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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 skincare brands known for formulas built around targeted ingredients like niacinamide, salicylic acid, glycerin, and vitamin C across serums, cleansers, toners, and moisturizers. Both options suit dry skin, while the Korean brand best serves skin with dark spots and the American brand fits oily acne-prone skin. They differ in their founding eras, corporate ownership, and specific active ingredients that decrease hyperpigmentation, reduce acne lesions, and increase skin hydration.

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 Paula's Choice routine · S$289.57 · 95% fitBuy Some By Mi routine · S$102.62 · 91% fitSee multi-brand routine · 99% fit

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

Buy Paula's Choice routine · S$531.12 · 91% fitBuy Some By Mi routine · S$135.66 · 86% fitSee multi-brand routine · 96% fit

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

Buy Paula's Choice routine · S$393.15 · 92% fitBuy Some By Mi routine · S$135.66 · 87% fitSee multi-brand routine · 97% fit

Questions and answers

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

Both brands offer great options, but Paula's Choice has a Superior fit for oily, combination, acne-prone, and mature skin, while Some By Mi matches it for dry and sensitive skin. Reviewers note that Some By Mi tends to be gentler and more affordable, whereas Paula's Choice is often preferred for texture smoothing and lightweight formulas.

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

Some By Mi is more budget-friendly and tends to offer gentler, more hydrating formulas, while Paula's Choice is pricier and often provides superior texture smoothing and anti-aging results. Both brands help brighten the complexion and clear acne, but Paula's Choice achieves a Superior fit level for oily, combination, acne-prone, and mature skin compared to Some By Mi's High fit level for those types.

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

Both Some By Mi and Paula's Choice achieve a Superior routine fit for dry skin. Reviewers note that Some By Mi helps with hydration and moisture, while Paula's Choice helps with texture smoothing.

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

Both Some By Mi and Paula's Choice offer cleansers that help with deep pore cleansing, but reviewers note that Some By Mi cleansers may sometimes cause drying or stripping effects, whereas Paula's Choice cleansers rate as Superior for oily acne-prone skin.

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

Paula's Choice has a high price point while Some By Mi has a high price point, but reviews note high price and packaging issues mostly for Paula's Choice.

Between Some By Mi and Paula's Choice, which brand has better anti-aging serums?

Paula's Choice offers better anti-aging serums, featuring advanced retinoids and potent antioxidants like vitamin C that help improve skin texture and reduce signs of aging.

The Journal of Investigative Dermatology, 2000Antioxidants, 2021

How do the key ingredients of Some By Mi and Paula's Choice compare across their products?

Some By Mi features Niacinamide, Centella asiatica, and Salicylic acid across the products on this page. Paula's Choice uses Hyaluronic acid, Glycerin, Vitamin C, Licorice root, Niacinamide, Salicylic acid, Green tea, and Vitamin E.

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

For hydration and moisture, Some By Mi performs better than Paula's Choice according to the review themes.

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

Paula's Choice is a better fit for oily skin, offering a Superior routine compared to the High routine of Some By Mi. Reviewers note that Paula's Choice delivers smooth texture and anti-aging serums, which helps manage oily skin concerns effectively.

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

Some By Mi is better for hydration and moisture, whereas Paula's Choice is better for texture smoothing. Both brands offer products on this page with no fragrance in their ingredients.

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

Both Some By Mi and Paula's Choice achieve a Superior routine fit for sensitive skin. Some By Mi stands out for offering a gentler formula, while Paula's Choice is noted for texture smoothing and lightweight, fast-absorbing products.

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

Both Some By Mi and Paula's Choice offer sunscreens that are a High fit for oily skin, acne-prone skin, and dry skin.

Some By Mi or Paula's Choice for acne-prone skin?

Paula's Choice is a better choice for acne-prone skin, as the products on this page achieve a Superior routine fit compared to the High fit of Some By Mi. Both brands utilize salicylic acid and niacinamide, which helps manage breakouts and reduce skin pigmentation.

The British Journal of Dermatology, 2002Antioxidants, 2021

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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