Clarins vs Medik8
Clarins and Medik8 are established skincare brands offering distinct approaches to daily care, with the former founded in France in 1954 and the latter originating in Britain in 2009. Clarins is celebrated for its nourishing moisturizers, targeted serums, delicate eye products, and refreshing toners utilizing soothing shea and replenishing squalane, whereas Medik8 features serums, moisturizers, eye products, and toners built around hyaluronic acid. While the French brand suits sensitive and mature skin best, the British brand fits dry and sensitive skin best, with both differing in their signature formulations and foundational philosophies.
Clarins is a French skincare brand founded in 1954 and owned by Famille C (Groupe Clarins).
groupeclarins.comen.wikipedia.orghappi.com
Medik8 is a British skincare brand founded in 2009 and owned by L'Oréal Groupe since 2025.
loreal.commedik8.comtracxn.com
This page compares some of the most popular Clarins and Medik8 products; for every product of both brands, with a fit score for your own skin, use the Lovi app.
Popular Clarins vs Medik8 products
People Say
Hydration and glow Mostly MentionedMostly Mentioned
- “skin drinks it up — Clarins Double Serum”
- “absorbs immediately — Clarins Double Serum Eye”
- “Restores moisture — Medik8 Liquid Peptides”
- “zero irritation or peeling — Medik8 CRYSTAL RETINAL 3”
Pleasant scent Sometimes NotedNot noted
- “smells luxurious — Clarins Extra-Firming Neck & Décolleté Cream”
- “smells luxurious — Clarins Double Serum Light Texture”
- “smells like a spa — Clarins Multi-Active Nuit”
High price point Mostly MentionedOften 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 — Clarins Double Serum”
Subtle or underwhelming results Often MentionedOften Mentioned
- “didn't see a lift — Clarins Total Eye Lift”
- “no change in circles — Clarins Double Serum Eye”
- “Not as effective as retinol — Medik8 Bakuchiol Peptides”
- “no difference — Medik8 Oxy-R Peptides”
Clarins vs Medik8 routines for dry skin
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Cleanser
CeraVe Hydrating Facial Cleanser
Morning · Evening · Once a week
€7.50
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Hydrating Toner
COSRX Propolis Synergy Toner
Morning
€18.55
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Moisturizer
Hydr8 B5 Intense
Morning · Evening · Once a week
€72.67
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SPF
Purito Daily Soft Touch Sunscreen
Morning
€12.98
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Pre-Cleanser
MISSHA Ultra Hyalon Cleansing Cream
Evening · Once a week
€16.10
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Serum or Treatment
Bakuchiol Peptides
Evening · Once a week
€63.00
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Nourishing Mask
Anua Heartleaf 77% Soothing Sheet Mask
Once a week
€19.90
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Cleanser
Gentle Foaming Cleanser
Morning · Evening · Once a week
€18.50
-
Hydrating Toner
COSRX Propolis Synergy Toner
Morning
€18.55
-
Moisturizer
Hydra-Essentiel Silky Cream
Morning · Evening · Once a week
€32.00
-
SPF
Purito Daily Soft Touch Sunscreen
Morning
€12.98
-
Pre-Cleanser
Total Cleansing Oil
Evening · Once a week
€19.50
- Serum or Treatment BRIGHT PLUS Evening · Once a week
-
Nourishing Mask
Cryo-Flash Cream-Mask
Once a week
€65.90
Clarins vs Medik8 routines for oily skin
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Cleanser
CeraVe Foaming Facial Cleanser
Morning · Evening · Once a week
€11.35
-
Hydrating Toner
Some By Mi Snail Truecica Miracle Repair Toner
Morning · Once a week
€19.99
-
Moisturizer
Hydr8 B5 Intense
Morning · Evening · Once a week
€72.67
-
SPF
make p:rem UV Defense Me Blue Ray Sun Cream
Morning
€34.30
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Pre-Cleanser
Shu Uemura Ultime8 Sublime Beauty Cleansing Oil
Evening · Once a week
€40.00
-
Cleansing Toner
Press & Glow
Evening
€42.67
-
Serum or Treatment
Oxy-R Peptides
Evening · Once a week
€75.95
-
Enzyme Powder
Dermalogica Daily Microfoliant
Once a week
€49.00
-
Cleansing Mask
HERBIVORE Botanicals Blue Tansy BHA and Enzyme Pore Refining Mask
Once a week
€79.97
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Cleanser
Gentle Foaming Cleanser
Morning · Evening · Once a week
€18.50
-
Hydrating Toner
Some By Mi Snail Truecica Miracle Repair Toner
Morning · Once a week
€19.99
-
Moisturizer
Double Serum Light Texture
Morning · Evening · Once a week
€71.50
-
SPF
make p:rem UV Defense Me Blue Ray Sun Cream
Morning
€34.30
-
Pre-Cleanser
Total Cleansing Oil
Evening · Once a week
€19.50
-
Cleansing Toner
Purifying Toning Lotion
Evening
€18.90
- Serum or Treatment BRIGHT PLUS Evening · Once a week
-
Enzyme Powder
Dermalogica Daily Microfoliant
Once a week
€49.00
-
Cleansing Mask
HERBIVORE Botanicals Blue Tansy BHA and Enzyme Pore Refining Mask
Once a week
€79.97
Clarins vs Medik8 routines for combination skin
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Cleanser
Paula's Choice Perfectly Balanced Foaming Cleanser
Morning · Evening · Once a week
€32.00
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Hydrating Toner
Paula's Choice Skin Balancing Pore-Reducing Toner
Morning · Once a week
€36.00
-
Moisturizer
Hydr8 B5 Intense
Morning · Evening · Once a week
€72.67
-
Pre-Cleanser
Shu Uemura Ultime8 Sublime Beauty Cleansing Oil
Evening · Once a week
€40.00
-
Cleansing Toner
Press & Glow
Evening
€42.67
-
Serum or Treatment
Oxy-R Peptides
Evening · Once a week
€75.95
-
Enzyme Powder
Dermalogica Daily Microfoliant
Once a week
€49.00
-
Cleansing Mask
HERBIVORE Botanicals Blue Tansy BHA and Enzyme Pore Refining Mask
Once a week
€79.97
-
Cleanser
Gentle Foaming Cleanser
Morning · Evening · Once a week
€18.50
-
Hydrating Toner
Paula's Choice Skin Balancing Pore-Reducing Toner
Morning · Once a week
€36.00
-
Moisturizer
Double Serum Light Texture
Morning · Evening · Once a week
€71.50
-
Pre-Cleanser
Total Cleansing Oil
Evening · Once a week
€19.50
-
Cleansing Toner
Purifying Toning Lotion
Evening
€18.90
- Serum or Treatment BRIGHT PLUS Evening · Once a week
-
Enzyme Powder
Dermalogica Daily Microfoliant
Once a week
€49.00
-
Cleansing Mask
HERBIVORE Botanicals Blue Tansy BHA and Enzyme Pore Refining Mask
Once a week
€79.97
Questions and answers
Clarins or Medik8: which is better?
Medik8 is the better choice for dry, sensitive, or combination skin types, offering a Superior routine fit compared to Clarins. Both brands feature hyaluronic acid, which helps hydrate and plump the skin.
What is the difference between Clarins and Medik8?
Medik8 is an unfragranced brand founded in the United Kingdom in 2009, whereas Clarins was founded in France in 1954 and features added fragrance in most of the products on this page. For routine fit, Medik8 achieves a Superior level for dry skin, sensitive skin, and dry sensitive skin, while Clarins achieves a High level for those same skin types. Topical hyaluronic acid may help improve skin quality and signs of skin aging.
Clarins or Medik8 for dry skin?
Medik8 is a better fit for dry skin, as the products on this page achieve a Superior routine fit compared to Clarins at High. Both brands feature hyaluronic acid, which helps improve skin hydration and signs of aging.
Clarins or Medik8: which cleanser is better?
Medik8 is better for cleansing on this page, as its Surface Radiance Cleanse has a Superior Lovi fit level for acne-prone skin, oily skin, and skin with dark spots, whereas Clarins cleansers generally reach an Average fit level.
Which is more affordable, Clarins or Medik8?
Medik8 is the brand that is noted for its high price point as a negative review theme, whereas Clarins does not have pricing advantage listed on this page.
Between Clarins and Medik8, which brand has a higher percentage of fragrance-free products?
Medik8 has a higher percentage of fragrance-free products on the page, with eleven out of twelve listing no fragrance compared to only one out of twenty-four for Clarins.
How do the founding years and countries of origin compare between Clarins and Medik8?
Clarins was founded in France in 1954, whereas Medik8 was founded in the United Kingdom in 2009.
Which brand performs better for pleasant scent according to reviewer themes?
Clarins performs better for pleasant scent according to reviewer themes.
Clarins or Medik8 for oily skin?
For oily skin, both Clarins and Medik8 achieve a Lovi fit level of High for the products on this page. Clarins features a French heritage dating back to 1954 and offers a variety of serums and moisturizers, though almost all of its formulas include fragrance. Medik8, founded in 2009 in the United Kingdom, provides options where the vast majority of products list no fragrance.
Clarins or Medik8: which moisturizer is better?
Medik8 has a Superior routine fit for dry skin compared to Clarins, which has a High fit. Both brands offer hydrating moisturizers on this page, but Medik8 uses fragrance-free formulas in most of its products while Clarins mostly includes fragrance.
Clarins or Medik8 for sensitive skin?
For sensitive skin, both Clarins and Medik8 are great choices, with Lovi rating Clarins High and Medik8 Superior for this skin type. Topical hyaluronic acid, found in the products on this page, helps improve skin quality and hydration.
Clarins or Medik8 for acne-prone skin?
Medik8 is a better fit for acne-prone skin, offering a Superior routine level compared to Clarins High. Topical hyaluronic acid, found in the products on this page, helps improve skin hydration and anti-aging signs.
Research behind their key ingredients
The Effect of Aloe Vera Clinical Trials on Prevention and Healing of Skin Wound: A Systematic Review
Topical anti-inflammatory effects of isorhamnetin glycosides isolated from Opuntia ficus-indica
Effects of ascorbic acid on gingival melanin pigmentation in vitro and in vivo
Apigenin inhibits UVA-induced cytotoxicity in vitro and prevents signs of skin aging in vivo
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
Mechanism of action and clinical benefits of colloidal oatmeal for dermatologic practice
A comparative study of gluconolactone versus benzoyl peroxide in the treatment of acne
Colloidal Oatmeal <em>(Avena Sativa)</em> Improves Skin Barrier Through Multi-Therapy Activity
Evaluation of moisturizing and irritation potential of sacha inchi oil
Skin improvement and stability of Echinacea purpurea dermatological formulations
The impacts of sodium lauroyl sarcosinate in facial cleanser on facial skin microbiome and lipidome
Modulating effects of oatmeal extracts in the sodium lauryl sulfate skin irritancy model
Moisturizing effect of stable cream containing Crocus sativus extracts
The anti wrinkle efficacy of synthetic hexapeptide (Argireline) in Chinese Subjects
Treatment with Ascorbyl Glucoside-Arginine Complex Ameliorates Solar Lentigos
Microcirculation-Promoting Effect of Escin on Cutaneous Tissue via Gsk3β Down-Regulation
Saccharide isomerate ameliorates cosmetic scalp conditions in a Chinese study population
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.
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Co-founder, Medical Director
Cosmetic chemist, cosmetologist, aesthetic products developer
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Co-founder, CEO and CTO
PhD in computer science, 3x US patent holder, ex-Google, ex-Yandex
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Dr. Sofía Perea Pérez, MD, MSc
Medical Board
Aesthetic medicine practitioner, MSc in Longevity and Anti-Aging Medicine
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Medical Board
Specialist dermatologist, MBBS, MD, IFAAD
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Medical Board
Cosmetic chemist, SCS, IFSCC member
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Medical Board, Medical Advisor
Dermatology MD
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Elina Nazarenko, MD
Medical Board
Dermatology and diagnostic consultant
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Victoria Derkova, MS
Medical Board
Cosmetic chemist, cosmetic development technologist
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