Medik8 vs Elemis
Medik8 and Elemis are British skincare brands offering nourishing serums, rich moisturizers, and gentle cleansers. Medik8, founded in 2009, features hyaluronic acid and suits dry and dry sensitive skin, whereas Elemis, established in 1989, relies on hydrating glycerin and softening shea for mature and dry skin. While the former focuses on targeted treatments like Surface Radiance Cleanse and Oxy-R Peptides, the latter is celebrated for formulations such as Pro-Collagen Marine Cream. Ultimately, both brands differ through their distinct heritage, ingredient philosophies, and specialized solutions for various skin concerns.
Medik8 is a British skincare brand founded in 2009 and owned by L'Oréal Groupe since 2025.
loreal.commedik8.comtracxn.com
Elemis is a British skincare brand founded in 1989 and owned by L'Occitane Group since 2019.
elemis.comau.elemis.comen.wikipedia.org
This page compares some of the most popular Medik8 and Elemis products; for every product of both brands, with a fit score for your own skin, use the Lovi app.
Popular Medik8 vs Elemis products
People Say
Deep hydration Often MentionedMostly Mentioned
- “Restores moisture — Medik8 Liquid Peptides”
- “Instantly quenched the skin — Medik8 Hydr8 B5 Intense”
- “The cream really hydrates and my face looks amazing. — Elemis Pro-Collagen Night Cream”
- “Quenches thirsty skin... immediate improvement. — Elemis Pro-Collagen Marine Cream”
Lightweight and elegant texture Often MentionedMostly Mentioned
- “Absorbs almost immediately, and my skin feels well hydrated all day. — Elemis Pro-Collagen Marine Cream”
- “whipped silk feel — Elemis Superfood Midnight Facial”
- “cloud-light gel formula — Elemis Pro-Collagen Eye Revive Mask”
- “absorbed effortlessly — Medik8 Total Moisture Daily Facial Cream”
Gentle and non-irritating formula Mostly MentionedSometimes Noted
- “zero irritation or peeling — Medik8 CRYSTAL RETINAL 3”
- “only Vitamin C my sensitive skin can tolerate — Medik8 C-Tetra Serum”
- “Best retinol replacement — Medik8 Bakuchiol Peptides”
- “no stinging or redness — Elemis Papaya Enzyme Peel”
Skin plumping and smoothing Often MentionedOften Mentioned
- “baby soft — Elemis Dynamic Resurfacing Facial Pads”
- “skin feels baby soft — Elemis Papaya Enzyme Peel”
- “skin feels baby-soft — Elemis Dynamic Resurfacing Facial Wash”
- “My skin was smoother, my skin texture felt more resurfaced. — Medik8 Sleep Glycolic”
Brightening and glow Often MentionedOften Mentioned
- “I wake up glowing. It adds back that youthful bloom that I've lost. — Medik8 Sleep Glycolic”
- “unlocked a serious glow — Medik8 C-Tetra Serum”
- “healthy glow — Elemis Dynamic Resurfacing Facial Pads”
- “instantly fresh glow — Elemis Dynamic Resurfacing Facial Wash”
Pleasant experience and scent Sometimes NotedOften Mentioned
- “smells like a spa — Elemis Pro-Collagen Cleansing Balm”
- “smells like a holiday — Elemis Papaya Enzyme Peel”
- “smells like a tropical cocktail — Elemis Superfood Midnight Facial”
- “smells like a spa — Medik8 CRYSTAL RETINAL 3”
High price point Often MentionedMostly Mentioned
- “Expensive per bottle — Medik8 Liquid Peptides”
- “very expensive for amount — Medik8 CRYSTAL RETINAL 3”
- “hefty price tag — Medik8 C-Tetra Serum”
- “Complete waste of money for me. — Elemis Pro-Collagen Marine Cream”
Slow or underwhelming results Sometimes NotedSometimes Noted
- “didn't see a difference — Elemis Papaya Enzyme Peel”
- “didn't see difference — Elemis Dynamic Resurfacing Facial Wash”
- “Verdict still out. — Elemis Pro-Collagen Night Cream”
- “Not as effective as retinol — Medik8 Bakuchiol Peptides”
Packaging issues Sometimes NotedRarely Noted
- “jar looks half empty — Elemis Superfood Midnight Facial”
- “tube feels half empty — Elemis Papaya Enzyme Peel”
- “pump broke quickly — Elemis Dynamic Resurfacing Facial Wash”
- “Glass bottle breaks easily — Medik8 Liquid Peptides”
Medik8 vs Elemis routines for dry skin
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Cleanser
CeraVe Hydrating Facial Cleanser
Morning · Evening · Once a week
CA$20.19
-
Hydrating Toner
Dear, Klairs Supple Preparation Unscented Toner
Morning
CA$27.99
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Moisturizer
Hydr8 B5 Intense
Morning · Evening · Once a week
CA$101.00
-
SPF
d'Alba Piedmont Waterfull Mild Sunscreen
Morning
CA$38.00
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Pre-Cleanser
MISSHA Ultra Hyalon Cleansing Cream
Evening · Once a week
CA$17.99
-
Serum or Treatment
Bakuchiol Peptides
Evening · Once a week
CA$82.00
-
Nourishing Mask
MEDIHEAL Vita Essential Mask
Once a week
CA$29.99
-
Cleanser
Dynamic Resurfacing Facial Wash
Morning · Evening · Once a week
CA$66.49
-
Hydrating Toner
Dear, Klairs Supple Preparation Unscented Toner
Morning
CA$27.99
-
Moisturizer
Pro-Collagen Night Cream
Morning · Evening · Once a week
CA$131.00
-
SPF
Pro-Collagen Marine Cream
Morning
CA$154.00
-
Pre-Cleanser
Pro-Collagen Cleansing Balm
Evening · Once a week
CA$26.00
-
Serum or Treatment
Pro-Collagen Glow Boost Exfoliator
Evening · Once a week
CA$34.00
-
Nourishing Mask
MEDIHEAL Vita Essential Mask
Once a week
CA$29.99
Buy Medik8 routine · CA$134.16 · 97% fit
Buy Elemis routine · CA$278.47 · 88% fitSee multi-brand routine · 99% fit
Medik8 vs Elemis routines for oily skin
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Cleanser
CeraVe Foaming Facial Cleanser
Morning · Evening · Once a week
CA$20.96
-
Hydrating Toner
Paula's Choice Skin Balancing Pore-Reducing Toner
Morning · Once a week
CA$37.60
-
Moisturizer
Hydr8 B5 Intense
Morning · Evening · Once a week
CA$101.00
-
SPF
La Roche-Posay Anthelios Clear Skin Dry Touch Sunscreen SPF 60
Morning
CA$35.95
-
Pre-Cleanser
Pyunkang Yul Deep Cleansing Oil
Evening · Once a week
CA$23.99
-
Cleansing Toner
Press & Glow
Evening
CA$49.00
-
Serum or Treatment
Oxy-R Peptides
Evening · Once a week
CA$94.00
-
Enzyme Powder
Dermalogica Daily Microfoliant
Once a week
CA$29.50
-
Cleansing Mask
Tatcha The Clarifying Clay Mask
Once a week
CA$95.00
-
Cleanser
Dynamic Resurfacing Facial Wash
Morning · Evening · Once a week
CA$66.49
-
Hydrating Toner
Paula's Choice Skin Balancing Pore-Reducing Toner
Morning · Once a week
CA$37.60
-
Moisturizer
Pro-Collagen Night Cream
Morning · Evening · Once a week
CA$131.00
-
SPF
Pro-Collagen Marine Cream
Morning
CA$154.00
-
Pre-Cleanser
Pro-Collagen Cleansing Balm
Evening · Once a week
CA$26.00
-
Cleansing Toner
Pixi Glow Tonic
Evening
CA$28.90
-
Serum or Treatment
Pro-Collagen Glow Boost Exfoliator
Evening · Once a week
CA$34.00
-
Enzyme Powder
Dermalogica Daily Microfoliant
Once a week
CA$29.50
-
Cleansing Mask
Tatcha The Clarifying Clay Mask
Once a week
CA$95.00
Buy Medik8 routine · CA$386.00 · 88% fit
Buy Elemis routine · CA$411.49 · 74% fitSee multi-brand routine · 96% fit
Medik8 vs Elemis routines for combination skin
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Cleanser
Fresh Soy Face Cleanser
Morning · Evening · Once a week
CA$44.95
-
Hydrating Toner
Paula's Choice Skin Balancing Pore-Reducing Toner
Morning · Once a week
CA$37.60
-
Moisturizer
Hydr8 B5 Intense
Morning · Evening · Once a week
CA$101.00
-
SPF
CeraVe AM Facial Moisturizing Lotion SPF 30
Morning
CA$20.96
-
Pre-Cleanser
Pyunkang Yul Deep Cleansing Oil
Evening · Once a week
CA$23.99
-
Cleansing Toner
Press & Glow
Evening
CA$49.00
-
Serum or Treatment
Oxy-R Peptides
Evening · Once a week
CA$94.00
-
Enzyme Powder
Dermalogica Daily Microfoliant
Once a week
CA$29.50
-
Cleansing Mask
Origins Original Skin Retexturizing Mask with Rose Clay
Once a week
CA$50.00
-
Cleanser
Dynamic Resurfacing Facial Wash
Morning · Evening · Once a week
CA$66.49
-
Hydrating Toner
Paula's Choice Skin Balancing Pore-Reducing Toner
Morning · Once a week
CA$37.60
-
Moisturizer
Pro-Collagen Night Cream
Morning · Evening · Once a week
CA$131.00
-
SPF
Pro-Collagen Marine Cream
Morning
CA$154.00
-
Pre-Cleanser
Pro-Collagen Cleansing Balm
Evening · Once a week
CA$26.00
-
Cleansing Toner
Medicube Zero Pore Pad 2.0
Evening
CA$31.99
-
Serum or Treatment
Pro-Collagen Glow Boost Exfoliator
Evening · Once a week
CA$34.00
-
Enzyme Powder
Dermalogica Daily Microfoliant
Once a week
CA$29.50
-
Cleansing Mask
Origins Original Skin Retexturizing Mask with Rose Clay
Once a week
CA$50.00
Buy Medik8 routine · CA$350.00 · 93% fit
Buy Elemis routine · CA$369.58 · 77% fitSee multi-brand routine · 96% fit
Questions and answers
Medik8 or Elemis: which is better?
Medik8 is better for dry, dry sensitive, combination, and sensitive skin types because the products on this page have a Superior fit for those needs. Elemis matches Medik8 for mature skin, acne-prone skin, and skin with dark spots, but Medik8 provides gentler, non-irritating formulas with less fragrance across its range.
What is the difference between Medik8 and Elemis?
Medik8 offers gentler formulas and fragrance-free options across most of the products on this page, whereas Elemis focuses on luxurious textures and highly fragranced anti-aging creams. Both brands achieve equal effectiveness for mature skin, but Medik8 provides a superior fit for dry and sensitive skin types.
Medik8 or Elemis for dry skin?
Medik8 is the better choice for dry skin because the products on this page achieve a superior routine fit compared to Elemis. Topical hyaluronic acid, a key ingredient across Medik8 products, helps provide deep hydration and skin quality improvements.
Medik8 or Elemis: which cleanser is better?
Medik8 is better for cleansing as Surface Radiance Cleanse achieves a Superior fit for acne-prone skin, oily acne-prone skin, and skin with dark spots on this page. Elemis also offers solid options like Dynamic Resurfacing Facial Wash, but Medik8 provides stronger targeted cleansing performance for these skin types.
Which is more affordable, Medik8 or Elemis?
Both Medik8 and Elemis feature a high price point among the reviews for the products on this page. However, Medik8 is noted as having a high price point as a negative review theme, whereas Elemis has it mostly mentioned by reviewers.
Between Medik8 and Elemis, which brand has a higher percentage of fragrance-free products?
Medik8 has a higher percentage of fragrance-free products, as 11 of its 12 products on this page list no fragrance compared to only 4 of 22 Elemis products.
Which brand has been owned by L'Oréal Groupe since 2025, Medik8 or Elemis?
Medik8 has been owned by L'Oréal Groupe since 2025, while Elemis has been owned by L'Occitane Group since 2019.
Medik8 or Elemis: which brand is better for dry sensitive skin?
Medik8 is better for dry sensitive skin, as Lovi rates its routine as Superior compared to Elemis at High. The products on this page for Medik8 feature deep hydration and plumping, and hyaluronic acid helps support dry skin.
Medik8 or Elemis for oily skin?
Medik8 is a better fit for oily skin, offering a High routine fit compared to Elemis at Average. The products on this page help provide deep hydration and improve skin texture while remaining gentle.
Medik8 or Elemis: which moisturizer is better?
Medik8 offers superior fit levels for dry skin compared to Elemis, making its moisturizers a better option for that skin type. The products on this page for Medik8 feature key ingredients like hyaluronic acid, which helps provide deep hydration.
Medik8 or Elemis for sensitive skin?
Medik8 is a better choice for sensitive skin because Lovi rates its routine fit as Superior, compared to High for Elemis. Furthermore, Medik8 offers formulas that reviewers mostly describe as gentle and non-irritating.
Medik8 or Elemis for acne-prone skin?
Both brands fit acne-prone skin well with a High routine fit. Medik8 offers products on this page that are mostly free of fragrance, while Elemis may carry a stronger scent that could affect sensitive areas.
Research behind their key ingredients
Bacterial cellulose membranes as drug delivery systems: an in vivo skin compatibility study
Topical anti-inflammatory effects of isorhamnetin glycosides isolated from Opuntia ficus-indica
Vitamin C-squalene bioconjugate promotes epidermal thickening and collagen production in human skin
Effects of glyceryl glucoside on AQP3 expression, barrier function and hydration of human skin
Microneedling by dermapen and glycolic acid peel for the treatment of acne scars: Comparative study
Topical beta-carotene protects against infra-red-light-induced free radicals
A comparative study of gluconolactone versus benzoyl peroxide in the treatment of acne
A Rose Extract Protects the Skin against Stress Mediators: A Potential Role of Olfactory Receptors
Evaluation of moisturizing and irritation potential of sacha inchi oil
Comparative measurement of hydration effects of herbal moisturizers
Topical Almond Oil for Prevention of Pressure Injuries: A Single-Blinded Comparison Study
Skin recovery by Lavandula angustifolia leaf callus extract: Redox control of Nrf2 signaling
The anti wrinkle efficacy of synthetic hexapeptide (Argireline) in Chinese Subjects
Formulation and evaluation of exotic fat based cosmeceuticals for skin repair
Nanocomplex of quaternized cyclodextrin grafted chitosan and hyaluronic acid for a skin delivery
Effects of fermented tea seed oil on the skin lipid barrier and microbiome of sensitive skin
Targeting Circadian Rhythm for the Regulation of Skin Collagen Metabolism
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.
-

Co-founder, Medical Director
Cosmetic chemist, cosmetologist, aesthetic products developer
-

Co-founder, CEO and CTO
PhD in computer science, 3x US patent holder, ex-Google, ex-Yandex
-

Dr. Sofía Perea Pérez, MD, MSc
Medical Board
Aesthetic medicine practitioner, MSc in Longevity and Anti-Aging Medicine
-

Medical Board
Specialist dermatologist, MBBS, MD, IFAAD
-

Medical Board
Cosmetic chemist, SCS, IFSCC member
-

Medical Board, Medical Advisor
Dermatology MD
-

Elina Nazarenko, MD
Medical Board
Dermatology and diagnostic consultant
-

Victoria Derkova, MS
Medical Board
Cosmetic chemist, cosmetic development technologist
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