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SK-II vs La Prairie

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

SK-II and La Prairie are renowned luxury skincare brands founded in Japan and Switzerland, respectively. The Japanese house is celebrated for its moisturizers, serums, masks, and toners anchored by pitera, while the Swiss house is celebrated for its eye products, moisturizers, serums, and toners featuring sophisticated formulas. Both suit dry skin best, though the former also nurtures acne-prone skin and the latter caters to mature skin. They differ primarily in their signature ingredients and targeted solutions, such as the former brand offering the Genoptics Ultraura Essence and the latter offering the Skin Caviar Luxe Cream.

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

La Prairie is a Swiss skincare brand founded in 1978 and owned by maxingvest GmbH & Co. KGaA since 2003.

en.wikipedia.orgreports.beiersdorf.combeiersdorf.com

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

Popular SK-II vs La Prairie products

People Say

SK-IILa Prairie
  • Improves texture Mostly MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “skin feels soft as butter — SK-II Facial Treatment Essence”
    • “pores became miraculously invisible — SK-II Facial Treatment Mask”
    • “feels like liquid silk — La Prairie Skin Caviar Luxe Cream”
    • “absorbs instantly — La Prairie Skin Caviar Liquid Lift”
  • Hydration and balance 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”
    • “gentle yet effective moisturizing — La Prairie Cellular Softening and Balancing Lotion”
    • “softens skin noticeably — La Prairie Cellular Softening and Balancing Lotion”
  • 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”
    • “gave my face a soft glow — La Prairie Skin Caviar Luxe Cream”
  • Anti-aging and firming Rarely NotedMostly Mentioned
    • “felt skin tighten immediately — La Prairie Skin Caviar Liquid Lift”
    • “opened my eyes — La Prairie Skin Caviar Eye Lift”
    • “jawline genuinely looks lifted — La Prairie Skin Caviar Luxe Cream”
    • “reducing the appearance of fine lines — SK-II Skinpower Advanced Cream”
  • Packaging and convenience Rarely NotedOften Mentioned
    • “fancy design — La Prairie Skin Caviar Eye Lift”
    • “lasts forever — La Prairie Cellular Softening and Balancing Lotion”
    • “Pump dispenser is convenient. — SK-II Genoptics Ultraura Essence”
  • High price Mostly MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “way too expensive — SK-II Facial Treatment Essence”
    • “eye-wateringly expensive — La Prairie Skin Caviar Luxe Cream”
    • “prohibitively expensive — La Prairie Skin Caviar Liquid Lift”
  • Underwhelming or slow results Often MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “did absolutely nothing — SK-II Facial Treatment Essence”
    • “No visible difference — SK-II Facial Treatment Clear Lotion”
    • “just a good moisturizer — La Prairie Skin Caviar Luxe Cream”
    • “didn't see a huge difference — La Prairie Skin Caviar Liquid Lift”
  • Strong fragrance Not notedMostly Mentioned
    • “smells like a rich grandma — La Prairie Skin Caviar Luxe Cream”
  • Breakouts and skin reactions Often MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “caused congestion — La Prairie Skin Caviar Luxe Cream”
    • “caused breakouts — La Prairie Skin Caviar Liquid Lift”
    • “caused tiny red bumps — SK-II Facial Treatment Essence”
  • Unpleasant scent Often MentionedNot noted
    • “smells like dirty feet — SK-II Facial Treatment Essence”

SK-II vs La Prairie routines for dry skin

Buy La Prairie routine · A$1,411.96 · 96% fitBuy SK-II routine · A$1,400.12 · 90% fitSee multi-brand routine · 97% fit

SK-II vs La Prairie routines for oily skin

Buy SK-II routine · A$1,436.99 · 89% fitBuy La Prairie routine · A$1,632.43 · 89% fitSee multi-brand routine · 96% fit

SK-II vs La Prairie routines for combination skin

Buy La Prairie routine · A$1,575.91 · 90% fitBuy SK-II routine · A$1,429.91 · 88% fitSee multi-brand routine · 95% fit

Questions and answers

SK-II or La Prairie: which is better?

SK-II and La Prairie both fit dry skin well, but SK-II has no fragrance across the products on this page while La Prairie often includes it. La Prairie tends to do better for anti-aging and firming, whereas SK-II may be better for radiance and glow.

Journal of Ginseng Research, 2017

What is the difference between SK-II and La Prairie?

SK-II stands out for offering fragrance-free products on this page with key ingredients like Pitera, whereas La Prairie is known for luxury anti-aging and firming products featuring ginseng, though reviewers often mention strong fragrance in La Prairie items.

Journal of Ginseng Research, 2017

SK-II or La Prairie for dry skin?

Both SK-II and La Prairie are great for dry skin, with Lovi giving each brand a Superior routine fit level. Reviewers often mention that La Prairie provides deep hydration and smoothing, while every product on this SK-II page lists no fragrance.

SK-II or La Prairie: which moisturizer is better?

When comparing moisturizers, SK-II and La Prairie both achieve a High Lovi fit level for dry skin. However, SK-II products on this page list no fragrance, whereas La Prairie moisturizers contain fragrance which may sometimes cause irritation.

Which is more affordable, SK-II or La Prairie?

When it comes to affordability, reviewers on this page frequently mention exorbitant prices as a downside for La Prairie, whereas the products on this page for SK-II do not list pricing as a primary negative theme in the same way, though both brands occupy luxury tiers. Lovi indicates that high price is a shared concern for both brands.

SK-II or La Prairie for fragrance-free skincare?

For fragrance-free skincare, SK-II is the better choice because every product on this page lists no fragrance in its ingredients. In contrast, La Prairie features added fragrance in four out of its five products on this page.

SK-II or La Prairie for anti-aging and firming results?

La Prairie is the better choice for anti-aging and firming results, as reviewers mostly mention its lifting and firming effects. However, the products on this page from La Prairie may cause strong fragrance or potential irritation.

SK-II or La Prairie for oily skin?

For oily skin, both SK-II and La Prairie are a High fit on Lovi. Every SK-II product on this page lists no fragrance, whereas most La Prairie products contain fragrance.

SK-II or La Prairie for sensitive skin?

For sensitive skin, Lovi rates both SK-II as High and La Prairie as Superior on this page. Reviewers note that SK-II products on this page list no fragrance, whereas 4 of 5 La Prairie products contain fragrance, which may cause potential irritation.

SK-II or La Prairie for acne-prone skin?

For acne-prone skin, both brands fit well, as Lovi rates SK-II as Superior and La Prairie as Superior. Reviewers note that the products on this page for La Prairie may sometimes cause breakouts and skin reactions, while SK-II products on this page list no fragrance.

SK-II or La Prairie for mature skin?

For mature skin, La Prairie is the better choice because Lovi rates its products as a Superior fit for this skin type, compared to SK-II's High fit level. Reviewers also mostly mention lifting and firming effects for La Prairie.

Journal of Ginseng Research, 2017

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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