🇦🇺Australia

SK-II vs Allies of Skin

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

SK-II and Allies of Skin are two distinct skincare lines known for nurturing various complexions through thoughtful, ingredient-driven formulations. The Japanese brand founded in 1980 centers its moisturizers, serums, masks, and toners around pitera to suit acne-prone and dry skin, while the other brand builds its moisturizers, serums, and eye products around niacinamide to suit dry and mature skin. Both lines offer targeted solutions such as treatment mists and essences to address dark spots, skin aging, and roughness. Ultimately, they differ in their heritage, signature ingredients, and specific approaches to achieving a balanced appearance.

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 SK-II and Allies of Skin products; for every product of both brands, with a fit score for your own skin, use the Lovi app.

Popular SK-II vs Allies of Skin products

People Say

SK-IIAllies of Skin
  • Improves skin texture Mostly MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “skin feels soft as butter — SK-II Facial Treatment Essence”
    • “pores became miraculously invisible — SK-II Facial Treatment Mask”
    • “sinks easily into damp skin — Allies of Skin Tranexamic & Arbutin Advanced Brightening Serum”
    • “Woke up looking well-rested — Allies of Skin Retinal & Peptides Repair Night Cream”
  • Hydration and balancing Mostly MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “flooded my skin with moisture — SK-II Facial Treatment Mask”
    • “skin feels deeply hydrated, plump, and smoother — SK-II Skinpower Advanced Cream”
    • “nourished and hydrated — Allies of Skin Peptides & Omegas Firming Eye Cream”
    • “more like a spray serum — Allies of Skin Molecular Saviour Probiotics Treatment Mist”
  • Radiance and glow Mostly MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “gives a glass skin look — SK-II Facial Treatment Essence”
    • “leaves me with a red carpet glow — SK-II Facial Treatment Mask”
    • “Skin looks brighter — SK-II Genoptics Spot Essence”
    • “gives skin an instant dewy glow — Allies of Skin Tranexamic & Arbutin Advanced Brightening Serum”
  • Lightweight and gentle absorption Often MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “Best retinol for sensitive skin — Allies of Skin Retinal & Peptides Repair Night Cream”
    • “feels super soothing, doesn't trigger redness — Allies of Skin Tranexamic & Arbutin Advanced Brightening Serum”
    • “preps skin for better absorption — Allies of Skin Molecular Saviour Probiotics Treatment Mist”
    • “drinks right into the skin — SK-II Facial Treatment Essence”
  • Calming redness and acne Not notedOften Mentioned
    • “Redness is less noticeable — Allies of Skin Copper Tripeptide & Ectoin Advanced Repair Serum”
    • “Dramatic impact on acne — Allies of Skin Retinal & Peptides Repair Night Cream”
    • “reduces appearance of redness — Allies of Skin Molecular Saviour Probiotics Treatment Mist”
  • Visible anti-aging and firming Rarely NotedOften Mentioned
    • “fix the fine lines — Allies of Skin Peptides & Omegas Firming Eye Cream”
    • “Tightened the skin in just a few uses — Allies of Skin Peptides & Antioxidants Firming Daily Treatment”
    • “reducing the appearance of fine lines — SK-II Skinpower Advanced Cream”
  • High price Mostly MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “way too expensive — SK-II Facial Treatment Essence”
    • “Pricey — Allies of Skin Copper Tripeptide & Ectoin Advanced Repair Serum”
    • “price definitely hurts — Allies of Skin Tranexamic & Arbutin Advanced Brightening Serum”
  • Breakouts, purging, and skin reactions Often MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “caused tiny red bumps — SK-II Facial Treatment Essence”
    • “dried to a tacky finish — SK-II Facial Treatment Mask”
    • “didn't like how sticky face feels — Allies of Skin Molecular Saviour Probiotics Treatment Mist”
    • “Slightly irritating... when I first started — Allies of Skin Copper Tripeptide & Ectoin Advanced Repair Serum”
  • Lack of results or effectiveness Often MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “still not impressed with the results — Allies of Skin Tranexamic & Arbutin Advanced Brightening Serum”
    • “Have not noticed improved skin quality yet — Allies of Skin Copper Tripeptide & Ectoin Advanced Repair Serum”
    • “Nothing significant — Allies of Skin Retinal & Peptides Repair Night Cream”
    • “did absolutely nothing — SK-II Facial Treatment Essence”
  • Unpleasant scent and fragrance Often MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “Distinct rancid smell — Allies of Skin Copper Tripeptide & Ectoin Advanced Repair Serum”
    • “gives a weird fermented stench — Allies of Skin Tranexamic & Arbutin Advanced Brightening Serum”
    • “makes me cough during application — Allies of Skin Molecular Saviour Probiotics Treatment Mist”
    • “smells like dirty feet — SK-II Facial Treatment Essence”

SK-II vs Allies of Skin routines for dry skin

Buy Allies of Skin routine · A$380.63 · 98% fitBuy SK-II routine · A$1,400.12 · 90% fitSee multi-brand routine · 97% fit

SK-II vs Allies of Skin routines for oily skin

Buy Allies of Skin routine · A$598.00 · 94% fitBuy SK-II routine · A$1,436.99 · 89% fitSee multi-brand routine · 96% fit

SK-II vs Allies of Skin routines for combination skin

Buy Allies of Skin routine · A$541.48 · 94% fitBuy SK-II routine · A$1,429.91 · 88% fitSee multi-brand routine · 95% fit

Questions and answers

SK-II or Allies of Skin: which is better?

Allies of Skin fits a wider variety of skin types with a Superior Lovi rating for oily, combination, sensitive, mature, and dry sensitive skin, whereas SK-II earns a High rating for those same types. Reviewers note that Allies of Skin provides gentle, effective moisturizers and calming serums, though some users mention initial irritation and skin reactions.

What is the difference between SK-II and Allies of Skin?

Both brands feature products on this page with no added fragrance, while Allies of Skin tends to offer superior routine fit levels across most skin types compared to SK-II. Reviewers note that Allies of Skin provides effective anti-aging and brightening serums alongside calming formulas, and its key ingredients like niacinamide help reduce cutaneous pigmentation.

The British Journal of Dermatology, 2002Antioxidants, 2021

SK-II or Allies of Skin for dry skin?

Both SK-II and Allies of Skin achieve a Superior Lovi fit level for dry skin on this page. Reviewers report that Allies of Skin features gentle, effective moisturizers, while SK-II products on this page list no fragrance in their ingredients.

SK-II or Allies of Skin: which moisturizer is better?

Both brands offer moisturizers on this page, with Allies of Skin providing options that have a Superior Lovi fit for dry skin, while SK-II features choices like the Skinpower Advanced Cream with a High fit for mature and dry skin.

Which is more affordable, SK-II or Allies of Skin?

Both SK-II and Allies of Skin share a high price point as a negative review theme on this page. Neither brand is more affordable than the other.

Which brand performs better for radiance and glow, SK-II or Allies of Skin?

SK-II performs better for radiance and glow on this page, while both brands feature products that help with skin brightness and pigmentation.

The British Journal of Dermatology, 2002Antioxidants, 2021

What are the key ingredients across SK-II and Allies of Skin products?

The key ingredients across SK-II products and Allies of Skin products are Pitera and Niacinamide, respectively. Niacinamide helps reduce cutaneous pigmentation and controls skin aging.

The British Journal of Dermatology, 2002Antioxidants, 2021

SK-II or Allies of Skin for oily skin?

Allies of Skin is a better match for oily skin, as Lovi rates its routine as Superior compared to High for SK-II. Reviewers mention that Allies of Skin provides lightweight and gentle absorption, while every product on this page lists no fragrance in its ingredients.

SK-II or Allies of Skin for sensitive skin?

For sensitive skin, Allies of Skin is rated a Superior Lovi fit, while SK-II achieves a High fit level on this page. Reviewers report that Allies of Skin provides gentle, effective moisturizers and calming serums.

SK-II or Allies of Skin for acne-prone skin?

Both SK-II and Allies of Skin achieve a Superior Lovi fit level for acne-prone skin. Allies of Skin may bring calming serums and lightweight and gentle absorption, while SK-II features Pitera as a key ingredient across the products on this page.

SK-II or Allies of Skin for mature skin?

For mature skin, Allies of Skin is a better fit with a Superior routine level compared to SK-II's High level. The products on this page for Allies of Skin feature key ingredients like Niacinamide, which helps control skin aging and pigmentation.

Antioxidants, 2021

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.

QR code: get the Lovi app
Download on theApp Store Get it onGoogle Play