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Clarins vs Shiseido

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

Clarins and Shiseido are renowned beauty houses that offer distinct approaches to refined daily care. The French house is loved for its nourishing moisturizers, targeted serums, delicate eye products, and refreshing toners featuring soothing shea and replenishing squalane, while the Japanese house is adored for its nourishing moisturizers, gentle cleansers, protective sunscreens, potent serums, and versatile glycerin formulations. Both options suit sensitive skin and mature skin best. Ultimately, they differ through their origins and specific formulations, as the former relies on natural elements to reduce redness and increase collagen, whereas the latter utilizes rigorous study findings to significantly improve stratum corneum hydration.

Clarins is a French skincare brand founded in 1954 and owned by Famille C (Groupe Clarins).

groupeclarins.comen.wikipedia.orghappi.com

Shiseido is a Japanese skincare brand founded in 1872 and owned by Shiseido Company, Limited.

corp.shiseido.comen.wikipedia.orgmarketscreener.com

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

Popular Clarins vs Shiseido products

People Say

ClarinsShiseido
  • Deep hydration and moisture Mostly MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “Immediate sensation of comfort — Shiseido Benefiance Wrinkle Smoothing Eye Cream”
    • “skin feels plump, soft and nourished, eliminates dryness, bouncy feel — Shiseido VITAL PERFECTION”
    • “silky smooth, rich but non-greasy, absorbs quickly, melts into skin — Shiseido VITAL PERFECTION”
    • “skin drinks it up — Clarins Double Serum”
  • Luxurious and lightweight texture Mostly MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “absorbs immediately — Clarins Double Serum Eye”
    • “sinks in immediately — Clarins Double Serum Light Texture”
    • “Lightweight, silky, non-sticky, sinks in instantly. — Shiseido Ultimune Power Infusing Concentrate”
    • “Airy-soft texture — Shiseido Essential Energy Hydrating Cream”
  • Anti-aging and firming results Mostly MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “neck feels smoother — Clarins Extra-Firming Neck & Décolleté Cream”
    • “visibly tighter, lifted skin — Clarins Super Restorative Night Cream”
    • “makes skin silky smooth — Clarins Hydrating Toning Lotion”
    • “Smoothed out crow's feet — Shiseido Benefiance Wrinkle Smoothing Eye Cream”
  • Visible awakening and radiance effect Often MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “skin looks brighter immediately — Clarins Cryo-Flash Cream-Mask”
    • “Gives off the most stunning natural radiance I've ever come across. — Clarins Beauty Flash Balm”
    • “Skin looks brighter, more radiant, and "glowy." — Shiseido Ultimune Power Infusing Concentrate”
    • “faded pimple marks — Shiseido White Lucent Brightening Gel Cream”
  • Pleasant scent Sometimes NotedSometimes Noted
    • “smells luxurious — Clarins Extra-Firming Neck & Décolleté Cream”
    • “smells luxurious — Clarins Double Serum Light Texture”
    • “Pleasant floral fragrance, relaxing, luxurious smell. — Shiseido Ultimune Power Infusing Concentrate”
    • “spa-like scent, high-quality packaging, little goes a long way — Shiseido VITAL PERFECTION”
  • Excellent makeup base Sometimes NotedRarely Noted
    • “concealer glides on smoothly — Clarins Total Eye Lift”
    • “Perfect primer for any foundation, which all glide on smoothly. — Clarins Beauty Flash Balm”
    • “concealer sits better — Clarins Double Serum Eye”
    • “Great base for makeup — Shiseido Essential Energy Hydrating Cream”
  • High price point Mostly MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “way too expensive — Clarins Double Serum”
    • “too expensive for results — Clarins Total Eye Lift”
    • “Very expensive for the size — Shiseido Benefiance Wrinkle Smoothing Eye Cream”
    • “Expensive, pricey, high cost for the amount. — Shiseido Ultimune Power Infusing Concentrate”
  • Strong fragrance and scent issues Often MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “smells like perfume — Clarins Multi-Active Jour”
    • “Smell was very off putting — Clarins Extra-Firming Day Cream”
    • “old lady smell — Shiseido Eudermine Revitalizing Essence”
    • “Strong scent, alcohol smell, potential irritation for sensitive skin. — Shiseido Ultimune Power Infusing Concentrate”
  • Pump and bottle design issues Often MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “heavy to travel — Shiseido Eudermine Revitalizing Essence”
    • “Heavy bottle but plastic pump, cannot see remaining product, straw too short to get last drops. — Shiseido Ultimune Power Infusing Concentrate”
    • “heavy jar, waste of plastic, faulty pump (on dispenser versions) — Shiseido VITAL PERFECTION”
    • “dispenses too much product — Clarins Total Eye Lift”
  • Skin irritation and breakouts Sometimes NotedSometimes Noted
    • “caused cystic acne — Clarins Double Serum”
    • “caused redness — Clarins Double Serum Eye”
    • “Caused some irritation — Shiseido Bio-Performance Advanced Super Revitalizing Cream”
    • “Caused burning and redness — Shiseido Benefiance Wrinkle Smoothing Eye Cream”

Clarins vs Shiseido routines for dry skin

See multi-brand routine · 98% fit

Clarins vs Shiseido routines for oily skin

See multi-brand routine · 96% fit

Clarins vs Shiseido routines for combination skin

See multi-brand routine · 95% fit

Questions and answers

Clarins or Shiseido: which is better?

When comparing the products on this page, Clarins is better for dry skin with a High fit level, while Shiseido is better for oily skin with a High fit level. Both brands provide equal fit levels for sensitive, mature, and acne-prone skin.

What is the difference between Clarins and Shiseido?

Clarins offers better anti-aging and firming results, whereas Shiseido is noted for deeper hydration. For dry skin specifically, the products on this page provide a High fit for Clarins compared to an Average fit for Shiseido.

Clarins or Shiseido for dry skin?

Clarins is better suited for dry skin, as the routine fit on this page is High compared to Shiseido's Average fit level.

Clarins or Shiseido: which cleanser is better?

Shiseido is better for cleansers on this page, as reviewers note deep-cleansing and efficient performance, whereas Clarins cleansers show mixed or lower fit levels for certain skin types like dry sensitive skin.

Which is more affordable, Clarins or Shiseido?

Both Clarins and Shiseido feature a high price point as a commonly mentioned drawback by reviewers on this page, so neither brand is more affordable.

Between Clarins and Shiseido, which brand is better suited for mature skin?

Clarins is better suited for mature skin, achieving a High routine fit compared to Shiseido's Average fit on the products on this page. Reviewers also note that Clarins does better for anti-aging and firming results.

How do the fragrance options and skin irritation concerns compare between Clarins and Shiseido products?

Both Clarins and Shiseido products on this page frequently feature strong fragrance and share similar concerns regarding skin irritation and breakouts. Specifically, fragrance is included in almost all Clarins products, with only 1 out of 24 listing no fragrance, while Shiseido includes fragrance in 15 out of 20 products.

Which brand performs better for anti-aging and firming results according to review themes?

Clarins performs better for anti-aging and firming results according to review themes. The products on this page provide hydrating and smoothing moisturizers and anti-aging and firming results.

Clarins or Shiseido for oily skin?

Shiseido is a better fit for oily skin, as Lovi rates its routine fit as High compared to Clarins at Average. Shiseido's page products also include deep-cleansing cleansers and moisturizers well-suited for oily skin.

Clarins or Shiseido: which moisturizer is better?

Clarins offers better anti-aging and firming results, while Shiseido is noted for deeper hydration among the products on this page. Topical hyaluronic acid, found in both brands, helps improve skin quality and signs of aging.

Dermatologic Therapy, 2022

Clarins or Shiseido for sensitive skin?

Both Clarins and Shiseido offer a High routine fit for sensitive skin based on the products on this page. Reviewers report that both brands feature luxurious textures and deep hydration, though they also note a high price point and strong fragrance for some items.

Clarins or Shiseido for acne-prone skin?

Both Clarins and Shiseido offer products on this page that are a good fit for acne-prone skin, as both brands achieve an equal fit level for this skin type. However, shoppers should note that peroxidated squalene may induce inflammatory mediators in keratinocytes.

The Journal of Investigative Dermatology, 2006

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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