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Drunk Elephant Proti… vs Paula's Choice Clini… — Which Is Better? | Gracie

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Drunk Elephant Protini Polypeptide Cream vs Paula's Choice Clinical 1% Retinol Treatment

Paula's Choice Clinical 1% Retinol Treatment scores 8.9/9.8 vs Drunk Elephant Protini Polypeptide Cream at 8.5/9.8. Paula's Choice Clinical 1% Retinol Treatment wins for hydration.

Head to head

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Drunk Elephant

Protini Polypeptide Cream

moisturiserpremium

8.5

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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

Clinical 1% Retinol Treatment

serummid-range

8.9

Score comparison

Paula's Choice Clinical 1% Retinol Treatment edges ahead, winning 2 of 5 attributes.

Drunk Elephant wins 1

Tied 2

Paula's Choice wins 2

9.0

Drunk Elephant

Paula's Choice

Ingredient face-off

17% overlap

34Drunk Elephant

8Shared

47Paula's Choice

Only in Drunk Elephant Protini Polypeptide Cream

26 unique

Water/Aqua/Eau Dicaprylyl Carbonate Cetearyl Alcohol Cetearyl Olivate Sorbitan Olivate Acetyl Hexapeptide-8 Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1 Acetyl Glutamyl Heptapeptide-1 Sh-Oligopeptide-1 Sh-Oligopeptide-2+16 more

Shared ingredients

8 in common

Glycerin Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7 Sodium Hyaluronate Glyceryl Stearate Lecithin Sodium Hydroxide Phenoxyethanol Caprylyl Glycol

Only in Paula's Choice Clinical 1% Retinol Treatment

39 unique

Aqua Dimethicone Butylene Glycol Isononyl Isononanoate Castor Isostearate Succinate C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate Dimethicone Crosspolymer Polysorbate 20 Behenyl Alcohol Retinol+29 more

Why Paula's Choice Clinical 1% Retinol Treatment comes out ahead

Where Paula's Choice Clinical 1% Retinol Treatment really shines is hydration efficacy, scoring 9.8 compared to Drunk Elephant Protini Polypeptide Cream's 6.3. With Glycerin, Butylene Glycol, and Sodium Hyaluronate in its top ingredients, Paula's Choice Clinical 1% Retinol Treatment delivers stronger moisture-binding capability.

Active Ingredient Strength is another area of separation. Drunk Elephant Protini Polypeptide Cream scores 9.8 here versus 7.1 for Paula's Choice Clinical 1% Retinol Treatment. That difference comes down to how each formula is built — the ingredient list tells the story.

Paula's Choice Clinical 1% Retinol Treatment brings Retinol, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7, and Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate as actives, while drunk Elephant Protini Polypeptide Cream relies on Acetyl Hexapeptide-8, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7, and Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1. Both approaches have merit, but the positioning and supporting ingredients make the difference.

Best for your skin type

Drunk Elephant Protini Polypeptide Cream is better if you have

Sensitive skin — the low-irritation formula keeps things gentle
Targeting specific concerns like aging or uneven tone — Acetyl Hexapeptide-8 does the heavy lifting
Anyone who prefers clean, well-vetted formulations

Paula's Choice Clinical 1% Retinol Treatment 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 — Retinol does the heavy lifting

Value comparison

At premium pricing with a score of 8.5, Drunk Elephant Protini Polypeptide Cream is a decent pick. Paula's Choice Clinical 1% Retinol Treatment sits at the mid-range level with a 8.9 score — the higher investment pays off in formulation quality.

Our verdict

✶ Our verdict

+0.4 lead

Paula's Choice Clinical 1% Retinol Treatment edges ahead with a slightly stronger formulation, but Drunk Elephant Protini Polypeptide Cream is still a solid pick.

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8.5Drunk Elephant

8.9Paula's Choice

Frequently asked questions

Which is better: Drunk Elephant Protini Polypeptide Cream or Paula's Choice Clinical 1% Retinol Treatment?

Based on ingredient analysis, Paula's Choice Clinical 1% Retinol Treatment scores higher overall. See the full score breakdown above for details on each attribute.

Do Drunk Elephant Protini Polypeptide Cream and Paula's Choice Clinical 1% Retinol Treatment 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 Protini Polypeptide Cream and Paula's Choice Clinical 1% Retinol Treatment?

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

Full analysis: Drunk Elephant Protini Polypeptide Cream→Full analysis: Paula's Choice Clinical 1% Retinol Treatment→

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