🇬🇧United Kingdom

Paula's Choice vs NIVEA

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

Paula's Choice and NIVEA are two established skincare brands offering targeted serums, nourishing moisturizers, and dependable cleansers, sunscreens, and toners. The American brand, founded in 1995, focuses on ingredients like hyaluronic acid, glycerin, and vitamin c to suit oily skin and acne-prone skin best. Meanwhile, the German brand, founded in 1911, relies on soothing elements such as glycerin to suit sensitive skin and skin with dark spots best. While both brands utilize glycerin to significantly increase skin hydration and restore barrier function, they differ through their distinct formulations and ideal skin types.

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

unilever.comtracxn.com

NIVEA is a German skincare brand founded in 1911 and owned by maxingvest GmbH & Co. KGaA since 2004.

beiersdorf.comen.wikipedia.org

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

Popular Paula's Choice vs NIVEA products

People Say

Paula's ChoiceNIVEA
  • Skin Texture and Smoothing Mostly MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “skin becomes very smooth — Paula's Choice 1% Retinol Treatment”
    • “pores look smaller — Paula's Choice 10% Niacinamide Booster”
    • “Makes my face feel smooth and soft. — NIVEA Soft”
    • “skin feels squeaky clean and soft — NIVEA DERMA SKIN CLEAR”
  • Absorption and Lightweight Formula Mostly MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “Absorbs quickly and leaves no greasy residue behind. — Paula's Choice Clear Oil-Free Moisturizer”
    • “watery consistency — Paula's Choice 10% Niacinamide Booster”
    • “absorbs quickly — Paula's Choice Weightless Body Treatment 2% BHA”
    • “It's lightweight on the skin and leaves a bit of subtle sheen. — NIVEA Soft”
  • Gentle and Non-Irritating Care Often MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “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”
    • “doesn't dry out skin — NIVEA Derma Skin Clear Anti-Blemish Scrub”
  • Value, Scent and Affordability Rarely NotedMostly Mentioned
    • “smells like holiday — NIVEA Protect & Moisture Sun Lotion SPF50+”
    • “Smell brings me back to childhood — NIVEA Creme”
    • “Works better than expensive luxury creams — NIVEA Creme”
    • “Doesn't smell at all — Paula's Choice 25% Vitamin C + Glutathione Clinical Serum”
  • Pores and Acne Control Sometimes NotedOften Mentioned
    • “cleared my complexion in 7 days — NIVEA DERMA SKIN CLEAR”
    • “unclogs pores — NIVEA Derma Skin Clear Anti-Blemish Scrub”
    • “cleared my bumps — Paula's Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant”
  • Glow, Brightening and Anti-Aging Mostly MentionedNot noted
    • “visible glow — Paula's Choice C15 Super Booster”
    • “skin looks plumper — Paula's Choice Pro-Collagen Multi-Peptide Booster”
    • “softens lines and wrinkles — Paula's Choice 1% Retinol Treatment”
  • Packaging and Sizing Issues Mostly MentionedNot noted
    • “surprisingly small bottle — Paula's Choice Skin-Smoothing Retinol Body Treatment”
  • Unpleasant Scent and Strong Fragrance Often MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “Scent is too overpowering for sensitive noses — NIVEA Creme”
    • “Has a heavy, baby powder smell. — NIVEA Soft”
    • “smells like men's hairspray — NIVEA DERMA SKIN CLEAR”
    • “smells like grain — Paula's Choice 10% Azelaic Acid Booster”
  • Purging and Breakouts Sometimes NotedOften Mentioned
    • “skin purged — Paula's Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant”
    • “caused cystic acne — Paula's Choice 10% Niacinamide Booster”
    • “Clogged my pores and caused bad acne — NIVEA Creme”
    • “I noticed some acne breakouts on my chin after using this crème for a while. — NIVEA Soft”
  • Formula Stability and Performance Sometimes NotedOften Mentioned
    • “turned orange in weeks — Paula's Choice C15 Super Booster”
    • “Did not notice any difference in my pores. — Paula's Choice Skin Balancing Pore-Reducing Toner”
    • “not super gritty — NIVEA Derma Skin Clear Anti-Blemish Scrub”
    • “HATE NEW FORUMULA... Leaves my skin dryer and does not provide with the same amount of moisture. — NIVEA Soft”

Paula's Choice vs NIVEA routines for dry skin

Buy Paula's Choice routine · £210.78 · 86% fitBuy NIVEA routine · £65.81 · 82% fitSee multi-brand routine · 99% fit

Paula's Choice vs NIVEA routines for oily skin

Buy Paula's Choice routine · £280.77 · 92% fitBuy NIVEA routine · £161.96 · 87% fitSee multi-brand routine · 97% fit

Paula's Choice vs NIVEA routines for combination skin

Buy Paula's Choice routine · £235.40 · 90% fitBuy NIVEA routine · £150.97 · 87% fitSee multi-brand routine · 96% fit

Questions and answers

Paula's Choice or NIVEA: which is better?

Paula's Choice is rated better overall on this page, offering Superior routine fit levels for oily, combination, sensitive, acne-prone, mature, and dark spot skin types compared to NIVEA's High ratings. Every Paula's Choice product on this page lists no fragrance, whereas several NIVEA products contain added fragrance.

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

Paula's Choice fits oily skin, acne-prone skin, mature skin, sensitive skin, skin with dark spots, oily acne-prone skin, and combination skin with a Superior level, whereas NIVEA fits these skin types with a High level. Paula's Choice offers fragrance-free products on this page, while NIVEA includes fragrance in some of its formulations.

Paula's Choice or NIVEA for dry skin?

Paula's Choice and NIVEA both offer a High routine fit for dry skin, though Paula's Choice features fragrance-free formulas while NIVEA includes some scented options.

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

Paula's Choice and NIVEA both offer moisturizers with distinct strengths, with Paula's Choice providing fragrance-free options and NIVEA delivering versatile multi-use formulas.

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

NIVEA is more affordable, whereas Paula's Choice is often noted by reviewers for its high price. NIVEA excels in value, scent, and affordability compared to Paula's Choice on the products on this page.

Between Paula's Choice and NIVEA, which brand has fragrance-free products?

Paula's Choice offers fragrance-free products, as every product on its page lists no fragrance in its ingredients. In contrast, NIVEA includes fragrance in 6 of its 9 products on this page.

Which brand performs better for glow, brightening, and anti-aging?

Paula's Choice performs better for glow, brightening, and anti-aging. Every product on this page for Paula's Choice lists no fragrance in its ingredients, whereas NIVEA has products with strong fragrance.

Paula's Choice or NIVEA: which one is better for pores and acne control?

NIVEA does better for pores and acne control, and Lovi rates Paula's Choice as Superior and NIVEA as High for acne-prone skin. The products on this page for NIVEA include blemish-clearing serums.

Paula's Choice or NIVEA for oily skin?

Paula's Choice is a better option for oily skin, as Lovi rates its routine as Superior compared to NIVEA's High level. The products on this page for Paula's Choice also feature fragrance-free formulas, which helps avoid irritation for oil-prone complexions.

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

Paula's Choice offers products on this page that generally avoid added fragrance, whereas NIVEA includes fragrance in several sunscreens like MEN and Protect & Moisture Sun Lotion SPF50+. For Lovi fit levels, sunscreen options like NIVEA's Protect & Moisture Sun Lotion SPF50+ and UV Deep Protect & Care Gel achieve High ratings across several skin types.

Paula's Choice or NIVEA for sensitive skin?

For sensitive skin, Paula's Choice is a better fit than NIVEA because Lovi rates its routine as Superior compared to NIVEA's High. Additionally, every product on the Paula's Choice page lists no fragrance in its ingredients.

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

Paula's Choice is better for acne-prone skin, as Lovi rates its routine as Superior compared to NIVEA's High level. The products on this page for Paula's Choice list no fragrance, which helps reduce irritation risks for sensitive, acne-prone skin.

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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