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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 two American skincare brands offering thoughtfully formulated moisturizers, cleansers, and sunscreens. The first brand is known for utilizing glycerin, hyaluronic acid, and dimethicone, which suit sensitive and dry skin best by respecting delicate moisture barriers. Meanwhile, the second brand incorporates hyaluronic acid, glycerin, and caffeine, providing comforting and balancing ingredients that suit dry sensitive and oily skin best. While both brands feature standout solutions for acne-prone skin, dark spots, and mature skin, they differ in their specific product lineups and founding years of 1930 and 1968.

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..

en.wikipedia.orgelcompanies.combusinesswire.comglossy.co

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

See multi-brand routine · 98% fit

Neutrogena vs Clinique routines for oily skin

See multi-brand routine · 96% fit

Neutrogena vs Clinique routines for combination skin

See multi-brand routine · 95% fit

Questions and answers

Neutrogena or Clinique: which is better?

Neutrogena is better for combination skin, acne-prone skin, and skin with dark spots, where Lovi shows a High fit compared to Clinique's Average fit. For other skin types, both brands achieve equal routine fit levels on this page. Clinique does better for texture improvement and anti-aging, while Neutrogena offers better value and more intense hydration.

What is the difference between Neutrogena and Clinique?

Neutrogena is better for intense hydration and provides more options with a High routine fit across a wider variety of skin types like combination, acne-prone, and dark spots, whereas Clinique excels in texture improvement and anti-aging. Both brands are equal in offering fragrance-free and gentle formulas as well as lightweight textures.

Neutrogena or Clinique for dry skin?

Both Neutrogena and Clinique provide a High routine fit for dry skin among the products on this page. Neutrogena is noted for deeply hydrating moisturizers, while Clinique offers hydrating moisturizers that help deliver moisture to the skin.

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

Neutrogena or Clinique: which cleanser is better?

Neutrogena offers cleansers like Ultra Gentle Daily Cleanser with a Superior Lovi fit level for sensitive, acne-prone, and combination skin, while Clinique cleansers show lower fit levels across most skin types on this page.

Which is more affordable, Neutrogena or Clinique?

Neutrogena is more affordable, whereas Clinique is noted for having a high price point. Reviewers frequently mention pricing concerns for Neutrogena, but Clinique's higher cost is a prominent drawback across its products.

Between Neutrogena and Clinique, which brand performs better for mature skin?

Both Neutrogena and Clinique perform well for mature skin, as Lovi rates the routine fit for both brands as High. Retinol, found in products like Neutrogena Rapid Wrinkle Repair Regenerating Cream, helps improve naturally aged skin.

The Journal of Investigative Dermatology, 2000

How do the fragrance options differ between Neutrogena and Clinique products?

Neutrogena offers mostly fragrance-free products on the products on this page, but a few items do list fragrance. In contrast, Clinique includes no fragrance in any of the products on this page.

Which brand offers better results for skin with dark spots, Neutrogena or Clinique?

Neutrogena offers better results for skin with dark spots, as the products on this page achieve a High Lovi fit level for this skin type while Clinique products achieve an Average fit level. Niacinamide helps reduce cutaneous pigmentation.

The British Journal of Dermatology, 2002

Neutrogena or Clinique for oily skin?

Both Neutrogena and Clinique provide a High routine fit for oily skin. Reviewers note that Neutrogena delivers intense hydration while Clinique offers oil-controlling and smoothing moisturizers.

Neutrogena or Clinique: which moisturizer is better?

Neutrogena is better for moisturizers on this page, offering deeply hydrating options that reviewers mostly mention for being lightweight and non-greasy, whereas Clinique is noted for a higher price point. Hyaluronic acid helps bind moisture to the skin.

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

Neutrogena or Clinique for sensitive skin?

Both Neutrogena and Clinique have a High routine fit for sensitive skin among the products on this page. Neutrogena is noted for deeply hydrating moisturizers, while Clinique offers gentle and effective cleansers.

Neutrogena or Clinique for acne-prone skin?

Neutrogena is a better fit than Clinique for acne-prone skin, with Lovi routine fit levels of High compared to Clinique's Average. Neutrogena offers a wider variety of products on this page tailored to acne-prone skin, such as the Rapid Clear Treatment Pads and Stubborn Marks PM Treatment, which may help address breakouts.

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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