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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 beloved skincare lines that offer targeted serums, moisturizers, cleansers, and masks. Both brands suit acne-prone and oily acne-prone skin best, yet they differ in their heritage and specific formulations. While the Korean brand relies on hyaluronic acid, glycerin, and niacinamide to address blemishes and dark spots, the French brand focuses on nourishing glycerin to deliver profound relief without heaviness.

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 · 99% fit

COSRX vs Avène routines for oily skin

See multi-brand routine · 95% fit

COSRX vs Avène routines for combination skin

See multi-brand routine · 95% fit

Questions and answers

COSRX or Avène: which is better?

COSRX performs better for hydration, lightweight absorption, and acne control, while Avène is better for soothing sensitive skin. For specific skin types like acne-prone and oily acne-prone skin, Lovi rates COSRX as Superior and Avène as High.

What is the difference between COSRX and Avène?

COSRX is a South Korean brand focused on lightweight hydration, texture smoothing, and acne control, while Avène is a French brand specializing in soothing irritated skin. Both brands offer high routine fit levels for dry, oily, combination, and sensitive skin types, though COSRX achieves superior fit levels for acne-prone and oily acne-prone skin.

COSRX or Avène for dry skin?

Both COSRX and Avène offer a High routine fit for dry skin. COSRX features a Superior dry-skin fit in several specific products like the Advanced Snail Mucin Gel Cleanser, while Avène provides a Superior dry-skin fit with products like the Tolerance Control Soothing Skin Recovery Balm.

COSRX or Avène: which cleanser is better?

COSRX offers cleansers with superior or high fit levels for dry and sensitive skin types, such as the Advanced Snail Mucin Gel Cleanser, while Avène provides cleansers like Cleanance Cleansing Gel that fit oily and acne-prone skin well.

Which is more affordable, COSRX or Avène?

This page does not provide pricing or affordability information to compare COSRX and Avène.

COSRX or Avène for oily skin?

Both COSRX and Avène offer a High routine fit for oily skin. Reviewers note that COSRX is better for hydration, lightweight absorption, skin texture, and acne control, while Avène is better for soothing irritation.

COSRX or Avène: which moisturizer is better?

COSRX offers superior moisturization for several skin types on this page, including dry and sensitive skin, while Avène also achieves high fit levels for dry and sensitive skin with its moisturizers. COSRX uses key ingredients like hyaluronic acid and glycerin across its products, and sodium hyaluronate helps improve skin quality and hydration.

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

COSRX or Avène for sensitive skin?

Both COSRX and Avène fit sensitive skin well, as Lovi rates the routine fit for both brands as High. COSRX helps with hydration and lightweight absorption, while Avène is recognized for soothing irritation.

COSRX or Avène: which sunscreen is better?

For sunscreens, COSRX provides products on this page with a superior fit for acne-prone skin and high fits for sensitive skin, while Avène offers superior oil control for oily skin. Both brands feature gentle options, but COSRX tends to offer more versatile choices for blemish-prone types.

COSRX or Avène for acne-prone skin?

COSRX is a better fit for acne-prone skin on this page, achieving a Superior Lovi fit level compared to Avène's High level. Both brands offer products targeting breakouts, but COSRX features a wider range with superior ratings for this skin type.

COSRX or Avène for mature skin?

Both COSRX and Avène offer a High routine fit for mature skin. COSRX products on this page often feature hydrating ingredients like hyaluronic acid and niacinamide, while Avène utilizes thermal water and retinol-based formulas to support aging skin.

Journal of Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences, 2015The British Journal of Dermatology, 2002

COSRX or Avène for dry sensitive skin?

For dry sensitive skin, COSRX achieves a High routine fit level on Lovi while Avène reaches an Average routine fit level. COSRX helps deliver deep hydration and moisturization with ingredients like hyaluronic acid and glycerin.

Journal of Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences, 2015Drug Delivery, 2017

COSRX or Avène for skin with dark spots?

Both COSRX and Avène fit skin with dark spots well, as the products on this page for both brands achieve a High Lovi fit level for this skin type. Niacinamide, which is found across COSRX products, helps reduce pigmentation by suppressing melanosome transfer.

The British Journal of Dermatology, 2002Antioxidants, 2021

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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