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La Roche-Posay vs SK-II

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

La Roche-Posay and SK-II are established skincare brands from France and Japan that offer thoughtful ranges of serums, moisturizers, cleansers, and more. The French brand thoughtfully incorporates glycerin, thermal water, and niacinamide, while the Japanese brand is anchored by its signature ingredient, pitera. Both suit dry skin best, though the former also suits skin with dark spots and the latter suits combination skin. Ultimately, they differ through their distinct formulations and geographic origins, delivering proven benefits ranging from increased skin hydration to improved pore area, roughness, and redness.

La Roche-Posay is a French skincare brand founded in 1975 and owned by L'Oréal S.A. since 1989.

laroche-posay.com.aufr.wikipedia.org

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

Popular La Roche-Posay vs SK-II products

People Say

La Roche-PosaySK-II
  • Product Textures and Finish Sometimes NotedMostly Mentioned
    • “drinks right into the skin — SK-II Facial Treatment Essence”
    • “pores became miraculously invisible — SK-II Facial Treatment Mask”
    • “silky texture that absorbs quickly — SK-II Skinpower Advanced Cream”
    • “lightweight and absorbs quickly — La Roche-Posay Mela B3 Serum”
  • Hydration and Moisture Mostly MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “absorbs instantly — La Roche-Posay Toleriane Double Repair Face Moisturizer”
    • “skin feels plump — La Roche-Posay Hyalu B5 Serum”
    • “flooded my skin with moisture — SK-II Facial Treatment Mask”
    • “skin feels deeply hydrated, plump, and smoother — SK-II Skinpower Advanced Cream”
  • Skin Soothing and Sensitivity Mostly MentionedRarely Noted
    • “Great retinol for beginners — La Roche-Posay Retinol B3 Serum”
    • “Only cream that doesn't sting — La Roche-Posay Toleriane Dermallergo Eye Cream”
    • “Calmed my skin after a chemical peel — La Roche-Posay Thermal Spring Water”
    • “Great for sensitive — SK-II Genoptics Spot Essence”
  • Skin Brightening and Radiance 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”
    • “skin looks brighter — La Roche-Posay Mela B3 Serum”
  • Texture and Tone Improvement Often MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “Skin feels smoother — La Roche-Posay Retinol B3 Serum”
    • “softens forehead lines — La Roche-Posay Hyalu B5 Serum”
    • “skin feels soft as butter — SK-II Facial Treatment Essence”
    • “Smoother skin — SK-II Facial Treatment Clear Lotion”
  • Versatile and Convenient Application Sometimes NotedOften Mentioned
    • “Removes leftover dirt — SK-II Facial Treatment Clear Lotion”
    • “Dissolves waterproof mascara, melts stubborn makeup, removes sunscreen easily. — SK-II Facial Treatment Cleansing Oil”
    • “packet is absolutely drenched — SK-II Facial Treatment Mask”
    • “Great for chapped lips — La Roche-Posay Cicaplast Baume B5+”
  • Price and Value Sometimes NotedMostly Mentioned
    • “expensive for the size — La Roche-Posay Hyalu B5 Serum”
    • “Too expensive for the size — La Roche-Posay Toleriane Dermallergo Eye Cream”
    • “Tube is tiny for the price — La Roche-Posay Cicaplast Gel B5”
    • “way too expensive — SK-II Facial Treatment Essence”
  • Fragrance and Scent Concerns Sometimes NotedOften Mentioned
    • “scent is awful — La Roche-Posay Mela B3 Serum”
    • “overwhelming floral smell — La Roche-Posay Hyalu B5 Serum”
    • “smells like dirty feet — SK-II Facial Treatment Essence”
    • “smells slightly like saliva — SK-II Facial Treatment Mask”
  • Variable or Limited Results Rarely NotedOften Mentioned
    • “didn't see any significant improvement — La Roche-Posay Mela B3 Serum”
    • “Weaker retinol product — La Roche-Posay Retinol B3 Serum”
    • “Did nothing for my redness — La Roche-Posay Thermal Spring Water”
    • “did absolutely nothing — SK-II Facial Treatment Essence”
  • Breakouts and Skin Irritation Sometimes NotedSometimes Noted
    • “Triggered cystic acne — La Roche-Posay Cicaplast Baume B5+”
    • “dried my skin out — La Roche-Posay Mela B3 Serum”
    • “caused tiny red bumps — SK-II Facial Treatment Essence”
    • “Small bumps — SK-II Facial Treatment Clear Lotion”

La Roche-Posay vs SK-II routines for dry skin

Buy SK-II routine · CA$783.50 · 93% fitBuy La Roche-Posay routine · CA$198.48 · 91% fitSee multi-brand routine · 99% fit

La Roche-Posay vs SK-II routines for oily skin

Buy SK-II routine · CA$1,101.33 · 91% fitBuy La Roche-Posay routine · CA$286.80 · 83% fitSee multi-brand routine · 96% fit

La Roche-Posay vs SK-II routines for combination skin

Buy SK-II routine · CA$1,065.33 · 93% fitBuy La Roche-Posay routine · CA$328.49 · 85% fitSee multi-brand routine · 96% fit

Questions and answers

La Roche-Posay or SK-II: which is better?

La Roche-Posay and SK-II are both great, with La Roche-Posay fitting dry skin, skin with dark spots, and mature skin best, while SK-II fits dry skin, combination skin, and dry sensitive skin best. The products on this page help shoppers target specific concerns, as SK-II does better for skin textures and brightness, and La Roche-Posay does better for soothing sensitive skin.

What is the difference between La Roche-Posay and SK-II?

La Roche-Posay is a French brand offering fragrance-free options across many of its products on this page, whereas SK-II is a Japanese brand featuring Pitera across its line with no added fragrance in any of its products on this page. Lovi shows that La Roche-Posay fits dry skin and skin with dark spots best, while SK-II fits dry skin, combination skin, and dry sensitive skin best.

La Roche-Posay or SK-II for dry skin?

Both La Roche-Posay and SK-II are great options for dry skin, as Lovi rates their routines as Superior for this skin type. La Roche-Posay features key ingredients like hyaluronic acid and glycerin, which help improve skin hydration, while SK-II relies on its signature Pitera to support skin quality.

Dermatologic Therapy, 2022

La Roche-Posay or SK-II: which moisturizer is better?

La Roche-Posay and SK-II both offer popular moisturizers on this page, with La Roche-Posay fitting dry skin best and SK-II offering a superior routine fit for several other skin types. Topical hyaluronic acid, found in La Roche-Posay products, helps improve skin quality and signs of skin aging.

Dermatologic Therapy, 2022

Which is more affordable, La Roche-Posay or SK-II?

La Roche-Posay does better with price and value compared to SK-II on the products on this page.

Between La Roche-Posay and SK-II, which brand performs better for skin brightening and radiance?

SK-II performs better for skin brightening and radiance according to reviewer feedback. Lovi rates the products on this page for skin with dark spots as Superior for La Roche-Posay and High for SK-II.

How do the fragrance options differ between La Roche-Posay and SK-II products?

La Roche-Posay includes fragrance in some of the products on this page, while every SK-II product on this page lists no fragrance in its ingredients.

Which brand has better routine fit for skin with dark spots?

La Roche-Posay has a Superior routine fit for skin with dark spots, whereas SK-II has a High fit. The products on this page for La Roche-Posay help target pigmentation concerns with key ingredients like niacinamide and vitamin C.

The British Journal of Dermatology, 2002Antioxidants, 2021

La Roche-Posay or SK-II for oily skin?

For oily skin, SK-II helps provide a Superior routine fit compared to La Roche-Posay's High level. The products on this page from SK-II feature oil-friendly picks like the Facial Treatment Clear Lotion.

La Roche-Posay or SK-II for sensitive skin?

Both brands are a High fit for sensitive skin, but La Roche-Posay does better with skin soothing and sensitivity. The products on this page for SK-II also have no added fragrance, whereas some La Roche-Posay formulas include fragrance.

La Roche-Posay or SK-II for acne-prone skin?

Both brands are a strong match for acne-prone skin, with Lovi giving La Roche-Posay a High fit level and SK-II a Superior fit level. Reviewers find that SK-II does better for skin brightening and radiance, while La Roche-Posay does better for skin soothing and sensitivity.

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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