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Estée Lauder vs SK-II

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

Estée Lauder and SK-II are heritage skincare brands, founded in America in 1946 and Japan in 1980 respectively. Estée Lauder is known for moisturizers, serums, eye products, and cleansers featuring hyaluronic acid and glycerin, suiting mature skin and sensitive skin best. Conversely, SK-II is adored for luxurious moisturizers, potent serums, soothing masks, and refreshing toners anchored by pitera, which suit dry skin and combination skin best. Ultimately, these brands differ in their signature ingredients and optimal skin types, yet both offer targeted solutions for individual concerns.

Estée Lauder is an American skincare brand founded in 1946 and owned by The Estée Lauder Companies Inc..

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

Popular Estée Lauder vs SK-II products

People Say

Estée LauderSK-II
  • Deep hydration and moisturization Mostly MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “skin drinks it up immediately — Estée Lauder Advanced Night Repair”
    • “The formula is incredibly hydrating and leaves my skin feeling smooth. — Estée Lauder Re-Nutriv”
    • “texture is dreamy — Estée Lauder Advanced Night Repair Eye Supercharged Gel-Creme”
    • “flooded my skin with moisture — SK-II Facial Treatment Mask”
  • Skin texture improvement Often MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “skin feels soft as butter — SK-II Facial Treatment Essence”
    • “pores became miraculously invisible — SK-II Facial Treatment Mask”
    • “Smoother skin — SK-II Facial Treatment Clear Lotion”
    • “skin feels like a baby's bottom — Estée Lauder Advanced Night Repair”
  • Radiance, glow and brightening Sometimes 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”
    • “gives me that glass skin look — Estée Lauder Advanced Night Repair”
  • Lightweight feel and absorption Sometimes NotedOften Mentioned
    • “drinks right into the skin — SK-II Facial Treatment Essence”
    • “Absorbs into the skin quickly. — SK-II Genoptics Ultraura Essence”
    • “Absorbs quickly — SK-II Genoptics Spot Essence”
    • “Absorbs quickly into the skin — Estée Lauder Revitalizing Supreme+”
  • Gentle and non-drying formula Often MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “doesn't strip the skin — Estée Lauder Advanced Night Cleansing Gelée”
    • “Doesn't strip my skin — Estée Lauder Soft Clean Moisture Rich Foaming Cleanser”
    • “Leaves skin feeling soft and smooth — Estée Lauder Take It Away Makeup Remover Lotion”
    • “Leaves skin soft, feels moisturized, does not dry out skin. — SK-II Facial Treatment Cleansing Oil”
  • Effective makeup removal and cleansing Sometimes NotedRarely Noted
    • “removes all my makeup effortlessly — Estée Lauder Advanced Night Cleansing Gelée”
    • “Melts away Double Wear foundation instantly — Estée Lauder Take It Away Makeup Remover Lotion”
    • “Leaves my skin very clean — Estée Lauder Soft Clean Moisture Rich Foaming Cleanser”
    • “Dissolves waterproof mascara, melts stubborn makeup, removes sunscreen easily. — SK-II Facial Treatment Cleansing Oil”
  • High price point and expensive cost Mostly MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “way too expensive for the size — Estée Lauder Advanced Night Repair”
    • “too pricey — Estée Lauder Micro Essence Treatment Lotion”
    • “Very expensive for the amount — Estée Lauder Revitalizing Supreme+”
    • “way too expensive — SK-II Facial Treatment Essence”
  • Unpleasant scent or fragrance issues Often MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “Scent is too overpowering — Estée Lauder Revitalizing Supreme+”
    • “strong scent — Estée Lauder Advanced Night Cleansing Gelée”
    • “smells like dirty feet — SK-II Facial Treatment Essence”
    • “smells slightly like saliva — SK-II Facial Treatment Mask”
  • Lack of results Sometimes NotedOften Mentioned
    • “didn't notice any difference — Estée Lauder Advanced Night Repair”
    • “just expensive water — Estée Lauder Micro Essence Treatment Lotion”
    • “Haven't seen the results yet. — Estée Lauder Revitalizing Supreme+ Youth Power Eye Balm”
    • “did absolutely nothing — SK-II Facial Treatment Essence”
  • Bulky or poor packaging design Sometimes NotedRarely Noted
    • “cotton is too thick and heavy — SK-II Facial Treatment Mask”
    • “lid is hard to open — Estée Lauder Advanced Night Cleansing Gelée”

Estée Lauder vs SK-II routines for dry skin

Buy SK-II routine · CA$783.50 · 93% fitBuy Estée Lauder routine · CA$386.99 · 76% fitSee multi-brand routine · 99% fit

Estée Lauder vs SK-II routines for oily skin

Buy SK-II routine · CA$1,101.33 · 91% fitBuy Estée Lauder routine · CA$510.40 · 75% fitSee multi-brand routine · 96% fit

Estée Lauder vs SK-II routines for combination skin

Buy SK-II routine · CA$1,065.33 · 93% fitBuy Estée Lauder routine · CA$424.49 · 75% fitSee multi-brand routine · 96% fit

Questions and answers

Estée Lauder or SK-II: which is better?

Both brands offer strong options, but Estée Lauder is well-suited for deep hydration and gentle cleansers, whereas SK-II excels in skin texture and lightweight feel. Lovi rates the routine fit for dry skin as High for Estée Lauder and Superior for SK-II.

What is the difference between Estée Lauder and SK-II?

Estée Lauder is an American brand founded in 1946 that tends to fit mature, sensitive, and acne-prone skin best, while SK-II is a Japanese brand founded in 1980 that is best suited for dry, combination, and dry sensitive skin. Reviewers note that the products on this page from Estée Lauder excel at deep hydration and gentle cleansing, whereas SK-II stands out for improving skin texture and radiance.

Estée Lauder or SK-II for dry skin?

For dry skin, both brands work well, with Lovi giving SK-II a Superior routine fit and Estée Lauder a High fit. Estée Lauder products on this page often feature hyaluronic acid and glycerin to help provide deep hydration, while SK-II uses Pitera to help improve skin texture and radiance.

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

Estée Lauder or SK-II: which moisturizer is better?

Both Estée Lauder and SK-II offer effective moisturizers, with Estée Lauder focusing on deep hydration using ingredients like hyaluronic acid, while SK-II features popular options like the Facial Treatment Essence. Reviewers note that Estée Lauder is well-regarded for deep hydration, whereas SK-II excels in lightweight feel and absorption.

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

Which is more affordable, Estée Lauder or SK-II?

Reviewers frequently note that Estée Lauder has a high price point.

How do Estée Lauder and SK-II compare in terms of fragrance across their products?

Estée Lauder includes fragrance in a few of its products on this page, while SK-II lists no fragrance across every product on this page. Reviewers note that scent or fragrance issues are equal between the two brands.

Which brand performs better for skin texture improvement and radiance?

SK-II performs better for skin texture improvement and radiance among the products on this page.

Estée Lauder or SK-II for oily skin?

For oily skin, both brands offer products on this page with good results, but SK-II has a superior routine fit overall. Estée Lauder has a high Lovi fit level for oily skin, while SK-II reaches a superior Lovi fit level for this skin type.

Estée Lauder or SK-II for sensitive skin?

For sensitive skin, both brands work well since Lovi rates Estée Lauder High and SK-II High. Reviewers note that Estée Lauder helps provide a gentle and non-drying formula across the products on this page.

Estée Lauder or SK-II for acne-prone skin?

For acne-prone skin, SK-II achieves a Superior routine fit, while Estée Lauder achieves a High routine fit on this page.

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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