🇬🇧United Kingdom

Paula's Choice vs BYOMA

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

Paula's Choice and BYOMA are distinct skincare brands designed to address diverse complexions. Paula's Choice relies on hyaluronic acid, glycerin, and vitamin c within serums, cleansers, moisturizers, and toners that suit oily skin and acne-prone skin best. Conversely, BYOMA harnesses the power of tri-ceramide and squalane across its moisturizers, toners, cleansers, and serums to support dry skin and sensitive skin best. While both brands offer targeted solutions for concerns like acne, dark spots, and aging, they differ fundamentally in their foundational ingredients and ideal skin types.

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

unilever.comtracxn.com

BYOMA is a British skincare brand founded in 2022 and owned by Bansk Group since 2025.

cosmeticsbusiness.com

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

Popular Paula's Choice vs BYOMA products

People Say

Paula's ChoiceBYOMA
  • Lightweight and fast-absorbing 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”
    • “Absorbs instantly — BYOMA Moisturizing Gel-Cream”
    • “sinks in quickly — BYOMA Brightening Serum”
  • Improves skin texture 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”
    • “Keeps my face soft and not oily — BYOMA Brightening Toner”
  • Non-irritating and gentle Often MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “doesn't strip skin — BYOMA Creamy Jelly Cleanser”
    • “no irritation at all — BYOMA Sensitive Retinol Oil”
    • “great for sensitive skin — BYOMA Balancing Face Mist”
    • “Finally a vitamin C product I can use — Paula's Choice 25% Vitamin C + Glutathione Clinical Serum”
  • Reduces redness and soothes Sometimes NotedOften Mentioned
    • “healed my skin barrier — BYOMA Hydrating Milky Toner”
    • “skin feels soft — BYOMA Brightening Serum”
    • “calming and soothing ingredients — BYOMA Balancing Face Mist”
    • “calmed redness immediately — Paula's Choice 10% Azelaic Acid Booster”
  • Deep hydration Not notedOften Mentioned
    • “skin feels so hydrated — BYOMA Hydrating Milky Toner”
    • “feels refreshing on the skin — BYOMA Balancing Face Mist”
    • “Skin feels soft — BYOMA Moisturizing Rich Cream”
  • Unclogs pores and clears acne Often MentionedRarely Noted
    • “cleared my bumps — Paula's Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant”
    • “Helped clear my cystic acne — Paula's Choice CLEAR Pore Normalizing Cleanser”
    • “heals blemishes faster — Paula's Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant”
    • “breakouts are nearly non existent — BYOMA Clarifying Serum”
  • Packaging issues Sometimes NotedMostly Mentioned
    • “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”
    • “Opening is huge — BYOMA Brightening Toner”
  • High price and value issues Mostly MentionedNot noted
    • “tiny tube — Paula's Choice 10% Azelaic Acid Booster”
  • Unpleasant smell or scent Often MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “has a weird chemically smell — BYOMA Milky Moisture Cleanser”
    • “smell is annoying — BYOMA Milky Oil Cleanser”
    • “smells like plastic — BYOMA Creamy Jelly Cleanser”
    • “smells like grain — Paula's Choice 10% Azelaic Acid Booster”

Paula's Choice vs BYOMA routines for dry skin

Buy BYOMA routine · £104.93 · 94% fitBuy Paula's Choice routine · £210.78 · 86% fitSee multi-brand routine · 99% fit

Paula's Choice vs BYOMA routines for oily skin

Buy Paula's Choice routine · £280.77 · 92% fitBuy BYOMA routine · £168.03 · 86% fitSee multi-brand routine · 97% fit

Paula's Choice vs BYOMA routines for combination skin

Buy Paula's Choice routine · £235.40 · 90% fitBuy BYOMA routine · £114.71 · 85% fitSee multi-brand routine · 96% fit

Questions and answers

Paula's Choice or BYOMA: which is better?

Paula's Choice is better for oily and acne-prone skin, while BYOMA is better for dry and sensitive skin. Reviewers note that BYOMA helps strengthen the skin barrier with ceramide-dominant formulations, whereas Paula's Choice is often noted for targeting signs of aging and clearing pores.

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

Paula's Choice fits oily, acne-prone, and mature skin with a Superior routine, while BYOMA fits dry and sensitive skin with a Superior routine.

Paula's Choice or BYOMA for dry skin?

For dry skin, BYOMA offers a Superior routine fit, while Paula's Choice provides a High routine fit. BYOMA may help strengthen the skin barrier with ceramide-dominant ingredients, whereas Paula's Choice focuses heavily on targeted treatments like chemical exfoliants.

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

Paula's Choice is better for oily and acne-prone skin, with cleansers like the CLEAR Pore Normalizing Cleanser showing Superior fit levels. BYOMA is better for dry and sensitive skin, featuring options like the Milky Moisture Cleanser that have a Superior fit.

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

BYOMA has high price and value issues according to reviewers, while Paula's Choice is also noted for its high price.

Which brand has better performance for improving skin texture, Paula's Choice or BYOMA?

Paula's Choice performs better for improving skin texture.

Paula's Choice or BYOMA for oily skin?

Paula's Choice is better for oily skin, offering superior Lovi fit levels across its targeted products on this page. BYOMA also performs well for this skin type with a high Lovi fit.

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

Paula's Choice moisturizers are a better fit for oily and acne-prone skin, while BYOMA is better for dry and sensitive skin. Ceramides in BYOMA help strengthen the skin barrier.

Paula's Choice or BYOMA for sensitive skin?

Both brands offer a high fit for sensitive skin, with Lovi rating Paula's Choice as Superior and BYOMA as Superior as well. Reviewers note that BYOMA is particularly non-irritating, gentle, and soothing.

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

Paula's Choice is a better fit for acne-prone skin, offering a Superior routine fit compared to BYOMA's High fit on the products on this page.

Paula's Choice or BYOMA for dry sensitive skin?

For dry sensitive skin, Lovi rates BYOMA as a Superior fit and Paula's Choice as a High fit. BYOMA may be better suited here because its products focus on deep hydration and barrier repair with ingredients like ceramides.

Paula's Choice or BYOMA for mature skin?

Paula's Choice offers a Superior routine fit for mature skin, while BYOMA provides a High fit. Paula's Choice features targeted anti-aging treatments containing retinol that help stimulate collagen accumulation in naturally aged human skin.

The Journal of Investigative Dermatology, 2000

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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