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COSRX vs ISDIN

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

COSRX and ISDIN are two esteemed skincare brands, with the former being a Korean line founded in 2013 and the latter a Spanish house established in 1975. Both offer thoughtful arrays of serums, moisturizers, cleansers, and masks, though the Korean brand thoughtfully incorporates hyaluronic acid, glycerin, and niacinamide to suit oily and oily acne-prone skin best by balancing moisture levels. Meanwhile, the Spanish brand is loved for its elegant moisturizers, advanced sunscreens, restorative serums, and targeted eye products that suit dry and sensitive skin best by providing gentle daily comfort and dependable protection. While the former brand relies on harmonious key ingredients like hyaluronic acid to lengthen toxin duration and reduce cell damage, glycerin to increase skin hydration and barrier function, and niacinamide to decrease hyperpigmentation and reduce skin aging, the latter differs by delivering reliable daily support through carefully crafted remedies that maintain a healthy complexion.

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

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ISDIN is a Spanish skincare brand founded in 1975 and owned by Puig.

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This page compares some of the most popular COSRX and ISDIN products; for every product of both brands, with a fit score for your own skin, use the Lovi app.

Popular COSRX vs ISDIN products

People Say

COSRXISDIN
  • Lightweight and fast-absorbing texture Often MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “absorbs instantly — ISDIN Eryfotona Actinica”
    • “ultra-light fluid product, which makes it super easy to apply — ISDIN Fusion Water”
    • “Lightweight formula absorbs fast — ISDIN Hyaluronic Concentrate”
    • “absorbs instantly like water — COSRX The 6 Peptide Skin Booster Serum”
  • Deep hydration and moisturization Mostly MentionedMostly 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”
    • “Improved moisture and texture — ISDIN Hyaluronic Moisture”
    • “My skin felt sooo hydrated and looks so plump and dewey. — ISDIN Fusion Water”
  • Gentle and non-stripping formulation Often MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “No stinging or irritation — COSRX BHA Blackhead Power Liquid”
    • “perfect for first-time retinol users — COSRX The Retinol 0.1 Cream”
    • “Sensitive/reactive skin tolerates — ISDIN Hyaluronic Moisture”
    • “no excessive exfoliation — ISDIN Retinal Intense Serum”
  • Skin texture and smoothing improvement Often MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “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 like glass — COSRX BHA Blackhead Power Liquid”
    • “skin looks smooth and healthy — ISDIN K-Ox Eyes”
  • Invisible and non-greasy sunscreen finish Sometimes NotedOften Mentioned
    • “doesn't leave you white as a ghost — ISDIN Fusion Water”
    • “dries down matte — ISDIN Eryfotona Actinica”
    • “Non-greasy — ISDIN Hyaluronic Moisture”
    • “dark skin friendly — COSRX Ultra-Light Invisible Sunscreen”
  • Effective acne and pore control Often MentionedNot noted
    • “extremely gentle — COSRX AHA/BHA Clarifying Treatment Toner”
    • “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”
  • Strong scent or medicinal fragrance Sometimes NotedOften Mentioned
    • “smells like chemicals — COSRX Low pH Good Morning Gel Cleanser”
    • “smells like onions — COSRX The Retinol 0.1 Cream”
    • “smell is overpowering — ISDIN Eryfotona Actinica”
    • “lingering headache inducing effect — ISDIN K-Ox Eyes”
  • Packaging and size issues Often MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “My only wish is that ISDIN would make this product in a bigger size bottle. — ISDIN Fusion Water”
    • “Pump stopped working — ISDIN Hyaluronic Concentrate”
    • “I like the actual product, but the packaging is awful, I've already lost three bottles the applicator pops off. — ISDIN Flavo-C Serum”
    • “only 20mls... significantly less product — COSRX The Hyaluronic Acid 3 Serum”
  • Price and value considerations Rarely NotedOften Mentioned
    • “expensive for me — COSRX The Hyaluronic Acid 3 Serum”
    • “very expensive — ISDIN Eryfotona Actinica”

COSRX vs ISDIN routines for dry skin

Buy ISDIN routine · $255.68 · 94% fitBuy COSRX routine · $128.96 · 87% fitSee multi-brand routine · 99% fit

COSRX vs ISDIN routines for oily skin

Buy ISDIN routine · $437.98 · 93% fitBuy COSRX routine · $292.12 · 91% fitSee multi-brand routine · 98% fit

COSRX vs ISDIN routines for combination skin

Buy ISDIN routine · $429.57 · 93% fitBuy COSRX routine · $268.03 · 89% fitSee multi-brand routine · 97% fit

Questions and answers

COSRX or ISDIN: which is better?

Both COSRX and ISDIN offer great options depending on your skincare goals, with ISDIN achieving Superior routine fit levels across dry, sensitive, acne-prone, mature, and dark-spot skin types while COSRX fits oily and oily acne-prone skin best. Reviewers mention that ISDIN excels with ultralight sunscreens, whereas COSRX is often noted for effective acne control and better price value.

What is the difference between COSRX and ISDIN?

COSRX is focused on effective acne control and skin texture with better price and value considerations, whereas ISDIN is known for its ultralight, makeup-friendly sunscreens and a higher price point. Lovi finds that COSRX fits oily, oily acne-prone, and combination skin best, while ISDIN is best suited for dry, sensitive, and acne-prone skin.

COSRX or ISDIN for dry skin?

For dry skin, Lovi finds that COSRX has High fit while ISDIN has Superior fit. COSRX helps provide deep moisturization with ingredients like hyaluronic acid and glycerin, whereas ISDIN is well-liked for its ultralight moisturizers.

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

COSRX or ISDIN: which moisturizer is better?

Both COSRX and ISDIN offer effective moisturizers, with COSRX products on this page frequently featuring lightweight hydration and soothing ingredients like snail mucin and hyaluronic acid. ISDIN also provides targeted moisturizing options, though reviewers often note a higher price point compared to COSRX.

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

Which is more affordable, COSRX or ISDIN?

COSRX is more affordable, whereas ISDIN has a high price point among the products on this page.

Between COSRX and ISDIN, which brand offers better options for acne and pore control?

COSRX offers better options for acne and pore control, as the products on this page help improve skin texture and manage breakouts effectively.

How do the fragrance profiles of COSRX and ISDIN products compare overall?

COSRX products on this page are generally unfragranced, with 37 of 38 listing no fragrance, whereas ISDIN has a higher proportion of fragranced options, with 5 of 8 products listing fragrance.

Which brand has more superior options for mature skin, COSRX or ISDIN?

ISDIN has a higher proportion of superior options for mature skin on this page, with products like Eryfotona Actinica earning a Superior Lovi fit level compared to COSRX's High fit rating for its equivalent sunscreens. COSRX has significantly more fragrance-free products overall, whereas most ISDIN products on the page contain fragrance.

COSRX or ISDIN for oily skin?

For oily skin, Lovi rates both COSRX and ISDIN as having a Superior routine fit. COSRX features products tailored for oily skin like the Oil-Free Ultra-Moisturizing Lotion, while ISDIN offers ultralight sunscreens like Fusion Water.

COSRX or ISDIN: which sunscreen is better?

Both COSRX and ISDIN offer products on this page with high to superior fit levels for sunscreens across various skin types, but ISDIN reviewers specifically highlight their sunscreens as ultralight and makeup-friendly. COSRX sunscreens are also largely fragrance-free, whereas some ISDIN sunscreen options contain fragrance.

COSRX or ISDIN for sensitive skin?

For sensitive skin, Lovi rates COSRX as High and ISDIN as Superior. ISDIN achieves this with a formulation approach tailored well to reactive complexions, while COSRX offers gentle hydration with key ingredients like allantoin and panthenol that help soothe irritation.

American Journal of Clinical Dermatology, 2002

COSRX or ISDIN for acne-prone skin?

Both brands offer strong options for acne-prone skin, with Lovi giving COSRX a High fit level and ISDIN a Superior fit level for this skin type. The products on this page help manage breakouts through formulas that feature ingredients like salicylic acid and retinol.

The Journal of Investigative Dermatology, 2000Archives of Dermatology, 2007

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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