✶

rhode Barrier Restor… vs SK-II GenOptics Spot… — Which Is Better? | Gracie

Products
Ingredients
Brands
K-Beauty
Blog
How We Score

Gracie
/Compare
/rhode Barrier Restore Cream
/vs
/SK-II GenOptics Spot Essence

rhode Barrier Restore Cream vs SK-II GenOptics Spot Essence

rhode Barrier Restore Cream scores 8.5/9.8 and SK-II GenOptics Spot Essence scores 8.3/9.8 — a near-tie where your skin type decides the winner.

Head to head

✶

rhode

Barrier Restore Cream

moisturisermid-range

8.5

Buy at Amazon

Compare

Best Moisturisers
Best Serums
Best Cleansers
Best SPF

Ingredients

Niacinamide
Retinol
Hyaluronic Acid
Salicylic Acid

K-Beauty

K-Beauty Hub
K-Beauty Moisturisers
K-Beauty Serums
K-Beauty Sunscreens

About

Methodology
About Us
All Brands
All Products

Gracie

Honest skincare intel. No jargon, no gatekeeping — just the ingredients decoded.

✶

SK-II

GenOptics Spot Essence

serumluxury

8.3

Score comparison

These two are neck and neck — just 0.2 points apart.

rhode wins 2

Tied 2

9.0

rhode

SK-II

Ingredient face-off

17% overlap

23rhode

6Shared

35SK-II

Only in rhode Barrier Restore Cream

17 unique

Water/Aqua Squalane Cetearyl Alcohol Shea Butter Cetearyl Olivate Sorbitan Olivate Ceramide Np Ceramide Ap Ceramide Eop Phytosphingosine+7 more

Shared ingredients

6 in common

Glycerin Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride Niacinamide Panthenol Tocopherol Phenoxyethanol

Only in SK-II GenOptics Spot Essence

29 unique

Aqua Galactomyces Ferment Filtrate Butylene Glycol Cyclopentasiloxane Triethylhexanoin Pentylene Glycol Nylon-12 Inositol Polymethylsilsesquioxane Boron Nitride+19 more

Why these two are neck and neck

These two moisturisers take different paths to a similar destination. Both formulas include solid hydrating ingredients, and the overall scores reflect that — the gap here is genuinely slim.

Ingredient Transparency is another area of separation. SK-II GenOptics Spot Essence scores 8.8 here versus 8.2 for rhode Barrier Restore Cream. That difference comes down to how each formula is built — the ingredient list tells the story.

rhode Barrier Restore Cream brings Niacinamide, Ceramide Np, and Ceramide Ap as actives, while sK-II GenOptics Spot Essence relies on Galactomyces Ferment Filtrate, Niacinamide, and Inositol. Both approaches have merit, but the positioning and supporting ingredients make the difference.

Best for your skin type

rhode Barrier Restore Cream is better if you have

Sensitive skin — the low-irritation formula keeps things gentle
Dry or dehydrated skin that craves moisture, thanks to Glycerin
Anyone who prefers clean, well-vetted formulations

SK-II GenOptics Spot Essence is better if you have

Sensitive skin — the low-irritation formula keeps things gentle
Dry or dehydrated skin that craves moisture, thanks to Butylene Glycol
Anyone who prefers clean, well-vetted formulations

Value comparison

At mid-range pricing with a score of 8.5, rhode Barrier Restore Cream delivers strong value. SK-II GenOptics Spot Essence sits at the luxury level with a 8.3 score — the extra cost doesn't translate to better scores here.

Our verdict

✶ Our verdict

It's a close call — both products score within 0.3 points of each other. Your choice depends on your specific skin concerns.

✶

8.5rhode

✶

8.3SK-II

Frequently asked questions

Which is better: rhode Barrier Restore Cream or SK-II GenOptics Spot Essence?

Based on ingredient analysis, rhode Barrier Restore Cream scores higher overall. See the full score breakdown above for details on each attribute.

Do rhode Barrier Restore Cream and SK-II GenOptics Spot Essence share ingredients?

Yes, they share common ingredients. Check the ingredient face-off section above for a detailed comparison.

What's the main difference between rhode Barrier Restore Cream and SK-II GenOptics Spot Essence?

The key differences are in their active ingredients and formulation approach. Check the attribute battle above for a detailed breakdown.

Full analysis: rhode Barrier Restore Cream→Full analysis: SK-II GenOptics Spot Essence→

We may earn a commission from purchases made through our links, at no extra cost to you. This helps us keep Gracie free and independent.

Some links on this site are affiliate links. We may earn a commission from purchases made through our links, at no extra cost to you. This helps us keep Gracie free and independent.