Paula’s Choice is an incredibly well-loved skincare brand, but it can also be a bit confusing – especially for people who are new to skincare. The company has a lot of serums, boosters, and treatments, and it can be difficult to determine which are best for your skin concerns.
Below, we’ve broken down some of the best Paula’s Choice serums and treatments to make navigating the selection of products a bit easier.
The Best Paula's Choice Serums and Treatments
Best for Brightening and Anti-Aging
Best Paula’s Choice Serum for Brightening and Anti-Aging
Paula’s Choice C15 Super Booster
The 15% concentration of pure vitamin C in this serum helps brighten the skin while reducing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.
This lightweight serum is one of the overall best Paula’s Choice serums, and is perfect for daily use. It contains a powerful concentration of vitamin C, which is known to even out and brighten skin tone while minimizing fine lines and wrinkles[1]. This serum also contains ingredients that hydrate and soothe the skin.
Pros
- Fragrance-free
- Lightweight
- Non-greasy
Cons
- May irritate more sensitive skin types
In addition to vitamin C, this serum contains ferulic acid and vitamin E. These antioxidants protect the skin, and are also known to increase the efficacy of vitamin C[1].
Best for Anti-Aging
Best Paula’s Choice Serum for Anti-Aging
Paula’s Choice Clinical 1% Retinol Treatment
This treatment combines retinol, a powerful anti-aging ingredient, with hydrating and brightening ingredients for an even, smooth skin tone.
Retinol is the gold-standard for fighting signs of aging, so this is an excellent choice for those with wrinkles, fine lines, and sun spots[6]. The addition of soothing and hydrating ingredients helps counteract some of the potential irritating side effects of retinol.
Pros
- Fragrance-free
- Lightweight
- Non-greasy
Cons
- May irritate more sensitive skin types
This serum contains vitamin C, which brightens the skin, as well as licorice extract and oat extract, which soothe and calm redness.
Best for Evening Tone and Texture
Best Paula’s Choice Serum for Evening Tone and Texture
Paula’s Choice 10% Azelaic Acid Booster
This booster combines azelaic acid with other brightening ingredients that work together to fade post-acne marks, minimize blemishes, brighten, and even out tone and texture.
This is a great multi-purpose serum to have on hand. If you have hyperpigmentation, this is a particularly excellent product for you, as azelaic acid has been shown to help fade dark marks[2]. It’s also great for smoothing the skin for a more even texture.
Pros
- Fragrance-free
- Oil-free
- Lightweight
Cons
- May irritate more sensitive skin types
This booster contains salicylic acid, a chemical exfoliator that further minimizes the appearance of blemishes and evens out skin texture and tone[3]. It also contains licorice root, which calms redness and brightens.
Best for Refining Pores and Improving Skin Tone
Best Paula’s Choice Serum for Refining Pore Size and Improving Skin Tone
Paula’s Choice 10% Niacinamide Booster
This super light niacinamide product is one of the best Paula’s Choice serums. It delivers a multitude of benefits, including minimizing the appearance of pores, controlling sebum production, smoothing fine lines, reducing redness, and brightening.
Niacinamide is a powerful skincare ingredient that offers a wide variety of benefits, which makes this another great multipurpose serum. In addition to minimizing the appearance of pores, it has been shown to control sebum production, smooth fine lines, reduce redness, reduce hyperpigmentation, and brighten the skin[4][5].
Pros
- Fragrance-free
- Oil-free
- Lightweight
Cons
- May cause flushing in those sensitive to niacinamide (patch test prior to using)
In addition to the 10% concentration of niacinamide, this booster contains allantoin and licorice extract, which calm the skin. It also contains vitamin C, which brightens. It’s important to note that users should patch test niacinamide first, because some people are sensitive to it, and it may make acne or flushing worse.
Best for Redness
Best Paula's Choice Serum for Redness
Paula’s Choice Calm Redness Relief Repairing Serum
This calming, lightweight serum helps to reduce redness while also hydrating and fighting the signs of aging.
This is one of the best Paula’s Choice serums for soothing sensitive skin and reducing redness. It contains a potent blend of antioxidants and other skincare ingredients that hydrate and calm the skin. This serum is gentle on the skin, and even appropriate for skin prone to rosacea.
Pros
- Fragrance-free
- Lightweight
- Gentle
Cons
- May not be suitable for acne-prone skin
Some of the hydrating and soothing skincare ingredients in this serum include hyaluronic acid, sea whip extract, ceramides, licorice extract, and willow herb.
Best for Hydration
Best Paula’s Choice Serum for Hydration
Paula’s Choice Hyaluronic Acid Booster
This serum combines hyaluronic acid with ceramides and other deeply hydrating ingredients to give the skin an extra moisture boost.
Hyaluronic acid is a great skincare ingredient for all skin types, because it pulls moisture to the skin to help it maintain healthy hydration levels[7]. The ceramides in this booster also help restore the moisture barrier and strengthen the skin[8].
Pros
- Fragrance-free
- Lightweight
Cons
- May irritate sensitive skin
In addition to the hydrating benefits, hyaluronic acid has been shown to help minimize the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, making this booster a great choice for those looking for anti-aging benefits.
Best Nourishing and Hydrating Serum
Best Paula’s Choice Serum for Nourishment and Hydration
Paula’s Choice Omega+ Complex Serum
This award-winning serum contains omega fatty acids and other replenishing ingredients that strengthen the skin’s barrier while reviving and hydrating the skin.
This is one of the best Paula’s Choice serums for all skin types, as it is gentle on the skin and keeps it healthy, hydrated, and strong. It locks in hydration and plumps to minimize the appearance of fine lines while also protecting the skin against environmental damage.
Pros
- Fragrance-free
- Gentle
Cons
- May not be suitable for acne-prone skin
This serum contains oils rich in omegas 3, 6, and 9, which strengthen and soothe the skin. It also contains ceramides to improve firmness and protect, as well as hyaluronic acid and shea butter to moisturize.
FAQs
Do I need both serum and moisturizer?
Yes, it is still important to apply a moisturizer after applying any serums, as they serve different purposes. A moisturizer will help rehydrate and prevent water loss, while a serum contains a concentrated blend of ingredients targeted towards addressing certain skin concerns.
Is Paula’s Choice worth the money?
While Paula’s Choice isn’t the most budget-friendly skincare brand available, the company does offer products that are effective and well-loved by many. The products are backed by science, and only contain ingredients that help promote healthy skin.
Is Paula’s Choice better than The Ordinary?
Both Paula’s Choice and The Ordinary produce effective, quality products, so it’s hard to determine which is better. If you’d like to learn more about these two brands, we have guides on the best products from The Ordinary and the best products from Paula’s Choice.
The Bottom Line
If you’re looking for effective serums and treatments, Paula’s Choice has a variety of options that will address your skin concerns.
Since Paula’s Choice offers such a wide variety of serums that promise impressive results, it can be tempting to try multiple new products at once. However, it is best to slowly work serums into your routine one at a time to determine whether it works for you and if you have any negative reactions. From there, you can decide whether it is necessary to add another serum to your skincare routine.
