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Drunk Elephant T.L.C… vs Paula's Choice Clini… — Which Is Better? | Gracie

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Drunk Elephant T.L.C. Framboos Glycolic Night Serum vs Paula's Choice Clinical 1% Retinol Treatment

Paula's Choice Clinical 1% Retinol Treatment scores 8.9/9.8 vs Drunk Elephant T.L.C. Framboos Glycolic Night Serum at 8.4/9.8. Paula's Choice Clinical 1% Retinol Treatment wins for hydration.

Head to head

Drunk Elephant

T.L.C. Framboos Glycolic Night Serum

serum

8.4

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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

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

19% overlap

34Drunk Elephant

9Shared

47Paula's Choice

Only in Drunk Elephant T.L.C. Framboos Glycolic Night Serum

25 unique

Water/Aqua/Eau Glycolic Acid Lactic Acid Salicylic Acid Tartaric Acid Vitis Vinifera (Grape) Juice Extract Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice Opuntia Ficus-Indica Extract Aesculus Hippocastanum (Horse Chestnut) Seed Extract Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract+15 more

Shared ingredients

9 in common

Butylene Glycol Glycerin Sodium Hydroxide Allantoin Hydroxyethylcellulose Phenoxyethanol Caprylyl Glycol Pentylene Glycol Ethylhexylglycerin

Only in Paula's Choice Clinical 1% Retinol Treatment

38 unique

Aqua Dimethicone Isononyl Isononanoate Castor Isostearate Succinate Glyceryl Stearate C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate Dimethicone Crosspolymer Polysorbate 20 Behenyl Alcohol Retinol+28 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 T.L.C. Framboos Glycolic Night Serum's 7.4. 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 T.L.C. Framboos Glycolic Night Serum scores 7.8 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 T.L.C. Framboos Glycolic Night Serum relies on Glycolic Acid, Lactic Acid, and Salicylic Acid. Both approaches have merit, but the positioning and supporting ingredients make the difference.

Best for your skin type

Drunk Elephant T.L.C. Framboos Glycolic Night Serum 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
Targeting specific concerns like aging or uneven tone — Glycolic Acid does the heavy lifting

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

Paula's Choice Clinical 1% Retinol Treatment comes in at mid-range pricing with a 8.9 score, which is solid value at that tier.

Our verdict

✶ Our verdict

+0.5 lead

Paula's Choice Clinical 1% Retinol Treatment edges ahead with a slightly stronger formulation, but Drunk Elephant T.L.C. Framboos Glycolic Night Serum is still a solid pick.

8.4Drunk Elephant

8.9Paula's Choice

Frequently asked questions

Which is better: Drunk Elephant T.L.C. Framboos Glycolic Night Serum 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 T.L.C. Framboos Glycolic Night Serum 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 T.L.C. Framboos Glycolic Night Serum 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 T.L.C. Framboos Glycolic Night Serum→Full analysis: Paula's Choice Clinical 1% Retinol Treatment→

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