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CeraVe vs Paula's Choice

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

CeraVe and Paula's Choice are American skincare brands that offer cleansers, moisturizers, serums, and more, harnessing ingredients like hyaluronic acid and glycerin. Both brands suit acne-prone skin best, while the first brand also suits dry skin and the second brand suits oily skin. Paula's Choice is known for vitamin C, whereas CeraVe features formulations that soothe specific concerns like dark spots and mature skin. Ultimately, they differ in their founding dates, corporate owners, and targeted routines.

CeraVe is an American skincare brand founded in 2005 and owned by L'Oréal since 2017.

en.wikipedia.orghappi.comloreal-finance.comcerave.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 CeraVe and Paula's Choice products; for every product of both brands, with a fit score for your own skin, use the Lovi app.

Popular CeraVe vs Paula's Choice products

People Say

CeraVePaula's Choice
  • Texture and Lightweight Feel Mostly MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “Absorbs into skin without residue — CeraVe Daily Moisturizing Lotion”
    • “Sinks right into your skin — CeraVe PM Facial Moisturizing Lotion”
    • “Absorbs quickly and leaves no greasy residue behind. — Paula's Choice Clear Oil-Free Moisturizer”
    • “absorbs instantly — Paula's Choice C15 Super Booster”
  • Fragrance-Free and Gentle Formulas Mostly MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “doesn't leave face tight — CeraVe Hydrating Facial Cleanser”
    • “no burning sensation — CeraVe Resurfacing Retinol Serum”
    • “No scent, no irritation — CeraVe Moisturising Cream”
    • “Finally a vitamin C product I can use — Paula's Choice 25% Vitamin C + Glutathione Clinical Serum”
  • Acne and Oil Control Sometimes NotedMostly Mentioned
    • “cleared my bumps — Paula's Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant”
    • “Helped clear my cystic acne — Paula's Choice CLEAR Pore Normalizing Cleanser”
    • “pores look smaller — Paula's Choice 10% Niacinamide Booster”
    • “dialed back oiliness — CeraVe Foaming Facial Cleanser”
  • Hydration and Moisture Mostly MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “Saved my dry winter skin — CeraVe Moisturising Cream”
    • “woke up with plump skin — CeraVe Skin Renewing Night Cream”
    • “cured my dry patches — CeraVe Eye Repair Cream”
    • “Provides an internal level of hydration without leaving any heavy finish. — Paula's Choice Skin Balancing Pore-Reducing Toner”
  • Skin Texture Improvement Sometimes NotedMostly Mentioned
    • “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”
    • “smoother complexion — CeraVe Resurfacing Retinol Serum”
  • Skin Tone and Mark Correction Rarely NotedSometimes Noted
    • “acne scars faded — Paula's Choice 10% Azelaic Acid Booster”
    • “calmed redness immediately — Paula's Choice 10% Azelaic Acid Booster”
    • “spots barely visible — Paula's Choice Skin-Smoothing Retinol Body Treatment”
    • “lightened dark spots — CeraVe Resurfacing Retinol Serum”
  • Price Point Concerns Rarely NotedMostly Mentioned
    • “expensive Vaseline — CeraVe Healing Ointment”
    • “tiny tube — Paula's Choice 10% Azelaic Acid Booster”
  • Packaging Issues Often MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “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”
    • “no safety seal included — CeraVe Skin Renewing Night Cream”
  • Breakouts and Purging Sometimes NotedSometimes Noted
    • “Gave me cystic acne — CeraVe Moisturising Cream”
    • “gave me closed comedones — CeraVe Hydrating Facial Cleanser”
    • “skin purged — Paula's Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant”
    • “caused cystic acne — Paula's Choice 10% Niacinamide Booster”

CeraVe vs Paula's Choice routines for dry skin

Buy CeraVe routine · £78.52 · 89% fitBuy Paula's Choice routine · £210.78 · 86% fitSee multi-brand routine · 99% fit

CeraVe vs Paula's Choice routines for oily skin

Buy Paula's Choice routine · £280.77 · 92% fitBuy CeraVe routine · £185.98 · 84% fitSee multi-brand routine · 97% fit

CeraVe vs Paula's Choice routines for combination skin

Buy Paula's Choice routine · £235.40 · 90% fitBuy CeraVe routine · £145.74 · 87% fitSee multi-brand routine · 96% fit

Questions and answers

CeraVe or Paula's Choice: which is better?

CeraVe and Paula's Choice both perform well, with CeraVe offering better fragrance-free and gentle formulas as well as deep hydration, while Paula's Choice provides superior acne and oil control, skin texture improvement, and skin tone and mark correction.

The British Journal of Dermatology, 2002

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

Paula's Choice offers a Superior routine fit for oily, combination, mature, and dark spot-prone skin on the products on this page, while CeraVe provides a High fit for those types with generally lower price points. Both brands feature fragrance-free formulations, but Paula's Choice excels in skin texture improvement and acne control.

CeraVe or Paula's Choice for dry skin?

Both CeraVe and Paula's Choice achieve a High Lovi routine fit for dry skin, though they differ in price and formulation highlights. CeraVe offers fragrance-free moisturizers that reviewers mention for deep hydration, while Paula's Choice utilizes key ingredients like hyaluronic acid and glycerin across the products on this page.

Dermatologic Therapy, 2022

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

Both CeraVe and Paula's Choice offer cleansers with a Superior fit for acne-prone and oily skin on this page, but CeraVe provides a gentler, non-stripping cleanse.

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

CeraVe is more affordable, whereas Paula's Choice is often noted for high price point concerns among reviewers on the products on this page.

Which brand performs better for mature skin and skin with dark spots?

Paula's Choice performs better for mature skin and skin with dark spots, as Lovi rates its routine fit as Superior for mature skin and Superior for dark spots, compared to High for CeraVe in both categories.

How do the fragrance-free and gentle formulas compare between CeraVe and Paula's Choice?

Both CeraVe and Paula's Choice list no fragrance in the ingredients of the products on this page. However, Lovi ranks CeraVe better for fragrance-free and gentle formulas.

What are the common packaging and pricing complaints reported by reviewers for each brand?

Reviewers note packaging issues for CeraVe, alongside price point concerns. For Paula's Choice, reviewers frequently mention high price and packaging issues.

CeraVe or Paula's Choice for oily skin?

Paula's Choice is a Superior fit for oily skin, whereas CeraVe offers a High routine fit on the products on this page. Reviewers note that Paula's Choice does better for acne and oil control.

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

CeraVe offers better moisturizers on this page for hydration and dry skin, while Paula's Choice is better suited for acne and oil control. CeraVe also provides fragrance-free moisturizers with superior healing and texture.

CeraVe or Paula's Choice for sensitive skin?

For sensitive skin, both CeraVe and Paula's Choice achieve a High fit level on this page. CeraVe does better for fragrance-free and gentle formulas, while Paula's Choice is also well regarded.

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

Both brands offer solid sunscreen options on this page, with CeraVe achieving a High fit for dry skin and Paula's Choice providing a High fit for dry skin as well. CeraVe features fragrance-free formulas, while Paula's Choice tends to have a higher price point.

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

Both CeraVe and Paula's Choice have a Superior fit for acne-prone skin on the products on this page. CeraVe features gentle cleansers and acne treatments with ceramides, while Paula's Choice provides targeted exfoliants like salicylic acid that help manage oil and blemishes.

The Journal of Investigative Dermatology, 2013

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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