Brand Comparison

Royal Fern vs COSRX

A head-to-head comparison of two popular K-beauty brands. Which one is right for your skin?

Our Pick

COSRX

Higher editor rating (9 vs 8.7)

Royal Fern COSRX

Rating8.7/109/10

Price RangePremium ($$$)Budget ($)

Founded20152013

OriginMunich, GermanySeoul, South Korea

Products432

Best ForMature, normal, Dry, SensitiveOily, Combo, Acne-Prone, Sensitive

PhilosophyGerman prestige skincare built around four years of fern research — phytoactive antioxidant defense rooted in fern biology, with the kind of dermatologist-led restraint that lets the science do the talking.Minimal, effective formulations at accessible prices. Every product built around one or two proven actives with short, transparent ingredient lists.

Royal Fern

Royal Fern is what happens when a Munich dermatologist with celebrity clientele decides that the existing prestige-skincare science isn't deep enough. Founded in 2015 by Dr. Timm Golueke after four years of researching the antioxidant biology of royal fern (Osmunda regalis) and male fern (Dryopteris filix-mas), the brand built a small, focused catalogue around the patented fern complex. Pricing is genuinely prestige — €165-295 per product — and the brand sits on shelves alongside Augustinus Bader at Joanna Czech, Niche Beauty, and the European prestige-skincare retailers that carry serious science-led brands. The marketing is restrained: "no cream removes a wrinkle" honesty, dermatologist-led trial backing, and ingredient transparency that's unusual at the prestige tier. The Phytoactive Anti-Aging Cream is the brand's hero; the Phytoactive Serum is the daily-routine entry point; the Phytoactive Skin Perfecting Essence brings PHA + maleic acid resurfacing into the platform.

Pros

✓ dermatologist-founded with four years of patented fern research
✓ phytoactive complex (Osmunda regalis + Dryopteris filix-mas) is genuinely uncommon
✓ restrained marketing in a prestige category that usually overpromises
✓ stocked at Joanna Czech / Niche Beauty / European prestige skincare retailers

Cons

✗ genuine prestige pricing (€165-295 per product) — luxury tier without flexibility
✗ narrow catalogue means routine-building requires non-Royal Fern products for some steps
✗ fern complex efficacy data is largely brand-internal — independent clinical replication is limited
✗ limited international distribution outside Germany / select European prestige retail