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Cetaphil vs Paula's Choice

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

Cetaphil and Paula's Choice are American skincare brands that offer thoughtful cleansers, moisturizers, serums, sunscreens, toners, and more. The brand founded in 1947 features glycerin, niacinamide, and panthenol to suit combination skin and sensitive skin best, while the brand founded in 1995 utilizes hyaluronic acid, glycerin, and vitamin c to fit oily skin and acne-prone skin best. Both brands differ in their formulations and ideal skin types, though they share a dedication to effective ingredients like glycerin.

Cetaphil is an American skincare brand founded in 1947 and owned by Galderma Group AG.

en.wikipedia.orgcetaphil.co.uk

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 Cetaphil and Paula's Choice products; for every product of both brands, with a fit score for your own skin, use the Lovi app.

Popular Cetaphil vs Paula's Choice products

People Say

CetaphilPaula's Choice
  • Gentle on sensitive skin Mostly MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “The only thing my reactive skin tolerates. — Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser”
    • “No breakouts since switching to this. — Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser”
    • “cleans without stripping — Cetaphil Daily Facial Cleanser”
    • “Finally a vitamin C product I can use — Paula's Choice 25% Vitamin C + Glutathione Clinical Serum”
  • Lightweight and non-greasy absorption Often MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “absorbs instantly — Cetaphil Moisturizing Lotion”
    • “Absorbs quickly into skin without residue — Cetaphil Daily Hydrating Lotion”
    • “Absorbs quickly and leaves no greasy residue behind. — Paula's Choice Clear Oil-Free Moisturizer”
    • “absorbs instantly — Paula's Choice C15 Super Booster”
  • Hydration and moisture Mostly MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “cleared up flaky skin — Cetaphil Moisturizing Cream”
    • “healed my dry patches — Cetaphil Moisturising Cream”
    • “Leaves my face feeling soft, not tight. — Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser”
    • “Provides an internal level of hydration without leaving any heavy finish. — Paula's Choice Skin Balancing Pore-Reducing Toner”
  • Skin smoothing and texture Rarely NotedMostly 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 felt softer after one use — Cetaphil Gentle Exfoliating SA Cleanser”
  • Oil control and acne reduction Rarely 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”
    • “bumps be gone — Paula's Choice Weightless Body Treatment 2% BHA”
    • “Removes excess oil without drying. — Cetaphil Oily Skin Cleanser”
  • Brightening and complexion Rarely NotedSometimes Noted
    • “visible glow — Paula's Choice C15 Super Booster”
    • “Discoloration almost gone — Paula's Choice 25% Vitamin C + Glutathione Clinical Serum”
    • “immediate glow — Paula's Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant”
    • “skin looks more radiant — Cetaphil Vitamin C Serum”
  • Unpleasant smells Often MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “Overpowering masking fragrance — Cetaphil Gentle Cleansing Bar”
    • “smells like masking fragrance — Cetaphil Daily Facial Cleanser”
    • “smells like grain — Paula's Choice 10% Azelaic Acid Booster”
    • “smells like hot dog water — Paula's Choice C15 Super Booster”
  • High price point Rarely NotedMostly Mentioned
    • “expensive for drugstore — Cetaphil Moisturizing Cream”
    • “tiny tube — Paula's Choice 10% Azelaic Acid Booster”
  • Caused breakouts and purging Rarely NotedSometimes Noted
    • “caused whiteheads — Cetaphil Moisturizing Lotion”
    • “Broke me out bad — Cetaphil Gentle Exfoliating SA Cleanser”
    • “caused small bumps — Cetaphil Moisturising Cream”
    • “skin purged — Paula's Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant”

Cetaphil vs Paula's Choice routines for dry skin

Buy Paula's Choice routine · £210.78 · 86% fitBuy Cetaphil routine · £92.66 · 83% fitSee multi-brand routine · 99% fit

Cetaphil vs Paula's Choice routines for oily skin

Buy Paula's Choice routine · £280.77 · 92% fitBuy Cetaphil routine · £191.77 · 84% fitSee multi-brand routine · 97% fit

Cetaphil vs Paula's Choice routines for combination skin

Buy Paula's Choice routine · £235.40 · 90% fitBuy Cetaphil routine · £172.93 · 88% fitSee multi-brand routine · 96% fit

Questions and answers

Cetaphil or Paula's Choice: which is better?

Cetaphil is better for gentle, hydrating care on sensitive skin, while Paula's Choice is better for oil control, acne reduction, and skin smoothing with its targeted serums and exfoliants. Both brands provide high or superior routine fits across most skin types, but Cetaphil is more affordable whereas Paula's Choice focuses more on potent anti-aging and brightening ingredients like retinol and niacinamide.

The British Journal of Dermatology, 2002Antioxidants, 2021

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

Cetaphil is better for sensitive skin, hydration, and lower prices, whereas Paula's Choice is superior for oil control, acne reduction, and skin smoothing. Lovi fit for oily, combination, sensitive, acne-prone, mature skin, and dark spots is Superior for Paula's Choice and High for Cetaphil.

Cetaphil or Paula's Choice for dry skin?

Both brands offer a High routine fit for dry skin, so either makes a solid choice depending on your specific preferences. Cetaphil features products on this page that tend to be gentle and hydrating for dry types, whereas Paula's Choice provides targeted treatments backed by ingredients like hyaluronic acid to help maintain moisture.

Dermatologic Therapy, 2022

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

Cetaphil is better for gentle cleansing, offering products on the page like Gentle Skin Cleanser that fit sensitive skin well. Paula's Choice is better for oil control and acne reduction, providing options such as CLEAR Pore Normalizing Cleanser that have a superior fit for oily and acne-prone skin.

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

Cetaphil is more affordable than Paula's Choice, as high price points are noted as a drawback for Paula's Choice while Cetaphil is recognized for doing better with a lower price point.

Between Cetaphil and Paula's Choice, which brand is better for skin smoothing and texture?

Paula's Choice is better for skin smoothing and texture. Lovi rates Paula's Choice as Superior for mature skin, where the products on this page help improve skin texture and reduce signs of aging.

The Journal of Investigative Dermatology, 2000Archives of Dermatology, 2007

How do the foundation years and parent companies of Cetaphil and Paula's Choice compare?

Cetaphil was founded in 1947 in the United States and is owned by Galderma Group AG, whereas Paula's Choice was founded in 1995 in the United States and is owned by Unilever.

Which brand performs better for oil control and acne reduction according to the review themes?

Paula's Choice performs better for oil control and acne reduction.

Cetaphil or Paula's Choice for oily skin?

Paula's Choice is a better choice than Cetaphil for oily skin, achieving a Superior routine fit compared to Cetaphil's High level. The products on this page for Paula's Choice help with oil control and acne reduction, and feature key ingredients like salicylic acid and green tea.

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

Cetaphil is better for hydration and moisture, while the products on this page for Paula's Choice are better for oil control and acne reduction. Reviewers say that Cetaphil offers hydrating, non-greasy moisturizers, whereas Paula's Choice is often noted for a high price point.

Cetaphil or Paula's Choice for sensitive skin?

Both brands are great choices for sensitive skin, with Lovi fit levels of High for Cetaphil and Superior for Paula's Choice. Reviewers note that Cetaphil is especially gentle on sensitive skin, while Paula's Choice offers a wide range of fragrance-free products.

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

Cetaphil is better for sensitive skin since its Sheer Mineral Sunscreen SPF 50 has a Superior Lovi fit level for sensitive skin, compared to Paula's Choice Youth-Extending Daily Hydrating Fluid SPF 50 which has an Average fit. Cetaphil also helps offer a higher overall fit level for sensitive skin sunscreens on the products on this page.

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

Paula's Choice is better for acne-prone skin, as Lovi rates its routine as Superior compared to Cetaphil's High. Reviewers note that Paula's Choice excels in oil control and acne reduction.

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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