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Paula's Choice vs Clarins

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

Paula's Choice and Clarins are established skincare brands from America and France that offer diverse formulations for varying complexions. The American brand features serums, cleansers, moisturizers, and toners built around hyaluronic acid, glycerin, and vitamin c, while the French brand is loved for luxurious moisturizers, potent serums, soothing eye products, and gentle toners enriched with shea and squalane. Both suit different needs best, as the former fits oily and acne-prone skin, whereas the latter suits sensitive and dry sensitive skin. Ultimately, they differ through their distinct ingredients and targeted treatments, where glycerin increases skin hydration and squalane increases collagen.

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

unilever.comtracxn.com

Clarins is a French skincare brand founded in 1954 and owned by Famille C (Groupe Clarins).

groupeclarins.comen.wikipedia.orghappi.com

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

Popular Paula's Choice vs Clarins products

People Say

Paula's ChoiceClarins
  • Lightweight and fast-absorbing formula 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”
    • “absorbs immediately — Clarins Double Serum Eye”
  • Glow and radiance Often MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “visible glow — Paula's Choice C15 Super Booster”
    • “acne scars faded — Paula's Choice 10% Azelaic Acid Booster”
    • “skin drinks it up — Clarins Double Serum”
    • “skin looks brighter immediately — Clarins Cryo-Flash Cream-Mask”
  • Texture smoothing and refinement 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”
    • “neck feels smoother — Clarins Extra-Firming Neck & Décolleté Cream”
  • Deep hydration and softness Not notedMostly Mentioned
    • “keeps skin moist — Clarins Multi-Active Jour”
    • “woke up with baby soft skin — Clarins Multi-Active Nuit”
    • “no more dry patches — Clarins Super Restorative Night Cream”
  • Anti-aging and firming results Sometimes NotedOften Mentioned
    • “visibly tighter, lifted skin — Clarins Super Restorative Night Cream”
    • “plumped my fine lines — Clarins Double Serum”
    • “softened crow's feet — Clarins Double Serum Eye”
    • “skin looks plumper — Paula's Choice Pro-Collagen Multi-Peptide Booster”
  • Pore cleansing and clarity Often MentionedNot 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”
    • “pores look smaller — Paula's Choice 10% Niacinamide Booster”
  • High price and small size Mostly MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “surprisingly small bottle — Paula's Choice Skin-Smoothing Retinol Body Treatment”
    • “tiny tube — Paula's Choice 10% Azelaic Acid Booster”
    • “way too expensive — Clarins Double Serum”
    • “too expensive for results — Clarins Total Eye Lift”
  • Unpleasant smell or scent issues 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”
    • “smells like perfume — Clarins Multi-Active Jour”
  • Packaging and pump issues Sometimes NotedOften 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”
    • “dispenses too much product — Clarins Total Eye Lift”
  • Dryness, flaking, and irritation Sometimes NotedSometimes Noted
    • “not moisturizing enough — Clarins Total Eye Lift”
    • “caused redness — Clarins Double Serum Eye”
    • “made my face burn — Clarins Cryo-Flash Cream-Mask”
    • “peeling and flaking — Paula's Choice 1% Retinol Treatment”

Paula's Choice vs Clarins routines for dry skin

Buy Paula's Choice routine · £210.78 · 86% fitBuy Clarins routine · £170.89 · 83% fitSee multi-brand routine · 99% fit

Paula's Choice vs Clarins routines for oily skin

Buy Paula's Choice routine · £280.77 · 92% fitBuy Clarins routine · £249.57 · 74% fitSee multi-brand routine · 97% fit

Paula's Choice vs Clarins routines for combination skin

Buy Paula's Choice routine · £235.40 · 90% fitBuy Clarins routine · £201.99 · 73% fitSee multi-brand routine · 96% fit

Questions and answers

Paula's Choice or Clarins: which is better?

Paula's Choice is better for oily and acne-prone skin, while both brands offer great options for dry skin. Paula's Choice features fragrance-free formulas, whereas Clarins often includes added fragrance in its products.

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

Paula's Choice fits oily, combination, sensitive, acne-prone, mature skin, and skin with dark spots as Superior, whereas Clarins fits these same types as High. Paula's Choice features fragrance-free formulas and excels in pore cleansing, while Clarins offers luxurious textures and strong hydration.

Paula's Choice or Clarins for dry skin?

Both Paula's Choice and Clarins are a High fit for dry skin. Paula's Choice offers fragrance-free options like the Skin Recovery Enriched Calming Toner, whereas Clarins relies heavily on added fragrance while delivering luxurious moisturizers such as the Hydra-Essentiel Silky Cream.

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

Paula's Choice is better for oily and acne-prone skin types, offering superior fit levels in cleansers like the CLEAR Pore Normalizing Cleanser. Clarins provides options such as the Hydrating Gentle Foaming Cleanser, which is well-suited for dry skin and sensitive skin.

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

Both brands face reviewer mentions regarding a high price, so neither stands out as more affordable on the products on this page.

Between Paula's Choice and Clarins, which brand performs better for mature skin?

Paula's Choice is a Superior fit for mature skin, whereas Clarins is a High fit. Paula's Choice features fragrance-free formulas with active ingredients like retinol that help target aging.

The Journal of Investigative Dermatology, 2000

How do Paula's Choice and Clarins compare regarding fragrance in their products?

Paula's Choice lists no fragrance in the ingredients for every product on this page, whereas Clarins includes fragrance in 23 of its 24 products on the page. This means shoppers looking to avoid added scents may find Paula's Choice to be a more reliable option.

Which brand provides better results for pore cleansing and clarity?

Paula's Choice provides better results for pore cleansing and clarity. Review themes show that Paula's Choice does better for pore cleansing and clarity.

Paula's Choice or Clarins for oily skin?

Paula's Choice is better for oily skin, as Lovi rates its routine as Superior while Clarins is rated Average. The products on this page for Paula's Choice also feature fragrance-free formulations, whereas almost all Clarins products list fragrance.

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

Paula's Choice offers a better moisturizer fit for oily and combination skin with a Superior Lovi level, whereas Clarins achieves only an Average level for those skin types.

Paula's Choice or Clarins for sensitive skin?

Paula's Choice fits sensitive skin better, as Lovi rates its routine as Superior compared to Clarins at High. Furthermore, every product on the Paula's Choice page lists no fragrance in its ingredients, whereas almost all Clarins products contain fragrance.

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

Paula's Choice is a better option for acne-prone skin, as Lovi rates its routine as Superior while Clarins is rated High. Paula's Choice features fragrance-free formulas with active ingredients like salicylic acid and niacinamide that help clarify pores.

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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