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Anua vs COSRX

Anua and COSRX are two popular Korean skincare brands offering gentle cleansers, soothing toners, effective serums, and nourishing moisturizers. The first brand is built around hyaluronic acid, heartleaf, and niacinamide, while the second brand thoughtfully incorporates hyaluronic acid, glycerin, and niacinamide. Both brands suit oily and acne-prone skin best, though the first brand also fits dry skin. They differ in their founding years, parent companies, and specific formulations that target dark spots, mature skin, and acne.

Anua is a Korean skincare brand founded in 2019 and owned by The Founders Inc..

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

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

People Say

AnuaCOSRX
  • Hydration and Moisture Mostly MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “complexion feels so plump — Anua PDRN Hyaluronic Acid Capsule 100 Serum”
    • “leaves skin plump — Anua Rice 70 Glow Milky Toner”
    • “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”
  • Lightweight and Fast-Absorbing Texture Often MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “melts into skin — Anua Heartleaf Silky Moisture Sun Cream”
    • “Feels like water, not heavy oil — Anua Heartleaf Pore Control Cleansing Oil”
    • “absorbs instantly like water — COSRX The 6 Peptide Skin Booster Serum”
    • “sinks in immediately — COSRX Advanced Snail Peptide Eye Cream”
  • Skin Texture Improvement Often MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “Skin feels super smooth — Anua PEACH 70% NIACINAMIDE SERUM”
    • “skin feels so smooth — Anua BHA 2% Gentle Exfoliating Toner”
    • “skin feels softer immediately — COSRX The 6 Peptide Skin Booster Serum”
    • “Skin feels like glass — COSRX BHA Blackhead Power Liquid”
  • Pore Cleansing and Acne Control Sometimes NotedOften 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”
    • “Melted blackheads right off — COSRX BHA Blackhead Power Liquid”
    • “Dissolved my sebaceous filaments immediately — Anua Heartleaf Pore Control Cleansing Oil”
  • Gentle and Non-Irritating Formula Sometimes NotedOften Mentioned
    • “No stinging or irritation — COSRX BHA Blackhead Power Liquid”
    • “doesn't strip my skin — COSRX Low pH Good Morning Gel Cleanser”
    • “no stinging — COSRX Advanced Snail Peptide Eye Cream”
    • “didn't sensitize my skin — Anua BHA 2% Gentle Exfoliating Toner”
  • Brightening and Glow Often MentionedRarely Noted
    • “Significant reduction in hyperpigmentation from acne scarring. — Anua Niacinamide 10% + TXA 4% Serum”
    • “glass-like glow — Anua Rice 70 Glow Milky Toner”
    • “Gives a nice healthy glow — Anua PEACH 70% NIACINAMIDE SERUM”
    • “gives me that glass skin look — COSRX Advanced Snail 96 Mucin Power Essence”
  • Breakouts and Acne Clogging Often MentionedRarely Noted
    • “gave me fungal acne — COSRX Advanced Snail 96 Mucin Power Essence”
    • “gave me tiny bumps — COSRX Low pH Good Morning Gel Cleanser”
    • “gave me closed comedones — COSRX The 6 Peptide Skin Booster Serum”
    • “Wrecked my skin barrier — Anua Heartleaf Pore Control Cleansing Oil”
  • Sticky, Tacky or Greasy Finish Sometimes NotedSometimes Noted
    • “Left such a gross tacky finish that refused to dry. — Anua Niacinamide 10% + TXA 4% Serum”
    • “leaves a tacky finish — Anua BHA 2% Gentle Exfoliating Toner”
    • “texture is gooey and stringy — COSRX Advanced Snail 92 All in One Cream”
    • “Leaves a sticky film — COSRX BHA Blackhead Power Liquid”
  • Slow or No Visible Results Sometimes NotedSometimes Noted
    • “Did absolutely nothing — Anua Heartleaf 77% Soothing Toner”
    • “not instant fix — Anua NANO RETINOL™ 0.3% + NIACIN RENEWING SERUM”
    • “no change in circles — COSRX Advanced Snail Peptide Eye Cream”
    • “Takes a month to work — COSRX BHA Blackhead Power Liquid”

Anua vs COSRX routines for dry skin

Buy COSRX routine · £52.48 · 89% fitBuy Anua routine · £101.40 · 85% fitSee multi-brand routine · 99% fit

Anua vs COSRX routines for oily skin

Buy COSRX routine · £143.60 · 90% fitBuy Anua routine · £176.18 · 82% fitSee multi-brand routine · 97% fit

Anua vs COSRX routines for combination skin

Buy COSRX routine · £119.44 · 88% fitBuy Anua routine · £122.79 · 82% fitSee multi-brand routine · 96% fit

Questions and answers

Anua or COSRX: which is better?

Both brands are great, but COSRX is superior for acne-prone, oily, and sensitive skin, while Anua focuses more on brightening and glow. Reviewers find that COSRX does better with pore cleansing, acne control, and gentle formulas.

What is the difference between Anua and COSRX?

COSRX is better for acne control and sensitive skin, whereas Anua is better for brightening and glow. Both brands perform equally well for hydration, lightweight texture, and skin texture improvement.

Anua or COSRX for oily skin?

For oily skin, COSRX offers a superior routine fit compared to Anua's high fit on the products on this page. COSRX products are often mentioned by reviewers for effective acne control and clearing, alongside deep hydration.

Anua or COSRX: which cleanser is better?

COSRX performs better for pore cleansing and acne control, and its formulas are noted as gentle and non-irritating. The products on this page offer options like the Low pH Good Morning Gel Cleanser and Salicylic Acid Daily Gentle Cleanser to target breakouts.

Which is more affordable, Anua or COSRX?

This page does not compare prices, so it cannot tell you whether Anua or COSRX is more affordable.

Anua or COSRX for dark spots?

Both Anua and COSRX are a High fit for skin with dark spots on the products on this page. Anua features brightening serums as a mostly mentioned theme and includes key ingredients like niacinamide, which helps reduce cutaneous pigmentation.

The British Journal of Dermatology, 2002Antioxidants, 2021

Anua or COSRX for sensitive skin?

Both Anua and COSRX are suitable choices for sensitive skin, with COSRX offering a Superior routine fit and Anua providing a High fit. Reviewers note that the products on this page for both brands are generally gentle and non-irritating.

Anua or COSRX: which moisturizer is better?

Both Anua and COSRX offer top-performing moisturizers, with Anua excelling in calming dry skin and COSRX leading in deep hydration through snail mucin. The products on this page help deliver intense moisture and barrier support, making either brand a strong choice depending on your specific skin needs.

Anua or COSRX for acne-prone skin?

COSRX is a better fit for acne-prone skin, offering a Superior routine fit compared to Anua's High fit. The products on this page help with effective acne control and clearing.

Anua or COSRX: which sunscreen is better?

Both Anua and COSRX offer sunscreens with a high Lovi fit across multiple skin types on the products on this page. COSRX sunscreen products include options specifically noted for acne-prone skin with a Superior fit level.

Anua or COSRX for oily acne-prone skin?

COSRX is a better fit for oily acne-prone skin, offering a Superior routine fit compared to Anua's High fit. The products on this page for COSRX are frequently noted by reviewers for effective acne control and clearing.

Anua or COSRX for mature skin?

Both Anua and COSRX provide a High routine fit for mature skin with the products on this page. COSRX features key ingredients like hyaluronic acid and retinol, which helps improve skin texture and manage signs of aging.

The Journal of Investigative Dermatology, 2000Dermatologic Therapy, 2022

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.

How does it fit your skin?

Scan your face, then any product: Lovi shows how well it fits you and what fits even better.