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COSRX vs Shiseido

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

COSRX and Shiseido are prominent Asian beauty houses, with the former founded in 2013 and the latter in 1872. The Korean brand is known for serums, moisturizers, cleansers, and masks using hyaluronic acid, glycerin, and niacinamide to suit acne-prone and oily acne-prone skin best, while the Japanese brand is beloved for moisturizers, cleansers, sunscreens, and serums using glycerin to suit mature skin and skin with dark spots best. Both offer targeted formulations that address specific blemishes, dark spots, and aging effectively, yet they differ in their foundational philosophies and ingredient complexities.

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

koreajoongangdaily.combeautymatter.comprnewswire.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 COSRX and Shiseido products; for every product of both brands, with a fit score for your own skin, use the Lovi app.

Popular COSRX vs Shiseido products

People Say

COSRXShiseido
  • 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”
    • “Skin feels more hydrated — Shiseido Activating Essence”
    • “skin drinks it up — COSRX Advanced Snail 96 Mucin Power Essence”
  • Skin texture and smoothness improvement Often MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “silky smooth, rich but non-greasy, absorbs quickly, melts into skin — Shiseido VITAL PERFECTION”
    • “absorbs quickly — Shiseido White Lucent Brightening Gel Cream”
    • “Velvety, rich cream texture — Shiseido Benefiance Wrinkle Smoothing Eye Cream”
    • “gives me that glass skin look — COSRX Advanced Snail 96 Mucin Power Essence”
  • Lightweight and fast absorption Mostly MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “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)”
    • “Lightweight, silky, non-sticky, sinks in instantly. — Shiseido Ultimune Power Infusing Concentrate”
  • Effective acne and pore control Often MentionedRarely Noted
    • “extremely gentle — COSRX AHA/BHA Clarifying Treatment Toner”
    • “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”
    • “face feels squeaky clean — Shiseido Clarifying Cleansing Foam”
  • Soothing and calming effect Often MentionedRarely Noted
    • “calms down my redness — COSRX Advanced Snail 96 Mucin Power Essence”
    • “calms inflammation — COSRX Advanced Snail 92 All in One Cream”
    • “no stinging — COSRX Advanced Snail Peptide Eye Cream”
    • “No irritation — Shiseido Essential Energy Hydrating Cream”
  • Gentle and non-stripping formulation Often MentionedNot noted
    • “No stinging or irritation — COSRX BHA Blackhead Power Liquid”
    • “perfect for first-time retinol users — COSRX The Retinol 0.1 Cream”
    • “doesn't strip my skin — COSRX Low pH Good Morning Gel Cleanser”
  • High price and value concerns Rarely NotedMostly Mentioned
    • “expensive for me — COSRX The Hyaluronic Acid 3 Serum”
    • “Very expensive for the size — Shiseido Benefiance Wrinkle Smoothing Eye Cream”
  • Strong scent or fragrance issues Sometimes NotedOften Mentioned
    • “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)”
    • “old lady smell — Shiseido Eudermine Revitalizing Essence”
  • Packaging and bottle 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”
    • “only 20mls... significantly less product — COSRX The Hyaluronic Acid 3 Serum”

COSRX vs Shiseido routines for dry skin

See multi-brand routine · 99% fit

COSRX vs Shiseido routines for oily skin

See multi-brand routine · 95% fit

COSRX vs Shiseido routines for combination skin

See multi-brand routine · 95% fit

Questions and answers

COSRX or Shiseido: which is better?

Both COSRX and Shiseido are great brands, with COSRX offering a Superior routine fit for acne-prone and oily acne-prone skin while Shiseido provides a High fit. For dry skin, both brands share an equal High routine fit level.

What is the difference between COSRX and Shiseido?

COSRX is a South Korean brand founded in 2013 that focuses on gentle, fragrance-free formulas for acne and pore control, while Shiseido is a historic Japanese brand established in 1872 known for luxurious, fragrant textures and anti-aging care. Both brands offer high routine fits for dry, oily, and sensitive skin, but COSRX achieves superior routine fit levels specifically for acne-prone and oily acne-prone skin.

COSRX or Shiseido for dry skin?

Both COSRX and Shiseido offer a High routine fit for dry skin. Reviewers often mention deep hydration for both brands, while COSRX features lightweight absorption and Shiseido provides luxurious textures.

COSRX or Shiseido: which cleanser is better?

COSRX is better for gentle, non-stripping cleansing, while Shiseido products on this page are known for deep-cleansing and efficient formulas. Both brands offer cleansers that help with various skin needs, but COSRX is often preferred for sensitive or acne-prone skin.

Which is more affordable, COSRX or Shiseido?

COSRX is more affordable, whereas Shiseido has a high price point that reviewers frequently mention as a concern. For those worried about value, the products on this page from COSRX generally offer a budget-friendly alternative to Shiseido.

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

Both COSRX and Shiseido offer a High routine fit for mature skin. While COSRX features key ingredients like retinol that may help improve signs of aging, Shiseido is known for luxurious textures and firming moisturizers tailored to mature skin.

The Journal of Investigative Dermatology, 2000Archives of Dermatology, 2007

How do the fragrance levels compare between COSRX and Shiseido products?

COSRX products on this page have significantly less fragrance, with 37 out of 38 products listing no fragrance compared to only 5 out of 20 Shiseido products. Reviewers mention strong scent or fragrance issues as a downside for COSRX and strong fragrance for Shiseido.

Which brand performs better for addressing skin with dark spots?

Both COSRX and Shiseido perform equally well for skin with dark spots, with Lovi giving both brands a High fit level for this skin type across their routines. Reviewers note that Shiseido improves radiance while COSRX helps with glowing skin, and niacinamide in COSRX products helps reduce cutaneous pigmentation.

The British Journal of Dermatology, 2002Antioxidants, 2021

COSRX or Shiseido for oily skin?

Both COSRX and Shiseido offer a High routine fit for oily skin. Reviewers note that COSRX stands out for lightweight and fast absorption, as well as effective acne and pore control.

COSRX or Shiseido: which moisturizer is better?

COSRX and Shiseido both offer multiple moisturizers with high fit levels, making neither brand universally better. COSRX features options like Advanced Snail 92 All in One Cream that help with lightweight hydration, while Shiseido provides rich alternatives such as Essential Energy Hydrating Cream.

COSRX or Shiseido for sensitive skin?

Both COSRX and Shiseido offer a High routine fit for sensitive skin on this page. Reviewers note that COSRX is often gentle and non-irritating with mostly fragrance-free products, while Shiseido frequently features strong fragrances and a high price point.

COSRX or Shiseido: which sunscreen is better?

Both COSRX and Shiseido offer sunscreens on this page, but COSRX tends to be better suited for a wider variety of skin types with fit levels ranging from High to Superior. Shiseido's sunscreens can be more variable, with some options showing lower fit levels or warnings for certain skin types like dry or oily skin.

COSRX or Shiseido for acne-prone skin?

COSRX is better for acne-prone skin, as Lovi rates its routine as Superior compared to Shiseido's High fit level. The products on this page help provide effective acne control and clearing.

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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