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COSRX vs Medik8

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

COSRX and Medik8 are skincare brands founded in 2013 and 2009, respectively. The Korean brand is beloved for its thoughtful array of serums, moisturizers, cleansers, masks, and more, all formulated with key ingredients like hyaluronic acid, glycerin, and niacinamide, which suit oily acne-prone skin and oily skin best. Conversely, the British brand's products on this page cover serums, moisturizers, eye products, toners, and more, built around hyaluronic acid. While both utilize hyaluronic acid to lengthen toxin wrinkle effect duration, they differ as the former relies on glycerin and niacinamide to increase hydration and decrease hyperpigmentation.

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

koreajoongangdaily.combeautymatter.comprnewswire.com

Medik8 is a British skincare brand founded in 2009 and owned by L'Oréal Groupe since 2025.

loreal.commedik8.comtracxn.com

This page compares some of the most popular COSRX and Medik8 products; for every product of both brands, with a fit score for your own skin, use the Lovi app.

Popular COSRX vs Medik8 products

People Say

COSRXMedik8
  • Soothing, calming and gentle formulation Mostly MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “No stinging or irritation — COSRX BHA Blackhead Power Liquid”
    • “extremely gentle — COSRX AHA/BHA Clarifying Treatment Toner”
    • “zero irritation or peeling — Medik8 CRYSTAL RETINAL 3”
    • “only Vitamin C my sensitive skin can tolerate — Medik8 C-Tetra Serum”
  • Improves skin texture and glow Often MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “smoother skin — Medik8 Surface Radiance Cleanse”
    • “I wake up glowing. It adds back that youthful bloom that I've lost. — Medik8 Sleep Glycolic”
    • “My skin was smoother, my skin texture felt more resurfaced. — Medik8 Sleep Glycolic”
    • “gives me that glass skin look — COSRX Advanced Snail 96 Mucin Power Essence”
  • Deep hydration and plumping 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”
    • “Restores moisture — Medik8 Liquid Peptides”
    • “Instantly quenched the skin — Medik8 Hydr8 B5 Intense”
  • Lightweight and fast-absorbing Often MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “absorbs instantly like water — COSRX The 6 Peptide Skin Booster Serum”
    • “sinks in immediately — COSRX Advanced Snail Peptide Eye Cream”
    • “absorbed effortlessly — Medik8 Total Moisture Daily Facial Cream”
    • “Absorbs fast — Medik8 Liquid Peptides”
  • Additional beneficial features Often MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “calms inflammation — COSRX Advanced Snail 92 All in One Cream”
    • “removes all the oil — COSRX Low pH Good Morning Gel Cleanser”
    • “smells like a spa — Medik8 CRYSTAL RETINAL 3”
    • “softened crow's feet — Medik8 Crystal Retinal Ceramide Eye 3”
  • Acne and pore 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”
    • “pores feel cleaner — Medik8 Surface Radiance Cleanse”
  • Slow or no visible results Sometimes NotedSometimes Noted
    • “no change in circles — COSRX Advanced Snail Peptide Eye Cream”
    • “Takes a month to work — COSRX BHA Blackhead Power Liquid”
    • “Not as effective as retinol — Medik8 Bakuchiol Peptides”
    • “no difference — Medik8 Oxy-R Peptides”
  • Packaging and size issues Often MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “Glass bottle breaks easily — Medik8 Liquid Peptides”
    • “hard to get last bit — Medik8 CRYSTAL RETINAL 3”
    • “click mechanism tricky — Medik8 Oxy-R Peptides”
    • “only 20mls... significantly less product — COSRX The Hyaluronic Acid 3 Serum”
  • High price point Rarely NotedOften Mentioned
    • “expensive for me — COSRX The Hyaluronic Acid 3 Serum”
    • “Expensive per bottle — Medik8 Liquid Peptides”

COSRX vs Medik8 serums and treatments

Questions and answers

COSRX or Medik8: which is better?

COSRX is better for acne and pore control, whereas Medik8 does better at improving skin texture and glow. Both brands provide deep hydration and plumping, as well as soothing, calming, and gentle formulations.

What is the difference between COSRX and Medik8?

COSRX is best suited for oily and acne-prone skin with its strong focus on acne and pore control, whereas Medik8 does better at improving skin texture and glow. Reviewers frequently note that Medik8 comes with a high price point.

COSRX or Medik8: which cleanser is better?

For cleansers on this page, COSRX fits sensitive skin, acne-prone skin, dry skin, and dry sensitive skin with a Superior rating, whereas Medik8 fits acne-prone skin, skin with dark spots, and oily acne-prone skin with a Superior rating.

Which is more affordable, COSRX or Medik8?

COSRX is more affordable, whereas Medik8 has a high price point listed among its review themes.

Which causes fewer breakouts, COSRX or Medik8?

COSRX is the brand that does better for acne and pore control on this page, and its products on this page best fit oily acne-prone skin, oily skin, and acne-prone skin. The products on this page help provide effective acne control and clearing.

How do the founding years and current ownerships of COSRX and Medik8 compare?

COSRX was founded in 2013 in South Korea and is owned by Amorepacific Group, whereas Medik8 was founded in 2009 in the United Kingdom and is owned by L'Oréal Groupe.

Which brand has more fragrance-free products, COSRX or Medik8?

COSRX has more fragrance-free products on this page, with 37 out of 38 products listing no fragrance compared to 11 out of 12 for Medik8.

What are the main key ingredients found across COSRX versus Medik8 products?

COSRX features key ingredients like hyaluronic acid, glycerin, niacinamide, allantoin, panthenol, snail mucin, butylene glycol, and centella asiatica across its products. In comparison, Medik8 relies primarily on hyaluronic acid as its key ingredient across the products on this page.

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

COSRX or Medik8: which moisturizer is better?

Medik8's Hydr8 B5 Intense achieves a Superior Lovi fit level for dry skin, whereas COSRX features multiple moisturizers with Superior and High fit levels across various skin types. Both brands provide deep hydration and plumping for the products on this page.

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

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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