🇪🇸Spain

Medik8 vs SK-II

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

Medik8 and SK-II are distinguished skincare lines rooted in British and Japanese heritage respectively. Medik8 features serums, moisturizers, eye products, and toners built around hyaluronic acid, suiting dry and dry sensitive skin best. Conversely, SK-II offers luxurious moisturizers, potent serums, rejuvenating masks, and clarifying toners powered by its signature ingredient, pitera, adapting seamlessly to combination, oily, normal, and dry complexions. While both brands target concerns like acne, dark spots, and aging through specific standout formulas, the British brand relies on hyaluronic acid to lengthen the toxin wrinkle effect duration, whereas the Japanese brand utilizes the botanical science of pitera to improve pore area, roughness, and redness.

Medik8 is a British skincare brand founded in 2009 and owned by L'Oréal Groupe since 2025.

loreal.commedik8.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 Medik8 and SK-II products; for every product of both brands, with a fit score for your own skin, use the Lovi app.

Popular Medik8 vs SK-II products

People Say

Medik8SK-II
  • Texture and lightweight feel Often MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “drinks right into the skin — SK-II Facial Treatment Essence”
    • “pores became miraculously invisible — SK-II Facial Treatment Mask”
    • “Smoother skin — SK-II Facial Treatment Clear Lotion”
    • “absorbed effortlessly — Medik8 Total Moisture Daily Facial Cream”
  • Brightening and glowing skin 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”
    • “I wake up glowing. It adds back that youthful bloom that I've lost. — Medik8 Sleep Glycolic”
  • Deep hydration and moisture Often MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “Restores moisture — Medik8 Liquid Peptides”
    • “Instantly quenched the skin — Medik8 Hydr8 B5 Intense”
    • “flooded my skin with moisture — SK-II Facial Treatment Mask”
    • “skin feels deeply hydrated, plump, and smoother — SK-II Skinpower Advanced Cream”
  • Gentleness and skin sensitivity Mostly MentionedRarely 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”
    • “Great for sensitive — SK-II Genoptics Spot Essence”
  • Plumping and smoothing effect Mostly MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “My skin was smoother, my skin texture felt more resurfaced. — Medik8 Sleep Glycolic”
    • “Reduces fine lines — Medik8 Liquid Peptides”
    • “skin feels baby soft — Medik8 CRYSTAL RETINAL 3”
    • “skin feels soft as butter — SK-II Facial Treatment Essence”
  • High price point and value Often MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “Expensive per bottle — Medik8 Liquid Peptides”
    • “very expensive for amount — Medik8 CRYSTAL RETINAL 3”
    • “hefty price tag — Medik8 C-Tetra Serum”
    • “way too expensive — SK-II Facial Treatment Essence”
  • Results timeline and effectiveness Sometimes NotedOften Mentioned
    • “Not as effective as retinol — Medik8 Bakuchiol Peptides”
    • “no difference — Medik8 Oxy-R Peptides”
    • “no difference yet — Medik8 Crystal Retinal Ceramide Eye 3”
    • “did absolutely nothing — SK-II Facial Treatment Essence”
  • Tackiness, oiliness, and finish Sometimes NotedRarely Noted
    • “dried to a tacky finish — SK-II Facial Treatment Mask”
    • “quite thick consistency — SK-II Skinpower Advanced Cream”
    • “Need extra moisturizer — SK-II Genoptics Spot Essence”
    • “too oily for my combination skin — Medik8 C-Tetra Serum”
  • Unpleasant scent or fragrance issues Not notedOften Mentioned
    • “smells like dirty feet — SK-II Facial Treatment Essence”

Questions and answers

Medik8 or SK-II: which is better?

Both brands have their strengths, as Medik8 is rated as High or Superior for gentleness and plumping, while SK-II performs better for texture and brightening among the products on this page. Hyaluronic acid helps provide deep hydration across both lines.

Drug Delivery, 2017Dermatologic Therapy, 2022

What is the difference between Medik8 and SK-II?

Medik8 stands out for gentleness and skin sensitivity while SK-II does better for texture and lightweight feel. Both brands offer deep hydration and moisture, with key ingredients like hyaluronic acid helping to improve skin quality.

Drug Delivery, 2017Dermatologic Therapy, 2022

Medik8 or SK-II: which moisturizer is better?

Medik8 provides a better Lovi fit for dry skin with products like Total Moisture Daily Facial Cream achieving a High fit, while SK-II offers excellent choices like Skinpower Advanced Cream and Facial Treatment Essence that also reach a High fit for dry skin. Topical hyaluronic acid, a key ingredient featured across Medik8 moisturizers, helps improve skin hydration and signs of skin aging.

Dermatologic Therapy, 2022

Which is more affordable, Medik8 or SK-II?

Reviewers note that Medik8 has a high price point and value, which reviewers rate as a weakness compared to SK-II.

Which causes fewer breakouts, Medik8 or SK-II?

Both Medik8 and SK-II offer products on this page with varying breakout prevention results, though Medik8 provides a few options like Surface Radiance Cleanse that achieve a Superior Lovi fit for acne-prone skin. Topical treatments using hyaluronic acid help maintain skin quality and hydration without clogging pores.

Drug Delivery, 2017Dermatologic Therapy, 2022

Between Medik8 and SK-II, which brand is better suited for sensitive skin based on reviewer feedback?

Medik8 does better for sensitive skin based on reviewer feedback, offering greater gentleness. Reviewers often note that the products on this page help provide a gentle experience.

Which brand has more fragrance-free products listed on the page, Medik8 or SK-II?

Medik8 has 11 out of 12 fragrance-free products on this page, while every product listed for SK-II is fragrance-free.

How do the founding years and corporate ownerships of Medik8 and SK-II compare?

Medik8 was founded in 2009 in the United Kingdom and has been owned by L'Oréal Groupe since 2025, while SK-II was founded in 1980 in Japan and is owned by The Procter & Gamble Company.

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?

Scan your face, then any product: Lovi shows how well it fits you and what fits even better.

QR code: get the Lovi app
Download on theApp Store Get it onGoogle Play