Dermalogica vs Clinique
Dermalogica and Clinique are American skincare brands known for their targeted serums, nourishing moisturizers, gentle cleansers, purifying masks, and more, all formulated with powerful ingredients like hyaluronic acid, glycerin, and salicylic acid. Dermalogica suits oily skin and combination skin best because its active formulations balance excess oil and moisture, while Clinique suits dry sensitive skin and oily skin best because of its comforting, balancing ingredients. Both brands differ in their founding eras and parent companies, yet each offers standout solutions for acne-prone skin, skin with dark spots, and mature skin. Working beneath the surface, their shared ingredients lengthen the effect of anti-wrinkle toxin, improve hydration, restore barrier function, and reduce acne lesion counts.
Dermalogica is an American skincare brand founded in 1986 and owned by Unilever since 2015.
en.wikipedia.orgcosmeticsbusiness.com
Clinique is an American skincare brand founded in 1968 and owned by The Estée Lauder Companies Inc..
en.wikipedia.orgelcompanies.combusinesswire.comglossy.co
This page compares some of the most popular Dermalogica and Clinique products; for every product of both brands, with a fit score for your own skin, use the Lovi app.
Popular Dermalogica vs Clinique products
- moisture surge
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Take The Day Off Cleansing Balm
AED 123.26
-
Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion+
AED 123.95
-
All About Eyes
AED 164.29
-
Dramatically Different Moisturizing Gel
AED 89.47
-
Smart Clinical Repair Wrinkle Correcting Serum
AED 297.75
-
Moisture Surge Overnight Mask
AED 292.69
- Clarifying Lotion 2
People Say
Hydration and Moisture Mostly MentionedMostly Mentioned
- “Saved my dry skin — Dermalogica Super Rich Repair”
- “blends seamlessly — Dermalogica Dynamic Skin Recovery SPF 50”
- “sinks in immediately — Clinique moisture surge”
- “Keeps my dry patches at bay all day — Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion+”
Makeup Compatibility and Removal Often MentionedOften Mentioned
- “Removes stubborn mascara — Dermalogica Precleanse”
- “eyelids look firmer and lifted — Dermalogica Phyto Nature Lifting Eye Cream”
- “Melts waterproof mascara — Clinique Take The Day Off Cleansing Balm”
- “foundation glides on — Clinique moisture surge”
Soothing and Calming Often MentionedOften Mentioned
- “doesn't strip skin — Dermalogica Special Cleansing Gel”
- “helps calm and nourish my skin — Dermalogica Stabilizing Repair Cream”
- “never irritated my eyes — Clinique All About Eyes”
- “keeps the redness at bay — Clinique Redness Solutions Daily Relief Cream”
Skin Smoothing and Exfoliation Often MentionedOften Mentioned
- “gentle enough for daily use — Dermalogica Daily Microfoliant”
- “skin feels smooth as silk — Dermalogica Daily Microfoliant”
- “skin feels silky smooth — Clinique Smart Clinical Repair Wrinkle Correcting Serum”
- “gentle enough for everyday — Clinique 7 Day Scrub Cream Rinse-Off Formula”
High Price Point Mostly MentionedOften Mentioned
- “jar is too small for the cost — Clinique moisture surge”
- “quite pricey — Clinique Smart Clinical Repair Wrinkle Correcting Serum”
- “Expensive for cleanser — Clinique Take The Day Off Cleansing Balm”
- “hefty price tag — Dermalogica Daily Microfoliant”
Skin Breakouts and Reactions Often MentionedSometimes Noted
- “Stings eyes — Dermalogica Precleanse”
- “burns immediately — Dermalogica Multivitamin Power Recovery Masque”
- “Woke up with whiteheads on my chin — Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion+”
- “Face stung and became red — Clinique Clarifying Lotion 2”
Greasiness and Heavy Texture Sometimes NotedOften Mentioned
- “Too thick for day — Dermalogica Super Rich Repair”
- “skin felt tight — Dermalogica Active Moist”
- “felt a bit dry — Dermalogica Special Cleansing Gel”
- “skin felt tight — Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Gel”
Dermalogica vs Clinique routines for dry skin
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Cleanser
Special Cleansing Gel
Morning · Evening · Once a week
AED 259.54
-
Moisturizer
Stabilizing Repair Cream
Morning · Evening · Once a week
AED 346.75
-
SPF
Invisible Physical Defense SPF30
Morning
AED 220.00
-
Pre-Cleanser
Precleanse
Evening · Once a week
AED 205.00
-
Cleansing Toner
ROUND LAB 1025 Dokdo Cleansing Water
Evening
AED 38.99
-
Serum or Treatment
BioLumin-C Serum
Evening · Once a week
AED 492.02
-
Enzyme Powder
Daily Milkfoliant
Once a week
AED 104.30
-
Nourishing Mask
Skin Hydrating Masque
Once a week
AED 424.78
-
Cleanser
all about clean
Morning · Evening · Once a week
AED 209.14
-
Moisturizer
Smart Clinical Repair Lifting Face + Neck Cream
Morning · Evening · Once a week
AED 553.77
-
SPF
Dr.G Green Mild Up Sun+
Morning
AED 81.00
-
Pre-Cleanser
Take The Day Off Cleansing Balm
Evening · Once a week
AED 123.26
- Cleansing Toner Clarifying Lotion 2 Evening
-
Serum or Treatment
Smart Clinical Repair Wrinkle Correcting Serum
Evening · Once a week
AED 297.75
-
Enzyme Powder
VT Cica Mild Powder Wash
Once a week
AED 47.62
-
Nourishing Mask
Moisture Surge Overnight Mask
Once a week
AED 292.69
Buy Dermalogica routine · AED 2,091.38 · 85% fit
Buy Clinique routine · AED 1,605.23 · 66% fitSee multi-brand routine · 96% fit
Dermalogica vs Clinique routines for oily skin
-
Cleanser
Daily Glycolic Cleanser
Morning · Evening · Once a week
AED 203.41
-
Hydrating Toner
Some By Mi Snail Truecica Miracle Repair Toner
Morning · Once a week
AED 49.99
-
Moisturizer
Active Moist
Morning · Evening · Once a week
AED 225.00
-
SPF
Invisible Physical Defense SPF30
Morning
AED 220.00
-
Pre-Cleanser
Precleanse
Evening · Once a week
AED 205.00
-
Cleansing Toner
Pixi Glow Tonic
Evening
AED 120.00
-
Serum or Treatment
Retinol Clearing Oil
Evening · Once a week
AED 444.30
-
Enzyme Powder
Daily Microfoliant
Once a week
AED 101.09
-
Cleansing Mask
Revision Skincare Black Mask
Once a week
AED 204.00
-
Cleanser
Redness Solutions Soothing Cleanser
Morning · Evening · Once a week
AED 342.00
-
Hydrating Toner
Some By Mi Snail Truecica Miracle Repair Toner
Morning · Once a week
AED 49.99
-
Moisturizer
Dramatically Different Moisturizing Gel
Morning · Evening · Once a week
AED 89.47
-
SPF
d'Alba UVessence Mild Waterfull Sun Cream SPF 50
Morning
AED 92.70
-
Pre-Cleanser
Take The Day Off Cleansing Balm
Evening · Once a week
AED 123.26
- Cleansing Toner Clarifying Lotion 2 Evening
- Serum or Treatment Even Better Clinical Dark Spot Corrector Evening · Once a week
-
Enzyme Powder
Dermalogica Daily Microfoliant
Once a week
AED 101.09
-
Cleansing Mask
Revision Skincare Black Mask
Once a week
AED 204.00
Buy Dermalogica routine · AED 1,772.79 · 92% fit
Buy Clinique routine · AED 1,002.51 · 79% fitSee multi-brand routine · 97% fit
Dermalogica vs Clinique routines for combination skin
-
Cleanser
Daily Glycolic Cleanser
Morning · Evening · Once a week
AED 203.41
-
Hydrating Toner
Paula's Choice Skin Balancing Pore-Reducing Toner
Morning · Once a week
AED 145.00
-
Moisturizer
Active Moist
Morning · Evening · Once a week
AED 225.00
-
SPF
Dynamic Skin Recovery SPF 50
Morning
AED 389.00
-
Pre-Cleanser
Precleanse
Evening · Once a week
AED 205.00
-
Cleansing Toner
Medicube Zero Pore Pad 2.0
Evening
AED 53.12
-
Serum or Treatment
Retinol Clearing Oil
Evening · Once a week
AED 444.30
-
Enzyme Powder
Daily Microfoliant
Once a week
AED 101.09
-
Cleansing Mask
KORA Organics Turmeric Brightening & Exfoliating Mask
Once a week
AED 122.93
-
Cleanser
all about clean
Morning · Evening · Once a week
AED 209.14
-
Hydrating Toner
Paula's Choice Skin Balancing Pore-Reducing Toner
Morning · Once a week
AED 145.00
-
Moisturizer
Dramatically Different Moisturizing Gel
Morning · Evening · Once a week
AED 89.47
-
Pre-Cleanser
Take The Day Off Cleansing Balm
Evening · Once a week
AED 123.26
- Cleansing Toner Clarifying Lotion 2 Evening
- Serum or Treatment Even Better Clinical Dark Spot Corrector Evening · Once a week
-
Enzyme Powder
Dermalogica Daily Microfoliant
Once a week
AED 101.09
-
Cleansing Mask
KORA Organics Turmeric Brightening & Exfoliating Mask
Once a week
AED 122.93
Buy Dermalogica routine · AED 1,888.85 · 91% fit
Buy Clinique routine · AED 790.89 · 72% fitSee multi-brand routine · 96% fit
Questions and answers
Dermalogica or Clinique: which is better?
Dermalogica is generally better for oily, combination, and acne-prone skin types, offering superior routine fit levels for those skin conditions. Both brands provide good options for sensitive and mature skin, but Dermalogica tends to have fewer issues with high price points according to reviewers.
What is the difference between Dermalogica and Clinique?
Dermalogica is founded in 1986 in the United States and owned by Unilever since 2015, while Clinique was founded in 1968 in the United States and is owned by The Estée Lauder Companies Inc. For routine fit, Dermalogica is Superior for oily and combination skin, and High for dry, sensitive, acne-prone, mature, dark spot, dry sensitive, and oily acne-prone skin, whereas Clinique is Average for dry, combination, acne-prone, dark spot, and oily skin, and High for oily, sensitive, mature, dry sensitive, and oily acne-prone skin. Both brands list no fragrance in the ingredients of the products on this page.
Dermalogica or Clinique for dry skin?
Dermalogica is the better choice for dry skin because Lovi rates its routine fit as High compared to an Average fit for Clinique on this page. Topical hyaluronic acid helps improve skin quality and signs of skin aging.
Dermalogica or Clinique: which cleanser is better?
Both Dermalogica and Clinique offer effective cleansers, with the products on this page including gentle options for various skin types. Lovi rates Dermalogica's cleansers as High across multiple skin types like dry, sensitive, and oily skin, while Clinique's cleansers range from High for sensitive and dry skin to lower levels for other types.
Which is more affordable, Dermalogica or Clinique?
Clinique is more affordable, as Dermalogica has a high price point that is more frequently noted by reviewers on the products on this page.
Between Dermalogica and Clinique, which brand performs better for mature skin and skin with dark spots?
Dermalogica is better for skin with dark spots, providing a High routine fit compared to Clinique's Average fit, while both brands offer a High routine fit for mature skin. Topical hyaluronic acid helps improve skin quality and signs of aging.
How do the fragrance-free options and key ingredients like Hyaluronic acid and Glycerin compare across Dermalogica and Clinique products?
Both Dermalogica and Clinique offer products on this page that are fragrance-free and share key ingredients like Hyaluronic acid and Glycerin, which helps provide hydration. Topical hyaluronic acid supports skin quality and signs of aging.
Which brand offers better routine fit and product performance for combination and oily acne-prone skin types?
Dermalogica offers better routine fit and performance for combination and oily acne-prone skin types, with Lovi fit levels of Superior for both categories compared to Clinique's High and Average ratings. Reviewers of the products on this page frequently note intense hydration and soothing moisturizers without the heavy texture or greasiness sometimes associated with other brands.
Dermalogica or Clinique for oily skin?
Dermalogica is the better choice for oily skin, as Lovi rates its routine as Superior compared to Clinique's High. Reviewers also note that Dermalogica has an advantage in avoiding greasiness and heavy textures.
Dermalogica or Clinique: which moisturizer is better?
Both Dermalogica and Clinique offer popular moisturizers, but Dermalogica has a higher overall routine fit for dry, oily, and combination skin on this page. Topical hyaluronic acid helps provide skin hydration and fights signs of skin aging.
Dermalogica or Clinique for sensitive skin?
Both Dermalogica and Clinique are good options for sensitive skin, as Lovi rates both brands as having a High fit for this skin type. Reviewers also report that both brands offer gentle cleansers and soothing moisturizers.
Dermalogica or Clinique for acne-prone skin?
Dermalogica is the better choice for acne-prone skin, as Lovi rates its routine fit as High compared to Clinique's Average. The products on this page for Dermalogica feature key ingredients like salicylic acid, which helps manage breakouts.
Research behind their key ingredients
The Effect of Aloe Vera Clinical Trials on Prevention and Healing of Skin Wound: A Systematic Review
Bacterial cellulose membranes as drug delivery systems: an in vivo skin compatibility study
Molecular basis of retinol anti-ageing properties in naturally aged human skin in vivo
Topical anti-inflammatory effects of isorhamnetin glycosides isolated from Opuntia ficus-indica
Effects of ascorbic acid on gingival melanin pigmentation in vitro and in vivo
Apigenin inhibits UVA-induced cytotoxicity in vitro and prevents signs of skin aging in vivo
Vitamin C-squalene bioconjugate promotes epidermal thickening and collagen production in human skin
Antioxidant properties evaluation of topical astaxanthin formulations as anti-aging products
Microneedling by dermapen and glycolic acid peel for the treatment of acne scars: Comparative study
Topical beta-carotene protects against infra-red-light-induced free radicals
Efficacy of Oxybrasion in the Treatment of Acne Vulgaris: A Preliminary Report
A comparative study of gluconolactone versus benzoyl peroxide in the treatment of acne
Chemical peels for acne vulgaris: a systematic review of randomised controlled trials
Colloidal Oatmeal <em>(Avena Sativa)</em> Improves Skin Barrier Through Multi-Therapy Activity
Well-aging: A new strategy for skin homeostasis under multi-stressed conditions
In vivo and in vitro evaluation of octyl methoxycinnamate liposomes
The synergistic effect of retinyl propionate and hydroxypinacolone retinoate on skin aging
The impacts of sodium lauroyl sarcosinate in facial cleanser on facial skin microbiome and lipidome
Supramolecular collagen nanoparticles for anti-wrinkle, skin whitening, and moisturizing effects
Comparison of methods for assessing photoprotection against ultraviolet A in vivo
Skin recovery by Lavandula angustifolia leaf callus extract: Redox control of Nrf2 signaling
Algae extract protection effect on oxidized protein level in human stratum corneum
Starch- and carboxymethyl cellulose-based films as active beauty masks with papain incorporation
Semi-solid functionalized nanostructured lipid carriers loading thymol for skin disorders
Modulating effects of oatmeal extracts in the sodium lauryl sulfate skin irritancy model
Moisturizing Effects of Diglycerol Combined with Glycerol on Human Stratum Corneum
The effect of Zanthoxylum bungeanum maxim extract on crow's feet: A double-blind, split-face trial
The anti wrinkle efficacy of synthetic hexapeptide (Argireline) in Chinese Subjects
Safety of a preservative system containing 1,2-hexanediol and caprylyl glycol
Functional properties and skin care effects of sodium trehalose sulfate
Nanocomplex of quaternized cyclodextrin grafted chitosan and hyaluronic acid for a skin delivery
Skin barrier repair efficacy and safety evaluation of an extract from Gardenia jasminoides J.Ellis
Treatment with Ascorbyl Glucoside-Arginine Complex Ameliorates Solar Lentigos
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.
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Co-founder, Medical Director
Cosmetic chemist, cosmetologist, aesthetic products developer
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Co-founder, CEO and CTO
PhD in computer science, 3x US patent holder, ex-Google, ex-Yandex
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Dr. Sofía Perea Pérez, MD, MSc
Medical Board
Aesthetic medicine practitioner, MSc in Longevity and Anti-Aging Medicine
-

Medical Board
Specialist dermatologist, MBBS, MD, IFAAD
-

Medical Board
Cosmetic chemist, SCS, IFSCC member
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Medical Board, Medical Advisor
Dermatology MD
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Elina Nazarenko, MD
Medical Board
Dermatology and diagnostic consultant
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Victoria Derkova, MS
Medical Board
Cosmetic chemist, cosmetic development technologist
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