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Some By Mi vs Paula's Choice

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

Some By Mi and Paula's Choice are established skincare brands offering serums, cleansers, toners, and moisturizers. The Korean brand relies on niacinamide, centella asiatica, and salicylic acid, fitting sensitive skin and skin with dark spots best, whereas the American brand builds its formulas around hyaluronic acid, glycerin, and vitamin c for oily skin and combination skin. While both feature targeted top-rated products for acne-prone, dark spot, and mature skin, they differ in their foundational ingredients, with the first brand using salicylic acid to reduce acne lesions and the second using glycerin to increase skin hydration and restore barrier function.

Some By Mi is a Korean skincare brand founded in 2016 and owned by JKL Partners since 2021.

kedglobal.compreqin.comtracxn.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 Some By Mi and Paula's Choice products; for every product of both brands, with a fit score for your own skin, use the Lovi app.

Popular Some By Mi vs Paula's Choice products

People Say

Some By MiPaula's Choice
  • Texture Smoothing Often 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 never been this silky — Paula's Choice Skin-Smoothing Retinol Body Treatment”
    • “Skin became smoother — Some By Mi AHA-BHA-PHA 30 Days Miracle Toner”
  • Lightweight and Fast Absorbing Often 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”
    • “watery consistency — Paula's Choice 10% Niacinamide Booster”
    • “absorbs quickly — Some By Mi Yuja Niacin Brightening Moisture Gel Cream”
  • Brightening and Glow Often MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “Fades dark spots — Some By Mi Galactomyces Pure Vitamin C Glow Serum”
    • “skin looks visibly brighter — Some By Mi Yuja Niacin Anti Blemish Serum”
    • “visible glow — Paula's Choice C15 Super Booster”
    • “acne scars faded — Paula's Choice 10% Azelaic Acid Booster”
  • Gentle Formula Often MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “Zero irritation or redness — Some By Mi Retinol Intense Reactivating Serum”
    • “doesn't strip dry my skin — Some By Mi Super Matcha Pore Clean Clay Mask”
    • “Surprisingly gentle — Some By Mi AHA-BHA-PHA 30 Days Miracle Toner”
    • “Finally a vitamin C product I can use — Paula's Choice 25% Vitamin C + Glutathione Clinical Serum”
  • Acne and Blemish Control Often MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “Reduces pimples — Some By Mi AHA-BHA-PHA 30 Days Miracle Toner”
    • “cleared my cystic acne — Some By Mi AHA-BHA-PHA 30 Days Miracle Acne Clear Foam”
    • “Helped clear my cystic acne — Paula's Choice CLEAR Pore Normalizing Cleanser”
    • “heals blemishes faster — Paula's Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant”
  • Hydration and Moisture Often MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “Lasts 100 hours as claimed — Some By Mi Beta Panthenol Repair Cream”
    • “Absorbs quickly — Some By Mi Galactomyces Pure Vitamin C Glow Serum”
    • “lightweight texture — Some By Mi Retinol Intense Advanced Triple Action Eye Cream”
    • “Provides an internal level of hydration without leaving any heavy finish. — Paula's Choice Skin Balancing Pore-Reducing Toner”
  • Strong Scent and Fragrance Often MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “smells like grain — Paula's Choice 10% Azelaic Acid Booster”
    • “smells like hot dog water — Paula's Choice C15 Super Booster”
    • “weird glue-like smell — Paula's Choice Weightless Body Treatment 2% BHA”
    • “overwhelming citrus fragrance — Some By Mi V10 Hyal Air Fit Sunscreen”
  • High Price Point Rarely NotedMostly Mentioned
    • “expensive — Some By Mi Super Matcha Pore Clean Clay Mask”
    • “Too expensive for 50ml — Some By Mi Beta Panthenol Repair Cream”
    • “tiny tube — Paula's Choice 10% Azelaic Acid Booster”
  • Drying and Dehydration Often MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “not moisturizing enough — Some By Mi Yuja Niacin Brightening Moisture Gel Cream”
    • “Skin felt tight — Some By Mi AHA-BHA-PHA 30 Days Miracle Toner”
    • “peeling and flaking — Paula's Choice 1% Retinol Treatment”
    • “Not hydrating enough for winter. — Paula's Choice Clear Oil-Free Moisturizer”

Some By Mi vs Paula's Choice routines for dry skin

Buy Some By Mi routine · SAR 1,130.72 · 84% fitBuy Paula's Choice routine · SAR 1,588.72 · 79% fitSee multi-brand routine · 96% fit

Some By Mi vs Paula's Choice routines for oily skin

Buy Paula's Choice routine · SAR 1,883.71 · 89% fitBuy Some By Mi routine · SAR 1,138.39 · 87% fitSee multi-brand routine · 97% fit

Some By Mi vs Paula's Choice routines for combination skin

Buy Paula's Choice routine · SAR 1,601.99 · 89% fitBuy Some By Mi routine · SAR 1,118.78 · 87% fitSee multi-brand routine · 97% fit

Questions and answers

Some By Mi or Paula's Choice: which is better?

Both brands are great choices depending on your skin goals, as Some By Mi is a superior fit for sensitive skin, dry sensitive skin, and skin with dark spots, while Paula's Choice is often noted for texture smoothing and anti-aging serums. Reviewers mention that Some By Mi helps provide gentle formulas and hydration, whereas Paula's Choice tends to have a higher price point and packaging issues.

What is the difference between Some By Mi and Paula's Choice?

Some By Mi is a South Korean brand founded in 2016 that fits sensitive skin, skin with dark spots, and dry sensitive skin best, whereas Paula's Choice is a United States brand founded in 1995 that fits oily skin, combination skin, and acne-prone skin best. Reviewers note that Some By Mi is better for gentle formulas, hydration, and moisture, while Paula's Choice is better for smooth textures, lightweight and fast-absorbing products, but often has high prices and packaging issues.

Some By Mi or Paula's Choice for dry skin?

Both brands offer a High routine fit for dry skin. Reviewers note that Some By Mi provides better hydration and moisture, while Paula's Choice is known for smoothing textures.

Some By Mi or Paula's Choice: which cleanser is better?

Both brands offer effective cleansers, with Some By Mi featuring deep pore cleansing and Paula's Choice providing a strong lineup for oily skin types. Reviewers note that Some By Mi cleansers tend to be gentler, while Paula's Choice focuses on smooth textures and anti-aging benefits.

Which is more affordable, Some By Mi or Paula's Choice?

Some By Mi is more affordable, whereas Paula's Choice is noted for having a high price point.

Between Some By Mi and Paula's Choice, which brand is better suited for skin with dark spots?

Some By Mi is better suited for skin with dark spots, as Lovi rates its overall routine fit as Superior compared to High for Paula's Choice. Niacinamide, a key ingredient found in products across the Some By Mi range, helps reduce cutaneous pigmentation and suppress melanosome transfer.

The British Journal of Dermatology, 2002Antioxidants, 2021

How do the founding years and corporate ownership of Some By Mi and Paula's Choice compare?

Some By Mi was founded in South Korea in 2016 and has been owned by JKL Partners since 2021, whereas Paula's Choice was founded in the United States in 1995 and is owned by Unilever as of 2021.

Which brand performs better for hydration and moisture according to reviewer themes?

Some By Mi performs better for hydration and moisture according to reviewer themes.

Some By Mi or Paula's Choice for oily skin?

Both Some By Mi and Paula's Choice fit oily skin at a High level on this page. Reviewers note that Paula's Choice delivers smoother textures and lightweight, fast-absorbing serums, while Some By Mi tends to offer gentler formulas and higher hydration.

Some By Mi or Paula's Choice: which moisturizer is better?

Both brands offer effective moisturizers, but neither brand page features a direct head-to-head comparison to declare one universally better than the other. Shoppers generally find Some By Mi better for hydration and moisture, while Paula's Choice is often noted for texture smoothing and anti-aging serums.

Some By Mi or Paula's Choice for sensitive skin?

Some By Mi fits sensitive skin better, as Lovi rates its routine as Superior while Paula's Choice is High. Reviewers note that Some By Mi offers a gentler formula, whereas Paula's Choice is often noted for a strong scent and fragrance.

Some By Mi or Paula's Choice: which sunscreen is better?

Both brands offer sunscreens on this page, but neither page provides a direct comparison or fit rating for them to determine which is better.

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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