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COSRX vs Clinique

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

COSRX and Clinique are a contemporary Korean skincare brand founded in 2013 and a classic American skincare brand founded in 1968, respectively. The former is known for serums, moisturizers, cleansers, and masks using hyaluronic acid, glycerin, and niacinamide to suit oily and sensitive skin best, while the latter is loved for moisturizers, serums, makeup removers, and eye products relying on hyaluronic acid, glycerin, and caffeine to favor sensitive and dry skin. Both brands utilize hyaluronic acid and glycerin, yet they differ because the first brand incorporates niacinamide to reduce cell damage and decrease hyperpigmentation, whereas the second brand integrates caffeine to protect against UV radiation.

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

koreajoongangdaily.combeautymatter.comprnewswire.com

Clinique is an American skincare brand founded in 1968 and owned by The Estée Lauder Companies Inc..

en.wikipedia.orgelcompanies.combusinesswire.comglossy.co

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

Popular COSRX vs Clinique products

People Say

COSRXClinique
  • Soothing and calming for sensitive skin Mostly MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “No stinging or irritation — COSRX BHA Blackhead Power Liquid”
    • “perfect for first-time retinol users — COSRX The Retinol 0.1 Cream”
    • “never irritated my eyes — Clinique All About Eyes”
    • “No strong scent — Clinique Take The Day Off Cleansing Balm”
  • Lightweight and fast-absorbing texture Mostly MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “absorbs instantly like water — COSRX The 6 Peptide Skin Booster Serum”
    • “sinks in immediately — COSRX Advanced Snail Peptide Eye Cream”
    • “sinks in immediately — Clinique moisture surge”
    • “sinks in instantly — Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Gel”
  • Deep hydration and plumping Mostly MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “skin drinks it up — COSRX Advanced Snail 96 Mucin Power Essence”
    • “woke up with soft, supple skin — COSRX Advanced Snail 92 All in One Cream”
    • “gives me that glass skin look — COSRX Advanced Snail 96 Mucin Power Essence”
    • “Keeps my dry patches at bay all day — Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion+”
  • Acne and pore control Often MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “extremely gentle — COSRX AHA/BHA Clarifying Treatment Toner”
    • “helped to improve my acne after only 2 weeks — COSRX Salicylic Acid Daily Gentle Cleanser”
    • “gentle enough for everyday — Clinique 7 Day Scrub Cream Rinse-Off Formula”
    • “You will see the dirt with one wipe — Clinique Clarifying Lotion 2”
  • Improves skin texture and smoothness Often MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “skin feels softer immediately — COSRX The 6 Peptide Skin Booster Serum”
    • “Skin feels like glass — COSRX BHA Blackhead Power Liquid”
    • “smoother skin — COSRX AHA/BHA Clarifying Treatment Toner”
    • “skin feels silky smooth — Clinique Smart Clinical Repair Wrinkle Correcting Serum”
  • Makeup base compatibility Not notedOften Mentioned
    • “foundation glides on — Clinique moisture surge”
    • “holds concealer in place — Clinique All About Eyes”
    • “wake up glowing — Clinique Moisture Surge Overnight Mask”
  • Insufficient hydration or dryness Often MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “left my face tight — COSRX Low pH Good Morning Gel Cleanser”
    • “leaves skin feeling tight — COSRX Salicylic Acid Daily Gentle Cleanser”
    • “skin felt tight — Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Gel”
    • “Made my skin super dry — Clinique Clarifying Lotion 2”
  • High price and poor value Rarely NotedOften Mentioned
    • “expensive for me — COSRX The Hyaluronic Acid 3 Serum”
    • “jar is too small for the cost — Clinique moisture surge”
  • Slow or no visible results Sometimes NotedSometimes Noted
    • “no change in circles — COSRX Advanced Snail Peptide Eye Cream”
    • “Takes a month to work — COSRX BHA Blackhead Power Liquid”
    • “didn't help dark circles — Clinique All About Eyes”
    • “don't expect miracles overnight — Clinique Smart Clinical Repair Wrinkle Correcting Serum”
  • Sticky or greasy finish Sometimes NotedSometimes Noted
    • “hard to rinse off — Clinique 7 Day Scrub Cream Rinse-Off Formula”
    • “feels sticky to the touch — Clinique moisture surge”
    • “Left an oily film on my T-zone — Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion+”
    • “texture is gooey and stringy — COSRX Advanced Snail 92 All in One Cream”

COSRX vs Clinique routines for dry skin

Buy COSRX routine · A$239.37 · 91% fitBuy Clinique routine · A$365.39 · 75% fitSee multi-brand routine · 97% fit

COSRX vs Clinique routines for oily skin

Buy COSRX routine · A$330.57 · 92% fitBuy Clinique routine · A$490.43 · 75% fitSee multi-brand routine · 96% fit

COSRX vs Clinique routines for combination skin

Buy COSRX routine · A$311.08 · 89% fitBuy Clinique routine · A$469.78 · 72% fitSee multi-brand routine · 95% fit

Questions and answers

COSRX or Clinique: which is better?

COSRX is generally better than Clinique across most skin types on the products on this page, offering superior routines for dry, oily, sensitive, acne-prone, dry sensitive, and oily acne-prone skin. Lovi rates COSRX as Superior for dry skin, whereas Clinique is rated High.

What is the difference between COSRX and Clinique?

COSRX tends to offer better overall routine fits, rating as Superior for dry, oily, sensitive, dry sensitive, and oily acne-prone skin, whereas Clinique is rated as High for most of those categories. COSRX also does better for deep hydration and skin texture, while Clinique stands out for its makeup base compatibility.

COSRX or Clinique for dry skin?

For dry skin, COSRX is the better choice because Lovi rates its routine as Superior, while Clinique's routine is rated as High. The products on this page help deliver deep hydration and moisturization, and hyaluronic acid helps improve skin quality.

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

COSRX or Clinique: which cleanser is better?

COSRX is better overall for cleansing, as Lovi rates its cleansers as a Superior fit for dry and sensitive skin while Clinique cleansers generally receive lower ratings on the products on this page. COSRX also helps with acne control and smoothing texture.

Which is more affordable, COSRX or Clinique?

Clinique has a higher price point than COSRX, making COSRX the more affordable brand among the products on this page.

COSRX or Clinique: which has better options for acne and pore control?

For acne and pore control, Lovi rates COSRX as having Superior options for acne-prone skin while Clinique's options rate Average.

COSRX or Clinique for oily skin?

For oily skin, Lovi rates COSRX as Superior and Clinique as High.

COSRX or Clinique: which moisturizer is better?

COSRX stands out on this page as the better brand for moisturizers, offering superior fit levels across multiple skin types including dry, sensitive, and oily skin compared to Clinique. The products on this page help deliver deep hydration and smoothing while keeping formulations fragrance-free.

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

COSRX or Clinique for sensitive skin?

For sensitive skin, both COSRX and Clinique are good options, but Lovi rates COSRX as Superior and Clinique as High. Both brands provide gentle and effective formulas, though COSRX is often noted for deep hydration and soothing effects.

COSRX or Clinique for acne-prone skin?

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

COSRX or Clinique for dry sensitive skin?

For dry sensitive skin, Lovi rates COSRX as a Superior fit and Clinique as a High fit. COSRX helps with deep hydration and plumping, while the products on this page feature key ingredients like hyaluronic acid and panthenol that are unlikely to cause irritation.

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

COSRX or Clinique for mature skin?

For mature skin, Lovi finds that COSRX has a High fit level and Clinique has an Average fit level. COSRX helps deliver deep hydration and plumpness, which may improve skin texture and smoothness.

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?

Scan your face, then any product: Lovi shows how well it fits you and what fits even better.

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