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COSRX vs Estée Lauder

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

COSRX and Estée Lauder are two distinct beauty lines, with the Korean brand founded in 2013 and the American enterprise established in 1946. COSRX is celebrated for targeted serums, cleansers, and masks featuring hyaluronic acid, glycerin, and niacinamide that suit acne-prone and oily skin, while Estée Lauder offers comprehensive moisturizers and serums with hyaluronic acid and glycerin tailored for acne-prone and mature skin. These brands differ in their founding eras, geographic origins, and specialized ingredient profiles, such as the inclusion of niacinamide in the first and specialized peptide formulations in the second.

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

koreajoongangdaily.combeautymatter.comprnewswire.com

Estée Lauder is an American skincare brand founded in 1946 and owned by The Estée Lauder Companies Inc..

en.wikipedia.orgelcompanies.com

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

Popular COSRX vs Estée Lauder products

People Say

COSRXEstée Lauder
  • Deep hydration and moisturization Mostly MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “skin drinks it up immediately — Estée Lauder Advanced Night Repair”
    • “The formula is incredibly hydrating and leaves my skin feeling smooth. — Estée Lauder Re-Nutriv”
    • “texture is dreamy — Estée Lauder Advanced Night Repair Eye Supercharged Gel-Creme”
    • “skin drinks it up — COSRX Advanced Snail 96 Mucin Power Essence”
  • Improves skin texture and smoothness Mostly MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “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 a baby's bottom — Estée Lauder Advanced Night Repair”
    • “silky smooth — Estée Lauder Micro Essence Treatment Lotion”
  • Lightweight and fast-absorbing formula Often 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 quickly into the skin — Estée Lauder Revitalizing Supreme+”
  • Gentle and non-stripping cleansing/use Sometimes NotedOften Mentioned
    • “doesn't strip the skin — Estée Lauder Advanced Night Cleansing Gelée”
    • “Lathers well — Estée Lauder Soft Clean Moisture Rich Foaming Cleanser”
    • “removes all my makeup effortlessly — Estée Lauder Advanced Night Cleansing Gelée”
    • “No stinging or irritation — COSRX BHA Blackhead Power Liquid”
  • Soothing, calming and barrier care Often MentionedRarely Noted
    • “perfect for first-time retinol users — COSRX The Retinol 0.1 Cream”
    • “calms down my redness — COSRX Advanced Snail 96 Mucin Power Essence”
    • “calms inflammation — COSRX Advanced Snail 92 All in One Cream”
    • “soothes redness — Estée Lauder Micro Essence Treatment Lotion”
  • Acne and pore control Often MentionedNot 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”
  • High price and value concerns Sometimes NotedMostly Mentioned
    • “only 20mls... significantly less product — COSRX The Hyaluronic Acid 3 Serum”
    • “tube is tiny — COSRX The Retinol 0.1 Cream”
    • “expensive for me — COSRX The Hyaluronic Acid 3 Serum”
    • “way too expensive for the size — Estée Lauder Advanced Night Repair”
  • Packaging and container issues Sometimes NotedSometimes Noted
    • “tube cracked on the side — COSRX The Retinol 0.1 Cream”
    • “hate dipping fingers in — COSRX Advanced Snail 92 All in One Cream”
    • “lid is hard to open — Estée Lauder Advanced Night Cleansing Gelée”
    • “Please make a jar or refill that is not as big and heavy. — Estée Lauder Re-Nutriv”
  • Drying or insufficient for dry skin Often MentionedRarely Noted
    • “left my skin very dry — Estée Lauder Advanced Night Cleansing Gelée”
    • “Not moisturizing enough for winter — Estée Lauder Revitalizing Supreme+”
    • “left my face tight — COSRX Low pH Good Morning Gel Cleanser”
  • Slow or no visible results Sometimes NotedSometimes Noted
    • “Takes a month to work — COSRX BHA Blackhead Power Liquid”
    • “didn't do anything — COSRX AHA/BHA Clarifying Treatment Toner”
    • “did absolutely nothing — COSRX The 6 Peptide Skin Booster Serum”
    • “didn't notice any difference — Estée Lauder Advanced Night Repair”

COSRX vs Estée Lauder routines for dry skin

Buy COSRX routine · SAR 690.19 · 83% fitBuy Estée Lauder routine · SAR 2,185.29 · 77% fitSee multi-brand routine · 96% fit

COSRX vs Estée Lauder routines for oily skin

Buy COSRX routine · SAR 843.29 · 90% fitBuy Estée Lauder routine · SAR 2,358.15 · 75% fitSee multi-brand routine · 97% fit

COSRX vs Estée Lauder routines for combination skin

Buy COSRX routine · SAR 735.92 · 89% fitBuy Estée Lauder routine · SAR 2,335.63 · 77% fitSee multi-brand routine · 97% fit

Questions and answers

COSRX or Estée Lauder: which is better?

COSRX is generally better for oily and acne-prone skin, offering Superior fit levels and effective acne control, whereas Estée Lauder excels in deep hydration and gentle cleansing. For skin with dark spots, Lovi rates COSRX as High and Estée Lauder as Average. Both brands provide a High routine fit for dry, combination, mature, and dry sensitive skin types.

What is the difference between COSRX and Estée Lauder?

COSRX stands out with a Lovi fit level of Superior for acne-prone skin, oily acne-prone skin, oily skin, and sensitive skin, offering targeted solutions focused on acne control and lightweight hydration. Estée Lauder achieves a Lovi fit level of High for dry, combination, sensitive, and mature skin, while emphasizing deep hydration and luxurious formulas. Hyaluronic acid helps provide moisture across the products of both brands.

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

COSRX or Estée Lauder for dry skin?

Both COSRX and Estée Lauder offer products on this page that achieve a High routine fit level for dry skin. COSRX features a range rich in key ingredients like hyaluronic acid and glycerin that helps deliver deep hydration, while Estée Lauder provides options that shoppers frequently note for their rich, moisture-locking benefits.

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

COSRX or Estée Lauder: which cleanser is better?

For cleansers on this page, both brands offer good options, but COSRX is especially well-suited for sensitive and acne-prone skin types with its superior Lovi fit ratings. Estée Lauder cleansers are also noted for being gentle and non-drying, though their fit levels vary more across different skin types.

Which is more affordable, COSRX or Estée Lauder?

COSRX is more affordable than Estée Lauder, as high price and value concerns are noted for COSRX while high price points are mostly mentioned for Estée Lauder.

COSRX or Estée Lauder: which brand is better for targeting dark spots?

COSRX is better for targeting dark spots because Lovi rates the routine fit for skin with dark spots as High, whereas Estée Lauder's fit is Average. Furthermore, reviews note that the products on this page from COSRX provide effective acne control and clearing, while Estée Lauder formulas often raise price and value concerns.

How do the foundation ingredients like hyaluronic acid and glycerin compare across both brands?

Both COSRX and Estée Lauder use glycerin and hyaluronic acid across the products on this page to help provide hydration, while hyaluronic acid also helps support skin quality and wound healing.

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

COSRX or Estée Lauder: which brand offers better results for mature skin?

Both COSRX and Estée Lauder offer High Lovi fit for mature skin, meaning they provide similar effectiveness for this skin type. However, COSRX also has products specifically targeted for mature skin that achieve a Superior fit level.

COSRX or Estée Lauder for oily skin?

COSRX is the better choice for oily skin, offering a superior Lovi fit compared to Estée Lauder's High fit.

COSRX or Estée Lauder: which moisturizer is better?

COSRX offers moisturizers that feature a lighter feel and better absorption, while Estée Lauder focuses on deep hydration and rich anti-aging formulas. For specific skin goals, the products on this page show that COSRX is superior for acne-prone skin, whereas Estée Lauder fits mature skin well.

COSRX or Estée Lauder for sensitive skin?

For sensitive skin, COSRX offers superior Lovi fit levels across its targeted routines compared to Estée Lauder which achieves a high fit level. COSRX helps deliver gentle and non-irritating care with a vast majority of the products on this page listing no fragrance.

COSRX or Estée Lauder: which sunscreen is better?

Both brands offer solid options for sunscreen on the products on this page. COSRX features formulations that are well-suited for acne-prone skin, while Estée Lauder provides options that fit dry sensitive skin very well.

COSRX or Estée Lauder for acne-prone skin?

For acne-prone skin, COSRX offers a Superior fit with the products on this page, whereas Estée Lauder provides a High fit. Reviewers note that COSRX is especially effective for 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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