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Drunk Elephant Lala… vs Paula's Choice Skin… — Which Is Better? | Gracie

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Drunk Elephant Lala Retro Whipped Cream vs Paula's Choice Skin Recovery Enriched Calming Toner

Drunk Elephant Lala Retro Whipped Cream scores 8.1/9.8 and Paula's Choice Skin Recovery Enriched Calming Toner scores 8.1/9.8 — a near-tie where your skin type decides the winner.

Head to head

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Drunk Elephant

Lala Retro Whipped Cream

moisturiserpremium

8.1

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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

These two are neck and neck — just 0.0 points apart.

Drunk Elephant wins 1

Tied 2

9.0

Drunk Elephant

Paula's Choice

Ingredient face-off

16% overlap

32Drunk Elephant

5Shared

28Paula's Choice

Only in Drunk Elephant Lala Retro Whipped Cream

27 unique

Water/Aqua/Eau Isopropyl Isostearate Cetearyl Alcohol Glyceryl Stearate Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer Plantago Lanceolata Leaf Extract Adansonia Digitata Seed Oil Passiflora Edulis Seed Oil Sclerocarya Birrea Seed Oil Ceramide Np+17 more

Shared ingredients

5 in common

Glycerin Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride Sodium Hyaluronate Phenoxyethanol Chlorphenesin

Only in Paula's Choice Skin Recovery Enriched Calming Toner

23 unique

Water Cyclopentasiloxane Butylene Glycol Glycereth-26 Dimethiconol Oenothera Biennis Oil Borago Officinalis Seed Oil Tocopheryl Acetate Tocopherol Ascorbyl Palmitate+13 more

Why these two are neck and neck

These two moisturisers take different paths to a similar destination. Both formulas include solid hydrating ingredients, and the overall scores reflect that — the gap here is genuinely slim.

Hydration Efficacy is another area of separation. Paula's Choice Skin Recovery Enriched Calming Toner scores 9.8 here versus 8.0 for Drunk Elephant Lala Retro Whipped Cream. That difference comes down to how each formula is built — the ingredient list tells the story.

Drunk Elephant Lala Retro Whipped Cream brings Plantago Lanceolata Leaf Extract, 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

Drunk Elephant Lala Retro Whipped 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
Anyone who prefers clean, well-vetted formulations

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

At premium pricing with a score of 8.1, Drunk Elephant Lala Retro Whipped Cream is a decent pick. Paula's Choice Skin Recovery Enriched Calming Toner sits at the mid-range level with a 8.1 score — the extra cost doesn't translate to better scores here.

Our verdict

✶ Our verdict

It's a close call — both products score within 0.3 points of each other. Your choice depends on your specific skin concerns.

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8.1Drunk Elephant

8.1Paula's Choice

Frequently asked questions

Which is better: Drunk Elephant Lala Retro Whipped Cream or Paula's Choice Skin Recovery Enriched Calming Toner?

Based on ingredient analysis, Drunk Elephant Lala Retro Whipped Cream scores higher overall. See the full score breakdown above for details on each attribute.

Do Drunk Elephant Lala Retro Whipped 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 Drunk Elephant Lala Retro Whipped 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: Drunk Elephant Lala Retro Whipped Cream→Full analysis: Paula's Choice Skin Recovery Enriched Calming Toner→

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