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Medik8 vs Shiseido

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

Medik8 and Shiseido are renowned skincare labels offering targeted regimens for diverse complexions. The British brand, founded in 2009, specializes in serums, moisturizers, eye products, and toners built around hyaluronic acid, while the Japanese house, established in 1872, is beloved for sophisticated moisturizers, gentle cleansers, protective sunscreens, and nourishing serums formulated with glycerin. Medik8 products suit dry skin and dry sensitive skin best, whereas the latter's balanced formulations suit sensitive skin and oily skin best. Ultimately, they differ in their heritage and core ingredients, as hyaluronic acid lengthens toxin wrinkle effect duration in the former, while research demonstrates that glycerin significantly improved stratum corneum hydration in the latter.

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

loreal.commedik8.comtracxn.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 Medik8 and Shiseido products; for every product of both brands, with a fit score for your own skin, use the Lovi app.

Popular Medik8 vs Shiseido products

People Say

Medik8Shiseido
  • Deep hydration and moisturization Often 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”
    • “Restores moisture — Medik8 Liquid Peptides”
  • Lightweight and elegant 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”
    • “absorbed effortlessly — Medik8 Total Moisture Daily Facial Cream”
  • Acne clearing and glowing skin 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”
    • “Skin looks brighter, more radiant, and "glowy." — Shiseido Ultimune Power Infusing Concentrate”
    • “faded pimple marks — Shiseido White Lucent Brightening Gel Cream”
  • Skin plumping, smoothing, and firming Often MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “My skin was smoother, my skin texture felt more resurfaced. — Medik8 Sleep Glycolic”
    • “Reduces fine lines — Medik8 Liquid Peptides”
    • “Smoothed out crow's feet — Shiseido Benefiance Wrinkle Smoothing Eye Cream”
    • “tighter jawline, lifted appearance, improved elasticity, less sagging — Shiseido VITAL PERFECTION”
  • Gentle formulation and no irritation Mostly MentionedRarely 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 irritation — Shiseido Essential Energy Hydrating Cream”
  • Hydrating texture and pleasant scent Rarely NotedSometimes Noted
    • “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”
    • “Fresh floral scent — Shiseido Essential Energy Hydrating Cream”
    • “sinks in beautifully — Medik8 C-Tetra Serum”
  • High price point and value Often MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “Expensive per bottle — Medik8 Liquid Peptides”
    • “very expensive for amount — Medik8 CRYSTAL RETINAL 3”
    • “hefty price tag — Medik8 C-Tetra Serum”
    • “Very expensive for the size — Shiseido Benefiance Wrinkle Smoothing Eye Cream”
  • Strong fragrance and alcohol content Not notedOften Mentioned
    • “old lady smell — Shiseido Eudermine Revitalizing Essence”
  • Packaging issues and fragility Sometimes NotedSometimes Noted
    • “Glass bottle breaks easily — Medik8 Liquid Peptides”
    • “hard to get last bit — Medik8 CRYSTAL RETINAL 3”
    • “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”

Medik8 vs Shiseido routines for dry skin

Buy Medik8 routine · A$283.59 · 97% fitBuy Shiseido routine · A$515.52 · 74% fitSee multi-brand routine · 97% fit

Medik8 vs Shiseido routines for oily skin

Buy Medik8 routine · A$409.86 · 94% fitBuy Shiseido routine · A$737.92 · 84% fitSee multi-brand routine · 96% fit

Medik8 vs Shiseido routines for combination skin

Buy Medik8 routine · A$444.44 · 93% fitBuy Shiseido routine · A$614.44 · 81% fitSee multi-brand routine · 95% fit

Questions and answers

Medik8 or Shiseido: which is better?

Medik8 is a better fit overall, offering superior routine fit across all skin types compared to Shiseido. The products on this page for Medik8 also tend to be gentler and less irritating, whereas Shiseido products frequently feature added fragrances.

What is the difference between Medik8 and Shiseido?

Medik8 is generally better for a gentle formulation and lower irritation, while Shiseido excels at deep hydration and luxurious textures. The products on this page from Medik8 tend to rely less on fragrance, whereas many Shiseido items contain added scents.

Medik8 or Shiseido for dry skin?

Medik8 is the better choice for dry skin because Lovi rates its routine fit as Superior, compared to Average for Shiseido. The products on this page help deliver deep hydration and plumping, which may support moisture retention in dry skin types.

Drug Delivery, 2017Dermatologic Therapy, 2022

Medik8 or Shiseido: which cleanser is better?

Medik8 is better for cleansing because the products on this page achieve a Superior fit for acne-prone skin and skin with dark spots, whereas Shiseido cleansers generally reach only an Average fit for those skin types.

Which is more affordable, Medik8 or Shiseido?

Medik8 is generally considered more affordable on this page, as high price point is more often noted as a drawback for Shiseido compared to Medik8.

Medik8 or Shiseido: which brand offers better options for mature skin?

Medik8 is the better choice for mature skin, achieving a Superior routine fit compared to Shiseido's High rating. The products on this page help improve skin quality and signs of aging.

Dermatologic Therapy, 2022Drug Delivery, 2017

Which brand has more products formulated without fragrance, Medik8 or Shiseido?

Medik8 has more products formulated without fragrance, with 11 of its 12 products on this page listing no fragrance compared to only 5 of 20 products for Shiseido.

Medik8 or Shiseido: which brand is better for addressing skin with dark spots?

Medik8 is a Superior fit for skin with dark spots, whereas Shiseido is a High fit. Medik8 provides targeted treatments on this page like Oxy-R Peptides and Surface Radiance Cleanse, which helps address dark spots while maintaining gentle formulations.

The British Journal of Dermatology, 2002Antioxidants, 2021

Medik8 or Shiseido for oily skin?

Medik8 is a Superior fit for oily skin, whereas Shiseido is a High fit. Reviewers note that the products on this page from Medik8 provide gentle and non-irritating care, while Shiseido offers deep hydration and efficient cleansers.

Medik8 or Shiseido: which moisturizer is better?

Medik8 is better for overall moisturizer and routine fit, achieving a Superior rating for dry skin compared to Shiseido's Average fit on this page. Shiseido often provides deep hydration and luxurious textures, but Medik8 helps deliver gentle, non-irritating formulations with a high concentration of hydrating ingredients like hyaluronic acid.

Dermatologic Therapy, 2022Drug Delivery, 2017

Medik8 or Shiseido for sensitive skin?

Medik8 is the better choice for sensitive skin because it offers a gentler formulation with no irritation, whereas Shiseido products on this page often feature strong fragrances. Lovi rates Medik8 as Superior for sensitive skin.

Medik8 or Shiseido for acne-prone skin?

Medik8 is a better fit than Shiseido for acne-prone skin, achieving a Superior routine fit compared to Shiseido's High fit rating. The products on this page help improve skin quality and signs of aging with key ingredients like hyaluronic acid.

Drug Delivery, 2017Dermatologic 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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