🇬🇧United Kingdom

The Ordinary vs Paula's Choice

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

The Ordinary and Paula's Choice are well-known skincare brands offering serums, cleansers, moisturizers, toners, and more. The Canadian brand centers its formulations on hyaluronic acid, glycerin, and squalane to suit dry skin and dry sensitive skin best. Conversely, the American brand relies on hyaluronic acid, glycerin, and vitamin c to suit oily skin and acne-prone skin best. Ultimately, both lines differ in their targeted skin types, ingredient profiles, and specialized treatments for concerns like acne, dark spots, and aging.

The Ordinary is a Canadian skincare brand founded in 2016 and owned by The Estée Lauder Companies Inc. since 2021.

glossy.coen.wikipedia.org

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

Popular The Ordinary vs Paula's Choice products

People Say

The OrdinaryPaula's Choice
  • Smoothes skin texture Often MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “glass skin effect — The Ordinary Glycolic Acid 7% Toning Solution”
    • “skin feels baby butt smooth — The Ordinary AHA 30% + BHA 2% Peeling Solution”
    • “skin becomes very smooth — Paula's Choice 1% Retinol Treatment”
    • “skin is insanely soft — Paula's Choice Weightless Body Treatment 2% BHA”
  • Clears acne and blemishes Often MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “pimples disappear within a day — The Ordinary Salicylic Acid 2% Solution”
    • “scars and hormonal acne faded — The Ordinary Azelaic Acid Suspension 10%”
    • “faded dark spots — The Ordinary Glycolic Acid 7% Toning Solution”
    • “Helped clear my cystic acne — Paula's Choice CLEAR Pore Normalizing Cleanser”
  • Great value and affordability Mostly MentionedNot noted
    • “lasts forever — The Ordinary Glycolic Acid 7% Toning Solution”
    • “can't beat the price — The Ordinary Salicylic Acid 2% Solution”
    • “extremely affordable — The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1%”
  • Lightweight absorption Sometimes NotedOften 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”
    • “Sinks in immediately — The Ordinary Multi-Peptide + Copper Peptides 1% Serum”
  • Gentle and non-irritating Sometimes NotedOften Mentioned
    • “Leaves my face feeling soft and not tight at all. — The Ordinary Squalane Cleanser”
    • “Finally a cleanser that doesn't sting my face. — The Ordinary Squalane Cleanser”
    • “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”
  • Hydration and plumping Sometimes NotedSometimes Noted
    • “skin feels immediately hydrated — The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5”
    • “leaves my skin radiant and clear — The Ordinary Mandelic Acid 10% + HA”
    • “Provides an internal level of hydration without leaving any heavy finish. — Paula's Choice Skin Balancing Pore-Reducing Toner”
    • “skin looks plumper — Paula's Choice Pro-Collagen Multi-Peptide Booster”
  • High price point Not notedOften Mentioned
    • “tiny tube — Paula's Choice 10% Azelaic Acid Booster”
  • Unpleasant scent Rarely NotedOften Mentioned
    • “Smells like vinegar — The Ordinary Multi-Peptide + Copper Peptides 1% Serum”
    • “smell is unbearable — The Ordinary Azelaic Acid Suspension 10%”
    • “has a slight chemical smell — The Ordinary Mandelic Acid 10% + HA”
    • “smells like grain — Paula's Choice 10% Azelaic Acid Booster”
  • Breakouts and purging Sometimes NotedSometimes Noted
    • “broke me out in cysts — The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1%”
    • “broke me out in cysts — The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5”
    • “gave me cystic acne — The Ordinary Glycolic Acid 7% Toning Solution”
    • “skin purged — Paula's Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant”
  • Small tube size and packaging Rarely NotedSometimes Noted
    • “The 50ml tube runs out way too fast. — The Ordinary Squalane Cleanser”
    • “Wish it came in a pump — The Ordinary Natural Moisturizing Factors + HA”
    • “surprisingly small bottle — Paula's Choice Skin-Smoothing Retinol Body Treatment”

The Ordinary vs Paula's Choice routines for dry skin

Buy The Ordinary routine · £90.51 · 97% fitBuy Paula's Choice routine · £210.78 · 86% fitSee multi-brand routine · 99% fit

The Ordinary vs Paula's Choice routines for oily skin

Buy The Ordinary routine · £120.07 · 93% fitBuy Paula's Choice routine · £280.77 · 92% fitSee multi-brand routine · 97% fit

The Ordinary vs Paula's Choice routines for combination skin

Buy The Ordinary routine · £134.25 · 92% fitBuy Paula's Choice routine · £235.40 · 90% fitSee multi-brand routine · 96% fit

Questions and answers

The Ordinary or Paula's Choice: which is better?

Both The Ordinary and Paula's Choice are great options depending on your budget and skincare needs, with The Ordinary offering fantastic value for affordable serums while Paula's Choice delivers lightweight absorption. Niacinamide helps reduce cutaneous pigmentation and suppress melanosome transfer.

The British Journal of Dermatology, 2002Antioxidants, 2021

What is the difference between The Ordinary and Paula's Choice?

The Ordinary offers great value and helps clear acne effectively with affordable products, while Paula's Choice is known for lightweight absorption despite a higher price point. Both brands provide fragrance-free formulas containing key ingredients like hyaluronic acid and glycerin.

Drug Delivery, 2017Dermatologic Therapy, 2022

The Ordinary or Paula's Choice for dry skin?

For dry skin, both brands are great options, as the routine fit is Superior for The Ordinary and High for Paula's Choice. The products on this page for The Ordinary are best fitted for dry skin.

The Ordinary or Paula's Choice: which cleanser is better?

Both The Ordinary and Paula's Choice offer cleansers that fit dry skin and sensitive skin at a High level, while Paula's Choice also provides options that achieve a Superior fit for oily and acne-prone skin.

Which is more affordable, The Ordinary or Paula's Choice?

The Ordinary is more affordable, offering great value and budget-friendly serums across the products on this page.

The Ordinary or Paula's Choice: which brand is better for mature skin?

Both brands are a strong choice for mature skin, as Lovi rates the routine fit for mature skin as Superior for The Ordinary and Superior for Paula's Choice. Retinol helps reduce signs of skin aging.

The Journal of Investigative Dermatology, 2000

Do products from The Ordinary and Paula's Choice contain fragrance?

Every product on this page from both The Ordinary and Paula's Choice lists no fragrance in its ingredients.

Which brand has better value for serums, The Ordinary or Paula's Choice?

The Ordinary offers better value, with reviewers frequently mentioning its affordable and great value serums. Paula's Choice, on the other hand, frequently receives complaints about a high price point.

The Ordinary or Paula's Choice for oily skin?

Both The Ordinary and Paula's Choice fit oily skin equally well, as Lovi rates both brands as Superior for this skin type.

The Ordinary or Paula's Choice: which moisturizer is better?

When comparing moisturizers, both The Ordinary and Paula's Choice offer strong options, but The Ordinary has a Lovi routine fit level of Superior for dry skin compared to High for Paula's Choice. Paula's Choice is often noted for lightweight absorption, while the products on this page for The Ordinary are known for affordability and great value.

The Ordinary or Paula's Choice for sensitive skin?

Both The Ordinary and Paula's Choice fit sensitive skin with a Superior level routine. The Ordinary is best for sensitive skin, and the products on this page help provide gentle and non-irritating care without fragrance.

The Ordinary or Paula's Choice for acne-prone skin?

Both The Ordinary and Paula's Choice achieve a Superior routine fit level for acne-prone skin. The Ordinary helps clear acne and blemishes better according to reviews, while the products on this page list no fragrance in their ingredients.

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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