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cerave Skin Renewing… vs Paula's Choice Skin… — Which Is Better? | Gracie

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cerave Skin Renewing Night Cream vs Paula's Choice Skin Recovery Enriched Calming Toner

cerave Skin Renewing Night Cream scores 9.4/9.8 vs Paula's Choice Skin Recovery Enriched Calming Toner at 8.1/9.8. cerave Skin Renewing Night Cream wins for active ingredients.

Head to head

cerave

Skin Renewing Night Cream

moisturiser

9.4

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Ingredients

Niacinamide
Retinol
Hyaluronic Acid
Salicylic Acid

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Honest skincare intel. No jargon, no gatekeeping — just the ingredients decoded.

Paula's Choice

Skin Recovery Enriched Calming Toner

tonermid-range

8.1

Score comparison

cerave Skin Renewing Night Cream takes this one, winning 1 of 5 attributes.

cerave wins 1

Tied 3

Paula's Choice wins 1

9.4cerave

+1.3vs

8.1Paula's Choice

Scores last verified: April 2026

Attribute battle

Hydration Efficacy

TIE

9.8

cerave

Paula's Choice

Irritation Risk

TIE

9.5

cerave

Paula's Choice

Active Ingredient Strength

cerave WINS

9.8

2.8

cerave

Paula's Choice

Ingredient Transparency

Paula's Choice WINS

8.5

8.8

cerave

Paula's Choice

Formulation Safety

TIE

9.0

cerave

Paula's Choice

Ingredient face-off

21% overlap

47cerave

10Shared

28Paula's Choice

Only in cerave Skin Renewing Night Cream

37 unique

Purified Water Aqua/Water/Eau Butyrospermum Parkii Butter/Shea Butter Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea Butter)Dimethicone/Vinyl Dimethicone Crosspolymer Glyceryl Stearate Se Cetyl Alcohol Dimethicone Saccharide Isomerate Stearic Acid+27 more

Shared ingredients

10 in common

Glycerin Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride Cyclopentasiloxane Allantoin Niacinamide Sodium Benzoate Sodium Hyaluronate Phenoxyethanol Butylene Glycol Tocopherol

Only in Paula's Choice Skin Recovery Enriched Calming Toner

18 unique

Water Glycereth-26 Dimethiconol Oenothera Biennis Oil Borago Officinalis Seed Oil Tocopheryl Acetate Ascorbyl Palmitate Panthenol Hydrogenated Lecithin Superoxide Dismutase+8 more

Why cerave Skin Renewing Night Cream comes out ahead

Where cerave Skin Renewing Night Cream really shines is active ingredient strength, scoring 9.8 compared to Paula's Choice Skin Recovery Enriched Calming Toner's 2.8. Its formula features Allantoin, Ceramide Np, and Ceramide Ap in high positions, signalling meaningful concentrations.

Ingredient Transparency is another area of separation. Paula's Choice Skin Recovery Enriched Calming Toner scores 8.8 here versus 8.5 for cerave Skin Renewing Night Cream. That difference comes down to how each formula is built — the ingredient list tells the story.

cerave Skin Renewing Night Cream brings Allantoin, Ceramide Np, and Ceramide Ap as actives, while paula's Choice Skin Recovery Enriched Calming Toner relies on Tocopheryl Acetate, Tocopherol, and Ascorbyl Palmitate. Both approaches have merit, but the positioning and supporting ingredients make the difference.

Best for your skin type

cerave Skin Renewing Night Cream is better if you have

Sensitive skin — the low-irritation formula keeps things gentle
Dry or dehydrated skin that craves moisture, thanks to Glycerin
Targeting specific concerns like aging or uneven tone — Allantoin does the heavy lifting

Paula's Choice Skin Recovery Enriched Calming Toner is better if you have

Sensitive skin — the low-irritation formula keeps things gentle
Dry or dehydrated skin that craves moisture, thanks to Butylene Glycol
Anyone who prefers clean, well-vetted formulations

Value comparison

Paula's Choice Skin Recovery Enriched Calming Toner comes in at mid-range pricing with a 8.1 score, which is solid value at that tier.

Our verdict

✶ Our verdict

+1.3 lead

cerave Skin Renewing Night Cream wins this comparison with a meaningfully stronger ingredient profile and overall score.

9.4cerave

8.1Paula's Choice

Frequently asked questions

Which is better: cerave Skin Renewing Night Cream or Paula's Choice Skin Recovery Enriched Calming Toner?

Based on ingredient analysis, cerave Skin Renewing Night Cream scores higher overall. See the full score breakdown above for details on each attribute.

Do cerave Skin Renewing Night Cream and Paula's Choice Skin Recovery Enriched Calming Toner share ingredients?

Yes, they share common ingredients. Check the ingredient face-off section above for a detailed comparison.

What's the main difference between cerave Skin Renewing Night Cream and Paula's Choice Skin Recovery Enriched Calming Toner?

The key differences are in their active ingredients and formulation approach. Check the attribute battle above for a detailed breakdown.

Full analysis: cerave Skin Renewing Night Cream→Full analysis: Paula's Choice Skin Recovery Enriched Calming Toner→

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