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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 a Korean skincare brand founded in 2013 and a Japanese skincare brand founded in 1872, respectively. Skincare enthusiasts adore COSRX for its thoughtfully formulated serums, moisturizers, cleansers, masks, and more, which harness proven ingredients like hyaluronic acid, glycerin, and niacinamide, while Shiseido is beloved for its thoughtful array of moisturizers, cleansers, sunscreens, serums, and more, all formulated with key ingredients like glycerin. The first brand suits acne-prone skin and oily acne-prone skin best because these targeted formulations address specific blemishes effectively, whereas the second brand suits sensitive skin and mature skin best, offering gentle yet effective daily care. They differ in their founding origins, parent companies, specific ingredient combinations, and ideal skin types.

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 · 98% 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 · 94% fit

Questions and answers

COSRX or Shiseido: which is better?

Both COSRX and Shiseido are great brands, with COSRX offering a better fit for acne-prone skin and oily acne-prone skin while providing gentler formulations. Shiseido often features luxurious textures and deep hydration, though reviewers frequently note its higher price point compared to COSRX.

What is the difference between COSRX and Shiseido?

COSRX excels with a Superior fit for acne-prone and oily acne-prone skin, whereas Shiseido provides a High fit for those skin types. Reviewers note that COSRX offers lightweight absorption, gentle formulations, and effective acne control, while Shiseido is known for deep hydration, luxurious textures, and firming moisturizers, though it comes at a higher price point.

COSRX or Shiseido for dry skin?

Both COSRX and Shiseido offer a High routine fit for dry skin. COSRX features a high proportion of fragrance-free products on this page, while Shiseido reviewers frequently mention deep hydration and luxurious textures.

COSRX or Shiseido: which cleanser is better?

Both COSRX and Shiseido offer effective cleansers, but COSRX is a better fit for sensitive skin with products like the Advanced Snail Mucin Gel Cleanser rating as Superior. Meanwhile, Shiseido is well-regarded for deep-cleansing and efficient cleansers with luxurious textures.

Which is more affordable, COSRX or Shiseido?

COSRX is more affordable, whereas high price and value concerns are frequently mentioned for 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 provides products that help improve skin texture with gentle formulations, Shiseido is often noted for luxurious textures and firming moisturizers that target signs of aging.

How do COSRX and Shiseido compare regarding the presence of fragrance in their products?

COSRX products on this page generally have no fragrance, with only one product listing it, whereas the majority of Shiseido products on this page include fragrance.

Which brand performs better for improving skin texture and smoothness according to reviewers?

Shiseido performs better for improving skin texture and smoothness according to reviewers.

COSRX or Shiseido for oily skin?

Both COSRX and Shiseido offer a High routine fit for oily skin, but COSRX is often preferred for lightweight absorption and effective acne and pore control. Hyaluronic acid helps provide deep hydration across both brands, while Shiseido products on this page more frequently feature added fragrance.

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

COSRX or Shiseido: which moisturizer is better?

Both COSRX and Shiseido offer moisturizers with a high Lovi fit for dry skin, though COSRX is often noted for lightweight absorption and Shiseido for luxurious textures and deep hydration. The products on this page for both brands feature key ingredients like hyaluronic acid and glycerin.

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

COSRX or Shiseido for sensitive skin?

Both COSRX and Shiseido offer a High routine fit for sensitive skin. COSRX has 37 out of 38 products on this page listing no fragrance, which helps minimize irritation for sensitive skin types.

COSRX or Shiseido: which sunscreen is better?

Both brands offer solid options, but COSRX is a better fit for acne-prone skin with its Ultra-Light Invisible Sunscreen, which has a Superior fit level for that skin type. Shiseido also performs well with sunscreens like the Benefiance Wrinkle Smoothing Day Cream, but reviewers note that Shiseido features a higher price point.

COSRX or Shiseido for acne-prone skin?

COSRX fits acne-prone skin with a Superior routine level, whereas Shiseido has a High routine level. The products on this page for COSRX help with 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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