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Neutrogena vs Clinique

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

Neutrogena and Clinique are American skincare brands known for their nourishing moisturizers, hyaluronic acid, and glycerin. Neutrogena features gentle cleansers, sunscreens, and toners suited for sensitive and acne-prone skin, whereas Clinique offers serums, makeup removers, and eye products with caffeine suited for dry sensitive and oily skin. While both brands incorporate hydrating ingredients, they differ in their specific formulations and targeted skin types.

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

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

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

Popular Neutrogena vs Clinique products

People Say

NeutrogenaClinique
  • Fragrance-Free and Gentle Formula Mostly MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “leaves skin soft and balanced — Neutrogena Ultra Gentle Daily Cleanser”
    • “love that it has no scent — Neutrogena Ultra Gentle Daily Cleanser”
    • “never irritated my eyes — Clinique All About Eyes”
    • “No strong scent — Clinique Take The Day Off Cleansing Balm”
  • Lightweight and Non-Greasy Texture Mostly MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “Absorbs instantly without sticky residue — Neutrogena Hydro Boost Water Gel”
    • “absorbs instantly — Neutrogena COLLAGEN BANK Moisturizer”
    • “sinks in immediately — Clinique moisture surge”
    • “sinks in instantly — Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Gel”
  • Intense Hydration and Moisturizing 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”
    • “Keeps my dry patches at bay all day — Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion+”
  • Makeup Compatibility and Base Often MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “dissolves stubborn waterproof mascara — Neutrogena Oil-Free Eye Makeup Remover”
    • “Foundation glides right over it — Neutrogena Hydro Boost Water Gel”
    • “Melts waterproof mascara — Clinique Take The Day Off Cleansing Balm”
    • “foundation glides on — Clinique moisture surge”
  • Texture Improvement and Anti-Aging Sometimes NotedOften Mentioned
    • “skin feels silky smooth — Clinique Smart Clinical Repair Wrinkle Correcting Serum”
    • “gentle enough for everyday — Clinique 7 Day Scrub Cream Rinse-Off Formula”
    • “You will see the dirt with one wipe — Clinique Clarifying Lotion 2”
    • “Skin is looking smoother — Neutrogena Rapid Wrinkle Repair Regenerating Cream”
  • Cooling Sensation and Soothing Rarely NotedSometimes Noted
    • “keeps the redness at bay — Clinique Redness Solutions Daily Relief Cream”
    • “cools the heat in my cheeks — Clinique Redness Solutions Daily Relief Cream”
    • “no stinging — Clinique moisture surge”
    • “Feels amazing and cold on the skin — Neutrogena Hydro Boost Hydrating Hydrogel Mask”
  • Price vs. Quantity and Value Sometimes NotedOften 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”
    • “jar is too small for the cost — Clinique moisture surge”
  • Strong Scent and Fragrance Issues Sometimes NotedSometimes Noted
    • “Smells like nail polish remover — Clinique Clarifying Lotion 2”
    • “Smells like old oil — Clinique Take The Day Off Cleansing Balm”
    • “Has a weird plastic-like smell — Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion+”
    • “Smell is too overpowering and lingering — Neutrogena Hydro Boost Water Gel”
  • Insufficient Hydration and Moisture Sometimes NotedSometimes Noted
    • “Not moisturizing enough for winter months — Neutrogena Hydro Boost Water Gel”
    • “Not rich enough for very dry mature skin — Neutrogena Hydro Boost Eye Gel-Cream”
    • “not rich enough — Neutrogena COLLAGEN BANK Moisturizer”
    • “skin felt tight — Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Gel”
  • Skin Irritation and Burning Sometimes NotedRarely Noted
    • “Face stung and became red — Clinique Clarifying Lotion 2”
    • “burned my face — Clinique Redness Solutions Daily Relief Cream”
    • “burns my eyes terribly — Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Dry-Touch Sunscreen”

Neutrogena vs Clinique routines for dry skin

Buy Neutrogena routine · $121.45 · 75% fitBuy Clinique routine · $370.23 · 74% fitSee multi-brand routine · 99% fit

Neutrogena vs Clinique routines for oily skin

Buy Clinique routine · $440.07 · 78% fitBuy Neutrogena routine · $263.48 · 74% fitSee multi-brand routine · 98% fit

Neutrogena vs Clinique routines for combination skin

Buy Neutrogena routine · $243.38 · 77% fitBuy Clinique routine · $440.07 · 74% fitSee multi-brand routine · 97% fit

Questions and answers

Neutrogena or Clinique: which is better?

Neutrogena has a High routine fit for dry skin, combination skin, and skin with dark spots, whereas Clinique has a High routine fit for oily skin and dry sensitive skin. Both brands have an equal High routine fit for sensitive skin, acne-prone skin, and mature skin. Reviewers note that Neutrogena offers more intense hydration, while Clinique does better with texture improvement and anti-aging.

What is the difference between Neutrogena and Clinique?

Neutrogena is owned by Kimberly-Clark Corporation, while Clinique is owned by The Estée Lauder Companies Inc. Lovi rates Neutrogena as High and Clinique as Average for dry skin. Lovi rates Neutrogena as Average and Clinique as High for oily skin.

Neutrogena or Clinique for dry skin?

Neutrogena is a better fit for dry skin, achieving a High routine fit compared to Clinique's Average fit on this page.

Neutrogena or Clinique: which cleanser is better?

Neutrogena offers a High Lovi fit for cleansers across dry, sensitive, mature, and combination skin on this page, while Clinique cleansers show mixed or lower fit levels like a Warning for dry skin. Reviewers note that Clinique offers gentle and effective cleansers, but Neutrogena's cleanser range features specialized options like the Ultra Gentle Daily Cleanser that helps provide reliable daily care.

Which is more affordable, Neutrogena or Clinique?

Neutrogena is more affordable, whereas Clinique is noted for having a high price point.

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

Clinique has more fragrance-free products on its page, as every Clinique product lists no fragrance, whereas 35 of the 39 Neutrogena products on this page list no fragrance.

Neutrogena or Clinique for oily skin?

Clinique is a better fit for oily skin, offering a High routine fit compared to Neutrogena's Average fit level.

Neutrogena or Clinique: which moisturizer is better?

Neutrogena is better for dry skin and skin with dark spots, where Lovi rates its routines as High compared to Clinique's Average, while both brands offer High routine fit levels for sensitive, acne-prone, and mature skin. Neutrogena's moisturizers help provide intense hydration, and ingredients like retinol help stimulate collagen accumulation in naturally aged skin.

The Journal of Investigative Dermatology, 2000Dermatologic Therapy, 2022

Neutrogena or Clinique for sensitive skin?

Both Neutrogena and Clinique provide a High fit for sensitive skin on the products on this page. Neutrogena is noted for intense hydration, while Clinique is recognized for a cooling and soothing sensation.

Neutrogena or Clinique for acne-prone skin?

Both Neutrogena and Clinique are well-suited for acne-prone skin, with Lovi fit levels reaching High across their respective routines. Neutrogena offers acne-safe and gentle moisturizers, while Clinique provides options that help control oil and smooth the skin.

Neutrogena or Clinique for dry sensitive skin?

For dry sensitive skin, Lovi rates Clinique High and Neutrogena Average. The products on this page show Clinique fits dry sensitive skin better overall, while Neutrogena is unlikely to irritate as 35 of 39 products on this page list no fragrance.

Neutrogena or Clinique for mature skin?

Both Neutrogena and Clinique fit mature skin with a High level. Neutrogena offers many products on this page featuring retinol, which helps stimulate collagen accumulation and improve naturally aged skin.

The Journal of Investigative Dermatology, 2000Archives of Dermatology, 2007

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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