The internet’s favourite “cheap SK-II” is a $39 Korean bottle. I read the back of both, plus one more Korean bottle.
Short answer:
- By the label, Missha is not an SK-II copy. SK-II’s first ingredient is Galactomyces ferment filtrate. Missha’s 5X lists a different yeast ferment, in sixth place.
- The closest label match is COSRX Galactomyces 95. It leads with the same ingredient name, but I could not find it on Amazon US.
- Same name is not the same result. I found no study comparing these three essences.
What is actually in SK-II’s essence?
Photo: the brand’s official store.
SK-II calls it PITERA Facial Treatment Essence. Its US label lists seven ingredients: Galactomyces ferment filtrate (PITERA), butylene glycol, pentylene glycol, water, and three preservatives, one of them methylparaben. No fragrance is listed.
PITERA is SK-II’s brand name for that ferment. The brand says the essence is more than 90% PITERA. On its US site it costs $99 for 2.5 oz, up to $325 for 11 oz. On Amazon, it is sold by SK-II’s own US store.
Is Missha Time Revolution the same as SK-II?
Photo: the brand’s official store.
Not on the label. Missha says the 5X is made with “97% Desert Cica Yeast Ferment”. Its US label starts differently:
- Water, glycerin, propanediol, 1,2-hexanediol, niacinamide, then yeast ferment extract, sixth.
- A second ferment, bifida ferment lysate, made from a bacterium, not a yeast.
- **No Galactomyces anywhere.**
The brand does not explain how it counts the 97%. It also says the formula has no fragrance, alcohol, parabens or essential oils. It costs $39 for 150 ml on its US site, and Missha’s own US store sells it on Amazon.
Was it ever the same? A 2013 beauty blog copied both labels: SK-II’s first ingredient was then called Saccharomycopsis ferment filtrate, Missha’s Saccharomyces ferment filtrate [3]. Two different yeasts with look-alike names, which may be where the “dupe” story started.
Which Korean essence has the same ingredient as SK-II?
Photo: the brand’s official store.
COSRX Galactomyces 95. COSRX says it is made with **95% Galactomyces ferment filtrate, and its full label puts that first. Then come niacinamide**, panthenol, glycerin, betaine, hyaluronic acid and allantoin. No fragrance or paraben is listed.
It costs $24 for 100 ml on COSRX’s US site, marked backordered when I checked. I could not find it sold on Amazon US, so there is no button here.
Same ferment name or not, by the back label.
Does the same name mean the same essence?
No. An ingredient name tells you the group of microbe, not the exact strain, the recipe or how much is in the bottle. SK-II calls its strain its own.
So a shared name is a starting point, not proof of the same effect.
Per millilitre, SK-II costs about four to five times as much as either Korean bottle, depending on size.
What I tell my patients
- Treat any of these as a moisture step. Pat it in after cleansing, the way I describe for Korean toners. It is not an exfoliating pad like those in my toner pad guide.
- Any new product can bother reactive skin, ferments included. If yours reacts easily, try a new essence on a small patch, like the side of the jaw, for a few days first. That is my clinical habit, not a proven rule.
FAQ
What is the Korean dupe for SK-II?
Missha Time Revolution is the famous one, but its label lists a different yeast ferment. COSRX Galactomyces 95 is the Korean essence whose label leads with the same ingredient name as SK-II.
Is SK-II a Japanese brand?
Its origin story is Japanese: it says scientists in the 1970s noticed sake brewers’ young-looking hands. Today it is owned by Procter & Gamble, the American company, whose name is on SK-II’s US website.
Is Missha Time Revolution better than SK-II?
I found no published study comparing them. They are different formulas, with different ferments on the label.
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. This article contains affiliate links: if you buy through them, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. It does not change what I recommend.
References
- Miyamoto K, Inoue Y, Yan X, Yagi S, Suda S, Furue M. Significant reversal of facial wrinkle, pigmented spot and roughness by daily application of Galactomyces ferment filtrate-containing skin products for 12 months. J Clin Med 2023;12(3):1168. doi:10.3390/jcm12031168
- Miyamoto K, Dissanayake B, Omotezako T, Takemura M, Tsuji G, Furue M. Daily fluctuation of facial pore area, roughness and redness among young Japanese women; beneficial effects of Galactomyces ferment filtrate containing antioxidative skin care formula. J Clin Med 2021;10(11):2502. doi:10.3390/jcm10112502
- Skin & Tonics. Skincare smackdown: SK-II Facial Treatment Essence vs. Missha First Treatment Essence, 15 March 2013. skinandtonics.com
Disclaimer: I write about cosmetics and shops based on clinical experience. Product mentions reflect my clinical opinion; availability and formulas change, so check the current label. Skin responds differently from person to person, so patch test anything new, and see a doctor about a skin condition.
14 years in practice · replies to messages herselfA doctor in Korea, in practice since 2012 — your K-Beauty Doc. Physician in non-surgical aesthetic medicine, practising in Ansan, South Korea. Every article here is written from clinical practice and the published literature. Not medical advice.
About the author · Contact