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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 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 · 98% fit

Neutrogena vs SK-II routines for oily skin

See multi-brand routine · 97% 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 and SK-II both offer strong options on this page, with Neutrogena standing out for deep hydration and SK-II excelling in anti-aging results. Retinol in Neutrogena helps stimulate collagen accumulation in naturally aged skin.

The Journal of Investigative Dermatology, 2000

What is the difference between Neutrogena and SK-II?

Neutrogena offers deeply hydrating and lightweight moisturizers with options like retinol, while SK-II delivers strong anti-aging and brightening benefits using pitera across the products on this page. Retinol helps improve aged skin, and hyaluronic acid supports skin moisture. Lovi finds both brands have a High fit for dry skin.

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

Neutrogena or SK-II for dry skin?

Neutrogena is a strong choice for dry skin, offering deeply hydrating moisturizers that help improve moisture levels. The products on this page for Neutrogena achieve a High routine fit for dry skin, while SK-II reaches a Superior fit level.

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

Neutrogena or SK-II: which moisturizer is better?

Neutrogena offers deeply hydrating and lightweight moisturizers that reviewers mention for anti-aging and acne-safe benefits, while SK-II features products like the Facial Treatment Essence with Pitera. For dry skin, the routine fit is High for Neutrogena and Superior for SK-II.

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

Which is more affordable, Neutrogena or SK-II?

Neutrogena is generally more affordable than SK-II, as reviewers note price versus quantity and high cost as a downside for Neutrogena, while SK-II is known as a luxury brand with a much higher price point across its products on this page.

Between Neutrogena and SK-II, which brand offers a better routine fit for dry sensitive skin?

SK-II offers a better routine fit for dry sensitive skin, as Lovi rates SK-II High for this skin type while Neutrogena is rated Average. SK-II features fragrance-free formulas across the products on this page, which helps reduce the risk of irritation.

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

Neutrogena has more fragrance-free products on this page than SK-II, with 35 options compared to all 7 of SK-II's products.

How do the founding years and corporate ownerships of Neutrogena and SK-II compare?

Neutrogena was founded in 1930 in the United States and has been owned by the Kimberly-Clark Corporation since 2026, whereas SK-II was founded in 1980 in Japan and has been owned by The Procter & Gamble Company since 1991.

Neutrogena or SK-II for oily skin?

For oily skin, Lovi rates both Neutrogena and SK-II as a High routine fit. The products on this page for Neutrogena include multiple oil-fighting options like the Clear Pore Oil-Eliminating Astringent, while SK-II features products like the Genoptics Ultraura Essence.

Neutrogena or SK-II for sensitive skin?

Neutrogena is a strong match for sensitive skin, with the products on this page offering a High routine fit. Reviewers often mention its gentle and sensitive skin safe formulas, helping deliver deep hydration without irritation.

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

Neutrogena or SK-II for acne-prone skin?

SK-II is a superior fit for acne-prone skin, while the products on this page for Neutrogena have a high fit level for this skin type.

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.

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