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Shiseido vs SK-II

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

Shiseido and SK-II are Japanese skincare brands beloved for their thoughtful arrays of moisturizers, cleansers, sunscreens, serums, masks, and toners. Shiseido is known for utilizing glycerin and suits sensitive and mature skin best, offering gentle daily care through staples like the Treatment Softener, Benefiance Wrinkle Smoothing Day Cream, and Essential Energy Hydrating Cream. Conversely, SK-II is celebrated for its signature ingredient, pitera, which suits acne-prone and dry sensitive skin best through essentials such as the Genoptics Ultraura Essence, Facial Treatment Essence, and Facial Treatment Clear Lotion. While both brands provide effective solutions, they differ in their foundational ingredients and specific target formulations.

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

corp.shiseido.comen.wikipedia.orgmarketscreener.com

SK-II is a Japanese skincare brand founded in 1980 and owned by The Procter & Gamble Company since 1991.

en.wikipedia.orgdiscoversk-ii.wixsite.comglossy.co

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

Popular Shiseido vs SK-II products

People Say

ShiseidoSK-II
  • Deep hydration Mostly MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “Immediate sensation of comfort — Shiseido Benefiance Wrinkle Smoothing Eye Cream”
    • “Lightweight, silky, non-sticky, sinks in instantly. — Shiseido Ultimune Power Infusing Concentrate”
    • “skin feels plump, soft and nourished, eliminates dryness, bouncy feel — Shiseido VITAL PERFECTION”
    • “flooded my skin with moisture — SK-II Facial Treatment Mask”
  • Radiant glow and radiance Sometimes NotedMostly Mentioned
    • “gives a glass skin look — SK-II Facial Treatment Essence”
    • “leaves me with a red carpet glow — SK-II Facial Treatment Mask”
    • “My skin is glowing now. — SK-II Genoptics Ultraura Essence”
    • “Skin looks brighter, more radiant, and "glowy." — Shiseido Ultimune Power Infusing Concentrate”
  • Luxurious texture Mostly MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “silky smooth, rich but non-greasy, absorbs quickly, melts into skin — Shiseido VITAL PERFECTION”
    • “Velvety, rich cream texture — Shiseido Benefiance Wrinkle Smoothing Eye Cream”
    • “Velvety texture — Shiseido FUTURE SOLUTION LX”
    • “silky texture that absorbs quickly — SK-II Skinpower Advanced Cream”
  • Lightweight texture Sometimes NotedOften Mentioned
    • “drinks right into the skin — SK-II Facial Treatment Essence”
    • “Absorbs into the skin quickly. — SK-II Genoptics Ultraura Essence”
    • “Absorbs quickly — SK-II Genoptics Spot Essence”
    • “Airy-soft texture — Shiseido Essential Energy Hydrating Cream”
  • Smoother skin and texture Rarely NotedOften Mentioned
    • “skin feels soft as butter — SK-II Facial Treatment Essence”
    • “pores became miraculously invisible — SK-II Facial Treatment Mask”
    • “Smoother skin — SK-II Facial Treatment Clear Lotion”
    • “makes skin baby soft — Shiseido Benefiance Wrinkle Smoothing Cream Enriched”
  • Makeup compatibility and prep Rarely NotedSometimes Noted
    • “Removes leftover dirt — SK-II Facial Treatment Clear Lotion”
    • “Dissolves waterproof mascara, melts stubborn makeup, removes sunscreen easily. — SK-II Facial Treatment Cleansing Oil”
    • “Great base for makeup — Shiseido Essential Energy Hydrating Cream”
  • High price point Mostly MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “Very expensive for the size — Shiseido Benefiance Wrinkle Smoothing Eye Cream”
    • “Expensive, pricey, high cost for the amount. — Shiseido Ultimune Power Infusing Concentrate”
    • “expensive, investment piece, pricey for the amount, luxury cost — Shiseido VITAL PERFECTION”
    • “way too expensive — SK-II Facial Treatment Essence”
  • Strong fragrance and scent Often MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “old lady smell — Shiseido Eudermine Revitalizing Essence”
    • “overpowering scent, too perfumed, smell lingers, headache-inducing — Shiseido VITAL PERFECTION”
    • “smells like dirty feet — SK-II Facial Treatment Essence”
    • “smells slightly like saliva — SK-II Facial Treatment Mask”
  • Lack of results Rarely NotedOften Mentioned
    • “No change in deep wrinkles — Shiseido Benefiance Wrinkle Smoothing Eye Cream”
    • “No noticeable difference, not moisturizing enough on its own. — Shiseido Ultimune Power Infusing Concentrate”
    • “no visible lifting, just a moisturizer, didn't erase deep wrinkles — Shiseido VITAL PERFECTION”
    • “did absolutely nothing — SK-II Facial Treatment Essence”

Shiseido vs SK-II routines for dry skin

Buy SK-II routine · AED 2,470.10 · 82% fitBuy Shiseido routine · AED 1,124.76 · 81% fitSee multi-brand routine · 96% fit

Shiseido vs SK-II routines for oily skin

Buy SK-II routine · AED 2,468.63 · 88% fitBuy Shiseido routine · AED 1,563.63 · 84% fitSee multi-brand routine · 97% fit

Shiseido vs SK-II routines for combination skin

Buy SK-II routine · AED 2,424.45 · 88% fitBuy Shiseido routine · AED 1,322.98 · 82% fitSee multi-brand routine · 96% fit

Questions and answers

Shiseido or SK-II: which is better?

Both brands offer solid routines, but Shiseido stands out on this page for deep hydration and luxurious textures, while SK-II is noted for its fragrance-free formulas and lightweight, radiance-boosting feel. Hyaluronic acid helps maintain moisture levels in the products on this page.

Dermatologic Therapy, 2022

What is the difference between Shiseido and SK-II?

Shiseido and SK-II are both Japanese skincare brands, with Shiseido offering luxurious textures and deep hydration from ingredients like hyaluronic acid, while SK-II features fragrance-free formulas centered on Pitera. Sodium hyaluronate helps improve skin quality and signs of aging.

Dermatologic Therapy, 2022

Shiseido or SK-II for dry skin?

Both Shiseido and SK-II achieve a high routine fit for dry skin with the products on this page, but they differ in formulation and reviewer feedback. Shiseido features key ingredients like hyaluronic acid and glycerin alongside luxurious textures and deep hydration, while every SK-II product on this page is fragrance-free.

Dermatologic Therapy, 2022

Shiseido or SK-II: which moisturizer is better?

Shiseido and SK-II both offer moisturizers with a high Lovi fit level for various skin types, but Shiseido tends to provide deeper hydration while SK-II features a lighter texture. The products on this page use key ingredients like glycerin and hyaluronic acid to help improve skin moisture and reduce signs of aging.

Dermatologic Therapy, 2022

Which is more affordable, Shiseido or SK-II?

Neither brand is described as more affordable on this page, and reviewers frequently mention a high price point for Shiseido.

Shiseido or SK-II: which brand has fragrance-free products?

SK-II has fragrance-free products because every product on the SK-II page lists no fragrance in its ingredients, whereas Shiseido features fragrance in the majority of the products on this page.

Shiseido or SK-II: which provides better deep hydration?

Shiseido provides better deep hydration, as reviewers on the products on this page mostly mention it for this benefit compared to SK-II.

Shiseido or SK-II for oily skin?

Both Shiseido and SK-II achieve a High routine fit level for oily skin among the products on this page. Shiseido features deep-cleansing and efficient cleansers alongside key ingredients like glycerin and hyaluronic acid, whereas SK-II offers a lightweight texture with pitera.

Dermatologic Therapy, 2022

Shiseido or SK-II for sensitive skin?

Both Shiseido and SK-II achieve a High Lovi fit level for sensitive skin based on the products on this page. Shiseido features key ingredients like glycerin and hyaluronic acid, which helps provide deep hydration, while SK-II uses pitera and lists no fragrance across its products.

Dermatologic Therapy, 2022

Shiseido or SK-II for acne-prone skin?

SK-II is the better choice for acne-prone skin, as the products on this page have a superior Lovi fit level for this skin type compared to Shiseido's high fit level.

Shiseido or SK-II for mature skin?

Both brands offer High Lovi fit levels for mature skin across the products on this page, with Shiseido featuring key ingredients like hyaluronic acid and SK-II relying on Pitera. Hyaluronic acid helps improve skin quality and signs of skin aging.

Dermatologic Therapy, 2022

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

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