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The Ordinary vs Clinique

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

The Ordinary and Clinique are distinct skincare brands under The Estée Lauder Companies Inc. umbrella, offering carefully formulated serums, moisturizers, cleansers, and eye products built around key ingredients like hyaluronic acid, glycerin, and squalane or caffeine. While the Canadian brand focuses on dry and sensitive skin with targeted treatments like Niacinamide and Lactic Acid, the American brand suits dry sensitive skin and oily skin best through balancing solutions such as the Clarifying Do-Over Peel. Both brands utilize hyaluronic acid to lengthen the duration of wrinkle reduction and glycerin to increase hydration and barrier function, though they differ as the former relies on squalane for collagen production while the latter incorporates caffeine for UV protection.

The Ordinary is a Canadian skincare brand founded in 2016 and owned by The Estée Lauder Companies Inc. since 2021.

glossy.coen.wikipedia.org

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 The Ordinary and Clinique products; for every product of both brands, with a fit score for your own skin, use the Lovi app.

Popular The Ordinary vs Clinique products

People Say

The OrdinaryClinique
  • Great value and price Mostly MentionedRarely Noted
    • “lasts forever — The Ordinary Glycolic Acid 7% Toning Solution”
    • “can't beat the price — The Ordinary Salicylic Acid 2% Solution”
    • “extremely affordable — The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1%”
    • “lasts forever — Clinique all about clean”
  • Gentle and non-irritating Sometimes NotedOften Mentioned
    • “never irritated my eyes — Clinique All About Eyes”
    • “No stinging eyes — Clinique Take The Day Off Cleansing Balm”
    • “doesn't dry out — Clinique all about clean”
    • “Leaves my face feeling soft and not tight at all. — The Ordinary Squalane Cleanser”
  • Improves skin texture Often MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “glass skin effect — The Ordinary Glycolic Acid 7% Toning Solution”
    • “skin feels baby butt smooth — The Ordinary AHA 30% + BHA 2% Peeling Solution”
    • “skin looks smoother and brighter — The Ordinary Azelaic Acid Suspension 10%”
    • “skin feels silky smooth — Clinique Smart Clinical Repair Wrinkle Correcting Serum”
  • Lightweight absorption Sometimes NotedOften Mentioned
    • “sinks in immediately — Clinique moisture surge”
    • “sinks in instantly — Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Gel”
    • “Absorbs quickly without feeling sticky — Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion+”
    • “Sinks in immediately — The Ordinary Multi-Peptide + Copper Peptides 1% Serum”
  • Hydration and plumping Sometimes NotedOften Mentioned
    • “Keeps my dry patches at bay all day — Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion+”
    • “skin feels soft and smooth — Clinique Moisture Surge Overnight Mask”
    • “glass skin look — Clinique moisture surge”
    • “skin feels immediately hydrated — The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5”
  • Clears acne and blemishes Often MentionedNot noted
    • “pimples disappear within a day — The Ordinary Salicylic Acid 2% Solution”
    • “scars and hormonal acne faded — The Ordinary Azelaic Acid Suspension 10%”
    • “faded dark spots — The Ordinary Glycolic Acid 7% Toning Solution”
  • Pricey or expensive for brand Rarely NotedOften Mentioned
    • “Expensive for Ordinary — The Ordinary Multi-Peptide + Copper Peptides 1% Serum”
    • “jar is too small for the cost — Clinique moisture surge”
  • Sticky or tacky finish Often MentionedRarely Noted
    • “feels sticky to the touch — Clinique moisture surge”
    • “feels a bit sticky — Clinique Moisture Surge Overnight Mask”
    • “feels very sticky — The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5”
  • Causes breakouts Rarely NotedSometimes Noted
    • “broke me out in cysts — The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1%”
    • “broke me out in cysts — The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5”
    • “gave me cystic acne — The Ordinary Glycolic Acid 7% Toning Solution”
    • “Woke up with whiteheads on my chin — Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion+”
  • Skin irritation and stinging Often MentionedRarely Noted
    • “Face stung and became red — Clinique Clarifying Lotion 2”
    • “irritated AF the next day — The Ordinary AHA 30% + BHA 2% Peeling Solution”

The Ordinary vs Clinique routines for dry skin

See multi-brand routine · 99% fit

The Ordinary vs Clinique routines for oily skin

See multi-brand routine · 95% fit

The Ordinary vs Clinique routines for combination skin

See multi-brand routine · 95% fit

Questions and answers

The Ordinary or Clinique: which is better?

The products on this page show that The Ordinary generally provides better routine fit levels and affordability, while Clinique is often noted for its lightweight hydration and gentle formulations. Hyaluronic acid helps improve skin quality and hydration across both brands.

Dermatologic Therapy, 2022

What is the difference between The Ordinary and Clinique?

The Ordinary generally offers a superior routine fit for dry, oily, combination, sensitive, acne-prone, and mature skin types compared to Clinique. Reviewers highlight The Ordinary for great value and price, while Clinique is praised for its hydrating moisturizers.

The Ordinary or Clinique for dry skin?

The Ordinary is a better fit for dry skin, offering Superior routine fit compared to Clinique's Average level. Hyaluronic acid helps improve skin hydration and quality.

Dermatologic Therapy, 2022

The Ordinary or Clinique: which cleanser is better?

Both The Ordinary and Clinique offer effective cleansers, but the products on this page show that The Ordinary has broader suitability across skin types such as dry and sensitive skin. For instance, The Ordinary Glycolipid Cream Cleanser has a High Lovi fit for dry and sensitive skin, whereas Clinique cleansers like all about clean may present a Warning for dry skin.

Which is more affordable, The Ordinary or Clinique?

The Ordinary provides better value and is more affordable than Clinique. The products on this page are frequently praised by reviewers for their affordability and great value.

Between The Ordinary and Clinique, which brand has better options for fading dark spots?

The Ordinary provides superior options for skin with dark spots among the products on this page compared to Clinique. Niacinamide helps reduce cutaneous pigmentation and suppresses melanosome transfer.

The British Journal of Dermatology, 2002

How do The Ordinary and Clinique compare in terms of skin texture improvement?

When it comes to skin texture improvement, The Ordinary is the better choice because the products on this page offer superior texture-smoothing serums and targeted acid treatments that reviewers frequently praise. Lovi rates The Ordinary as having a Superior routine fit for skin texture concerns like combination, oily, and dry skin.

Which brand performs better for mature skin routines, The Ordinary or Clinique?

The Ordinary performs better for mature skin routines, offering a Superior routine fit compared to Clinique's High fit level on the products on this page. Topical use of retinol, found in several formulas, may help improve the appearance of naturally aged skin by stimulating collagen accumulation.

The Journal of Investigative Dermatology, 2000Archives of Dermatology, 2007

The Ordinary or Clinique for oily skin?

The Ordinary offers a Superior fit for oily skin, whereas Clinique provides a High fit on the products on this page. Niacinamide helps reduce cutaneous pigmentation and suppresses melanosome transfer.

The British Journal of Dermatology, 2002

The Ordinary or Clinique: which moisturizer is better?

The Ordinary offers better-fitting moisturizers for dry skin, where the products on this page achieve a Superior routine fit compared to Clinique's Average fit. Hyaluronic acid helps provide hydration and plumping effects, which may benefit skin quality and signs of aging.

Dermatologic Therapy, 2022

The Ordinary or Clinique for sensitive skin?

The Ordinary is a better fit for sensitive skin, offering a Superior routine fit compared to Clinique's Average fit on the products on this page.

The Ordinary or Clinique for acne-prone skin?

The Ordinary is a better fit for acne-prone skin, offering superior routine performance on this page compared to Clinique's average fit. Reviewers also note that the products on this page excel at clearing acne and blemishes.

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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