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COSRX vs SK-II

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

COSRX and SK-II are beloved Asian skincare brands, with the former founded in 2013 and owned by Amorepacific Group since 2024, and the latter founded in 1980 and owned by The Procter & Gamble Company since 1991. The former brand offers a thoughtful array of serums, moisturizers, cleansers, masks, and more formulated with hyaluronic acid, glycerin, and niacinamide to suit oily and acne-prone skin best, while the latter is adored for luxurious moisturizers, potent serums, soothing masks, refreshing toners, and more anchored by pitera to suit dry and combination skin best. These distinct formulations differ as the first utilizes active components to balance excess oil and soothe irritation, whereas the second relies on nourishing formulations to help improve pore area, roughness, and redness.

COSRX is a Korean skincare brand founded in 2013 and owned by Amorepacific Group since 2024.

koreajoongangdaily.combeautymatter.comprnewswire.com

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

Popular COSRX vs SK-II products

People Say

COSRXSK-II
  • Lightweight and fast-absorbing texture Often MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “absorbs instantly like water — COSRX The 6 Peptide Skin Booster Serum”
    • “sinks in immediately — COSRX Advanced Snail Peptide Eye Cream”
    • “drinks right into the skin — SK-II Facial Treatment Essence”
    • “Absorbs into the skin quickly. — SK-II Genoptics Ultraura Essence”
  • Deep hydration and moisturization Mostly MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “skin drinks it up — COSRX Advanced Snail 96 Mucin Power Essence”
    • “woke up with soft, supple skin — COSRX Advanced Snail 92 All in One Cream”
    • “gives a healthy glow — COSRX The 6 Peptide Skin Booster Serum”
    • “flooded my skin with moisture — SK-II Facial Treatment Mask”
  • Improves skin texture and smoothness Often MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “gives me that glass skin look — COSRX Advanced Snail 96 Mucin Power Essence”
    • “skin feels softer immediately — COSRX The 6 Peptide Skin Booster Serum”
    • “skin feels soft as butter — SK-II Facial Treatment Essence”
    • “pores became miraculously invisible — SK-II Facial Treatment Mask”
  • Gentle and non-stripping formula Mostly MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “No stinging or irritation — COSRX BHA Blackhead Power Liquid”
    • “perfect for first-time retinol users — COSRX The Retinol 0.1 Cream”
    • “doesn't strip my skin — COSRX Low pH Good Morning Gel Cleanser”
    • “Leaves skin soft, feels moisturized, does not dry out skin. — SK-II Facial Treatment Cleansing Oil”
  • Radiance and glow enhancement Not notedMostly 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”
  • Effective acne and oil control Often MentionedRarely Noted
    • “helped to improve my acne after only 2 weeks — COSRX Salicylic Acid Daily Gentle Cleanser”
    • “cleared up my spots — COSRX Low pH Good Morning Gel Cleanser”
    • “Melted blackheads right off — COSRX BHA Blackhead Power Liquid”
    • “Controls T-zone oil — SK-II Facial Treatment Clear Lotion”
  • Exorbitant and high price point Not notedMostly Mentioned
    • “way too expensive — SK-II Facial Treatment Essence”
  • No visible or slow results Sometimes NotedOften Mentioned
    • “Takes a month to work — COSRX BHA Blackhead Power Liquid”
    • “didn't do anything — COSRX AHA/BHA Clarifying Treatment Toner”
    • “did absolutely nothing — COSRX Advanced Snail 96 Mucin Power Essence”
    • “did absolutely nothing — SK-II Facial Treatment Essence”
  • Unpleasant scent or fragrance Sometimes NotedOften Mentioned
    • “smells like chemicals — COSRX Low pH Good Morning Gel Cleanser”
    • “smells like onions — COSRX The Retinol 0.1 Cream”
    • “smells like dirty feet — SK-II Facial Treatment Essence”
    • “smells slightly like saliva — SK-II Facial Treatment Mask”
  • Drying or insufficient for dry skin Often MentionedRarely Noted
    • “quite thick consistency — SK-II Skinpower Advanced Cream”
    • “Need extra moisturizer — SK-II Genoptics Spot Essence”
    • “left my face tight — COSRX Low pH Good Morning Gel Cleanser”

COSRX vs SK-II routines for dry skin

Buy SK-II routine · CA$783.50 · 93% fitBuy COSRX routine · CA$218.38 · 91% fitSee multi-brand routine · 99% fit

COSRX vs SK-II routines for oily skin

Buy COSRX routine · CA$288.29 · 92% fitBuy SK-II routine · CA$1,101.33 · 91% fitSee multi-brand routine · 96% fit

COSRX vs SK-II routines for combination skin

Buy SK-II routine · CA$1,065.33 · 93% fitBuy COSRX routine · CA$271.24 · 91% fitSee multi-brand routine · 96% fit

Questions and answers

COSRX or SK-II: which is better?

Both COSRX and SK-II achieve a superior routine fit for dry, oily, combination, acne-prone, and dry sensitive skin, while COSRX offers superior results for sensitive skin and oily acne-prone skin. The products on this page help deliver deep hydration, gentle care, and effective acne control with COSRX, and radiance enhancement with SK-II.

What is the difference between COSRX and SK-II?

COSRX tends to do better for deep hydration, gentle formulas, and acne or oil control, whereas SK-II offers an advantage in radiance and glow enhancement. Lovi rates COSRX as having a Superior routine fit for sensitive and oily acne-prone skin, while SK-II fits those types at a High level.

COSRX or SK-II for dry skin?

Both COSRX and SK-II are great options for dry skin, as Lovi rates the routine fit for dry skin as Superior for both brands. COSRX helps provide deep hydration and moisturization with ingredients like hyaluronic acid, while SK-II features a hydrating formula like the Facial Treatment Essence.

Journal of Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences, 2015Dermatologic Therapy, 2022

COSRX or SK-II: which moisturizer is better?

When it comes to moisturizers, COSRX offers products like the Advanced Snail 96 Mucin Power Essence, which has a Superior Lovi fit for dry skin, while SK-II features the Facial Treatment Essence with a High Lovi fit for dry skin. Studies show that ingredients like hyaluronic acid help improve skin quality and hydration.

Dermatologic Therapy, 2022

Which is more affordable, COSRX or SK-II?

SK-II has no pricing advantage here, while review themes note an exorbitant and high price point for COSRX products on this page.

Between COSRX and SK-II, which brand performs better for oily acne-prone skin?

COSRX performs better for oily acne-prone skin, as Lovi rates its routine as Superior compared to SK-II's High routine fit. The products on this page for COSRX also show stronger results for acne and oil control.

How do the founding years and corporate ownerships of COSRX and SK-II compare?

COSRX was founded in 2013 in South Korea and has been owned by the Amorepacific Group since 2024, whereas SK-II was founded earlier in 1980 in Japan and has been owned by The Procter & Gamble Company since 1991.

Which brand has more fragrance options across their products, COSRX or SK-II?

COSRX has more fragrance options, as thirty-seven of the products on this page list no fragrance while the Vitamin E Vitalizing Sunscreen SPF 50+ includes fragrance, whereas every SK-II product on this page lists no fragrance.

COSRX or SK-II for oily skin?

Both COSRX and SK-II achieve a superior routine fit for oily skin, making them equally suitable choices. Review themes show that COSRX stands out with effective acne and oil control across the products on this page.

COSRX or SK-II for sensitive skin?

For sensitive skin, Lovi rates COSRX as a Superior fit and SK-II as a High fit. Reviewers note that COSRX offers a gentle and non-stripping formula.

COSRX or SK-II for acne-prone skin?

Both COSRX and SK-II achieve a superior routine fit for acne-prone skin on the products on this page. COSRX additionally helps with effective acne and oil control, while SK-II offers a fragrance-free formula.

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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