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Paula's Choice Skin… vs Sunday Riley A+ High… — Which Is Better? | Gracie

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Paula's Choice Skin Recovery Enriched Calming Toner vs Sunday Riley A+ High-Dose Retinoid Serum

Paula's Choice Skin Recovery Enriched Calming Toner scores 8.1/9.8 and Sunday Riley A+ High-Dose Retinoid Serum scores 8.0/9.8 — a near-tie where your skin type decides the winner.

Head to head

Paula's Choice

Skin Recovery Enriched Calming Toner

tonermid-range

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.

Sunday Riley

A+ High-Dose Retinoid Serum

serumpremium

8.0

Score comparison

These two are neck and neck — just 0.1 points apart.

Paula's Choice wins 1

Tied 3

Sunday Riley wins 1

8.1Paula's Choice

8.0Sunday Riley

Scores last verified: April 2026

Attribute battle

Hydration Efficacy

Paula's Choice WINS

9.8

7.5

Paula's Choice

Sunday Riley

Irritation Risk

TIE

9.5

Paula's Choice

Sunday Riley

Active Ingredient Strength

Sunday Riley WINS

2.8

5.3

Paula's Choice

Sunday Riley

Ingredient Transparency

TIE

8.8

Paula's Choice

Sunday Riley

Formulation Safety

TIE

9.0

Paula's Choice

Sunday Riley

Ingredient face-off

14% overlap

28Paula's Choice

6Shared

44Sunday Riley

Only in Paula's Choice Skin Recovery Enriched Calming Toner

22 unique

Cyclopentasiloxane Butylene Glycol Glycereth-26 Dimethiconol Oenothera Biennis Oil Borago Officinalis Seed Oil Sodium Hyaluronate Tocopheryl Acetate Ascorbyl Palmitate Panthenol+12 more

Shared ingredients

6 in common

Water Tocopherol Glycerin Sodium Benzoate Phenoxyethanol Benzoic Acid

Only in Sunday Riley A+ High-Dose Retinoid Serum

38 unique

Propanediol Dimethyl Isosorbide Dimethicone Pentylene Glycol Hexyldecanol Cetyl Peg/Ppg-10/1 Dimethicone Diheptyl Succinate Propylene Carbonate Phenyl Trimethicone Retinol+28 more

Why these two are neck and neck

These two toners 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 7.5 for Sunday Riley A+ High-Dose Retinoid Serum. That difference comes down to how each formula is built — the ingredient list tells the story.

Paula's Choice Skin Recovery Enriched Calming Toner brings Tocopheryl Acetate, Tocopherol, and Ascorbyl Palmitate as actives, while sunday Riley A+ High-Dose Retinoid Serum relies on Retinol, Ubiquinone, and Honey Extract. Both approaches have merit, but the positioning and supporting ingredients make the difference.

Best for your skin type

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

Sunday Riley A+ High-Dose Retinoid Serum is better if you have

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

Value comparison

At mid-range pricing with a score of 8.1, Paula's Choice Skin Recovery Enriched Calming Toner delivers strong value. Sunday Riley A+ High-Dose Retinoid Serum sits at the premium level with a 8.0 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.

8.1Paula's Choice

8.0Sunday Riley

Frequently asked questions

Which is better: Paula's Choice Skin Recovery Enriched Calming Toner or Sunday Riley A+ High-Dose Retinoid Serum?

Based on ingredient analysis, Paula's Choice Skin Recovery Enriched Calming Toner scores higher overall. See the full score breakdown above for details on each attribute.

Do Paula's Choice Skin Recovery Enriched Calming Toner and Sunday Riley A+ High-Dose Retinoid Serum share ingredients?

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

What's the main difference between Paula's Choice Skin Recovery Enriched Calming Toner and Sunday Riley A+ High-Dose Retinoid Serum?

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

Full analysis: Paula's Choice Skin Recovery Enriched Calming Toner→Full analysis: Sunday Riley A+ High-Dose Retinoid Serum→

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