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Clarins vs Shiseido

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

Clarins and Shiseido are esteemed skincare brands from France and Japan respectively. Clarins is loved for its luxurious moisturizers, potent serums, soothing eye products, and gentle toners enriched with shea and squalane, while Shiseido is beloved for its sophisticated moisturizers, gentle cleansers, protective sunscreens, nourishing serums, and more, all formulated with glycerin. The French brand suits sensitive skin and dry sensitive skin best, whereas the Japanese brand suits sensitive skin and oily skin best, owing to their balanced formulations. They differ in their heritage and specific ingredient profiles, as the French preparations use shea to reduce redness and squalane to increase collagen, while the Japanese preparations rely on glycerin to improve stratum corneum hydration.

Clarins is a French skincare brand founded in 1954 and owned by Famille C (Groupe Clarins).

groupeclarins.comen.wikipedia.orghappi.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 Clarins and Shiseido products; for every product of both brands, with a fit score for your own skin, use the Lovi app.

Popular Clarins vs Shiseido products

People Say

ClarinsShiseido
  • 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”
    • “silky smooth, rich but non-greasy, absorbs quickly, melts into skin — Shiseido VITAL PERFECTION”
    • “skin drinks it up — Clarins Double Serum”
  • Luxurious and lightweight texture Mostly MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “absorbs immediately — Clarins Double Serum Eye”
    • “sinks in immediately — Clarins Double Serum Light Texture”
    • “Lightweight, silky, non-sticky, sinks in instantly. — Shiseido Ultimune Power Infusing Concentrate”
    • “Airy-soft texture — Shiseido Essential Energy Hydrating Cream”
  • Anti-aging and firming results Mostly MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “neck feels smoother — Clarins Extra-Firming Neck & Décolleté Cream”
    • “visibly tighter, lifted skin — Clarins Super Restorative Night Cream”
    • “makes skin silky smooth — Clarins Hydrating Toning Lotion”
    • “Smoothed out crow's feet — Shiseido Benefiance Wrinkle Smoothing Eye Cream”
  • Visible awakening and radiance effect Often MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “skin looks brighter immediately — Clarins Cryo-Flash Cream-Mask”
    • “Gives off the most stunning natural radiance I've ever come across. — Clarins Beauty Flash Balm”
    • “Skin looks brighter, more radiant, and "glowy." — Shiseido Ultimune Power Infusing Concentrate”
    • “faded pimple marks — Shiseido White Lucent Brightening Gel Cream”
  • Pleasant scent Sometimes NotedSometimes Noted
    • “smells luxurious — Clarins Extra-Firming Neck & Décolleté Cream”
    • “smells luxurious — Clarins Double Serum Light Texture”
    • “Pleasant floral fragrance, relaxing, luxurious smell. — Shiseido Ultimune Power Infusing Concentrate”
    • “spa-like scent, high-quality packaging, little goes a long way — Shiseido VITAL PERFECTION”
  • Excellent makeup base Sometimes NotedRarely Noted
    • “concealer glides on smoothly — Clarins Total Eye Lift”
    • “Perfect primer for any foundation, which all glide on smoothly. — Clarins Beauty Flash Balm”
    • “concealer sits better — Clarins Double Serum Eye”
    • “Great base for makeup — Shiseido Essential Energy Hydrating Cream”
  • High price point Mostly MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “way too expensive — Clarins Double Serum”
    • “too expensive for results — Clarins Total Eye Lift”
    • “Very expensive for the size — Shiseido Benefiance Wrinkle Smoothing Eye Cream”
    • “Expensive, pricey, high cost for the amount. — Shiseido Ultimune Power Infusing Concentrate”
  • Strong fragrance and scent issues Often MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “smells like perfume — Clarins Multi-Active Jour”
    • “Smell was very off putting — Clarins Extra-Firming Day Cream”
    • “old lady smell — Shiseido Eudermine Revitalizing Essence”
    • “Strong scent, alcohol smell, potential irritation for sensitive skin. — Shiseido Ultimune Power Infusing Concentrate”
  • Pump and bottle design 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”
    • “dispenses too much product — Clarins Total Eye Lift”
  • Skin irritation and breakouts Sometimes NotedSometimes Noted
    • “caused cystic acne — Clarins Double Serum”
    • “caused redness — Clarins Double Serum Eye”
    • “Caused some irritation — Shiseido Bio-Performance Advanced Super Revitalizing Cream”
    • “Caused burning and redness — Shiseido Benefiance Wrinkle Smoothing Eye Cream”

Clarins vs Shiseido routines for dry skin

Buy Clarins routine · A$394.74 · 78% fitBuy Shiseido routine · A$515.52 · 74% fitSee multi-brand routine · 97% fit

Clarins vs Shiseido routines for oily skin

Buy Shiseido routine · A$737.92 · 84% fitBuy Clarins routine · A$585.59 · 71% fitSee multi-brand routine · 96% fit

Clarins vs Shiseido routines for combination skin

Buy Shiseido routine · A$614.44 · 81% fitBuy Clarins routine · A$557.60 · 70% fitSee multi-brand routine · 95% fit

Questions and answers

Clarins or Shiseido: which is better?

Clarins is better for dry skin and anti-aging results, whereas Shiseido is better for oily and combination skin. Both brands achieve equal levels for sensitive and mature skin.

What is the difference between Clarins and Shiseido?

Clarins fits dry skin better with a High routine level, whereas Shiseido fits oily skin and acne-prone skin better with High routine levels. Both brands feature key ingredients like glycerin and hyaluronic acid across the products on this page.

Dermatologic Therapy, 2022

Clarins or Shiseido for dry skin?

Clarins fits dry skin better than Shiseido, as the routine fit for dry skin is High for Clarins and Average for Shiseido. The products on this page for Clarins feature hydrating ingredients like hyaluronic acid.

Dermatologic Therapy, 2022

Clarins or Shiseido: which cleanser is better?

Clarins is better for dry skin and dry sensitive skin, as the products on this page achieve a High Lovi fit level for those skin types, whereas Shiseido cleansers receive lower fit levels. Shiseido features deep-cleansing and efficient cleansers that are well-suited for oily skin.

Which is more affordable, Clarins or Shiseido?

Both Clarins and Shiseido have a high price point as a commonly mentioned drawback by reviewers on the products on this page, so neither brand is more affordable.

Clarins or Shiseido: which brand is better for anti-aging and firming results?

Clarins is better than Shiseido for anti-aging and firming results, as reviewers highlight its superior performance in anti-aging and firming care. Topical hyaluronic acid, found in the products on this page, helps improve skin quality and signs of skin aging.

Dermatologic Therapy, 2022

Which brand uses fewer fragrances across its product line, Clarins or Shiseido?

Clarins uses fewer fragrances across the products on this page, with 1 out of 24 products listing no fragrance compared to 5 out of 20 products for Shiseido.

Clarins or Shiseido: which brand performs better for dry sensitive skin?

Clarins fits dry sensitive skin better than Shiseido, as Lovi rates Clarins with a High routine fit for this skin type compared to Shiseido's Average fit.

Clarins or Shiseido for oily skin?

For oily skin, Shiseido is the better choice because Lovi rates its routine fit as High compared to an Average fit for Clarins. Topical hyaluronic acid, found in the products on this page, helps improve skin quality.

Dermatologic Therapy, 2022

Clarins or Shiseido: which moisturizer is better?

Clarins fits dry skin better with a High routine fit level, while Shiseido fits oily and combination skin better at a High routine fit level. Both brands offer hydrating moisturizers, though Clarins has an anti-aging and firming advantage.

Dermatologic Therapy, 2022

Clarins or Shiseido for sensitive skin?

Both Clarins and Shiseido achieve a High routine fit for sensitive skin among the products on this page. Shiseido features glycerin and hyaluronic acid as key ingredients, while Clarins includes ingredients like hyaluronic acid and vitamin E.

Dermatologic Therapy, 2022Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2020

Clarins or Shiseido for acne-prone skin?

Shiseido is a better fit for acne-prone skin, as Lovi rates its routine fit as High while Clarins is Average. Both brands share key ingredients like glycerin and hyaluronic acid across their products.

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

How does it fit your skin?

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