🇫🇷France

COSRX vs Avène

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

COSRX and Avène are skincare brands that offer targeted serums, moisturizers, cleansers, and masks. The Korean brand features hyaluronic acid, glycerin, and niacinamide to suit acne-prone and oily acne-prone skin best, while the French brand uses glycerin to suit oily acne-prone and combination skin. Both brands differ in their founding dates, ownership, and specific formulations for concerns like blemishes, dark spots, and aging.

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

koreajoongangdaily.combeautymatter.comprnewswire.com

Avène is a French skincare brand founded in 1990 and owned by Fondation Pierre Fabre.

pierre-fabre.comavene.co.ukaveneusa.com

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

Popular COSRX vs Avène products

People Say

COSRXAvène
  • Gentle and Non-Stripping Mostly MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “No stinging or irritation — COSRX BHA Blackhead Power Liquid”
    • “extremely gentle — COSRX AHA/BHA Clarifying Treatment Toner”
    • “leaves face clean but not dry — Avène Cleanance”
    • “Perfect cleanser for sensitive skin. — Avène Milk Cleanser”
  • 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”
    • “gives a healthy glow — COSRX The 6 Peptide Skin Booster Serum”
    • “Restores moisture barrier — Avène Cold Cream”
  • Lightweight and Fast Absorption Mostly MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “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 very quickly — Avène Vitamin Activ Cg Radiance Concentrated Serum”
  • Skin Texture and Smoothing Mostly 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”
    • “I've noticed a definite improvement in the fine lines around my eyes — Avène RetrinAL EYES”
  • Soothing and Calming Sometimes NotedOften Mentioned
    • “Calmed my angry red skin overnight — Avène Cicalfate+ Restorative Protective Cream”
    • “Nothing has ever worked to soothe or heal my skin like these before. — Avène Tolerance Control Soothing Skin Recovery Balm”
    • “Calms angry, red skin — Avène Soothing Radiance Mask”
    • “calms down my redness — COSRX Advanced Snail 96 Mucin Power Essence”
  • Acne and Pores Control Often MentionedRarely Noted
    • “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”
    • “Melted blackheads right off — COSRX BHA Blackhead Power Liquid”
    • “Cleared my cystic acne — Avène Cleanance Cleansing Gel”
  • Unpleasant Texture and Finish Sometimes NotedSometimes Noted
    • “texture is gooey and stringy — COSRX Advanced Snail 92 All in One Cream”
    • “too slimy and sticky — COSRX Advanced Snail 96 Mucin Power Essence”
    • “Tube squirted water everywhere — Avène Cicalfate+ Restorative Protective Cream”
    • “Leaves a greasy film — Avène Cold Cream”
  • Strong Scent or Fragrance Sometimes NotedSometimes Noted
    • “smells like chemicals — COSRX Low pH Good Morning Gel Cleanser”
    • “smells like onions — COSRX The Retinol 0.1 Cream”
    • “smells like tea tree/medicinal — COSRX Oil-Free Ultra-Moisturizing Lotion (with Birch Sap)”
    • “The fragrance is very present. — Avène Milk Cleanser”
  • Packaging Issues and Size Often MentionedRarely Noted
    • “Tube cracked on the side — Avène Cicalfate+ Restorative Protective Cream”
    • “Cap leaks in bag — Avène Cleanance Cleansing Gel”
    • “Good product bad packaging. — Avène RetrinAL EYES”
    • “only 20mls... significantly less product — COSRX The Hyaluronic Acid 3 Serum”

COSRX vs Avène routines for dry skin

See multi-brand routine · 98% fit

COSRX vs Avène routines for oily skin

See multi-brand routine · 97% fit

COSRX vs Avène routines for combination skin

See multi-brand routine · 96% fit

Questions and answers

COSRX or Avène: which is better?

COSRX is better overall on this page, as it outperforms Avène in hydration, lightweight absorption, skin smoothing, and acne control. For sensitive skin and oily skin, Lovi rates COSRX as Superior while Avène is High.

What is the difference between COSRX and Avène?

COSRX offers superior hydration and acne control, while Avène provides exceptional soothing benefits for irritated skin. For routine fit, COSRX performs at a superior level for oily and sensitive skin types, whereas Avène matches it only for oily acne-prone skin.

COSRX or Avène for dry skin?

COSRX and Avène are both a High fit for dry skin on the products on this page. COSRX helps deliver deep hydration with key ingredients like hyaluronic acid and glycerin, while Avène is frequently chosen for soothing and calming dry skin.

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

COSRX or Avène: which cleanser is better?

Both COSRX and Avène offer cleansers well-suited for specific skin concerns, but COSRX is generally favored for its focus on acne and pores control. Reviewers note that Avène cleansers provide a gentle deep clean that is especially helpful for soothing irritation, whereas COSRX products on this page excel at effective acne control and clearing.

Which is more affordable, COSRX or Avène?

Price point is not mentioned on this Lovi comparison page for either COSRX or Avène.

COSRX or Avène: which brand has more products with fragrance?

Avène has more products with fragrance, as 8 of its 15 products on this page list a fragrance. In contrast, only 1 of the 38 products on the COSRX page contains fragrance.

How do the founding years and owning companies of COSRX and Avène compare?

COSRX was founded in 2013 in South Korea and is owned by Amorepacific Group, whereas Avène was established in 1990 in France and is owned by Fondation Pierre Fabre.

COSRX or Avène: which brand does better for skin texture and smoothing?

COSRX does better for skin texture and smoothing on the products on this page, as reviewers note that it helps improve skin texture. Avène is not rated higher than COSRX in this category.

COSRX or Avène for oily skin?

For oily skin, COSRX has a Superior routine fit while Avène has a High routine fit. The products on this page for oily skin may benefit from ingredients like hyaluronic acid to help provide hydration.

Dermatologic Therapy, 2022

COSRX or Avène: which moisturizer is better?

COSRX offers superior hydration and lightweight absorption for moisturizers on this page compared to Avène. COSRX has a higher Lovi fit for dry skin, sensitive skin, and oily skin.

COSRX or Avène for sensitive skin?

COSRX has a Superior Lovi fit for sensitive skin, while Avène has a High fit. COSRX features gentle formulas with ingredients like panthenol that help soothe and hydrate sensitive skin.

American Journal of Clinical Dermatology, 2002

COSRX or Avène: which sunscreen is better?

COSRX and Avène offer sunscreens suited to different needs, with COSRX featuring products like the Ultra-Light Invisible Sunscreen with a High Lovi fit for sensitive skin and Avène offering the Cleanance sunscreen with a Superior fit for oily skin. Fragrance varies as most COSRX products on this page list no fragrance, while several Avène sunscreens include fragrance.

COSRX or Avène for acne-prone skin?

COSRX is a Superior fit for acne-prone skin on Lovi, whereas Avène is a High fit. Review themes show that COSRX does better for acne and pores control.

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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