🇫🇷France

Some By Mi vs SK-II

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

Some By Mi and SK-II are distinct skincare brands founded in South Korea in 2016 and Japan in 1980, respectively. The Korean brand is known for serums, cleansers, toners, and moisturizers built around niacinamide, centella asiatica, and salicylic acid, while the Japanese brand is cherished for luxurious moisturizers, potent serums, clarifying toners, and restorative masks anchored by pitera. Both suit dry skin and acne-prone skin best, yet they differ in their formulations, targeted concerns, and key ingredients that address issues like hyperpigmentation, aging signs, and acne lesions.

Some By Mi is a Korean skincare brand founded in 2016 and owned by JKL Partners since 2021.

kedglobal.compreqin.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 Some By Mi and SK-II products; for every product of both brands, with a fit score for your own skin, use the Lovi app.

Popular Some By Mi vs SK-II products

People Say

Some By MiSK-II
  • Hydrating and Lightweight Formulations Mostly MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “flooded my skin with moisture — SK-II Facial Treatment Mask”
    • “skin feels deeply hydrated, plump, and smoother — SK-II Skinpower Advanced Cream”
    • “drinks right into the skin — SK-II Facial Treatment Essence”
    • “absorbs quickly — Some By Mi Yuja Niacin Brightening Moisture Gel Cream”
  • Skin Texture and Smoothing Mostly MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “Skin became smoother — Some By Mi AHA-BHA-PHA 30 Days Miracle Toner”
    • “Surprisingly gentle — Some By Mi AHA-BHA-PHA 30 Days Miracle Toner”
    • “skin feels soft as butter — SK-II Facial Treatment Essence”
    • “pores became miraculously invisible — SK-II Facial Treatment Mask”
  • Brightening and Glow 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”
    • “Fades dark spots — Some By Mi Galactomyces Pure Vitamin C Glow Serum”
  • Gentleness and Sensitivity Often MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “Zero irritation or redness — Some By Mi Retinol Intense Reactivating Serum”
    • “doesn't strip dry my skin — Some By Mi Super Matcha Pore Clean Clay Mask”
    • “didn't find this irritating — Some By Mi Retinol Intense Advanced Triple Action Eye Cream”
    • “Watery consistency — SK-II Facial Treatment Clear Lotion”
  • Acne and Blemish Control Often MentionedNot noted
    • “Reduces pimples — Some By Mi AHA-BHA-PHA 30 Days Miracle Toner”
    • “cleared my cystic acne — Some By Mi AHA-BHA-PHA 30 Days Miracle Acne Clear Foam”
    • “flattened my cystic acne — Some By Mi AHA BHA PHA 30 Days Miracle Serum”
  • Refreshing and Soothing Often MentionedNot noted
    • “Calmed my retinol burn overnight — Some By Mi Beta Panthenol Repair Cream”
    • “nice cooling effect — Some By Mi AHA-BHA-PHA 30 Days Miracle Acne Clear Foam”
    • “calmed my angry red skin — Some By Mi AHA BHA PHA 30 Days Miracle Serum”
  • Product Value and Pricing Rarely NotedMostly Mentioned
    • “expensive — Some By Mi Super Matcha Pore Clean Clay Mask”
    • “Too expensive for 50ml — Some By Mi Beta Panthenol Repair Cream”
    • “way too expensive — SK-II Facial Treatment Essence”
  • Scents and Fragrance Often MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “smells like dirty feet — SK-II Facial Treatment Essence”
    • “smells slightly like saliva — SK-II Facial Treatment Mask”
    • “Fermented smell — SK-II Facial Treatment Clear Lotion”
    • “overwhelming citrus fragrance — Some By Mi V10 Hyal Air Fit Sunscreen”
  • Overhyped and Slow Results Sometimes NotedSometimes Noted
    • “didn't do much for old scars — Some By Mi Yuja Niacin Anti Blemish Serum”
    • “not noticed any significant changes — Some By Mi Retinol Intense Advanced Triple Action Eye Cream”
    • “did absolutely nothing — SK-II Facial Treatment Essence”
    • “No visible difference — SK-II Facial Treatment Clear Lotion”
  • Dryness and Dehydration Often MentionedRarely Noted
    • “Need extra moisturizer — SK-II Genoptics Spot Essence”
    • “not moisturizing enough — Some By Mi Yuja Niacin Brightening Moisture Gel Cream”

Some By Mi vs SK-II routines for dry skin

See multi-brand routine · 98% fit

Some By Mi vs SK-II routines for oily skin

See multi-brand routine · 97% fit

Some By Mi vs SK-II routines for combination skin

See multi-brand routine · 96% fit

Questions and answers

Some By Mi or SK-II: which is better?

Both Some By Mi and SK-II are great choices, with Some By Mi being better for gentleness, acne-clearing treatments, and dark spots, while SK-II performs better for hydration and brightening. Niacinamide helps improve pigmentation and skin aging.

The British Journal of Dermatology, 2002Antioxidants, 2021

What is the difference between Some By Mi and SK-II?

Some By Mi and SK-II are both popular skincare brands founded in the 1980s and 2010s respectively, with Some By Mi offering superior fit levels for sensitive skin and dark spots. Meanwhile, SK-II features key ingredients like Pitera and provides high routine fit levels for dry and oily skin types.

Some By Mi or SK-II for dry skin?

Both Some By Mi and SK-II achieve a Superior Lovi fit level for dry skin. Reviewers note that SK-II excels with hydrating and lightweight formulations, while Some By Mi offers fragrance-free options featuring key ingredients like Niacinamide and Centella asiatica.

The British Journal of Dermatology, 2002Antioxidants, 2021

Some By Mi or SK-II: which moisturizer is better?

Some By Mi and SK-II both feature moisturizers with high Lovi fit levels for dry and mature skin types. Some By Mi utilizes key ingredients like niacinamide, while SK-II features its signature Pitera across the products on this page.

The British Journal of Dermatology, 2002Antioxidants, 2021

Which is more affordable, Some By Mi or SK-II?

Some By Mi is more affordable than SK-II, as reviewed by shoppers on the products on this page where product value and pricing is a win for Some By Mi.

Which brand is better for skin with dark spots, Some By Mi or SK-II?

Some By Mi is better for skin with dark spots, as Lovi rates its routine as Superior while SK-II's is High. Niacinamide helps reduce cutaneous pigmentation.

The British Journal of Dermatology, 2002Antioxidants, 2021

Some By Mi or SK-II for oily skin?

Both Some By Mi and SK-II achieve a High routine fit level for oily skin. The products on this page for both brands avoid added fragrance.

Some By Mi or SK-II for sensitive skin?

Lovi rates Some By Mi as a Superior fit for sensitive skin, while SK-II is rated as High. Some By Mi does better for gentleness and sensitivity, and every product on this page lists no fragrance in its ingredients.

Some By Mi or SK-II for acne-prone skin?

Both Some By Mi and SK-II achieve a High routine fit level for acne-prone skin on the products on this page. Some By Mi excels particularly in acne and blemish control.

Some By Mi or SK-II for dry sensitive skin?

Some By Mi is the better choice for dry sensitive skin, as Lovi rates its routine as Superior compared to High for SK-II. Reviewers also note that Some By Mi is better for gentleness and sensitivity, while SK-II can sometimes cause dryness and dehydration.

Some By Mi or SK-II for mature skin?

Both Some By Mi and SK-II achieve a High Lovi fit level for mature skin. Reviewers note that SK-II does better for hydrating and lightweight formulations, while Some By Mi does better for refreshing and soothing.

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