🇩🇪Germany

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 offering moisturizers, sunscreens, cleansers, toners, serums, and masks that suit dry skin, acne-prone skin, and mature skin. The American brand relies on trusted ingredients like glycerin, hyaluronic acid, and dimethicone, while the Japanese brand is anchored by its signature ingredient, pitera. Through daily use, the former provides moisture-binding and barrier-supporting formulas, whereas the latter offers formulations designed to address imbalances and improve pore area, roughness, and redness.

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

See multi-brand routine · 99% fit

Neutrogena vs SK-II routines for oily skin

See multi-brand routine · 96% fit

Neutrogena vs SK-II routines for combination skin

See multi-brand routine · 96% fit

Questions and answers

Neutrogena or SK-II: which is better?

Neutrogena is better for deep hydration, lightweight textures, and sensitive skin, while SK-II does better for skin texture improvement and radiant glow. The products on this page offer extensive options, with Neutrogena featuring key ingredients like hyaluronic acid and retinol, which helps with anti-aging effects.

Dermatologic Therapy, 2022The Journal of Investigative Dermatology, 2000

What is the difference between Neutrogena and SK-II?

Neutrogena is a United States brand founded in 1930 that leans on ingredients like retinol and hyaluronic acid, whereas SK-II is a Japanese brand founded in 1980 that builds its formulas around Pitera. The products on this page show that Neutrogena fits dry, mature, and sensitive skin best, while SK-II fits dry, acne-prone, and oily skin best.

The Journal of Investigative Dermatology, 2000Journal of Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences, 2015

Neutrogena or SK-II for dry skin?

For dry skin, both brands work well, with SK-II achieving a superior routine fit compared to Neutrogena's high fit. Neutrogena offers deeply hydrating moisturizers that help combat dryness using ingredients like hyaluronic acid.

Journal of Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences, 2015Dermatologic Therapy, 2022

Neutrogena or SK-II: which moisturizer is better?

Neutrogena and SK-II both offer moisturizers that help deliver deep hydration, with Neutrogena standing out for its deeply hydrating moisturizers and SK-II leading in skin texture improvement and anti-aging. The products on this page feature key ingredients like hyaluronic acid, which helps with skin quality and aging, and retinol, which stimulates collagen accumulation in aged skin.

Dermatologic Therapy, 2022The Journal of Investigative Dermatology, 2000

Which is more affordable, Neutrogena or SK-II?

Neutrogena is more affordable than SK-II, though reviewers note some packaging and value concerns for Neutrogena products on this page.

Neutrogena or SK-II: which brand has more products containing fragrance?

Neutrogena has more products containing fragrance, as 4 of the products on this page list fragrance, whereas every SK-II product lists no fragrance.

Neutrogena or SK-II: which is better for dry sensitive skin based on routine fit?

SK-II is better for dry sensitive skin, as Lovi rates its routine fit as Superior while Neutrogena is Average.

What are the main key ingredients found across Neutrogena products compared to SK-II?

The products on this page for Neutrogena feature key ingredients like glycerin, hyaluronic acid, dimethicone, avobenzone, vitamin C, salicylic acid, retinol, and homosalate, whereas SK-II relies exclusively on Pitera.

The Journal of Investigative Dermatology, 2000Journal of Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences, 2015

Neutrogena or SK-II for oily skin?

For oily skin, both Neutrogena and SK-II achieve a high routine fit, with SK-II reaching a superior level on the products on this page. Neutrogena helps deliver a lightweight and non-greasy texture, while SK-II features products entirely free of added fragrance.

Neutrogena or SK-II for sensitive skin?

Neutrogena is a good option for sensitive skin as the products on this page have a High routine fit for this skin type. SK-II also achieves a High routine fit for sensitive skin.

Neutrogena or SK-II for acne-prone skin?

For acne-prone skin, SK-II achieves a Superior Lovi fit level, whereas Neutrogena reaches a High Lovi fit level on this page.

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?

Scan your face, then any product: Lovi shows how well it fits you and what fits even better.

QR code: get the Lovi app
Download on theApp Store Get it onGoogle Play