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Dermalogica vs Shiseido

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

Dermalogica and Shiseido are renowned skincare houses originating from America and Japan, respectively. The former offers targeted serums, nourishing moisturizers, gentle cleansers, and purifying masks formulated with hyaluronic acid, glycerin, and salicylic acid, while the latter provides sophisticated moisturizers, gentle cleansers, protective sunscreens, and nourishing serums utilizing key ingredients like glycerin. Both suit oily skin well, though the American line best serves acne-prone skin with formulations managing excess oil, whereas the Japanese brand excels with sensitive skin through balanced preparations. Ultimately, they differ in their heritage and specific ingredient synergies, with the former emphasizing multi-active blemish and barrier solutions and the latter focusing on meticulous hydration.

Dermalogica is an American skincare brand founded in 1986 and owned by Unilever since 2015.

en.wikipedia.orgcosmeticsbusiness.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 Dermalogica and Shiseido products; for every product of both brands, with a fit score for your own skin, use the Lovi app.

Popular Dermalogica vs Shiseido products

People Say

DermalogicaShiseido
  • Deep hydration and moisturization 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”
    • “Saved my dry skin — Dermalogica Super Rich Repair”
  • Luxurious and smooth texture Often MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “silky smooth, rich but non-greasy, absorbs quickly, melts into skin — Shiseido VITAL PERFECTION”
    • “Airy-soft texture — Shiseido Essential Energy Hydrating Cream”
    • “absorbs quickly — Shiseido White Lucent Brightening Gel Cream”
    • “skin feels smooth as silk — Dermalogica Daily Microfoliant”
  • Brightening and radiance Sometimes NotedOften Mentioned
    • “Skin looks brighter, more radiant, and "glowy." — Shiseido Ultimune Power Infusing Concentrate”
    • “faded pimple marks — Shiseido White Lucent Brightening Gel Cream”
    • “Eyes look more awake — Shiseido Benefiance Wrinkle Smoothing Eye Cream”
    • “immediately brighter looking — Dermalogica Daily Microfoliant”
  • Anti-aging and wrinkle reduction Sometimes NotedSometimes Noted
    • “Smoothed out crow's feet — Shiseido Benefiance Wrinkle Smoothing Eye Cream”
    • “tighter jawline, lifted appearance, improved elasticity, less sagging — Shiseido VITAL PERFECTION”
    • “wrinkles look softer — Shiseido Benefiance Wrinkle Smoothing Cream Enriched”
    • “fine lines have visibly softened — Dermalogica Phyto Nature Lifting Eye Cream”
  • Gentle exfoliation and cleansing Often MentionedRarely Noted
    • “gentle enough for daily use — Dermalogica Daily Microfoliant”
    • “doesn't strip skin — Dermalogica Special Cleansing Gel”
    • “removes all makeup — Dermalogica Special Cleansing Gel”
    • “face feels squeaky clean — Shiseido Clarifying Cleansing Foam”
  • Soothing and calming skin Sometimes NotedRarely Noted
    • “helps calm and nourish my skin — Dermalogica Stabilizing Repair Cream”
    • “The redness is better — Dermalogica Stabilizing Repair Cream”
    • “Calms redness — Dermalogica Super Rich Repair”
    • “No irritation — Shiseido Essential Energy Hydrating Cream”
  • High price point Mostly MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “hefty price tag — Dermalogica Daily Microfoliant”
    • “Expensive for cleanser — Dermalogica Precleanse”
    • “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 puke — Dermalogica Daily Microfoliant”
    • “smells like medicine — Dermalogica Dynamic Skin Recovery SPF 50”
    • “Overpowering scent — Dermalogica Precleanse”
    • “old lady smell — Shiseido Eudermine Revitalizing Essence”
  • Skin irritation and reactions Often MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “Caused some irritation — Shiseido Bio-Performance Advanced Super Revitalizing Cream”
    • “Caused burning and redness — Shiseido Benefiance Wrinkle Smoothing Eye Cream”
    • “Caused breakouts, redness, or exacerbated oiliness for some. — Shiseido Ultimune Power Infusing Concentrate”
    • “Stings eyes — Dermalogica Precleanse”
  • Greasy or heavy feel Sometimes NotedSometimes Noted
    • “Too thick for day — Dermalogica Super Rich Repair”
    • “skin felt tight — Dermalogica Active Moist”
    • “Stays tacky and shiny — Shiseido Benefiance Wrinkle Smoothing Eye Cream”
    • “Not enough for winter — Shiseido Essential Energy Hydrating Cream”

Dermalogica vs Shiseido routines for dry skin

Buy Dermalogica routine · A$1,045.67 · 83% fitBuy Shiseido routine · A$515.52 · 74% fitSee multi-brand routine · 97% fit

Dermalogica vs Shiseido routines for oily skin

Buy Dermalogica routine · A$1,135.66 · 89% fitBuy Shiseido routine · A$737.92 · 84% fitSee multi-brand routine · 96% fit

Dermalogica vs Shiseido routines for combination skin

Buy Dermalogica routine · A$1,096.95 · 87% fitBuy Shiseido routine · A$614.44 · 81% fitSee multi-brand routine · 95% fit

Questions and answers

Dermalogica or Shiseido: which is better?

Dermalogica is better for gentle exfoliation and soothing, while Shiseido is better for deep hydration, texture, brightening, and anti-aging. Lovi routine fit is High for Dermalogica and Shiseido across most skin types.

What is the difference between Dermalogica and Shiseido?

Dermalogica provides a better fit for oily acne-prone skin with a Superior Lovi fit level compared to Shiseido's High level. The products on this page for Dermalogica have no fragrance, whereas most Shiseido products contain fragrance.

Dermalogica or Shiseido for dry skin?

Dermalogica is the better choice for dry skin because the routine fit on this page is High, compared to Shiseido which has an Average fit level. Additionally, every product on the Dermalogica page lists no fragrance in its ingredients, which helps avoid scent issues.

Dermalogica or Shiseido: which cleanser is better?

Dermalogica is better for gentle exfoliation and cleansing, as the products on this page provide gentle, non-stripping cleansers with zero fragrance across the range, whereas Shiseido features deep-cleansing and efficient cleansers with a strong fragrance in many of its products.

Which is more affordable, Dermalogica or Shiseido?

Both Dermalogica and Shiseido face frequent shopper complaints about a high price point, so neither brand is more affordable.

Dermalogica or Shiseido: which brand has fragrance-free products?

Dermalogica is the better choice for fragrance-free options because every product on this page lists no fragrance in its ingredients, whereas only 5 of 20 Shiseido products on this page do.

Dermalogica or Shiseido for oily skin?

Both Dermalogica and Shiseido offer a High routine fit for oily skin. Reviewers note that the products on this page for both brands provide effective options, though Dermalogica features fragrance-free formulas across its entire range while Shiseido includes fragrance in many of its products.

Dermalogica or Shiseido: which moisturizer is better?

When choosing a moisturizer, Dermalogica offers fragrance-free formulas with options like Stabilizing Repair Cream that has a Superior fit for dry and sensitive skin, whereas Shiseido provides options like Essential Energy Hydrating Cream with a Superior fit for mature and sensitive skin.

Dermalogica or Shiseido for sensitive skin?

Both Dermalogica and Shiseido offer a High routine fit for sensitive skin, but Dermalogica may be preferred because the products on this page list no fragrance in their ingredients.

Dermalogica or Shiseido: which sunscreen is better?

Both Dermalogica and Shiseido offer sunscreens on this page with High Lovi fit levels for most skin types, but Shiseido also includes options with Superior fit for mature and sensitive skin.

Dermalogica or Shiseido for acne-prone skin?

Dermalogica is the better choice for acne-prone skin, as its routine fit is High compared to Shiseido's High fit and Dermalogica features a superior oil-in-acne-prone skin fit level. Furthermore, every product on the Dermalogica page lists no fragrance, whereas Shiseido products often include strong fragrance.

Dermalogica or Shiseido for mature skin?

Both Dermalogica and Shiseido have a High routine fit for mature skin, but reviewers say Shiseido does better for anti-aging and wrinkle reduction. Dermalogica has a High fit level for mature skin across products like Dynamic Skin Recovery SPF 50 and Stabilizing Repair Cream, while Shiseido offers products like Benefiance Wrinkle Smoothing Day Cream with a Superior fit level for mature skin.

Dermalogica or Shiseido for skin with dark spots?

Both Dermalogica and Shiseido fit skin with dark spots at a High level. Reviewers say Shiseido does better for brightening and radiance, while Dermalogica lists no fragrance in the products on this page.

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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