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Estée Lauder vs Shiseido

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

Estée Lauder and Shiseido are renowned international skincare institutions that offer comprehensive arrays of moisturizers, serums, cleansers, and specialized treatments. The American heritage house relies on hydrating hyaluronic acid and glycerin, making its formulations particularly well-suited for acne-prone and mature skin, while the Japanese pioneer centers its gentle daily care around glycerin to benefit sensitive and mature complexions. Ultimately, both brands differ through their distinct cultural approaches and targeted ingredient pairings, though each utilizes science-backed hydration to improve barrier function and skin comfort.

Estée Lauder is an American skincare brand founded in 1946 and owned by The Estée Lauder Companies Inc..

en.wikipedia.orgelcompanies.com

Shiseido is a Japanese skincare brand founded in 1872 and owned by Shiseido Company, Limited.

corp.shiseido.comen.wikipedia.orgmarketscreener.com

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

Popular Estée Lauder vs Shiseido products

People Say

Estée LauderShiseido
  • 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”
    • “Immediate sensation of comfort — Shiseido Benefiance Wrinkle Smoothing Eye Cream”
    • “skin feels plump, soft and nourished, eliminates dryness, bouncy feel — Shiseido VITAL PERFECTION”
  • Smoother skin texture and anti-aging Mostly MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “skin feels like a baby's bottom — Estée Lauder Advanced Night Repair”
    • “silky smooth — Estée Lauder Micro Essence Treatment Lotion”
    • “Helps with skin firmness and reduces the appearance of lines. — Estée Lauder Re-Nutriv”
    • “Smoothed out crow's feet — Shiseido Benefiance Wrinkle Smoothing Eye Cream”
  • Lightweight and fast absorbing feel Sometimes NotedOften Mentioned
    • “Lightweight, silky, non-sticky, sinks in instantly. — Shiseido Ultimune Power Infusing Concentrate”
    • “Airy-soft texture — Shiseido Essential Energy Hydrating Cream”
    • “absorbs quickly — Shiseido White Lucent Brightening Gel Cream”
    • “Absorbs quickly into the skin — Estée Lauder Revitalizing Supreme+”
  • Radiant glow and brightening effects Sometimes NotedOften Mentioned
    • “Skin looks brighter, more radiant, and "glowy." — Shiseido Ultimune Power Infusing Concentrate”
    • “faded pimple marks — Shiseido White Lucent Brightening Gel Cream”
    • “Eyes look more awake — Shiseido Benefiance Wrinkle Smoothing Eye Cream”
    • “gives me that glass skin look — Estée Lauder Advanced Night Repair”
  • Luxurious texture and feel Sometimes NotedOften Mentioned
    • “silky smooth, rich but non-greasy, absorbs quickly, melts into skin — Shiseido VITAL PERFECTION”
    • “Velvety, rich cream texture — Shiseido Benefiance Wrinkle Smoothing Eye Cream”
    • “Velvety texture — Shiseido FUTURE SOLUTION LX”
    • “Has a luxurious feel and texture. — Estée Lauder Re-Nutriv”
  • Gentle cleansing and makeup removal Often MentionedRarely Noted
    • “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”
    • “face feels squeaky clean — Shiseido Clarifying Cleansing Foam”
  • High price point and expensive cost Mostly MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “way too expensive for the size — Estée Lauder Advanced Night Repair”
    • “too pricey — Estée Lauder Micro Essence Treatment Lotion”
    • “Very expensive for the size — Shiseido Benefiance Wrinkle Smoothing Eye Cream”
    • “Expensive, pricey, high cost for the amount. — Shiseido Ultimune Power Infusing Concentrate”
  • Scent and fragrance complaints Often MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “Scent is too overpowering — Estée Lauder Revitalizing Supreme+”
    • “strong scent — Estée Lauder Advanced Night Cleansing Gelée”
    • “overpowering scent, like a musty room — Estée Lauder DayWear Moisturizer”
    • “old lady smell — Shiseido Eudermine Revitalizing Essence”
  • Packaging issues and design Sometimes NotedSometimes Noted
    • “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”
    • “heavy to travel — Shiseido Eudermine Revitalizing Essence”
    • “Heavy bottle but plastic pump, cannot see remaining product, straw too short to get last drops. — Shiseido Ultimune Power Infusing Concentrate”
  • Lack of results Sometimes NotedRarely Noted
    • “No change in deep wrinkles — Shiseido Benefiance Wrinkle Smoothing Eye Cream”
    • “No noticeable difference, not moisturizing enough on its own. — Shiseido Ultimune Power Infusing Concentrate”
    • “no visible lifting, just a moisturizer, didn't erase deep wrinkles — Shiseido VITAL PERFECTION”
    • “didn't notice any difference — Estée Lauder Advanced Night Repair”

Estée Lauder vs Shiseido routines for dry skin

Buy Estée Lauder routine · £132.10 · 74% fitBuy Shiseido routine · £251.59 · 74% fitSee multi-brand routine · 99% fit

Estée Lauder vs Shiseido routines for oily skin

Buy Shiseido routine · £342.29 · 84% fitBuy Estée Lauder routine · £242.09 · 75% fitSee multi-brand routine · 97% fit

Estée Lauder vs Shiseido routines for combination skin

Buy Shiseido routine · £296.92 · 82% fitBuy Estée Lauder routine · £204.59 · 75% fitSee multi-brand routine · 96% fit

Questions and answers

Estée Lauder or Shiseido: which is better?

Both Estée Lauder and Shiseido offer products on this page that perform well across most skin types, with Estée Lauder doing better for smoother skin texture and anti-aging while Shiseido does better for a radiant glow and brightening effects.

Estée Lauder or Shiseido for dry skin?

Both brands offer an average routine fit for dry skin, with Estée Lauder featuring products like DayWear Moisturizer which has a Superior fit for dry skin, while Shiseido includes options such as Benefiance Wrinkle Smoothing Cream Enriched which also has a High fit level for dry skin.

Dermatologic Therapy, 2022

Estée Lauder or Shiseido: which cleanser is better?

Estée Lauder is better for gentle cleansing, as reviewers frequently note its cleansers are gentle and non-drying compared to Shiseido. The products on this page for Estée Lauder include gentle options like the Advanced Night Cleansing Gelée, which helps cleanse the skin effectively without stripping moisture.

Which is more affordable, Estée Lauder or Shiseido?

Both Estée Lauder and Shiseido face frequent shopper complaints about a high price point and expensive cost, meaning neither brand is notably more affordable.

Estée Lauder or Shiseido: which brand is better for reducing wrinkles and improving skin texture?

Estée Lauder does better than Shiseido for smoother skin texture and anti-aging according to the review themes on this page. Both brands feature hyaluronic acid and glycerin across their products, which helps provide deep hydration.

Dermatologic Therapy, 2022

Estée Lauder or Shiseido: which brand offers a more radiant glow and better brightening effects?

Shiseido is the better choice for a radiant glow and brightening effects. The products on this page help improve skin radiance and offer efficient brightening results.

Estée Lauder or Shiseido: which brand has fewer complaints regarding strong fragrances and scents?

Estée Lauder has fewer complaints regarding strong fragrances and scents, as only some reviewers note a strong fragrance compared to Shiseido where it is often mentioned.

Estée Lauder or Shiseido for oily skin?

Both Estée Lauder and Shiseido offer high fit levels for oily skin through the products on this page, and they feature key ingredients like hyaluronic acid and glycerin. While Estée Lauder receives praise for gentle and non-drying cleansers, Shiseido is often noted for lightweight and effective moisturizers.

Journal of Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences, 2015Dermatologic Therapy, 2022

Estée Lauder or Shiseido: which moisturizer is better?

Both brands offer moisturizers that help improve skin hydration through key ingredients like hyaluronic acid and glycerin. Estée Lauder tends to do better with smoother skin texture and anti-aging, while Shiseido is often noted for providing a radiant glow, brightening effects, and luxurious textures.

Journal of Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences, 2015Dermatologic Therapy, 2022

Estée Lauder or Shiseido for sensitive skin?

Both Estée Lauder and Shiseido offer products on this page that achieve a High routine fit for sensitive skin. Estée Lauder features gentle and non-drying cleansers with mostly unfragranced formulas, while Shiseido provides luxurious textures and deep hydration.

Estée Lauder or Shiseido: which sunscreen is better?

Both Estée Lauder and Shiseido offer sunscreens with high or superior Lovi fit levels across most skin types on this page. Estée Lauder has a lower frequency of fragrance across its overall product line, as only two products list fragrance compared to fifteen for Shiseido.

Estée Lauder or Shiseido for acne-prone skin?

Both Estée Lauder and Shiseido offer high fit routines for acne-prone skin on this page, with similar performance in reviewer feedback. For acne-prone skin, Estée Lauder features key ingredients like hyaluronic acid to help support hydration.

Journal of Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences, 2015Dermatologic 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.

  • 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

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