S.A. since 1964.

loreal.comen.wikipedia.orgcosmeticsbusiness.com

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

Popular Paula's Choice vs Lancôme products

People Say

Paula's ChoiceLancôme
  • Texture and Absorption Mostly MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “absorbs quickly — Lancôme RÉNERGIE”
    • “absorbs almost instantly — Lancôme Génifique Ultimate”
    • “absorbs instantly — Lancôme Advanced Génifique Eye Cream”
    • “absorbs instantly — Paula's Choice C15 Super Booster”
  • Skin Smoothing and Texture Improvement Mostly MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “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”
    • “Skin feels cushiony soft — Lancôme Advanced Génifique Youth Activating Concentrate”
  • Hydration and Moisture Sometimes NotedMostly Mentioned
    • “gives my skin an instant dewy glow — Lancôme Tonique Confort”
    • “keeps the skin soft and hydrated — Lancôme HYDRA ZEN”
    • “The product provides deep hydration and visible rejuvenation. — Lancôme Advanced Génifique Night Cream”
    • “Provides an internal level of hydration without leaving any heavy finish. — Paula's Choice Skin Balancing Pore-Reducing Toner”
  • Brightening, Radiance, and Tone Mostly MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “visible glow — Paula's Choice C15 Super Booster”
    • “acne scars faded — Paula's Choice 10% Azelaic Acid Booster”
    • “calmed redness immediately — Paula's Choice 10% Azelaic Acid Booster”
    • “Skin looks lit from within — Lancôme Advanced Génifique Youth Activating Concentrate”
  • Gentle and Sensitive Skin Care Often MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “Finally a vitamin C product I can use — Paula's Choice 25% Vitamin C + Glutathione Clinical Serum”
    • “no stinging — Paula's Choice C15 Super Booster”
    • “instantly soothed my skin — Lancôme Génifique Ultimate”
    • “Doesn't sting my eyes — Lancôme Bi-Facil Double Action Eye Makeup Remover”
  • Acne Clearing and Pores Mostly MentionedNot noted
    • “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”
  • High Price and Value Issues Mostly MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “tiny tube — Paula's Choice 10% Azelaic Acid Booster”
    • “Sooooo expensive — Paula's Choice 25% Vitamin C + Glutathione Clinical Serum”
    • “super expensive — Lancôme Absolue Precious Oil”
    • “expensive as hell — Lancôme RÉNERGIE”
  • Irritation, Dryness, and Breakouts Mostly MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “didn't notice much change in wrinkles — Lancôme Génifique Ultimate”
    • “Leaves a greasy film — Lancôme Bi-Facil Double Action Eye Makeup Remover”
    • “Did absolutely nothing — Lancôme Advanced Génifique Youth Activating Concentrate”
    • “peeling and flaking — Paula's Choice 1% Retinol Treatment”
  • Scent, Residue, and Texture Flaws Often MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “smells like grain — Paula's Choice 10% Azelaic Acid Booster”
    • “smells like hot dog water — Paula's Choice C15 Super Booster”
    • “My only issue with it is the fragrance. — Lancôme Hydra Zen Gel Cream”
    • “scent is too strong — Lancôme Absolue Revitalizing Eye Cream”

Questions and answers

Paula's Choice or Lancôme: which is better?

Paula's Choice is better for acne clearing, pores, brightening, and skin smoothing, while Lancôme is better for deep hydration and texture and absorption, though the products on this page for both brands share high price issues.

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

Paula's Choice products on this page focus on ingredients like salicylic acid and retinol for skin smoothing and acne, while Lancôme emphasizes deep hydration and pleasing scents with many fragranced formulas.

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

Paula's Choice is better for cleansers, as the products on this page achieve Superior fits for oily and acne-prone skin while Lancôme cleansers receive warnings. Lovi rates the CLEAR Pore Normalizing Cleanser as a Superior fit for oily skin.

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

Both brands are noted by reviewers for having a high price point, so neither stands out as more affordable on the products on this page.

Which causes fewer breakouts, Paula's Choice or Lancôme?

Paula's Choice causes fewer breakouts, as review themes show the brand does better for acne clearing and pores, and the products on this page are fragrance-free.

Paula's Choice or Lancôme: which brand is better for acne clearing and pores?

Paula's Choice is better for acne clearing and pores, as the products on this page help improve skin texture and target blemishes more effectively than Lancôme.

Do Paula's Choice products contain fragrance, and how does that compare to Lancôme?

Every Paula's Choice product on this page lists no fragrance in its ingredients, whereas 11 of the 14 Lancôme products on this page list fragrance.

Paula's Choice or Lancôme: which brand offers better hydration and moisture?

Lancome does better for hydration and moisture, providing deep hydration with lightweight and fast-absorbing moisturizers across the products on this page.

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

Paula's Choice offers moisturizers on this page that fit dry skin with a High level, whereas Lancôme moisturizers on this page have a Caution or Warning fit level for dry skin. Hyaluronic acid helps provide deep hydration across the products on this page.

Dermatologic Therapy, 2022Drug Delivery, 2017

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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