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Paula's Choice vs Biore

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

Paula's Choice and Biore are established skin care lines offering diverse daily essentials. The American brand features serums, cleansers, moisturizers, and toners built around hyaluronic acid, glycerin, and vitamin c, while the Japanese brand is beloved for its thoughtful sunscreens, cleansers, masks, and makeup removers driven by effective formulas. The former suits dry skin and oily acne-prone skin best, whereas its counterpart suits sensitive skin and combination skin best due to a gentle yet thorough nature. Ultimately, they differ through distinct active ingredients and formulation traditions.

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

unilever.comtracxn.com

Biore is a Japanese skincare brand founded in 1980 and owned by Kao Corporation.

biore.comkao.com

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

Popular Paula's Choice vs Biore products

People Say

Paula's ChoiceBiore
  • Lightweight and fast absorption Mostly MentionedOften 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”
    • “melts into skin — Biore UV Aqua Rich”
  • Pore cleansing and clarity Sometimes NotedMostly Mentioned
    • “Gets the gunk out — Biore Deep Cleansing Pore Strips”
    • “Face feels squeaky clean — Biore Deep Pore Charcoal Cleanser”
    • “Helped clear my blackheads — Biore Deep Pore Charcoal Cleanser”
    • “cleared my bumps — Paula's Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant”
  • Skin texture smoothing Mostly MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “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”
    • “Leaves skin feeling clean — Biore Deep Cleansing Pore Strips”
  • Non-irritating and gentle Often MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “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 — Paula's Choice CLEAR Pore Normalizing Cleanser”
    • “Leaves skin soft, doesn't dry out face. — Biore Makeup Remover Perfect Oil”
  • Excellent makeup base and removal Not notedOften Mentioned
    • “primer-like — Biore UV Aqua Rich”
    • “Removes waterproof mascara, eyeliner, foundation. — Biore Makeup Remover Perfect Oil”
  • Glow, radiance and brightening Often MentionedNot 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”
  • Unpleasant smell and strong scent Often MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “smells like grain — Paula's Choice 10% Azelaic Acid Booster”
    • “smells like hot dog water — Paula's Choice C15 Super Booster”
    • “smells like alcohol — Biore UV Aqua Rich”
    • “Smells like chemicals — Biore Deep Pore Charcoal Cleanser”
  • High price and small size Mostly MentionedNot noted
    • “surprisingly small bottle — Paula's Choice Skin-Smoothing Retinol Body Treatment”
  • Dryness, flaking and irritation Sometimes NotedOften Mentioned
    • “peeling and flaking — Paula's Choice 1% Retinol Treatment”
    • “dryness and scaliness — Paula's Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant”
    • “burnt skin off — Paula's Choice 1% Retinol Treatment”
    • “Made my skin peel — Biore Deep Pore Charcoal Cleanser”
  • Purging and breakouts Sometimes NotedSometimes Noted
    • “caused cystic acne — Biore UV Aqua Rich”
    • “Caused breakouts, closed comedones, cystic acne. — Biore Makeup Remover Perfect Oil”
    • “skin purged — Paula's Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant”

Paula's Choice vs Biore routines for dry skin

Buy Paula's Choice routine · S$289.57 · 95% fitBuy Biore routine · S$278.56 · 84% fitSee multi-brand routine · 99% fit

Paula's Choice vs Biore routines for oily skin

Buy Paula's Choice routine · S$531.12 · 91% fitBuy Biore routine · S$481.95 · 86% fitSee multi-brand routine · 96% fit

Paula's Choice vs Biore routines for combination skin

Buy Paula's Choice routine · S$393.15 · 92% fitBuy Biore routine · S$343.98 · 87% fitSee multi-brand routine · 97% fit

Questions and answers

Paula's Choice or Biore: which is better?

Paula's Choice is better for overall effectiveness and skin smoothing, while Biore is better for pore cleansing and makeup removal. Lovi rates the routine fit for Paula's Choice as Superior across all skin types, whereas Biore achieves a High routine fit for all skin types.

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

Paula's Choice is owned by Unilever and offers products on this page that feature key ingredients like hyaluronic acid, glycerin, vitamin C, and niacinamide, while Biore is owned by Kao Corporation and focuses on products such as sunscreen, pore strips, and cleansers. Reviewers note that the products on this page from Paula's Choice excel in lightweight absorption, texture smoothing, and brightening, whereas Biore does better with pore cleansing, clarity, and makeup removal.

Paula's Choice or Biore for dry skin?

Paula's Choice is better for dry skin, as Lovi rates its routine as Superior compared to Biore's High. Reviewers note that Paula's Choice helps smooth skin texture, though it may cause dryness and flaking.

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

Paula's Choice offers cleansers on this page that are a Superior fit for oily acne-prone skin, oily skin, and acne-prone skin. Biore cleansers on this page feature an average fit for oily skin and oily acne-prone skin, while being a Low fit for sensitive, dry sensitive, and dry skin.

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

Biore is more affordable, as high price is mostly mentioned as a downside for the products on this page by reviewers of Paula's Choice.

Paula's Choice or Biore: which brand has been around longer and where were they founded?

Biore has been around longer, having been founded in Japan in 1980, whereas Paula's Choice was founded in the United States in 1995.

Paula's Choice or Biore: which brand has better review themes for lightweight and fast absorption?

Paula's Choice does better than Biore for review themes regarding lightweight and fast absorption.

Do products from Paula's Choice and Biore contain fragrance?

Every product on this page from both Paula's Choice and Biore lists no fragrance in its ingredients.

Paula's Choice or Biore for oily skin?

For oily skin, Paula's Choice is Lovi Superior, whereas Biore is Lovi High. The products on this page help provide gentle and effective care for oily skin types.

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

Paula's Choice offers Youth-Extending Daily Hydrating Fluid SPF 50, which Lovi rates as High for dry skin, combination skin, and dry sensitive skin, and Average for other skin types. Biore offers UV Aqua Rich, which Lovi rates as High for combination skin, Average for most skin types, Low for dry sensitive skin, and Caution for dry skin.

Paula's Choice or Biore for sensitive skin?

For sensitive skin, Lovi rates Paula's Choice as a Superior fit and Biore as a High fit, with Paula's Choice products on this page helping provide gentle care and smoother skin texture. Topical retinoids and antioxidants in these formulations help improve firmness and reduce oxidative stress.

The Journal of Investigative Dermatology, 2000Carcinogenesis, 2001

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

Paula's Choice is better for acne-prone skin because Lovi rates its routines as Superior compared to High for Biore. The products on this page help provide targeted care with key ingredients like salicylic acid and niacinamide.

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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