🇮🇪Ireland

Clinique vs The INKEY List

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

Clinique and The INKEY List are well-regarded skincare brands that offer thoughtful ranges of moisturizers, serums, eye products, and more. The American pioneer incorporates hyaluronic acid, glycerin, and caffeine into its lines to suit dry sensitive and oily skin, whereas the British brand builds its collection around glycerin to fit sensitive and combination skin best. While both cater to various complexions, they differ in their specific targeted treatments, such as the former brand featuring the Clarifying Do-Over Peel for acne-prone skin and the Smart Clinical Repair Lifting Face + Neck Cream for mature skin, and the latter brand offering the PHA Toner and the Bio-Active Ceramide Repairing and Plumping Moisturizer.

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

en.wikipedia.orgelcompanies.combusinesswire.comglossy.co

The INKEY List is a British skincare brand founded in 2018 and owned by Brand Evangelists for Beauty Limited.

cosmeticsbusiness.comprnewswire.comtheinkeylist.comtracxn.com

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

Popular Clinique vs The INKEY List products

People Say

CliniqueThe INKEY List
  • Hydration and plumping effect Often MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “Keeps my dry patches at bay all day — Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion+”
    • “skin feels soft and smooth — Clinique Moisture Surge Overnight Mask”
    • “skin looks fresh and plump — The INKEY List Collagen Peptide Serum”
    • “Super hydrating — The INKEY List Polyglutamic Acid Serum”
  • Soothes and gentle for sensitive skin Mostly MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “never irritated my eyes — Clinique All About Eyes”
    • “No stinging eyes — Clinique Take The Day Off Cleansing Balm”
    • “cools the heat in my cheeks — Clinique Redness Solutions Daily Relief Cream”
    • “Safe and gentle especially for my dry, sensitive skin — The INKEY List Oat Cleansing Balm”
  • Lightweight and fast-absorbing texture Often MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “sinks in immediately — Clinique moisture surge”
    • “sinks in instantly — Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Gel”
    • “Gel consistency — The INKEY List Tranexamic Acid Serum”
    • “feels like applying straight up water to the skin — The INKEY List Omega Water Cream”
  • Good makeup base and compatibility Often MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “foundation glides on — Clinique moisture surge”
    • “holds concealer in place — Clinique All About Eyes”
    • “sits beautifully under makeup — The INKEY List Caffeine Eye Cream”
    • “no pilling under makeup — The INKEY List Hyaluronic Acid Serum”
  • Morning glow and skin smoothing Often MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “skin feels silky smooth — Clinique Smart Clinical Repair Wrinkle Correcting Serum”
    • “wake up glowing — Clinique Moisture Surge Overnight Mask”
    • “Skin feels softer — The INKEY List PHA Toner”
    • “Glass skin — The INKEY List Polyglutamic Acid Serum”
  • Reduces redness and blemishes Rarely NotedOften Mentioned
    • “Free of active acne — The INKEY List Salicylic Acid Cleanser”
    • “calms redness instantly — The INKEY List 10% Azelaic Acid Serum”
    • “Redness has lessened and the cluster of whiteheads... cleared. — The INKEY List Niacinamide Serum”
    • “keeps the redness at bay — Clinique Redness Solutions Daily Relief Cream”
  • Insufficient hydration or dryness Often MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “have dry skin but this doesn't feel hydrating at all — The INKEY List Omega Water Cream”
    • “leaves under eye dry — The INKEY List Caffeine Eye Cream”
    • “Leaves my skin a bit dry — The INKEY List Salicylic Acid Cleanser”
    • “skin felt tight — Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Gel”
  • High price and small size Often MentionedRarely Noted
    • “runs out quickly — The INKEY List Hyaluronic Acid Serum”
    • “tube is tiny — The INKEY List 10% Azelaic Acid Serum”
    • “jar is too small for the cost — Clinique moisture surge”
  • Causes breakouts and skin reactions Sometimes NotedSometimes Noted
    • “Woke up with whiteheads on my chin — Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion+”
    • “gave me tiny bumps — Clinique moisture surge”
    • “did cause major breakouts — The INKEY List Omega Water Cream”
    • “New formula breaks me out — The INKEY List Salicylic Acid Cleanser”

Clinique vs The INKEY List routines for dry skin

See multi-brand routine · 98% fit

Clinique vs The INKEY List routines for oily skin

See multi-brand routine · 96% fit

Clinique vs The INKEY List routines for combination skin

See multi-brand routine · 95% fit

Questions and answers

Clinique or The INKEY List: which is better?

The INKEY List holds the advantage on this page for sensitive skin with a Superior routine fit, while both brands reach a High fit level for dry skin, oily skin, mature skin, dry sensitive skin, and oily acne-prone skin. The INKEY List does better at reducing redness and blemishes, whereas Clinique is noted for soothing and being gentle for sensitive skin. Reviewers often mention that Clinique has a high price point, while The INKEY List offers affordable moisturizers and serums.

What is the difference between Clinique and The INKEY List?

The INKEY List offers a Superior routine fit for sensitive skin and a High fit for combination and acne-prone skin, whereas Clinique provides an Average routine fit for those types. Both brands feature fragrance-free products on the products on this page.

Clinique or The INKEY List for dry skin?

Both Clinique and The INKEY List provide a High routine fit level for dry skin. Reviewers mention that the products on this page from both brands offer hydrating moisturizers, though The INKEY List tends to be more affordable.

Clinique or The INKEY List: which cleanser is better?

The products on this page show that both brands offer effective cleansers, with Clinique achieving a High fit level for dry and sensitive skin, while The INKEY List achieves a High fit level for oily, combination, and acne-prone skin.

Which is more affordable, Clinique or The INKEY List?

The INKEY List is more affordable, as reviewers on the products on this page often mention its high price point as a downside for Clinique while noting affordability for The INKEY List.

Clinique or The INKEY List: which brand is better suited for mature skin?

Both Clinique and The INKEY List are well suited for mature skin, as the products on this page offer a High routine fit for this skin type.

Clinique or The INKEY List: which offers better options for reducing dark spots?

The INKEY List offers better options for reducing dark spots, as the products on this page achieve a High routine fit for skin with dark spots compared to Clinique's Average fit.

Clinique or The INKEY List: how do their packaging and scent reviews compare?

The INKEY List has packaging issues that are often mentioned by reviewers, while Clinique has no such mentions. Scent-wise, both brands list no fragrance in their ingredients, though reviewers sometimes note an unpleasant smell or scent for The INKEY List.

Clinique or The INKEY List for oily skin?

Both Clinique and The INKEY List fit oily skin at a High routine level based on the products on this page. Reviewers report that both brands offer lightweight and fast-absorbing moisturizers, and both avoid fragrance in their formulations.

Clinique or The INKEY List: which moisturizer is better?

Both Clinique and The INKEY List offer high fit levels for moisturizers, with Clinique delivering hydrating options often noted for being lightweight and fast-absorbing, while The INKEY List provides affordable, plumping, and firming moisturizers. Reviewers frequently mention Clinique's high price point compared to The INKEY List's more affordable serums and moisturizers, though both brands feature products on this page that list no fragrance in their ingredients.

Clinique or The INKEY List for sensitive skin?

The INKEY List is better for sensitive skin on this page, offering a Superior routine fit compared to Clinique's High fit.

Clinique or The INKEY List for acne-prone skin?

The INKEY List is a better fit for acne-prone skin, offering a High routine fit compared to Clinique's Average fit level.

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