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Paula's Choice vs Olay

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

Paula's Choice and Olay are established skincare lines offering serums, cleansers, moisturizers, and toners. Paula's Choice relies on hyaluronic acid, glycerin, and vitamin c, suiting oily and combination skin best with targeted options for acne, dark spots, and mature concerns. Meanwhile, Olay features nourishing niacinamide and glycerin to care for sensitive and acne-prone skin through dedicated eye products, creams, and more. While the first brand centers on formulations for specific complexions, both utilize ingredients like glycerin to support hydration.

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

Popular Paula's Choice vs Olay products

People Say

Paula's ChoiceOlay
  • Improves Skin Texture Mostly MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “skin becomes very smooth — Paula's Choice 1% Retinol Treatment”
    • “skin is insanely soft — Paula's Choice Weightless Body Treatment 2% BHA”
    • “skin feels baby soft — Olay Retinol24”
    • “Skin feels like silk — Olay Regenerist Retinol 24 Night Moisturizer”
  • Lightweight and Fast Absorption Mostly MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “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 quickly — Olay Super Serum”
    • “absorbs quickly — Olay Vitamin C Serum”
  • Glow, Brightening and Even Tone Mostly MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “visible glow — Paula's Choice C15 Super Booster”
    • “acne scars faded — Paula's Choice 10% Azelaic Acid Booster”
    • “Discoloration almost gone — Paula's Choice 25% Vitamin C + Glutathione Clinical Serum”
    • “iridescent glow — Olay Super Serum”
  • Gentle and Non-Irritating Formula 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”
    • “doesn't strip my skin — Olay Regenerating Cream Cleanser”
    • “fragrance-free — Olay Eye Lifting Serum”
  • Intense and Deep Hydration Not notedOften Mentioned
    • “Instantly smoother, softer, and more hydrated — Olay Regenerist Micro-Sculpting Cream”
    • “hydrates the skin — Olay Advanced Eye Cream”
    • “My skin feels so hydrated and plump. — Olay Regenerist Regenerating Serum”
  • Anti-Aging and Firming Sometimes NotedSometimes Noted
    • “skin looks plumper — Paula's Choice Pro-Collagen Multi-Peptide Booster”
    • “softens lines and wrinkles — Paula's Choice 1% Retinol Treatment”
    • “clears up puffiness — Olay Advanced Eye Cream”
    • “Helps my skin and eye wrinkles — Olay Regenerist Micro-Sculpting Cream”
  • High Price Point Mostly MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “expensive for drugstore — Olay Super Serum”
    • “expensive — Olay Super Serum Night Repair”
    • “small quantity (0.5 oz) — Olay Eye Lifting Serum”
    • “tiny tube — Paula's Choice 10% Azelaic Acid Booster”
  • Packaging Issues and Flaws Sometimes NotedOften Mentioned
    • “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”
    • “hard to dispense — Olay Super Serum”
  • Unpleasant Smell and Scent Issues Often MentionedRarely Noted
    • “smells like plastic — Olay Retinol24”
    • “Smells like plastic — Olay Regenerist Retinol 24 Night Moisturizer”
    • “too perfumey — Olay Vitamin C Serum”
    • “smells like grain — Paula's Choice 10% Azelaic Acid Booster”

Paula's Choice vs Olay routines for dry skin

Buy Paula's Choice routine · SAR 1,588.72 · 79% fitBuy Olay routine · SAR 1,177.59 · 74% fitSee multi-brand routine · 96% fit

Paula's Choice vs Olay routines for oily skin

Buy Paula's Choice routine · SAR 1,883.71 · 89% fitBuy Olay routine · SAR 1,429.16 · 84% fitSee multi-brand routine · 97% fit

Paula's Choice vs Olay routines for combination skin

Buy Paula's Choice routine · SAR 1,601.99 · 89% fitBuy Olay routine · SAR 1,320.33 · 83% fitSee multi-brand routine · 97% fit

Questions and answers

Paula's Choice or Olay: which is better?

Both brands offer solid options, but Paula's Choice edges ahead for targeted anti-aging and brightening benefits, whereas Olay tends to be better for intense hydration at a lower price point. For dry skin, the products on this page provide High routine fit with Paula's Choice and Average fit with Olay.

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

Paula's Choice delivers superior results for dry skin routines on this page compared to Olay's average routine fit. Reviewers note that Olay provides more intense hydration, while Paula's Choice excels in brightening and even tone.

Paula's Choice or Olay for dry skin?

Paula's Choice is a better option for dry skin because the routine fit on this page is High, compared to Olay's Average fit level.

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

Paula's Choice is better for your cleanser choice if you have dry skin, where it achieves a High Lovi fit compared to Olay's Average fit. The products on this page help cleanse while keeping hydration balanced.

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

Olay is more affordable, as the products on this page help shoppers avoid the high price point associated with Paula's Choice.

Paula's Choice or Olay: which brand is better for anti-aging and firming?

Both Paula's Choice and Olay are equal for anti-aging and firming. The products on this page help improve aging skin with key ingredients like retinol, vitamin C, and peptides.

The Journal of Investigative Dermatology, 2000Archives of Dermatology, 2007

Do Paula's Choice products contain fragrance?

Every product on the Paula's Choice page lists no fragrance in its ingredients.

Which brand performs better for glow, brightening and even tone?

Paula's Choice performs better for glow, brightening and even tone. Its formulations leverage ingredients like niacinamide, which helps reduce cutaneous pigmentation and suppress melanosome transfer.

The British Journal of Dermatology, 2002Antioxidants, 2021

Paula's Choice or Olay for oily skin?

Both Paula's Choice and Olay fit oily skin with a High level, making either brand a solid choice. Paula's Choice offers fragrance-free formulations across the products on this page.

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

Both Paula's Choice and Olay offer moisturizers that are well suited for various skin types, but Olay stands out for intense and deep hydration. Olay's Regenerist Ultra Rich Hydrating Moisturizer achieves a superior fit level for dry skin.

Paula's Choice or Olay for sensitive skin?

Both Paula's Choice and Olay achieve a High routine fit level for sensitive skin. Paula's Choice formulas on this page list no fragrance, while Olay includes fragrance in one of its products.

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

Paula's Choice offers Youth-Extending Daily Hydrating Fluid SPF 50, which has a High fit level for dry skin, combination skin, and dry sensitive skin, and an Average fit for other skin types. Olay provides Regenerist Whip Face Moisturizer SPF 25 and Complete All Day Moisturizer SPF 15, with the former showing a High fit across all listed skin types.

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

Both Paula's Choice and Olay fit acne-prone skin well, as the products on this page for both brands achieve High fit levels for this skin type. Paula's Choice focuses particularly on acne-prone skin in its brand routines, and its active ingredients like salicylic acid help target breakouts effectively.

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

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