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Medik8 vs Elemis

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

Medik8 and Elemis are esteemed British skincare brands that respectively anchor their formulations in hyaluronic acid, and nourishing ingredients like glycerin and shea. The 2009-founded Medik8 offers serums, moisturizers, eye products, toners, and more that suit dry skin and dry sensitive skin best, while the 1989-founded Elemis provides thoughtfully formulated serums, moisturizers, cleansers, toners, and more tailored for mature skin and dry sensitive skin. Both houses feature standout targeted solutions, such as the former brand's Surface Radiance Cleanse, Oxy-R Peptides, and Total Moisture Daily Facial Cream, alongside the latter brand's Pro-Collagen Advanced Eye Treatment, Pro-Collagen Tri-Acid Peel, and Pro-Collagen Marine Cream. Ultimately, they differ through their core active mechanisms, with the first brand relying on hyaluronic acid to lengthen toxin wrinkle effect duration, and the second brand utilizing glycerin to significantly increase skin hydration and improve barrier function while shea butter reduces inflammation and relieves skin pruritus.

Medik8 is a British skincare brand founded in 2009 and owned by L'Oréal Groupe since 2025.

loreal.commedik8.comtracxn.com

Elemis is a British skincare brand founded in 1989 and owned by L'Occitane Group since 2019.

elemis.comau.elemis.comen.wikipedia.org

This page compares some of the most popular Medik8 and Elemis products; for every product of both brands, with a fit score for your own skin, use the Lovi app.

Popular Medik8 vs Elemis products

People Say

Medik8Elemis
  • Deep hydration Often MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “Restores moisture — Medik8 Liquid Peptides”
    • “Instantly quenched the skin — Medik8 Hydr8 B5 Intense”
    • “The cream really hydrates and my face looks amazing. — Elemis Pro-Collagen Night Cream”
    • “Quenches thirsty skin... immediate improvement. — Elemis Pro-Collagen Marine Cream”
  • Lightweight and elegant texture Often MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “Absorbs almost immediately, and my skin feels well hydrated all day. — Elemis Pro-Collagen Marine Cream”
    • “whipped silk feel — Elemis Superfood Midnight Facial”
    • “cloud-light gel formula — Elemis Pro-Collagen Eye Revive Mask”
    • “absorbed effortlessly — Medik8 Total Moisture Daily Facial Cream”
  • Gentle and non-irritating formula Mostly MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “zero irritation or peeling — Medik8 CRYSTAL RETINAL 3”
    • “only Vitamin C my sensitive skin can tolerate — Medik8 C-Tetra Serum”
    • “Best retinol replacement — Medik8 Bakuchiol Peptides”
    • “no stinging or redness — Elemis Papaya Enzyme Peel”
  • Skin plumping and smoothing Often MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “baby soft — Elemis Dynamic Resurfacing Facial Pads”
    • “skin feels baby soft — Elemis Papaya Enzyme Peel”
    • “skin feels baby-soft — Elemis Dynamic Resurfacing Facial Wash”
    • “My skin was smoother, my skin texture felt more resurfaced. — Medik8 Sleep Glycolic”
  • Brightening and glow Often MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “I wake up glowing. It adds back that youthful bloom that I've lost. — Medik8 Sleep Glycolic”
    • “unlocked a serious glow — Medik8 C-Tetra Serum”
    • “healthy glow — Elemis Dynamic Resurfacing Facial Pads”
    • “instantly fresh glow — Elemis Dynamic Resurfacing Facial Wash”
  • Pleasant experience and scent Sometimes NotedOften Mentioned
    • “smells like a spa — Elemis Pro-Collagen Cleansing Balm”
    • “smells like a holiday — Elemis Papaya Enzyme Peel”
    • “smells like a tropical cocktail — Elemis Superfood Midnight Facial”
    • “smells like a spa — Medik8 CRYSTAL RETINAL 3”
  • High price point Often MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “Expensive per bottle — Medik8 Liquid Peptides”
    • “very expensive for amount — Medik8 CRYSTAL RETINAL 3”
    • “hefty price tag — Medik8 C-Tetra Serum”
    • “Complete waste of money for me. — Elemis Pro-Collagen Marine Cream”
  • Slow or underwhelming results Sometimes NotedSometimes Noted
    • “didn't see a difference — Elemis Papaya Enzyme Peel”
    • “didn't see difference — Elemis Dynamic Resurfacing Facial Wash”
    • “Verdict still out. — Elemis Pro-Collagen Night Cream”
    • “Not as effective as retinol — Medik8 Bakuchiol Peptides”
  • Packaging issues Sometimes NotedRarely Noted
    • “jar looks half empty — Elemis Superfood Midnight Facial”
    • “tube feels half empty — Elemis Papaya Enzyme Peel”
    • “pump broke quickly — Elemis Dynamic Resurfacing Facial Wash”
    • “Glass bottle breaks easily — Medik8 Liquid Peptides”

Medik8 vs Elemis routines for dry skin

Buy Medik8 routine · AED 1,017.94 · 95% fitBuy Elemis routine · AED 2,268.50 · 82% fitSee multi-brand routine · 96% fit

Medik8 vs Elemis routines for oily skin

Buy Medik8 routine · AED 1,453.26 · 89% fitBuy Elemis routine · AED 1,630.94 · 77% fitSee multi-brand routine · 97% fit

Medik8 vs Elemis routines for combination skin

Buy Medik8 routine · AED 1,409.08 · 92% fitBuy Elemis routine · AED 1,644.88 · 79% fitSee multi-brand routine · 96% fit

Questions and answers

Medik8 or Elemis: which is better?

Medik8 is better for gentle, non-irritating formulas, while Elemis is better for lightweight and elegant textures, skin plumping, and smoothing. Both brands offer equal deep hydration and brightening effects, but Medik8 has a higher price point while Elemis may cause skin irritation.

What is the difference between Medik8 and Elemis?

Medik8 tends to offer gentler, non-irritating formulas with a superior fit for sensitive and dry sensitive skin, whereas Elemis is known for lightweight, luxurious textures and effective skin smoothing and plumping. Both brands share high price points, but Medik8 uses key ingredients like hyaluronic acid with most products listing no fragrance, while Elemis frequently features ingredients like glycerin and shea butter alongside stronger fragrances in many of the products on this page.

Dermatologic Therapy, 2022Drug Delivery, 2017

Medik8 or Elemis for dry skin?

Medik8 is the better choice for dry skin, achieving a Superior routine fit compared to Elemis, which reaches a High fit on this page. Topical hyaluronic acid, featured widely across the products on this page, helps provide deep hydration and improve skin aging signs.

Drug Delivery, 2017Dermatologic Therapy, 2022

Medik8 or Elemis: which cleanser is better?

Medik8 is better for cleansing acne-prone skin and skin with dark spots, where its Surface Radiance Cleanse has a Superior fit compared to Elemis. Medik8 features fragrance-free formulas across almost all products on this page, whereas most Elemis cleansers contain fragrance, which helps those with sensitive skin avoid irritation.

Which is more affordable, Medik8 or Elemis?

Medik8 has a high price point, but reviews show that Elemis also features a high price point.

Between Medik8 and Elemis, which brand has more products formulated without fragrance?

Medik8 has more products formulated without fragrance, as 11 of the 12 products on this page list no fragrance compared to only 4 of the 22 products for Elemis.

Which brand offers better results for skin plumping and smoothing according to reviewers?

Elemis offers better results for skin plumping and smoothing according to reviewers. The brand is well known for its smoothing formulas and hydrating moisturizers.

How do the founding years and parent companies of Medik8 and Elemis compare?

Medik8 was founded in 2009 in the United Kingdom and has been owned by L'Oréal Groupe since 2025, whereas Elemis was founded earlier in 1989 in the United Kingdom and is owned by L'Occitane Group.

Medik8 or Elemis for oily skin?

Medik8 and Elemis both achieve a High routine fit level for oily skin. Reviewers note that Medik8 formulas tend to be gentle and non-irritating, while Elemis products often provide a lightweight and elegant texture.

Medik8 or Elemis: which moisturizer is better?

Medik8 is the better choice for hydration on dry skin with a Superior routine fit compared to Elemis, which has a High fit level. Medik8 products are also noted for being gentle, and the products on this page mostly list no fragrance, whereas most Elemis options contain added fragrance.

Dermatologic Therapy, 2022

Medik8 or Elemis for sensitive skin?

Medik8 is a better fit for sensitive skin, offering a Superior routine fit compared to Elemis's High fit. Medik8 features gentle, non-irritating serums, and 11 of the 12 products on the page list no fragrance.

Medik8 or Elemis for acne-prone skin?

Medik8 is a better fit for acne-prone skin, achieving a Superior routine fit compared to Elemis which reaches a High fit level.

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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