Kose skincare
Kose is a Japanese skincare brand founded in 1946 and owned by KOSÉ Holdings Corporation.
Kose is beloved for its thoughtful makeup removers and nourishing moisturizers, crafted with meticulously balanced formulas. Its products suit dry, oily, combination, and sensitive skin best. For specific concerns, the standout choices include the Sekkisei Emulsion for acne-prone skin, the Softymo Deep Cleansing Oil for skin with dark spots, and the Softymo Speedy Cleansing Oil for mature skin. Users can rely on these gentle offerings to cleanse and hydrate with remarkable ease.
This page covers some of the most popular Kose products; for the whole Kose range, with a fit score for every product, use the Lovi app.
Other Kose products
People Say
★4.5Overall rating based on 20.2k+ reviewsReviewers most often praise Kose for effective makeup removal, deep hydration, and gentle cleansing. The most common complaints are temporary blurry vision and skin dryness.
Highlights
Effective, clean-rinsing makeup removers Mostly Mentioned
- “Emulsifies immediately — Softymo Speedy Cleansing Oil”
- “Melts foundation instantly — Softymo Speedy Cleansing Oil”
- “melts waterproof mascara — Softymo Deep Cleansing Oil”
Drying sensation and residue Mostly Mentioned
- “Left my skin tight — Softymo Speedy Cleansing Oil”
- “ oily film — Softymo Deep Cleansing Oil”
- “Leaves a sticky and oily feeling — Sekkisei Emulsion”
Sources: lovi.care, amazon.com, yesstyle.com, reddit.com, iherb.com, stylevana.com, and more
Questions and answers
Is Kose worth it?
Yes, Kose is worth it, as Lovi rates the Kose-focused routines Superior for dry, oily, sensitive, combination, and acne-prone skin. Reviewers find the makeup removers effective and clean-rinsing, though some note a drying sensation or residue. Additionally, the Kose products on this page list no fragrance in their ingredients.
What are Kose's best products?
Softymo Deep Cleansing Oil is best for mature skin, dry skin, and skin with dark spots, where Lovi rates it High, while Softymo Speedy Cleansing Oil is best for sensitive and dry skin at a High fit. Reviewers often mention these makeup removers as effective and clean-rinsing.
Which Kose moisturizer is best for dry skin?
Sekkisei Emulsion is the moisturizers on this page for dry skin, and Lovi rates it Average for dry skin. Reviewers mostly mention that Kose products provide effective, clean-rinsing makeup removers, though some note a drying sensation and residue.
Does Kose cause breakouts?
Kose is unlikely to cause breakouts, as the Kose products on this page are makeup removers and a moisturizer suitable for acne-prone skin. Lovi rates the Kose-focused routine Superior for acne-prone skin. Reviewers note that these are effective and clean-rinsing makeup removers, though some mention a drying sensation or residue.
Is Kose fragrance-free?
Yes, every Kose product on this page lists no fragrance in its ingredients. Shoppers can use these items without added scents.
What are the key ingredients in Kose products?
Kose products feature various hydrating and cleansing ingredients, such as rice bran oil and squalane. Reviewers frequently mention that these formulas provide effective makeup removal, though some users report a drying sensation and residue.
How do I build a Kose skincare routine?
To build a Kose skincare routine, start by removing makeup with Softymo Speedy Cleansing Oil or Softymo Deep Cleansing Oil, and follow with Sekkisei Emulsion to moisturize. Lovi rates Kose-focused routines Superior for dry, oily, sensitive, combination, and acne-prone skin.
Where can I buy Kose, and how much does it cost?
Kose is available on Amazon US, and prices on the page range from $9.99 to $16.98. Most products cost between $9.99 and $16.98.
What are good alternatives to Kose?
Good alternatives to Kose include Biore, Hada Labo, Shiseido, SK-II, Shiseido Senka, and DHC, which all have dedicated pages on Lovi. Lovi rates the Biore-focused routine Superior for dry, oily, sensitive, combination, and acne-prone skin types.
Kose vs Biore: which is better?
Kose and Biore both achieve a Superior fit for dry, oily, sensitive, combination, and acne-prone skin, so neither is definitively better than the other.
Who owns Kose, and where is it from?
Kose is a Japanese brand founded in 1946, owned by KOSÉ Holdings Corporation.
Is Kose cruelty-free?
PETA, Leaping Bunny, and Cruelty Free International, the registries Lovi checks, do not list Kose as cruelty-free.
Research behind Kose's key ingredients
Behind these ratings
Lovi rates every product from its 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.
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Co-founder, Medical Director
Cosmetic chemist, cosmetologist, aesthetic products developer
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Co-founder, CEO and CTO
PhD in computer science, 3x US patent holder, ex-Google, ex-Yandex
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Dr. Sofía Perea Pérez, MD, MSc
Medical Board
Aesthetic medicine practitioner, MSc in Longevity and Anti-Aging Medicine
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Medical Board
Specialist dermatologist, MBBS, MD, IFAAD
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Medical Board
Cosmetic chemist, SCS, IFSCC member
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Medical Board, Medical Advisor
Dermatology MD
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Elina Nazarenko, MD
Medical Board
Dermatology and diagnostic consultant
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Victoria Derkova, MS
Medical Board
Cosmetic chemist, cosmetic development technologist
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