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Some By Mi vs SK-II

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

Some By Mi and SK-II are popular skincare brands that offer serums, cleansers, toners, and moisturizers to address various complexions. The Korean brand relies on niacinamide, centella asiatica, and salicylic acid, fitting dry skin and dry sensitive skin best, whereas the Japanese brand is anchored by pitera and suits dry skin and combination skin best. While both feature standout solutions for acne-prone skin, dark spots, and mature skin, they differ in their foundational ingredients and specific target concerns.

Some By Mi is a Korean skincare brand founded in 2016 and owned by JKL Partners since 2021.

kedglobal.compreqin.comtracxn.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 Some By Mi and SK-II products; for every product of both brands, with a fit score for your own skin, use the Lovi app.

Popular Some By Mi vs SK-II products

People Say

Some By MiSK-II
  • Hydrating and Lightweight Formulations Mostly MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “flooded my skin with moisture — SK-II Facial Treatment Mask”
    • “skin feels deeply hydrated, plump, and smoother — SK-II Skinpower Advanced Cream”
    • “drinks right into the skin — SK-II Facial Treatment Essence”
    • “absorbs quickly — Some By Mi Yuja Niacin Brightening Moisture Gel Cream”
  • Skin Texture and Smoothing Mostly MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “Skin became smoother — Some By Mi AHA-BHA-PHA 30 Days Miracle Toner”
    • “Surprisingly gentle — Some By Mi AHA-BHA-PHA 30 Days Miracle Toner”
    • “skin feels soft as butter — SK-II Facial Treatment Essence”
    • “pores became miraculously invisible — SK-II Facial Treatment Mask”
  • Brightening and Glow Often MentionedMostly 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”
    • “Fades dark spots — Some By Mi Galactomyces Pure Vitamin C Glow Serum”
  • Gentleness and Sensitivity Often MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “Zero irritation or redness — Some By Mi Retinol Intense Reactivating Serum”
    • “doesn't strip dry my skin — Some By Mi Super Matcha Pore Clean Clay Mask”
    • “didn't find this irritating — Some By Mi Retinol Intense Advanced Triple Action Eye Cream”
    • “Watery consistency — SK-II Facial Treatment Clear Lotion”
  • Acne and Blemish Control Often MentionedNot noted
    • “Reduces pimples — Some By Mi AHA-BHA-PHA 30 Days Miracle Toner”
    • “cleared my cystic acne — Some By Mi AHA-BHA-PHA 30 Days Miracle Acne Clear Foam”
    • “flattened my cystic acne — Some By Mi AHA BHA PHA 30 Days Miracle Serum”
  • Refreshing and Soothing Often MentionedNot noted
    • “Calmed my retinol burn overnight — Some By Mi Beta Panthenol Repair Cream”
    • “nice cooling effect — Some By Mi AHA-BHA-PHA 30 Days Miracle Acne Clear Foam”
    • “calmed my angry red skin — Some By Mi AHA BHA PHA 30 Days Miracle Serum”
  • Product Value and Pricing Rarely NotedMostly Mentioned
    • “expensive — Some By Mi Super Matcha Pore Clean Clay Mask”
    • “Too expensive for 50ml — Some By Mi Beta Panthenol Repair Cream”
    • “way too expensive — SK-II Facial Treatment Essence”
  • Scents and Fragrance Often MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “smells like dirty feet — SK-II Facial Treatment Essence”
    • “smells slightly like saliva — SK-II Facial Treatment Mask”
    • “Fermented smell — SK-II Facial Treatment Clear Lotion”
    • “overwhelming citrus fragrance — Some By Mi V10 Hyal Air Fit Sunscreen”
  • Overhyped and Slow Results Sometimes NotedSometimes Noted
    • “didn't do much for old scars — Some By Mi Yuja Niacin Anti Blemish Serum”
    • “not noticed any significant changes — Some By Mi Retinol Intense Advanced Triple Action Eye Cream”
    • “did absolutely nothing — SK-II Facial Treatment Essence”
    • “No visible difference — SK-II Facial Treatment Clear Lotion”
  • Dryness and Dehydration Often MentionedRarely Noted
    • “Need extra moisturizer — SK-II Genoptics Spot Essence”
    • “not moisturizing enough — Some By Mi Yuja Niacin Brightening Moisture Gel Cream”

Some By Mi vs SK-II routines for dry skin

Buy Some By Mi routine · CA$333.73 · 96% fitBuy SK-II routine · CA$783.50 · 93% fitSee multi-brand routine · 99% fit

Some By Mi vs SK-II routines for oily skin

Buy SK-II routine · CA$1,101.33 · 91% fitBuy Some By Mi routine · CA$315.33 · 89% fitSee multi-brand routine · 96% fit

Some By Mi vs SK-II routines for combination skin

Buy SK-II routine · CA$1,065.33 · 93% fitBuy Some By Mi routine · CA$300.34 · 91% fitSee multi-brand routine · 96% fit

Questions and answers

Some By Mi or SK-II: which is better?

Some By Mi is better for acne-prone skin, sensitive skin, and mature skin, while SK-II does better for hydrating and lightweight formulations and brightening and glow. Both brands perform equally well for dry skin, combination skin, and dry sensitive skin. Niacinamide helps reduce cutaneous pigmentation and suppresses melanosome transfer.

The British Journal of Dermatology, 2002Antioxidants, 2021

What is the difference between Some By Mi and SK-II?

Some By Mi is better for acne and blemish control and gentleness, while SK-II offers more hydrating and lightweight formulations as well as brightening and glow. Both brands feature fragrance-free products on the products on this page.

Some By Mi or SK-II for dry skin?

Both Some By Mi and SK-II achieve a Superior fit for dry skin on this page. Some By Mi relies on key ingredients like niacinamide and panthenol to help support dry skin, which is backed by studies on skin hydration and barrier function.

The British Journal of Dermatology, 2002Antioxidants, 2021

Some By Mi or SK-II: which moisturizer is better?

When comparing moisturizers, Some By Mi offers options like the Yuja Niacin Brightening Moisture Gel Cream with a Superior fit for dry skin, while SK-II features the Facial Treatment Essence which also provides a High fit for dry skin.

Which is more affordable, Some By Mi or SK-II?

Some By Mi is more affordable than SK-II, as pricing and product value are noted as an advantage for Some By Mi.

Some By Mi or SK-II for brightening and glow?

SK-II does better than Some By Mi for brightening and glow. Niacinamide in Some By Mi also helps reduce cutaneous pigmentation.

The British Journal of Dermatology, 2002

Which brand performs better for mature skin, Some By Mi or SK-II?

Some By Mi performs better for mature skin, achieving a Lovi fit level of Superior compared to SK-II which reaches High. The products on this page from Some By Mi feature key ingredients like niacinamide and retinol, which help manage signs of aging and pigmentation as supported by clinical studies.

Antioxidants, 2021The Journal of Investigative Dermatology, 2000

Some By Mi or SK-II for treating dark spots?

Some By Mi is better for treating dark spots, as Lovi rates its overall routine fit for skin with dark spots as Superior compared to SK-II's High. The products on this page feature key ingredients like niacinamide, which helps reduce cutaneous pigmentation.

The British Journal of Dermatology, 2002Antioxidants, 2021

Some By Mi or SK-II for oily skin?

For oily skin, Lovi finds that SK-II offers a Superior routine fit while Some By Mi provides a High fit, with review themes showing SK-II performs better for hydrating and lightweight formulations, as well as brightening and glow.

Some By Mi or SK-II for sensitive skin?

Some By Mi is better for sensitive skin, as Lovi rates its routine as Superior while SK-II is High. Reviewers note that Some By Mi excels in gentleness and sensitivity, and every product on this page lists no fragrance in its ingredients.

Some By Mi or SK-II for acne-prone skin?

For acne-prone skin, Some By Mi is a suitable choice since the products on this page provide an effective routine. Niacinamide helps control skin aging and pigmentation.

The British Journal of Dermatology, 2002Antioxidants, 2021

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

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