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COSRX vs Minimalist

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

COSRX and Minimalist are accessible skincare brands that offer thoughtful arrays of moisturizers, cleansers, and targeted treatments designed to balance delicate moisture levels. The Korean brand, founded in 2013, incorporates hyaluronic acid, glycerin, and niacinamide to suit oily and oily acne-prone skin best. Meanwhile, the Indian brand, founded in 2020, covers sunscreens, moisturizers, and cleansers that also fit acne-prone and oily skin best. While both brands feature standout products for various skin types, they differ in their specific formulations, key ingredients, and origins.

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

koreajoongangdaily.combeautymatter.comprnewswire.com

Minimalist is an Indian skincare brand founded in 2020 and owned by Unilever PLC since 2025.

m.economictimes.comunilever.combeminimalist.copersonalcareinsights.com

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

Popular COSRX vs Minimalist products

People Say

COSRXMinimalist
  • Hydration and Moisture Mostly MentionedOften 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”
    • “very moisturizing — Minimalist SPF 50 Sunscreen”
    • “calmed it when my skin was super irritated — Minimalist Vitamin B5 10% Moisturizer”
  • Lightweight and Fast Absorption Mostly MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “absorbs instantly like water — COSRX The 6 Peptide Skin Booster Serum”
    • “sinks in immediately — COSRX Advanced Snail Peptide Eye Cream”
    • “absorbs practically immediately — COSRX Oil-Free Ultra-Moisturizing Lotion (with Birch Sap)”
    • “absorbs quickly and doesn't feel greasy — Minimalist Vitamin B5 10% Moisturizer”
  • Gentle and Non-Stripping Mostly MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “No stinging or irritation — COSRX BHA Blackhead Power Liquid”
    • “perfect for first-time retinol users — COSRX The Retinol 0.1 Cream”
    • “doesn't strip my skin — COSRX Low pH Good Morning Gel Cleanser”
    • “doesn't make skin feel tight — Minimalist Salicylic Acid + LHA 2% Face Cleanser”
  • Acne and Pore Control Often MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “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”
    • “acne cleared up in a week — Minimalist Salicylic Acid + LHA 2% Face Cleanser”
  • Deep Cleansing and Oil Control Sometimes NotedMostly Mentioned
    • “perfect moisturizer for oily skin — Minimalist Vitamin B5 10% Moisturizer”
    • “keeps skin oil-free for hours — Minimalist Salicylic Acid + LHA 2% Face Cleanser”
    • “whisking away that excess shine — COSRX Salicylic Acid Daily Gentle Cleanser”
  • Beneficial and Fragrance-Free Ingredients Not notedMostly Mentioned
    • “love the niacinamide — Minimalist SPF 50 Sunscreen”
    • “zero smell — Minimalist Vitamin B5 10% Moisturizer”
    • “great for sensitive skin — Minimalist Salicylic Acid + LHA 2% Face Cleanser”
  • Unpleasant Texture and Finish Sometimes NotedMostly Mentioned
    • “texture is gooey and stringy — COSRX Advanced Snail 92 All in One Cream”
    • “too slimy and sticky — COSRX Advanced Snail 96 Mucin Power Essence”
    • “Leaves a sticky film — COSRX BHA Blackhead Power Liquid”
    • “consistency is like water — Minimalist Salicylic Acid + LHA 2% Face Cleanser”
  • Drying or Insufficient Moisture Often MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “left my face tight — COSRX Low pH Good Morning Gel Cleanser”
    • “leaves skin feeling tight — COSRX Salicylic Acid Daily Gentle Cleanser”
    • “not moisturizing enough — Minimalist Vitamin B5 10% Moisturizer”
    • “made skin flaky — Minimalist Salicylic Acid + LHA 2% Face Cleanser”
  • Medicinal and Chemical Scent Rarely NotedOften Mentioned
    • “smells like chemicals — COSRX Low pH Good Morning Gel Cleanser”
    • “smells like onions — COSRX The Retinol 0.1 Cream”
    • “smells of herbs and earth — COSRX Salicylic Acid Daily Gentle Cleanser”
    • “smells like chemicals — Minimalist Salicylic Acid + LHA 2% Face Cleanser”
  • Packaging and Quality Issues Sometimes NotedSometimes Noted
    • “tube cracked on the side — COSRX The Retinol 0.1 Cream”
    • “hate dipping fingers in — COSRX Advanced Snail 92 All in One Cream”
    • “cap leaks during travel — Minimalist Salicylic Acid + LHA 2% Face Cleanser”

COSRX vs Minimalist routines for dry skin

Buy COSRX routine · $128.96 · 87% fitBuy Minimalist routine · $83.84 · 77% fitSee multi-brand routine · 99% fit

COSRX vs Minimalist routines for oily skin

Buy Minimalist routine · $265.17 · 92% fitBuy COSRX routine · $292.12 · 91% fitSee multi-brand routine · 98% fit

COSRX vs Minimalist routines for combination skin

Buy Minimalist routine · $244.65 · 92% fitBuy COSRX routine · $268.03 · 89% fitSee multi-brand routine · 97% fit

Questions and answers

COSRX or Minimalist: which is better?

Both COSRX and Minimalist offer top-tier routines for oily, oily acne-prone, and dry sensitive skin on this page, but COSRX is generally known for gentler, more lightweight absorption. The products on this page help improve skin texture and hydration while remaining largely fragrance-free.

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

What is the difference between COSRX and Minimalist?

COSRX is a South Korean brand founded in 2013 and owned by Amorepacific, offering a very large range of products on this page, whereas Minimalist was founded in India in 2020 and is owned by Unilever. Lovi finds both brands fit oily skin at a Superior level and oily acne-prone skin at a Superior level, while Minimalist achieves a Superior fit for combination and acne-prone skin.

COSRX or Minimalist for dry skin?

Both COSRX and Minimalist fit dry skin well, as Lovi rates their routines for dry skin as High. The products on this page help provide deep hydration and moisturization, and topical hyaluronic acid helps improve skin quality and signs of aging.

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

COSRX or Minimalist: which cleanser is better?

Both COSRX and Minimalist offer cleansers with strong ratings, but COSRX stands out with options like the Advanced Snail Mucin Gel Cleanser providing Superior fit levels for dry and sensitive skin. Reviewers note that COSRX products are generally gentle and non-stripping, while Minimalist performs better for deep cleansing and oil control.

Which is more affordable, COSRX or Minimalist?

The products on this page do not list pricing information, so a direct comparison of affordability between COSRX and Minimalist is not available.

Between COSRX and Minimalist, which brand performs better for combination skin?

Minimalist performs better for combination skin because Lovi rates its routine fit as Superior, while COSRX achieves a High fit for combination skin.

How do the founding years and corporate owners of COSRX and Minimalist compare?

COSRX was founded in South Korea in 2013 and is owned by Amorepacific Group, whereas Minimalist was founded in India in 2020 and is owned by Unilever PLC.

Which brand has more fragrance-free options between COSRX and Minimalist?

COSRX has more fragrance-free options than Minimalist, providing 37 fragrance-free products on this page compared to Minimalist's 3 options. However, every product on the Minimalist page lists no fragrance in its ingredients.

COSRX or Minimalist for oily skin?

For oily skin, both COSRX and Minimalist achieve a superior routine fit level. Reviewers often note that COSRX provides lightweight absorption and gentle care.

COSRX or Minimalist: which sunscreen is better?

Both COSRX and Minimalist offer high protection sunscreen options, as the Ultra-Light Invisible Sunscreen and Aloe Soothing Sun Cream from COSRX and the SPF 50 Sunscreen from Minimalist all achieve a High fit for combination skin, skin with dark spots, acne-prone skin, oily skin, oily acne-prone skin, mature skin, dry skin, and sensitive skin.

COSRX or Minimalist for sensitive skin?

For sensitive skin, both COSRX and Minimalist provide a high routine fit level. Reviewers often mention that COSRX products are gentle and non-irritating, while Minimalist ensures that every product on this page lists no fragrance in its ingredients.

COSRX or Minimalist for acne-prone skin?

For acne-prone skin, Lovi rates both COSRX and Minimalist as a High fit, while Minimalist achieves a Superior fit level for this skin type. Reviewers note that the products on this page from COSRX provide effective acne control and clearing.

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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