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Paula's Choice vs ISDIN

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

Paula's Choice and ISDIN are established skincare brands offering distinct approaches to daily care, with the American line founded in 1995 and the Spanish house established in 1975. Paula's Choice is known for its cleansers, toners, serums, and moisturizers built around glycerin, hyaluronic acid, and vitamin c, while ISDIN is loved for its advanced sunscreens, elegant moisturizers, restorative serums, and targeted eye products. Both brands suit dry skin best, though the former also fits oily acne-prone skin and the latter suits sensitive skin with gentle comfort. They differ primarily in their formulation focus and geographic origins, as the former relies on ingredients like glycerin to significantly increase skin hydration and restore barrier function while the latter unites thoughtfully balanced formulas for dependable daily protection.

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

unilever.comtracxn.com

ISDIN is a Spanish skincare brand founded in 1975 and owned by Puig.

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

Popular Paula's Choice vs ISDIN products

People Say

Paula's ChoiceISDIN
  • Texture and Lightweight Feel Mostly MentionedMostly 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 — ISDIN Eryfotona Actinica”
    • “ultra-light fluid product, which makes it super easy to apply — ISDIN Fusion Water”
  • Brightness, Tone and Anti-Aging Mostly MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “visible glow — Paula's Choice C15 Super Booster”
    • “skin looks plumper — Paula's Choice Pro-Collagen Multi-Peptide Booster”
    • “helps reduce swelling in the area of my under-eye bags — ISDIN K-Ox Eyes”
    • “Skin feels intensely hydrated — ISDIN Hyaluronic Concentrate”
  • Skin Texture Smoothing and Pores Mostly MentionedRarely Noted
    • “cleared my bumps — Paula's Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant”
    • “skin becomes very smooth — Paula's Choice 1% Retinol Treatment”
    • “pores look smaller — Paula's Choice 10% Niacinamide Booster”
    • “skin was much smoother — ISDIN Retinal Intense Serum”
  • Sensitive Skin and Gentle Care Often MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “Sensitive/reactive skin tolerates — ISDIN Hyaluronic Moisture”
    • “no excessive exfoliation — ISDIN Retinal Intense Serum”
    • “doesn't sting eyes — ISDIN Eryfotona Actinica”
    • “Finally a vitamin C product I can use — Paula's Choice 25% Vitamin C + Glutathione Clinical Serum”
  • Acne and Blemish Control Often MentionedNot noted
    • “Helped clear my cystic acne — Paula's Choice CLEAR Pore Normalizing Cleanser”
    • “heals blemishes faster — Paula's Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant”
    • “Removes all my makeup easily — Paula's Choice CLEAR Pore Normalizing Cleanser”
  • Makeup Compatibility and Finish Not notedOften Mentioned
    • “doesn't leave you white as a ghost — ISDIN Fusion Water”
    • “acts like a primer — ISDIN Eryfotona Actinica”
    • “dries down matte — ISDIN Eryfotona Actinica”
  • High Price and Value Issues Mostly MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “tiny tube — Paula's Choice 10% Azelaic Acid Booster”
    • “Sooooo expensive — Paula's Choice 25% Vitamin C + Glutathione Clinical Serum”
    • “very expensive — ISDIN Eryfotona Actinica”
    • “My only wish is that ISDIN would make this product in a bigger size bottle. — ISDIN Fusion Water”
  • Unpleasant Smell or Scent Concerns Often MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “smells like grain — Paula's Choice 10% Azelaic Acid Booster”
    • “smells like hot dog water — Paula's Choice C15 Super Booster”
    • “smell is overpowering — ISDIN Eryfotona Actinica”
    • “lingering headache inducing effect — ISDIN K-Ox Eyes”
  • Packaging and Size Issues Often MentionedRarely Noted
    • “Pump stopped working — ISDIN Hyaluronic Concentrate”
    • “I like the actual product, but the packaging is awful, I've already lost three bottles the applicator pops off. — ISDIN Flavo-C Serum”
    • “surprisingly small bottle — Paula's Choice Skin-Smoothing Retinol Body Treatment”
  • Product Formula and Stability Issues Sometimes NotedSometimes Noted
    • “turned orange in weeks — Paula's Choice C15 Super Booster”
    • “Did not notice any difference in my pores. — Paula's Choice Skin Balancing Pore-Reducing Toner”
    • “did nothing — Paula's Choice 10% Niacinamide Booster”
    • “don't see result — ISDIN K-Ox Eyes”

Paula's Choice vs ISDIN routines for dry skin

Buy Paula's Choice routine · S$289.57 · 95% fitBuy ISDIN routine · S$466.19 · 93% fitSee multi-brand routine · 99% fit

Paula's Choice vs ISDIN routines for oily skin

Buy Paula's Choice routine · S$531.12 · 91% fitBuy ISDIN routine · S$700.11 · 91% fitSee multi-brand routine · 96% fit

Paula's Choice vs ISDIN routines for combination skin

Buy Paula's Choice routine · S$393.15 · 92% fitBuy ISDIN routine · S$562.14 · 92% fitSee multi-brand routine · 97% fit

Questions and answers

Paula's Choice or ISDIN: which is better?

Both brands offer an equal routine fit across all skin types, with Paula's Choice doing better for acne and pores, and ISDIN doing better for sensitive skin and lightweight sunscreens. Retinol helps reduce signs of skin aging.

The Journal of Investigative Dermatology, 2000

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

Paula's Choice does better for skin texture smoothing and pores as well as acne and blemish control, while ISDIN is better for sensitive skin and gentle care, makeup compatibility, and finish. Both brands offer products with no fragrance across parts of their ranges, but ISDIN has some products with strong fragrance.

Paula's Choice or ISDIN for dry skin?

Both Paula's Choice and ISDIN offer a Superior routine fit for dry skin, making them equally good options. Lovi finds that both brands have multiple products suited for dry skin, though Paula's Choice features fragrance-free formulas across the products on this page while ISDIN includes some fragranced items.

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

Both Paula's Choice and ISDIN offer effective moisturizers, with Paula's Choice providing a wider variety formulated without added fragrance across the products on this page. Ingredients like hyaluronic acid, which is found in both brands, help improve skin quality and signs of aging.

Dermatologic Therapy, 2022

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

Both brands face reviewer mentions regarding a high price point, so neither stands out as more affordable. Review themes show that both brands share similar value and price concerns.

Paula's Choice or ISDIN: which brand is better for sensitive skin and gentle care?

ISDIN does better for sensitive skin and gentle care, while every product on the Paula's Choice page lists no fragrance in its ingredients.

Paula's Choice or ISDIN: which has fewer issues with unpleasant smell or scent concerns?

Paula's Choice and ISDIN do equally well regarding issues with unpleasant smell or scent concerns, as both brands have equal levels. Every product on the Paula's Choice page lists no fragrance in its ingredients, whereas some ISDIN products include fragrance.

Paula's Choice or ISDIN: which brand has better options for acne and blemish control?

Paula's Choice does better than ISDIN for acne and blemish control. The products on this page for Paula's Choice provide strong options for treating acne and blemishes.

Paula's Choice or ISDIN for oily skin?

Both Paula's Choice and ISDIN achieve a Superior routine fit for oily skin. Paula's Choice features fragrance-free formulas, while ISDIN is noted for ultralight sunscreens.

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

Both Paula's Choice and ISDIN offer sunscreens that fit skin types at a Superior level on this page, with ISDIN particularly noted for its ultralight and makeup-friendly sunscreens. Paula's Choice sunscreens contain no added fragrance, whereas some ISDIN formulas include fragrance.

Paula's Choice or ISDIN for sensitive skin?

Both Paula's Choice and ISDIN achieve a Superior routine fit for sensitive skin. Reviewers note that ISDIN does better for sensitive skin and gentle care, while every product on the Paula's Choice page lists no fragrance.

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

Both Paula's Choice and ISDIN offer products that help with acne-prone skin, with Lovi rating the routine fit for this skin type as Superior for both brands. Paula's Choice does better for acne and blemish control across the products on this page.

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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