🇫🇷France

Neutrogena vs Dr. Barbara Sturm

Neutrogena and Dr. Barbara Sturm are two distinct skincare lines known, respectively, for moisturizers, sunscreens, and cleansers using glycerin and hyaluronic acid, and for gentle moisturizers, clarifying exfoliants, and nourishing serums built on scientifically advanced formulas. Both brands suit dry skin best, while the American brand also addresses mature skin and the German brand caters to sensitive and balanced skin. They differ primarily in their heritage, with the former founded in 1930 and owned by Kimberly-Clark Corporation since 2026, and the latter founded in 2014 and owned by Puig since 2024.

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

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Dr. Barbara Sturm is a German skincare brand founded in 2014 and owned by Puig since 2024.

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

People Say

NeutrogenaDr. Barbara Sturm
  • Deep hydration and plumping Mostly MentionedMostly 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”
    • “skin drank it up — Dr. Barbara Sturm Hyaluronic Serum”
    • “lines less visible — Dr. Barbara Sturm Hyaluronic Serum”
  • Fragrance-free and gentle formulas Mostly MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “leaves skin soft and balanced — Neutrogena Ultra Gentle Daily Cleanser”
    • “love that it has no scent — Neutrogena Ultra Gentle Daily Cleanser”
    • “doesn't irritate my sensitive skin — Dr. Barbara Sturm The Good C Vitamin C Serum”
    • “reduced redness — Dr. Barbara Sturm Hyaluronic Serum”
  • Lightweight texture and absorption 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”
    • “sinks in immediately — Dr. Barbara Sturm Hyaluronic Serum”
  • Skin texture, fine lines, and dark spots Sometimes NotedOften Mentioned
    • “skin texture is immediately more even — Dr. Barbara Sturm Enzyme Cleanser”
    • “Skin is looking smoother — Neutrogena Rapid Wrinkle Repair Regenerating Cream”
  • Cleansing and makeup removal Sometimes NotedOften Mentioned
    • “deep yet gentle cleanse — Dr. Barbara Sturm Enzyme Cleanser”
    • “dissolves stubborn waterproof mascara — Neutrogena Oil-Free Eye Makeup Remover”
  • Cooling and radiant glow sensation Rarely NotedSometimes Noted
    • “healthy glow — Dr. Barbara Sturm Hyaluronic Serum”
    • “Feels amazing and cold on the skin — Neutrogena Hydro Boost Hydrating Hydrogel Mask”
  • Price, value, and expensive 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 — Dr. Barbara Sturm Hyaluronic Serum”
  • Lack of immediate or minimal results Rarely NotedOften Mentioned
    • “Did nothing for wrinkles — Neutrogena Rapid Wrinkle Repair Regenerating Cream”
    • “did nothing — Dr. Barbara Sturm Hyaluronic Serum”
  • Strong fragrance and scent issues Sometimes NotedRarely Noted
    • “smells a bit weird — Dr. Barbara Sturm Enzyme Cleanser”
    • “Smell is too overpowering and lingering — Neutrogena Hydro Boost Water Gel”
  • Insufficient moisture and dry skin issues 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”
    • “face feels a bit tight — Dr. Barbara Sturm Enzyme Cleanser”

Questions and answers

Neutrogena or Dr. Barbara Sturm: which is better?

Neutrogena offers a much larger selection of products on this page across a wide range of skin types, whereas Dr. Barbara Sturm features only a few specialized formulas. Reviewers note that Neutrogena delivers deeply hydrating and lightweight moisturizers, while Dr. Barbara Sturm scores better for skin texture, fine lines, and dark spots.

What is the difference between Neutrogena and Dr. Barbara Sturm?

Neutrogena is a US-founded mass-market brand offering a large selection of mostly fragrance-free products with strong options for dry, mature, and acne-prone skin, whereas Dr. Barbara Sturm is a newer German luxury brand with a much smaller curated range. Reviewers note that Neutrogena delivers better lightweight textures and absorption, while Dr. Barbara Sturm excels in skin texture, fine lines, dark spots, cleansing, and cooling glow.

Neutrogena or Dr. Barbara Sturm: which moisturizer is better?

Neutrogena offers a wider variety of deeply hydrating and lightweight moisturizers that are well-suited for dry, mature, and acne-prone skin. Both brands utilize effective ingredients like hyaluronic acid to help improve skin moisture and support skin barrier function.

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

Which is more affordable, Neutrogena or Dr. Barbara Sturm?

Neutrogena is more affordable, as negative reviews for Dr. Barbara Sturm frequently mention its high price and costly nature.

Which causes fewer breakouts, Neutrogena or Dr. Barbara Sturm?

Both brands offer products on this page that help support acne-prone skin, with Neutrogena featuring options like the Ultra Gentle Daily Cleanser and Dr. Barbara Sturm offering the Enzyme Cleanser.

Between Neutrogena and Dr. Barbara Sturm, which brand offers better options for cleansing and makeup removal?

Dr. Barbara Sturm offers better options for cleansing and makeup removal than Neutrogena.

Which brand has more fragrance-free options, given that Neutrogena has some products with fragrance and Dr. Barbara Sturm lists no fragrance in its products?

Neutrogena offers more total fragrance-free options because it features thirty-four fragrance-free products on the page compared to three by Dr. Barbara Sturm, even though every product from Dr. Barbara Sturm is fragrance-free.

How do the founding years and countries of origin differ between Neutrogena and Dr. Barbara Sturm?

Neutrogena was founded in 1930 in the United States, whereas Dr. Barbara Sturm was founded in 2014 in Germany.

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.

How does it fit your skin?

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