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Paula's Choice Clini… vs Vichy Mineral 89 Hya… — Which Is Better? | Gracie

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/Paula's Choice Clinical 1% Retinol Treatment
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/Vichy Mineral 89 Hyaluronic Acid Booster

Paula's Choice Clinical 1% Retinol Treatment vs Vichy Mineral 89 Hyaluronic Acid Booster

Paula's Choice Clinical 1% Retinol Treatment scores 8.9/9.8 vs Vichy Mineral 89 Hyaluronic Acid Booster at 6.7/9.8. Paula's Choice Clinical 1% Retinol Treatment wins for active ingredients.

Head to head

Paula's Choice

Clinical 1% Retinol Treatment

serummid-range

8.9

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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.

Vichy

Mineral 89 Hyaluronic Acid Booster

serummid-range

6.7

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Score comparison

Paula's Choice Clinical 1% Retinol Treatment takes this one, winning 3 of 5 attributes.

Paula's Choice wins 3

Tied 2

Vichy wins 0

9.0

Paula's Choice

Vichy

Ingredient face-off

11% overlap

47Paula's Choice

5Shared

11Vichy

Only in Paula's Choice Clinical 1% Retinol Treatment

42 unique

Aqua Butylene Glycol Isononyl Isononanoate Castor Isostearate Succinate Glyceryl Stearate C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate Dimethicone Crosspolymer Polysorbate 20 Behenyl Alcohol Retinol+32 more

Shared ingredients

5 in common

Dimethicone Glycerin Sodium Hyaluronate Caprylyl Glycol Phenoxyethanol

Only in Vichy Mineral 89 Hyaluronic Acid Booster

6 unique

Aqua/Water Methylpropanediol Hydroxypropyl Tetrahydropyrantriol Citric Acid Sodium Benzoate Fragrance/Parfum

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

Where Paula's Choice Clinical 1% Retinol Treatment really shines is active ingredient strength, scoring 7.1 compared to Vichy Mineral 89 Hyaluronic Acid Booster's 2.0. Its formula features Retinol, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7, and Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate in high positions, signalling meaningful concentrations.

Hydration Efficacy is another area of separation. Paula's Choice Clinical 1% Retinol Treatment scores 9.8 here versus 5.5 for Vichy Mineral 89 Hyaluronic Acid Booster. 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, giving it an edge in targeted skincare benefits.

Best for your skin type

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

Vichy Mineral 89 Hyaluronic Acid Booster is better if you have

Sensitive skin — the low-irritation formula keeps things gentle
Anyone who prefers clean, well-vetted formulations

Value comparison

Both sit in the mid-range bracket, so value comes down to formulation quality. Paula's Choice Clinical 1% Retinol Treatment gets the nod here with its 8.9 overall score — you're getting more for a similar outlay.

Our verdict

✶ Our verdict

+2.2 lead

Paula's Choice Clinical 1% Retinol Treatment wins this comparison with a meaningfully stronger ingredient profile and overall score.

8.9Paula's Choice

6.7Vichy

Frequently asked questions

Which is better: Paula's Choice Clinical 1% Retinol Treatment or Vichy Mineral 89 Hyaluronic Acid Booster?

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 Paula's Choice Clinical 1% Retinol Treatment and Vichy Mineral 89 Hyaluronic Acid Booster 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 Clinical 1% Retinol Treatment and Vichy Mineral 89 Hyaluronic Acid Booster?

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 Clinical 1% Retinol Treatment→Full analysis: Vichy Mineral 89 Hyaluronic Acid Booster→

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