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Clinique vs The INKEY List

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

Clinique and The INKEY List are well-regarded skincare brands that offer thoughtful ranges of moisturizers, serums, eye products, and more. The American pioneer incorporates hyaluronic acid, glycerin, and caffeine into its lines to suit dry sensitive and oily skin, whereas the British brand builds its collection around glycerin to fit sensitive and combination skin best. While both cater to various complexions, they differ in their specific targeted treatments, such as the former brand featuring the Clarifying Do-Over Peel for acne-prone skin and the Smart Clinical Repair Lifting Face + Neck Cream for mature skin, and the latter brand offering the PHA Toner and the Bio-Active Ceramide Repairing and Plumping Moisturizer.

Clinique is an American skincare brand founded in 1968 and owned by The Estée Lauder Companies Inc..

en.wikipedia.orgelcompanies.combusinesswire.comglossy.co

The INKEY List is a British skincare brand founded in 2018 and owned by Brand Evangelists for Beauty Limited.

cosmeticsbusiness.comprnewswire.comtheinkeylist.comtracxn.com

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

Popular Clinique vs The INKEY List products

People Say

CliniqueThe INKEY List
  • Hydration and plumping effect Often MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “Keeps my dry patches at bay all day — Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion+”
    • “skin feels soft and smooth — Clinique Moisture Surge Overnight Mask”
    • “skin looks fresh and plump — The INKEY List Collagen Peptide Serum”
    • “Super hydrating — The INKEY List Polyglutamic Acid Serum”
  • Soothes and gentle for sensitive skin Mostly MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “never irritated my eyes — Clinique All About Eyes”
    • “No stinging eyes — Clinique Take The Day Off Cleansing Balm”
    • “cools the heat in my cheeks — Clinique Redness Solutions Daily Relief Cream”
    • “Safe and gentle especially for my dry, sensitive skin — The INKEY List Oat Cleansing Balm”
  • Lightweight and fast-absorbing texture Often MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “sinks in immediately — Clinique moisture surge”
    • “sinks in instantly — Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Gel”
    • “Gel consistency — The INKEY List Tranexamic Acid Serum”
    • “feels like applying straight up water to the skin — The INKEY List Omega Water Cream”
  • Good makeup base and compatibility Often MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “foundation glides on — Clinique moisture surge”
    • “holds concealer in place — Clinique All About Eyes”
    • “sits beautifully under makeup — The INKEY List Caffeine Eye Cream”
    • “no pilling under makeup — The INKEY List Hyaluronic Acid Serum”
  • Morning glow and skin smoothing Often MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “skin feels silky smooth — Clinique Smart Clinical Repair Wrinkle Correcting Serum”
    • “wake up glowing — Clinique Moisture Surge Overnight Mask”
    • “Skin feels softer — The INKEY List PHA Toner”
    • “Glass skin — The INKEY List Polyglutamic Acid Serum”
  • Reduces redness and blemishes Rarely NotedOften Mentioned
    • “Free of active acne — The INKEY List Salicylic Acid Cleanser”
    • “calms redness instantly — The INKEY List 10% Azelaic Acid Serum”
    • “Redness has lessened and the cluster of whiteheads... cleared. — The INKEY List Niacinamide Serum”
    • “keeps the redness at bay — Clinique Redness Solutions Daily Relief Cream”
  • Insufficient hydration or dryness Often MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “have dry skin but this doesn't feel hydrating at all — The INKEY List Omega Water Cream”
    • “leaves under eye dry — The INKEY List Caffeine Eye Cream”
    • “Leaves my skin a bit dry — The INKEY List Salicylic Acid Cleanser”
    • “skin felt tight — Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Gel”
  • High price and small size Often MentionedRarely Noted
    • “runs out quickly — The INKEY List Hyaluronic Acid Serum”
    • “tube is tiny — The INKEY List 10% Azelaic Acid Serum”
    • “jar is too small for the cost — Clinique moisture surge”
  • Causes breakouts and skin reactions Sometimes NotedSometimes Noted
    • “Woke up with whiteheads on my chin — Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion+”
    • “gave me tiny bumps — Clinique moisture surge”
    • “did cause major breakouts — The INKEY List Omega Water Cream”
    • “New formula breaks me out — The INKEY List Salicylic Acid Cleanser”

Clinique vs The INKEY List routines for dry skin

Buy The INKEY List routine · AED 474.43 · 80% fitBuy Clinique routine · AED 1,605.23 · 66% fitSee multi-brand routine · 96% fit

Clinique vs The INKEY List routines for oily skin

Buy The INKEY List routine · AED 776.59 · 87% fitBuy Clinique routine · AED 1,002.51 · 79% fitSee multi-brand routine · 97% fit

Clinique vs The INKEY List routines for combination skin

Buy The INKEY List routine · AED 725.13 · 89% fitBuy Clinique routine · AED 790.89 · 72% fitSee multi-brand routine · 96% fit

Questions and answers

Clinique or The INKEY List: which is better?

The INKEY List is a better choice because it offers superior routine fit for sensitive skin and a high fit for acne-prone skin, whereas Clinique is only average for those skin types.

What is the difference between Clinique and The INKEY List?

Clinique is owned by The Estée Lauder Companies Inc., while The INKEY List is owned by Brand Evangelists for Beauty Limited. The products on this page for Clinique are fragrance-free and feature key ingredients like hyaluronic acid, glycerin, caffeine, and salicylic acid, whereas every product on The INKEY List page also lists no fragrance and highlights glycerin as a key ingredient.

Clinique or The INKEY List for dry skin?

For dry skin, The INKEY List has a high routine fit while Clinique has an average fit. Both brands offer hydrating moisturizers and feature fragrance-free products on this page.

Clinique or The INKEY List: which cleanser is better?

The INKEY List is a better fit for cleansers on this page, as its Salicylic Acid Cleanser achieves a High Lovi fit level for oily, combination, acne-prone, oily acne-prone, sensitive, and dark spot skin types, whereas Clinique's cleansers show generally lower fit levels.

Which is more affordable, Clinique or The INKEY List?

The INKEY List offers greater affordability for shoppers, as reviewers frequently note high price points for Clinique while highlighting affordable moisturizers and serums from The INKEY List.

Between Clinique and The INKEY List, which brand is better suited for mature skin?

Both Clinique and The INKEY List have an equal routine fit of High for mature skin. Reviewers note that Clinique offers hydrating and lightweight moisturizers, while The INKEY List is known for affordable moisturizers and serums.

How do Clinique and The INKEY List compare when treating skin with dark spots?

For skin with dark spots, The INKEY List has a High routine fit on this page, whereas Clinique has an Average routine fit. Reviewers note that The INKEY List does better at reducing redness and blemishes, while its products on this page often feature key ingredients like glycerin.

Which brand performs better for combination skin, Clinique or The INKEY List?

The INKEY List performs better for combination skin, achieving a High routine fit level compared to Clinique's Average fit level.

Clinique or The INKEY List for oily skin?

Both Clinique and The INKEY List fit oily skin with a High level. Reviewers mention that the products on this page from both brands offer lightweight and fast-absorbing moisturizers.

Clinique or The INKEY List: which moisturizer is better?

When comparing moisturizers, The INKEY List is a strong option for dry skin with a High routine fit, while Clinique offers a High fit specifically for oily skin and sensitive skin. Reviewers often mention both brands for providing hydrating, lightweight, and fast-absorbing moisturizers.

Clinique or The INKEY List for sensitive skin?

Both brands are well-suited for sensitive skin, but The INKEY List offers a superior routine fit compared to Clinique's high fit level. Reviewers note that Clinique does better at soothing and being gentle for sensitive skin.

Clinique or The INKEY List for acne-prone skin?

The INKEY List is a better fit for acne-prone skin, offering a High routine fit compared to Clinique's Average fit level.

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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