🇬🇧United Kingdom

COSRX vs Cetaphil

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

COSRX and Cetaphil are two distinct skincare lines offering cleansers, moisturizers, serums, and more. The first brand is dearly loved for expertly formulated products that thoughtfully incorporate hyaluronic acid, glycerin, and niacinamide, suiting acne-prone skin and oily skin best. Meanwhile, the second brand is widely loved for thoughtful formulations carefully crafted with glycerin, niacinamide, and panthenol, which suit combination skin and sensitive skin best. While both brands utilize powerful ingredients to increase hydration and restore barrier function, they differ fundamentally in their origins, specific ingredient combinations, and targeted skin types.

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

koreajoongangdaily.combeautymatter.comprnewswire.com

Cetaphil is an American skincare brand founded in 1947 and owned by Galderma Group AG.

en.wikipedia.orgcetaphil.co.uk

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

Popular COSRX vs Cetaphil products

People Say

COSRXCetaphil
  • Deep Hydration and Moisture Mostly MentionedMostly 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”
    • “cleared up flaky skin — Cetaphil Moisturizing Cream”
    • “healed my dry patches — Cetaphil Moisturising Cream”
  • Lightweight and Fast Absorbing 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)”
    • “absorbs instantly — Cetaphil Moisturizing Lotion”
  • Gentle for Sensitive Skin Rarely NotedMostly Mentioned
    • “No breakouts since switching to this. — Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser”
    • “Lifesaver for my very sensitive skin — Cetaphil Gentle Cleansing Bar”
    • “didn't irritate my skin — Cetaphil Vitamin C Serum”
    • “no stinging — COSRX Advanced Snail Peptide Eye Cream”
  • Gentle and Non-Stripping Sometimes NotedOften Mentioned
    • “The only thing my reactive skin tolerates. — Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser”
    • “cleans without stripping — Cetaphil Daily Facial Cleanser”
    • “safe for sensitive skin — Cetaphil Moisturizing Cream”
    • “No stinging or irritation — COSRX BHA Blackhead Power Liquid”
  • Skin Texture and Smoothing Often MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “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 glass — COSRX BHA Blackhead Power Liquid”
    • “Skin felt softer after one use — Cetaphil Gentle Exfoliating SA Cleanser”
  • 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”
    • “Removes excess oil without drying. — Cetaphil Oily Skin Cleanser”
  • Medicinal and Strong Scents 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)”
    • “Overpowering masking fragrance — Cetaphil Gentle Cleansing Bar”
  • Unpleasant Texture and Residue Sometimes NotedSometimes Noted
    • “texture is gooey and stringy — COSRX Advanced Snail 92 All in One Cream”
    • “too slimy and sticky — COSRX Advanced Snail 96 Mucin Power Essence”
    • “too thick for face — Cetaphil Moisturising Cream”
    • “leaves a tacky finish — Cetaphil Vitamin C Serum”
  • Drying or Stripping Effect Often MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “Felt a little stripping on sensitive areas. — Cetaphil Oily Skin Cleanser”
    • “Skin felt dehydrated after 30 minutes — Cetaphil Daily Hydrating Lotion”
    • “dried out my cheeks — Cetaphil Daily Facial Cleanser”
    • “left my face tight — COSRX Low pH Good Morning Gel Cleanser”

COSRX vs Cetaphil routines for dry skin

Buy COSRX routine · £52.48 · 89% fitBuy Cetaphil routine · £92.66 · 83% fitSee multi-brand routine · 99% fit

COSRX vs Cetaphil routines for oily skin

Buy COSRX routine · £143.60 · 90% fitBuy Cetaphil routine · £191.77 · 84% fitSee multi-brand routine · 97% fit

COSRX vs Cetaphil routines for combination skin

Buy COSRX routine · £119.44 · 88% fitBuy Cetaphil routine · £172.93 · 88% fitSee multi-brand routine · 96% fit

Questions and answers

COSRX or Cetaphil: which is better?

COSRX is better for oily and acne-prone skin, where Lovi rates its routines as Superior, whereas Cetaphil achieves High ratings. Reviewers note that COSRX provides lightweight absorption and effective acne control, while Cetaphil is known for gentle, non-stripping cleansers.

What is the difference between COSRX and Cetaphil?

COSRX fits oily skin, sensitive skin, acne-prone skin, and oily acne-prone skin with a Superior level, whereas Cetaphil fits them with a High level. Reviewers note that COSRX provides lightweight absorption and improves skin texture, while Cetaphil is recognized for being gentle and non-stripping on sensitive skin.

COSRX or Cetaphil for dry skin?

Both COSRX and Cetaphil are well-suited for dry skin, earning a High fit level for their routines on this page. COSRX offers superior options like the Advanced Snail Mucin Gel Cleanser, while Cetaphil provides nourishing formulas such as the Rich Hydrating Night Cream.

COSRX or Cetaphil: which cleanser is better?

Both COSRX and Cetaphil offer cleansers well-suited for various skin types, with COSRX achieving a Superior fit for sensitive and acne-prone skin on this page, and Cetaphil offering cleansers that reviewers frequently describe as gentle and non-stripping.

Which is more affordable, COSRX or Cetaphil?

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

COSRX or Cetaphil: which brand is better for oily acne-prone skin?

COSRX is better for oily acne-prone skin, achieving a Superior routine fit compared to Cetaphil which has a High fit level.

COSRX or Cetaphil: which has more fragrance-free products?

COSRX has more fragrance-free products, with thirty-seven of the thirty-eight products on this page listing no fragrance compared to twenty-six of the twenty-seven products for Cetaphil.

COSRX or Cetaphil: which brand performs better for skin texture and smoothing?

COSRX performs better for skin texture and smoothing based on the products on this page.

COSRX or Cetaphil for oily skin?

COSRX is superior for oily skin, whereas Cetaphil has a high fit. Reviewers note that the products on this page for COSRX offer lightweight absorption and effective acne control.

COSRX or Cetaphil: which moisturizer is better?

COSRX and Cetaphil both offer moisturizers with a high fit for various skin types, though COSRX is often noted for lightweight absorption while Cetaphil is recognized for gentle hydration. The products on this page feature key ingredients like hyaluronic acid, glycerin, and niacinamide that help support skin quality and moisture.

Journal of Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences, 2015The British Journal of Dermatology, 2002

COSRX or Cetaphil for sensitive skin?

COSRX has a Superior routine fit for sensitive skin on this page, while Cetaphil has a High fit. Reviewers often mention COSRX for lightweight absorption, and Cetaphil for gentle, non-stripping cleansers.

COSRX or Cetaphil: which sunscreen is better?

Both COSRX and Cetaphil offer sunscreens with High fit levels for a wide range of skin types on the products on this page. COSRX sunscreen options feature key ingredients like hyaluronic acid and aloe, while Cetaphil includes mineral-based formulations tailored for sensitive skin.

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

COSRX or Cetaphil for acne-prone skin?

COSRX fits acne-prone skin better, with a Superior Lovi fit level compared to Cetaphil's High level.

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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