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Neutrogena vs SK-II

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

Neutrogena and SK-II are prominent skincare brands that offer moisturizers, cleansers, toners, and more. The American brand, established in 1930 and acquired by Kimberly-Clark in 2026, relies on glycerin, hyaluronic acid, and dimethicone to suit mature skin and skin with dark spots best. Conversely, the Japanese counterpart, founded in 1980 and owned by Procter & Gamble since 1991, utilizes its signature ingredient, pitera, to serve acne-prone skin and dry sensitive skin best. While both lines feature thoughtfully formulated options for various complexions, they differ in their foundational ingredients and primary regional origins.

Neutrogena is an American skincare brand founded in 1930 and owned by Kimberly-Clark Corporation since 2026.

investor.kimberly-clark.comen.wikipedia.orginvestors.kenvue.com

SK-II is a Japanese skincare brand founded in 1980 and owned by The Procter & Gamble Company since 1991.

en.wikipedia.orgdiscoversk-ii.wixsite.comglossy.co

This page compares some of the most popular Neutrogena and SK-II products; for every product of both brands, with a fit score for your own skin, use the Lovi app.

Popular Neutrogena vs SK-II products

People Say

NeutrogenaSK-II
  • Deep and intense hydration Mostly MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “Skin looked plumper and radiant — Neutrogena HYDRO BOOST WATER CREAM”
    • “It also hydrates my skin. This cream has been so easy to add to my routine. — Neutrogena Retinol Regenerating Cream”
    • “Quenches dry skin instantly — Neutrogena Hydro Boost Hydrating Hydrogel Mask”
    • “flooded my skin with moisture — SK-II Facial Treatment Mask”
  • Lightweight and non-greasy texture Mostly MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “Absorbs instantly without sticky residue — Neutrogena Hydro Boost Water Gel”
    • “absorbs instantly — Neutrogena COLLAGEN BANK Moisturizer”
    • “Absorbs into skin without residue. — Neutrogena Hydro Boost Hyaluronic Acid Serum”
    • “drinks right into the skin — SK-II Facial Treatment Essence”
  • Gentle and sensitive skin safe Mostly MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “leaves skin soft and balanced — Neutrogena Ultra Gentle Daily Cleanser”
    • “love that it has no scent — Neutrogena Ultra Gentle Daily Cleanser”
    • “calms my acne prone skin — Neutrogena Ultra Gentle Daily Cleanser”
    • “Watery consistency — SK-II Facial Treatment Clear Lotion”
  • Skin texture improvement and anti-aging Sometimes NotedOften Mentioned
    • “skin feels soft as butter — SK-II Facial Treatment Essence”
    • “pores became miraculously invisible — SK-II Facial Treatment Mask”
    • “Smoother skin — SK-II Facial Treatment Clear Lotion”
    • “Skin is looking smoother — Neutrogena Rapid Wrinkle Repair Regenerating Cream”
  • Soft skin and radiant glow Rarely NotedMostly Mentioned
    • “gives a glass skin look — SK-II Facial Treatment Essence”
    • “leaves me with a red carpet glow — SK-II Facial Treatment Mask”
    • “My skin is glowing now. — SK-II Genoptics Ultraura Essence”
    • “Face felt baby soft afterwards — Neutrogena Hydro Boost Hydrating Hydrogel Mask”
  • Makeup compatibility and primer qualities Sometimes NotedSometimes Noted
    • “Foundation glides right over it — Neutrogena Hydro Boost Water Gel”
    • “Concealer doesn't cake or get stuck in crevices — Neutrogena Hydro Boost Eye Gel-Cream”
    • “Removes leftover dirt — SK-II Facial Treatment Clear Lotion”
    • “Dissolves waterproof mascara, melts stubborn makeup, removes sunscreen easily. — SK-II Facial Treatment Cleansing Oil”
  • Price versus quantity and high cost Sometimes NotedMostly Mentioned
    • “Jar is too small for the price — Neutrogena Hydro Boost Water Gel”
    • “Runs out quickly — Neutrogena HYDRO BOOST WATER CREAM”
    • “Tube is tiny for the cost — Neutrogena Hydro Boost Eye Gel-Cream”
    • “way too expensive — SK-II Facial Treatment Essence”
  • Strong fragrance and scent issues Sometimes NotedOften Mentioned
    • “Smell is too overpowering and lingering — Neutrogena Hydro Boost Water Gel”
    • “Scent is so off-putting — Neutrogena Rapid Wrinkle Repair Regenerating Cream”
    • “smells like dirty feet — SK-II Facial Treatment Essence”
    • “smells slightly like saliva — SK-II Facial Treatment Mask”
  • Lack of immediate or underwhelming results Rarely NotedOften Mentioned
    • “Did nothing for wrinkles — Neutrogena Rapid Wrinkle Repair Regenerating Cream”
    • “did absolutely nothing — SK-II Facial Treatment Essence”
  • Packaging and design concerns Sometimes NotedRarely Noted
    • “cotton is too thick and heavy — SK-II Facial Treatment Mask”
    • “Eye holes are too small — Neutrogena Hydro Boost Hydrating Hydrogel Mask”

Neutrogena vs SK-II routines for dry skin

Buy SK-II routine · AED 2,470.10 · 82% fitBuy Neutrogena routine · AED 586.20 · 69% fitSee multi-brand routine · 96% fit

Neutrogena vs SK-II routines for oily skin

Buy SK-II routine · AED 2,468.63 · 88% fitBuy Neutrogena routine · AED 523.16 · 70% fitSee multi-brand routine · 97% fit

Neutrogena vs SK-II routines for combination skin

Buy SK-II routine · AED 2,424.45 · 88% fitBuy Neutrogena routine · AED 534.78 · 74% fitSee multi-brand routine · 96% fit

Questions and answers

Neutrogena or SK-II: which is better?

Neutrogena is better for deep hydration and budget-friendly variety across the products on this page, while SK-II delivers superior results for skin texture, radiant glow, and high routine fit across multiple skin types. Neutrogena helps soothe acne-prone skin, whereas SK-II may improve skin texture and anti-aging concerns using Pitera.

The Journal of Investigative Dermatology, 2000Dermatologic Therapy, 2022

What is the difference between Neutrogena and SK-II?

Neutrogena offers deeply hydrating and lightweight moisturizers with options like retinol, while SK-II focuses on formulas featuring Pitera that achieve superior or high fit levels for dry sensitive, oily, and acne-prone skin.

The Journal of Investigative Dermatology, 2000Dermatologic Therapy, 2022

Neutrogena or SK-II for dry skin?

SK-II is a better fit for dry skin with a High routine fit, compared to Neutrogena which has an Average routine fit. Hyaluronic acid helps provide deep and intense hydration for dry skin.

Dermatologic Therapy, 2022

Neutrogena or SK-II: which moisturizer is better?

Neutrogena offers a wider variety of moisturizers with deep hydration and lightweight textures, while SK-II leans on its signature Pitera ingredient to deliver strong anti-aging benefits and a radiant glow. For dry skin specifically, the products on this page show that SK-II achieves a High routine fit compared to Neutrogena's Average level.

Which is more affordable, Neutrogena or SK-II?

Neutrogena is more affordable, though review themes indicate price versus quantity and high cost as a downside for the products on this page.

Which brand has more fragrance-free products, Neutrogena or SK-II?

Neutrogena has more fragrance-free products on the products on this page, with 35 out of 39 products listing no fragrance, compared to all 7 products for SK-II.

Neutrogena or SK-II for oily skin?

SK-II is the better choice for oily skin, offering a High routine fit compared to Neutrogena's Average fit level.

Neutrogena or SK-II for sensitive skin?

For sensitive skin, both brands show an average Lovi fit across their overall routines, though SK-II features no added fragrance across the products on this page. Neutrogena is more frequently noted by reviewers for being gentle and sensitive skin safe.

Neutrogena or SK-II for acne-prone skin?

SK-II achieves a Superior Lovi fit level for acne-prone skin, while the products on this page for Neutrogena achieve a High fit level.

Neutrogena or SK-II for mature skin?

Neutrogena and SK-II both have a High Lovi fit level for mature skin, making them equally good options. SK-II provides better skin texture improvement and anti-aging benefits, while Neutrogena offers deep and intense hydration across the products on this page.

Neutrogena or SK-II for skin with dark spots?

Both Neutrogena and SK-II achieve a High routine fit for skin with dark spots on the products on this page. Ingredients like niacinamide help reduce cutaneous pigmentation.

The British Journal of Dermatology, 2002Antioxidants, 2021

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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