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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 skincare lines offering expertly formulated serums, moisturizers, cleansers, and masks. The Korean brand features hyaluronic acid, glycerin, and niacinamide to suit acne-prone and oily skin, whereas the American brand uses hydrating hyaluronic acid and glycerin to benefit acne-prone and mature skin. While the former focuses on balancing and clarifying components, the latter relies on nourishing properties. Ultimately, both harness trusted ingredients to enhance hydration and barrier function.

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 · £52.48 · 89% fitBuy Estée Lauder routine · £132.10 · 74% fitSee multi-brand routine · 99% fit

COSRX vs Estée Lauder routines for oily skin

Buy COSRX routine · £143.60 · 90% fitBuy Estée Lauder routine · £242.09 · 75% fitSee multi-brand routine · 97% fit

COSRX vs Estée Lauder routines for combination skin

Buy COSRX routine · £119.44 · 88% fitBuy Estée Lauder routine · £204.59 · 75% fitSee multi-brand routine · 96% fit

Questions and answers

COSRX or Estée Lauder: which is better?

COSRX is generally better for oily, acne-prone, and sensitive skin types, where Lovi rates its routine fit as Superior. Estée Lauder tends to do better for deep hydration and gentle cleansing, though reviewers frequently mention concerns regarding its high price point.

What is the difference between COSRX and Estée Lauder?

COSRX is more affordable and helps with acne control, while Estée Lauder offers deep hydration and gentle cleansing. For sensitive skin, Lovi fit is Superior for COSRX and High for Estée Lauder.

COSRX or Estée Lauder for dry skin?

For dry skin, COSRX is the better choice because Lovi rates its routine fit as High compared to Estée Lauder's Average. Hyaluronic acid helps retain skin moisture.

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 choices depending on your skin type. Estée Lauder tends to provide gentler cleansing options for sensitive skin, while COSRX features cleansers that are well-suited for oily and acne-prone skin.

Which is more affordable, COSRX or Estée Lauder?

COSRX is more affordable, whereas high price and value concerns are noted as a drawback for Estée Lauder.

COSRX or Estée Lauder: which brand offers better soothing and barrier care?

COSRX does better for soothing and barrier care. The products on this page help provide effective soothing and barrier support, with key ingredients like panthenol that helps maintain skin health.

American Journal of Clinical Dermatology, 2002

How do COSRX and Estée Lauder compare in terms of fragrance inclusion across their products?

COSRX has 37 out of 38 products on the page listing no fragrance, with only the Vitamin E Vitalizing Sunscreen SPF 50+ including it. In contrast, Estée Lauder has 12 of its 14 products listing no fragrance, with the DayWear Moisturizer and Soft Clean Moisture Rich Foaming Cleanser containing fragrance.

COSRX or Estée Lauder: which routine works better for dry sensitive skin?

COSRX offers a High routine fit for dry sensitive skin, while Estée Lauder provides an Average routine fit. COSRX helps deliver soothing and barrier care, whereas Estée Lauder may present drying effects for this skin type.

COSRX or Estée Lauder for oily skin?

COSRX is a superior choice for oily skin, whereas Estée Lauder offers a high routine fit. COSRX features specific products like the Oil-Free Ultra-Moisturizing Lotion that help provide targeted care for oily skin types.

COSRX or Estée Lauder: which moisturizer is better?

COSRX is better for moisturizers on this page, offering superior fit levels and lightweight hydration, whereas Estée Lauder faces higher price points and lower fit levels for certain skin types. Lovi finds COSRX moisturizers to be High or Superior for most skin types, while Estée Lauder moisturizers often rate Average or lower.

COSRX or Estée Lauder for sensitive skin?

For sensitive skin, COSRX is the better choice because Lovi rates its overall routine as Superior, while Estée Lauder reaches a High fit level.

COSRX or Estée Lauder: which sunscreen is better?

Both COSRX and Estée Lauder offer sunscreens that perform exceptionally well on this page, with Lovi fit levels of High for sensitive skin, skin with dark spots, mature skin, dry skin, and combination skin. COSRX Ultra-Light Invisible Sunscreen reaches a Superior fit for acne-prone skin, while Estée Lauder DayWear Moisturizer reaches a Superior fit for dry sensitive skin and dry skin.

COSRX or Estée Lauder for acne-prone skin?

COSRX is the better choice for acne-prone skin, as Lovi rates its routine fit as Superior while Estée Lauder achieves a High fit level. The products on this page from COSRX excel particularly in acne and pore control, helping users clear breakouts effectively.

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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