🇬🇧United Kingdom

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 skincare brands offering distinct approaches to daily maintenance. Paula's Choice features serums, cleansers, moisturizers, toners, and more, built around hyaluronic acid, glycerin, and vitamin c, suiting oily skin and acne-prone skin best. Meanwhile, the Japanese brand is beloved for its thoughtful range of sunscreens, cleansers, masks, and makeup removers, all driven by effective formulas that suit sensitive skin and combination skin best. While both deliver reliable daily care, they differ in their key formulations and targeted skin needs.

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 · £210.78 · 86% fitBuy Biore routine · £140.14 · 84% fitSee multi-brand routine · 99% fit

Paula's Choice vs Biore routines for oily skin

Buy Paula's Choice routine · £280.77 · 92% fitBuy Biore routine · £235.68 · 88% fitSee multi-brand routine · 97% fit

Paula's Choice vs Biore routines for combination skin

Buy Paula's Choice routine · £235.40 · 90% fitBuy Biore routine · £217.77 · 89% fitSee multi-brand routine · 96% fit

Questions and answers

Paula's Choice or Biore: which is better?

Paula's Choice is generally better for oily, acne-prone, and mature skin types, where Lovi rates its routine fit as Superior compared to Biore's High. Reviewers note that the products on this page offer lightweight absorption and smoothing effects, though they can sometimes come with a high price.

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

Paula's Choice offers a much wider selection of targeted products on this page and tends to excel in smoothing skin texture, reducing dark spots, and brightening. Biore focuses more on cleansing pores and providing great makeup removal options with products on this page. Lovi shows that Paula's Choice achieves a Superior fit for oily, acne-prone, mature skin and skin with dark spots, while Biore reaches a High fit for those same skin types.

Paula's Choice or Biore for dry skin?

Both Paula's Choice and Biore fit dry skin equally well, as Lovi rates the routine fit for both brands as High.

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

Paula's Choice offers a better cleanser option on this page, achieving a Superior routine fit for oily skin, oily acne-prone skin, and acne-prone skin. Biore provides a Deep Pore Charcoal Cleanser that achieves an Average routine fit for oily skin and oily acne-prone skin.

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

Biore is noted for having issues with high price and small size among the products on this page.

Which brand performs better for skin texture smoothing, Paula's Choice or Biore?

Paula's Choice performs better for skin texture smoothing. Review themes show that Paula's Choice is better for skin texture smoothing.

How do the founding years and corporate ownership of Paula's Choice and Biore compare?

Paula's Choice was founded in the United States in 1995 and has been owned by Unilever since 2021, whereas Biore was founded in Japan in 1980 and is owned by the Kao Corporation.

Between Paula's Choice and Biore, which brand is better for achieving a glow, radiance, and brightening?

Paula's Choice is better for achieving a glow, radiance, and brightening as review themes indicate it does better in this category. The products on this page list no fragrance in their ingredients.

Paula's Choice or Biore for oily skin?

Paula's Choice is better for oily skin, as Lovi rates its routine as Superior compared to Biore's High level.

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

Paula's Choice offers Youth-Extending Daily Hydrating Fluid SPF 50, which has a High fit level for dry skin, combination skin, and dry sensitive skin. Biore offers UV Aqua Rich, which has a High fit level for combination skin.

Paula's Choice or Biore for sensitive skin?

Both Paula's Choice and Biore fit sensitive skin with a Lovi fit level of Superior. The products on this page list no fragrance in their ingredients.

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

Paula's Choice fits acne-prone skin better than Biore, reaching a Superior routine fit level compared to Biore's High.

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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