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COSRX vs Shiseido

Rated by Lovi · Unbiased, science-based skincare AI trained on real user outcomes · How the Fit score works

COSRX and Shiseido are prominent Asian skincare brands that offer thoughtful arrays of moisturizers, cleansers, serums, and masks. The Korean brand features trusted ingredients like hyaluronic acid, glycerin, and niacinamide, making its offerings suit oily and acne-prone skin best, while the Japanese brand relies on key ingredients such as glycerin to provide gentle daily care for sensitive and mature skin. Both companies differ primarily in their heritage and targeted skin types, as the former focuses on balancing excess oil and soothing irritation, whereas the latter offers specialized care through meticulous formulations.

COSRX is a Korean skincare brand founded in 2013 and owned by Amorepacific Group since 2024.

koreajoongangdaily.combeautymatter.comprnewswire.com

Shiseido is a Japanese skincare brand founded in 1872 and owned by Shiseido Company, Limited.

corp.shiseido.comen.wikipedia.orgmarketscreener.com

This page compares some of the most popular COSRX and Shiseido products; for every product of both brands, with a fit score for your own skin, use the Lovi app.

Popular COSRX vs Shiseido products

People Say

COSRXShiseido
  • Deep hydration and moisture Mostly MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “Immediate sensation of comfort — Shiseido Benefiance Wrinkle Smoothing Eye Cream”
    • “skin feels plump, soft and nourished, eliminates dryness, bouncy feel — Shiseido VITAL PERFECTION”
    • “Skin feels more hydrated — Shiseido Activating Essence”
    • “skin drinks it up — COSRX Advanced Snail 96 Mucin Power Essence”
  • Skin texture and smoothness improvement Often MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “silky smooth, rich but non-greasy, absorbs quickly, melts into skin — Shiseido VITAL PERFECTION”
    • “absorbs quickly — Shiseido White Lucent Brightening Gel Cream”
    • “Velvety, rich cream texture — Shiseido Benefiance Wrinkle Smoothing Eye Cream”
    • “gives me that glass skin look — COSRX Advanced Snail 96 Mucin Power Essence”
  • Lightweight and fast absorption Mostly MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “absorbs instantly like water — COSRX The 6 Peptide Skin Booster Serum”
    • “sinks in immediately — COSRX Advanced Snail Peptide Eye Cream”
    • “absorbs practically immediately — COSRX Oil-Free Ultra-Moisturizing Lotion (with Birch Sap)”
    • “Lightweight, silky, non-sticky, sinks in instantly. — Shiseido Ultimune Power Infusing Concentrate”
  • Effective acne and pore control Often MentionedRarely Noted
    • “extremely gentle — COSRX AHA/BHA Clarifying Treatment Toner”
    • “helped to improve my acne after only 2 weeks — COSRX Salicylic Acid Daily Gentle Cleanser”
    • “cleared up my spots — COSRX Low pH Good Morning Gel Cleanser”
    • “face feels squeaky clean — Shiseido Clarifying Cleansing Foam”
  • Soothing and calming effect Often MentionedRarely Noted
    • “calms down my redness — COSRX Advanced Snail 96 Mucin Power Essence”
    • “calms inflammation — COSRX Advanced Snail 92 All in One Cream”
    • “no stinging — COSRX Advanced Snail Peptide Eye Cream”
    • “No irritation — Shiseido Essential Energy Hydrating Cream”
  • Gentle and non-stripping formulation Often MentionedNot noted
    • “No stinging or irritation — COSRX BHA Blackhead Power Liquid”
    • “perfect for first-time retinol users — COSRX The Retinol 0.1 Cream”
    • “doesn't strip my skin — COSRX Low pH Good Morning Gel Cleanser”
  • High price and value concerns Rarely NotedMostly Mentioned
    • “expensive for me — COSRX The Hyaluronic Acid 3 Serum”
    • “Very expensive for the size — Shiseido Benefiance Wrinkle Smoothing Eye Cream”
  • Strong scent or fragrance issues Sometimes NotedOften Mentioned
    • “smells like chemicals — COSRX Low pH Good Morning Gel Cleanser”
    • “smells like onions — COSRX The Retinol 0.1 Cream”
    • “smells like tea tree/medicinal — COSRX Oil-Free Ultra-Moisturizing Lotion (with Birch Sap)”
    • “old lady smell — Shiseido Eudermine Revitalizing Essence”
  • Packaging and bottle issues Often MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “heavy to travel — Shiseido Eudermine Revitalizing Essence”
    • “Heavy bottle but plastic pump, cannot see remaining product, straw too short to get last drops. — Shiseido Ultimune Power Infusing Concentrate”
    • “heavy jar, waste of plastic, faulty pump (on dispenser versions) — Shiseido VITAL PERFECTION”
    • “only 20mls... significantly less product — COSRX The Hyaluronic Acid 3 Serum”

COSRX vs Shiseido routines for dry skin

Buy COSRX routine · AED 408.70 · 83% fitBuy Shiseido routine · AED 1,124.76 · 81% fitSee multi-brand routine · 96% fit

COSRX vs Shiseido routines for oily skin

Buy COSRX routine · AED 581.27 · 91% fitBuy Shiseido routine · AED 1,563.63 · 84% fitSee multi-brand routine · 97% fit

COSRX vs Shiseido routines for combination skin

Buy COSRX routine · AED 475.50 · 89% fitBuy Shiseido routine · AED 1,322.98 · 82% fitSee multi-brand routine · 96% fit

Questions and answers

COSRX or Shiseido: which is better?

COSRX is better for oily and acne-prone skin with its superior fit levels and focus on acne control, while Shiseido is better for luxurious textures and deep hydration. Lovi rates COSRX as Superior for sensitive skin and oily acne-prone skin, whereas Shiseido achieves a High fit for those skin types.

What is the difference between COSRX and Shiseido?

COSRX excels in lightweight absorption and effective acne control, making it superior for oily and acne-prone skin, whereas Shiseido is noted for deep hydration, luxurious textures, and firming moisturizers, targeting sensitive and mature skin.

COSRX or Shiseido for dry skin?

Both COSRX and Shiseido offer a High routine fit for dry skin, so either brand may work well depending on your preference. COSRX helps with lightweight hydration through ingredients like hyaluronic acid and glycerin, while Shiseido provides deep moisturization.

Journal of Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences, 2015Dermatologic Therapy, 2022

COSRX or Shiseido: which cleanser is better?

COSRX is better for cleansers on this page, as its formulations tend to be more gentle and non-stripping compared to Shiseido.

Which is more affordable, COSRX or Shiseido?

Shiseido is often noted for having a high price point, whereas high price and value concerns are commonly associated with COSRX on this page.

Between COSRX and Shiseido, which brand is better for addressing dark spots?

Both COSRX and Shiseido offer products that are well-suited for addressing dark spots, with both brands achieving a High fit level for skin with dark spots. COSRX helps target pigmentation issues using ingredients like niacinamide, while Shiseido provides options such as the White Lucent Brightening Gel Cream.

The British Journal of Dermatology, 2002Antioxidants, 2021

How do the fragrance levels compare between COSRX and Shiseido products?

COSRX is more fragrance-free than Shiseido, as 37 of the 38 COSRX products on this page list no fragrance, whereas only 5 of the 20 Shiseido products are fragrance-free.

Which brand offers better results for improving skin texture and smoothness?

Shiseido does better for improving skin texture and smoothness. Reviewers note that the products on this page offer luxurious textures and deep hydration.

COSRX or Shiseido for oily skin?

COSRX is the better choice for oily skin, offering a Superior routine fit compared to Shiseido's High fit.

COSRX or Shiseido: which moisturizer is better?

Both COSRX and Shiseido offer moisturizers that provide deep hydration and skin-smoothing benefits, with COSRX being a Superior fit for oily, acne-prone, and sensitive skin, while Shiseido fits best for sensitive skin, mature skin, and skin with dark spots. Shiseido features luxurious textures and firming formulas, whereas COSRX is noted for lightweight absorption and effective acne control at a lower price point.

COSRX or Shiseido for sensitive skin?

For sensitive skin, Lovi rates COSRX as having a Superior routine fit, while Shiseido has a High routine fit. COSRX is often noted for being gentle and non-stripping, whereas Shiseido products on this page frequently list fragrance.

COSRX or Shiseido: which sunscreen is better?

Both COSRX and Shiseido offer sunscreens on the page, with COSRX featuring options like the Ultra-Light Invisible Sunscreen and Shiseido offering products such as the Ultimate Sun Protector Lotion. Lovi rates the COSRX sunscreen products generally as High or Superior for various skin types, whereas Shiseido sunscreens range from Low to Superior depending on the formulation and skin type.

COSRX or Shiseido for acne-prone skin?

For acne-prone skin, COSRX is the better choice because Lovi rates its routine fit as Superior, compared to High for Shiseido. The products on this page help provide effective acne control and clearing.

Research behind their key ingredients

Behind this comparison

Lovi compares products by their fit scores, calculated from the full ingredient list with brand-independent rules our dermatologists and cosmetic chemists build and review, and personalizes every pick with AI trained on the real results of millions of users. Lovi trains its fit score models on a proprietary dataset built from more than 10,000 expert-labeled products and more than 100,000 simulated examples, following an internally consistent methodology presented at Cosmoprof, AMWC, and Skin of Color Update.

  • Nadia Kapleva, MS

    Nadia Kapleva, MS

    Co-founder, Medical Director

    Cosmetic chemist, cosmetologist, aesthetic products developer

  • Alexey Shagraev, PhD

    Alexey Shagraev, PhD

    Co-founder, CEO and CTO

    PhD in computer science, 3x US patent holder, ex-Google, ex-Yandex

  • Dr. Sofía Perea Pérez, MD, MSc

    Dr. Sofía Perea Pérez, MD, MSc

    Medical Board

    Aesthetic medicine practitioner, MSc in Longevity and Anti-Aging Medicine

  • Aishani Shah, MD

    Aishani Shah, MD

    Medical Board

    Specialist dermatologist, MBBS, MD, IFAAD

  • Asya Zubkova, MS

    Asya Zubkova, MS

    Medical Board

    Cosmetic chemist, SCS, IFSCC member

  • Hanna Kurets, MD

    Hanna Kurets, MD

    Medical Board, Medical Advisor

    Dermatology MD

  • Elina Nazarenko, MD

    Elina Nazarenko, MD

    Medical Board

    Dermatology and diagnostic consultant

  • Victoria Derkova, MS

    Victoria Derkova, MS

    Medical Board

    Cosmetic chemist, cosmetic development technologist

How does it fit your skin?

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