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Paula's Choice vs Aēsop

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

Paula's Choice and Aēsop are two distinct skincare lines offering thoughtful solutions for varied complexions. Paula's Choice is an American brand founded in 1995 and owned by Unilever since 2021, providing serums, cleansers, moisturizers, toners, and more built around hyaluronic acid, glycerin, and vitamin c that suit dry skin and oily acne-prone skin best. Aēsop is widely loved for its thoughtfully formulated moisturizers, cleansers, and serums driven by botanical and scientifically validated ingredients, suiting balanced, combination, and sensitive skin best. While both brands feature targeted treatments for specific concerns like acne, dark spots, and mature skin, they differ fundamentally in their ingredient philosophies and ideal skin types.

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 Aēsop products; for every product of both brands, with a fit score for your own skin, use the Lovi app.

Popular Paula's Choice vs Aēsop products

People Say

Paula's ChoiceAēsop
  • Lightweight and fast-absorbing Mostly MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “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”
    • “absorbs instantly — Paula's Choice C15 Super Booster”
    • “absorbs well into the skin — Aēsop Damascan Rose Facial Treatment”
  • Improves texture and smoothness Mostly MentionedNot 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”
  • Deep hydration and skin rescue Not notedMostly Mentioned
    • “woke up with baby-soft skin — Aēsop Damascan Rose Facial Treatment”
    • “Savior of my winter-fueled dry skin. — Aēsop B Triple C Facial Balancing Gel”
    • “delivers deep hydration that really fills your skin — Aēsop Parsley Seed Anti-Oxidant Intense Serum”
  • Glow, radiance and brightening Mostly MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “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”
    • “Skin appears to be brighter, more radiant. — Aēsop B Triple C Facial Balancing Gel”
  • Reduces redness and soothes skin Rarely NotedOften Mentioned
    • “Reduces inflammation overnight. — Aēsop B Triple C Facial Balancing Gel”
    • “my small blemishes noticeably diminished — Aēsop Parsley Seed Anti-Oxidant Intense Serum”
    • “calmed redness immediately — Paula's Choice 10% Azelaic Acid Booster”
  • Pleasant scent Rarely NotedOften Mentioned
    • “smells divine — Aēsop Damascan Rose Facial Treatment”
    • “Soft herbal scent that feels fresh and floral. — Aēsop Parsley Seed Facial Cleanser”
    • “Doesn't smell at all — Paula's Choice 25% Vitamin C + Glutathione Clinical Serum”
  • High price and small size Mostly MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “surprisingly small bottle — Paula's Choice Skin-Smoothing Retinol Body Treatment”
    • “tiny tube — Paula's Choice 10% Azelaic Acid Booster”
    • “Sooooo expensive — Paula's Choice 25% Vitamin C + Glutathione Clinical Serum”
    • “quantity is too small — Aēsop Damascan Rose Facial Treatment”
  • Sticky residue and pilling Rarely NotedOften Mentioned
    • “sticky, oily film — Paula's Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant”
    • “pills under makeup — Paula's Choice 10% Azelaic Acid Booster”
    • “feels sticky — Paula's Choice 10% Niacinamide Booster”
    • “Thick, almost honey-like, and needs a moment to melt in. — Aēsop B Triple C Facial Balancing Gel”
  • Unpleasant smell or scent dislike Often MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “smells like carrots — Aēsop Damascan Rose Facial Treatment”
    • “Nasty smell... would not buy again. — Aēsop Parsley Seed Facial Cleanser”
    • “smells like grain — Paula's Choice 10% Azelaic Acid Booster”
  • Packaging issues and leaks 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”
    • “The downside is the pump. — Aēsop Parsley Seed Facial Cleanser”

Questions and answers

Paula's Choice or Aēsop: which is better?

Paula's Choice offers a much wider range of products that target specific concerns like texture and brightening, while Aēsop focuses on deep hydration and soothing benefits. Paula's Choice fits dry skin, oily acne-prone skin, and mature skin best across its extensive product lineup.

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

Paula's Choice delivers lightweight, fast-absorbing formulas focused on smoothing texture and brightening skin, while Aēsop provides deep hydration and soothing benefits with refreshing scents. Reviewers note high prices for both brands, but Paula's Choice frequently draws mentions for sticky residue and packaging issues.

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

Paula's Choice offers a much wider selection of cleansers with superior fit levels across multiple skin types, such as the CLEAR Pore Normalizing Cleanser for oily and acne-prone skin. Aēsop features only a single cleanser on this page, the Parsley Seed Facial Cleanser, which has average to low fit levels for most skin types.

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

Both Paula's Choice and Aēsop feature high prices as a main drawback noted by reviewers, so neither stands out as the more affordable brand.

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

Paula's Choice offers a much wider range of products specifically targeted for acne-prone skin, with items like the CLEAR Pore Normalizing Cleanser rated as Superior for oily acne-prone skin. Reviewers indicate that Paula's Choice is better for lightweight and fast-absorbing care, while Aēsop excels in deep hydration and skin rescue.

Between Paula's Choice and Aēsop, which brand offers better options for reducing redness and soothing skin?

Aesop does better for reducing redness and soothing skin, as noted by reviewers. Review themes show that Aesop excels in reducing redness and soothing skin compared to Paula's Choice.

Which brand has products that reviewers note for having a pleasant scent, Paula's Choice or Aēsop?

Aēsop has products that reviewers note for having a pleasant scent, unlike Paula's Choice.

How do the founding years and current parent companies of Paula's Choice and Aēsop compare?

Paula's Choice was founded in the United States in 1995 and is owned by Unilever, whereas Aēsop was founded in 1987 and is owned by L'Oréal Groupe.

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

Paula's Choice offers a wide selection of moisturizers with varying Lovi fit levels for different skin types, whereas Aēsop features specific options like Damascan Rose Facial Treatment which has a High fit for dry and sensitive skin.

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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