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COSRX vs NIVEA

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

COSRX and NIVEA are distinguished skincare brands that offer thoughtfully crafted products for diverse complexions. The Korean brand is known for serums, moisturizers, cleansers, and masks featuring hyaluronic acid, glycerin, and niacinamide, which suit acne-prone and oily acne-prone skin best through targeted blemish care. Meanwhile, the German brand is celebrated for versatile sunscreens, targeted serums, and nourishing moisturizers formulated with hydrating glycerin to gently maintain balance for sensitive and acne-prone skin. While both share a dedication to effective ingredients like glycerin, they differ in their foundational approaches, heritage, and specific formulations.

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

koreajoongangdaily.combeautymatter.comprnewswire.com

NIVEA is a German skincare brand founded in 1911 and owned by maxingvest GmbH & Co. KGaA since 2004.

beiersdorf.comen.wikipedia.org

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

Popular COSRX vs NIVEA products

People Say

COSRXNIVEA
  • Skin Texture and Smoothing Mostly MentionedMostly 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”
    • “Makes my face feel smooth and soft. — NIVEA Soft”
    • “skin feels squeaky clean and soft — NIVEA DERMA SKIN CLEAR”
  • 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”
    • “Smoothed out dry flaky scales on my cheeks overnight — NIVEA Creme”
  • Soothing and Gentle Formulas Mostly MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “No stinging or irritation — COSRX BHA Blackhead Power Liquid”
    • “extremely gentle — COSRX AHA/BHA Clarifying Treatment Toner”
    • “perfect for first-time retinol users — COSRX The Retinol 0.1 Cream”
    • “doesn't dry out skin — NIVEA Derma Skin Clear Anti-Blemish Scrub”
  • Other Positive Highlights Often MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “smells like holiday — NIVEA Protect & Moisture Sun Lotion SPF50+”
    • “unclogs pores — NIVEA Derma Skin Clear Anti-Blemish Scrub”
    • “Smell brings me back to childhood — NIVEA Creme”
    • “doesn't clog the pores — COSRX Oil-Free Ultra-Moisturizing Lotion (with Birch Sap)”
  • 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)”
    • “It's lightweight on the skin and leaves a bit of subtle sheen. — NIVEA Soft”
  • Acne and Blemish Control Often MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “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”
    • “cleared my complexion in 7 days — NIVEA DERMA SKIN CLEAR”
    • “reduces blackheads — NIVEA Derma Skin Clear Anti-Blemish Scrub”
  • Unpleasant Texture and Finish Often MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “texture is gooey and stringy — COSRX Advanced Snail 92 All in One Cream”
    • “too slimy and sticky — COSRX Advanced Snail 96 Mucin Power Essence”
    • “Leaves a sticky film — COSRX BHA Blackhead Power Liquid”
    • “Leaves a shiny grease layer that doesn't go away — NIVEA Creme”
  • Other Minor Complaints Rarely NotedOften Mentioned
    • “expensive for me — COSRX The Hyaluronic Acid 3 Serum”
    • “The purging is real — COSRX BHA Blackhead Power Liquid”
    • “pH is 9 — COSRX Salicylic Acid Daily Gentle Cleanser”
    • “not super gritty — NIVEA Derma Skin Clear Anti-Blemish Scrub”
  • Breakouts and Skin Irritation Sometimes NotedOften Mentioned
    • “stings really bad if it accidentally gets in the eyes — COSRX Salicylic Acid Daily Gentle Cleanser”
    • “burns eyes when sweating — COSRX Ultra-Light Invisible Sunscreen”
    • “Clogged my pores and caused bad acne — NIVEA Creme”
    • “I noticed some acne breakouts on my chin after using this crème for a while. — NIVEA Soft”

COSRX vs NIVEA routines for dry skin

Buy COSRX routine · SAR 690.19 · 83% fitBuy NIVEA routine · SAR 974.09 · 82% fitSee multi-brand routine · 96% fit

COSRX vs NIVEA routines for oily skin

Buy COSRX routine · SAR 843.29 · 90% fitBuy NIVEA routine · SAR 1,178.96 · 87% fitSee multi-brand routine · 97% fit

COSRX vs NIVEA routines for combination skin

Buy COSRX routine · SAR 735.92 · 89% fitBuy NIVEA routine · SAR 1,165.77 · 87% fitSee multi-brand routine · 97% fit

Questions and answers

COSRX or NIVEA: which is better?

COSRX outperforms NIVEA for sensitive and oily acne-prone skin, where Lovi rates COSRX as Superior compared to NIVEA's High fit level. COSRX also does better for hydration, soothing formulas, and lightweight absorption across the products on this page.

What is the difference between COSRX and NIVEA?

COSRX and NIVEA both offer strong routines for dry, combination, mature, dark spot-prone, and dry sensitive skin, but COSRX achieves a Superior fit for oily, sensitive, acne-prone, and oily acne-prone skin compared to NIVEA's High fit. The products on this page from COSRX frequently feature diverse key ingredients like snail mucin, centella asiatica, and niacinamide with minimal fragrance, whereas NIVEA heavily centers on glycerin and often includes added fragrance across its lineup.

COSRX or NIVEA for dry skin?

Both COSRX and NIVEA are a High fit for dry skin on the products on this page. COSRX helps with deep hydration and moisturization and has a higher concentration of key hydrating ingredients like hyaluronic acid and glycerin across its range.

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

COSRX or NIVEA: which moisturizer is better?

COSRX is better for moisturizers on the products on this page, offering Superior fit levels for dry skin with options like Advanced Snail 96 Mucin Power Essence. NIVEA also provides options like Creme for dry skin, but COSRX is better for hydration and soothing formulas across the products on this page.

Which is more affordable, COSRX or NIVEA?

The products on this page do not list pricing information, so it is not possible to determine whether COSRX or NIVEA is more affordable.

COSRX or NIVEA: which brand has more products without fragrance?

COSRX has more products without fragrance, with 37 out of 38 products on the page listing no fragrance compared to only 3 out of 9 products for NIVEA.

COSRX or NIVEA: which has better options for addressing dark spots?

Both COSRX and NIVEA offer effective options for addressing dark spots, with the products on this page achieving a High fit level for skin with dark spots across both brands. Niacinamide, an ingredient found in COSRX products, helps reduce cutaneous pigmentation.

The British Journal of Dermatology, 2002

COSRX or NIVEA: which brand is older and where was it founded?

NIVEA is the older brand, having been founded in Germany in 1911, whereas COSRX was founded in South Korea in 2013.

COSRX or NIVEA for oily skin?

For oily skin, COSRX achieves a Superior fit level while NIVEA reaches a High fit level. The products on this page from COSRX feature lightweight absorption and effective acne control, helping oily skin types maintain a clear finish.

COSRX or NIVEA: which sunscreen is better?

Both COSRX and NIVEA offer sunscreens with High Lovi fit levels for various skin types. COSRX has a broader range of fragrance-free sunscreen options, as nearly all of its products list no fragrance.

COSRX or NIVEA for sensitive skin?

For sensitive skin, COSRX is the better choice because Lovi rates its overall routine fit as Superior, whereas NIVEA achieves a High fit. COSRX also has a higher percentage of fragrance-free options across the products on this page.

COSRX or NIVEA for acne-prone skin?

COSRX is a better fit than NIVEA for acne-prone skin, achieving a Superior routine fit compared to NIVEA's High fit level. The products on this page help provide effective acne control and gentle cleansing.

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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