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Clinique vs Estée Lauder

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

Clinique and Estée Lauder are American skincare brands owned by The Estée Lauder Companies Inc. Founded in 1968, the former is widely loved for its thoughtful range of moisturizers, serums, makeup removers, and eye products, which thoughtfully incorporate hydrating hyaluronic acid, nourishing glycerin, and invigorating caffeine. Founded in 1946, the latter is beloved for a comprehensive range of moisturizers, serums, eye products, and cleansers, all expertly formulated with hydrating hyaluronic acid and glycerin. While the first suits dry sensitive skin and oily skin best, the second suits acne-prone skin and mature skin best, with both differing in their founding years, specific ingredient combinations, and targeted product solutions.

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

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Estée Lauder is an American skincare brand founded in 1946 and owned by The Estée Lauder Companies Inc..

en.wikipedia.orgelcompanies.com

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

Popular Clinique vs Estée Lauder products

People Say

CliniqueEstée Lauder
  • Hydration and Moisture Often MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “skin drinks it up immediately — Estée Lauder Advanced Night Repair”
    • “The formula is incredibly hydrating and leaves my skin feeling smooth. — Estée Lauder Re-Nutriv”
    • “texture is dreamy — Estée Lauder Advanced Night Repair Eye Supercharged Gel-Creme”
    • “Keeps my dry patches at bay all day — Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion+”
  • Lightweight and Fast Absorbing Texture Mostly MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “sinks in immediately — Clinique moisture surge”
    • “sinks in instantly — Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Gel”
    • “Absorbs quickly without feeling sticky — Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion+”
    • “Absorbs quickly into the skin — Estée Lauder Revitalizing Supreme+”
  • Gentle and Suitable for Sensitive Skin Mostly MentionedRarely Noted
    • “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”
    • “doesn't strip the skin — Estée Lauder Advanced Night Cleansing Gelée”
  • Skin Texture Improvement Sometimes NotedSometimes Noted
    • “skin feels silky smooth — Clinique Smart Clinical Repair Wrinkle Correcting Serum”
    • “leaves face porcelain smooth — Clinique 7 Day Scrub Cream Rinse-Off Formula”
    • “skin feels like a baby's bottom — Estée Lauder Advanced Night Repair”
    • “silky smooth — Estée Lauder Micro Essence Treatment Lotion”
  • Exfoliation and Cleansing Often MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “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 feels squeaky clean — Clinique Clarifying Lotion 2”
    • “Lathers well — Estée Lauder Soft Clean Moisture Rich Foaming Cleanser”
  • Good Base for Makeup Often MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “foundation glides on — Clinique moisture surge”
    • “holds concealer in place — Clinique All About Eyes”
    • “perfect primer base — Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Gel”
    • “doesn't pill — Estée Lauder Advanced Night Repair Eye Supercharged Gel-Creme”
  • High Price Point Often MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “jar is too small for the cost — Clinique moisture surge”
    • “quite pricey — Clinique Smart Clinical Repair Wrinkle Correcting Serum”
    • “Expensive for cleanser — Clinique Take The Day Off Cleansing Balm”
    • “way too expensive for the size — Estée Lauder Advanced Night Repair”
  • Unpleasant Scent or Strong Fragrance Rarely NotedOften Mentioned
    • “Smells like old oil — Clinique Take The Day Off Cleansing Balm”
    • “Has a weird plastic-like smell — Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion+”
    • “smells like plastic — Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Gel”
    • “Scent is too overpowering — Estée Lauder Revitalizing Supreme+”
  • Packaging Issues Rarely NotedSometimes Noted
    • “Unhygienic tub — Clinique Take The Day Off Cleansing Balm”
    • “prefer a pump dispenser — Clinique All About Eyes”
    • “pump dispenses too much — Clinique Smart Clinical Repair Wrinkle Correcting Serum”
    • “lid is hard to open — Estée Lauder Advanced Night Cleansing Gelée”

Clinique vs Estée Lauder routines for dry skin

See multi-brand routine · 98% fit

Clinique vs Estée Lauder routines for oily skin

See multi-brand routine · 95% fit

Clinique vs Estée Lauder routines for combination skin

See multi-brand routine · 94% fit

Questions and answers

Clinique or Estée Lauder: which is better?

Estée Lauder offers better hydration and deep moisture, while Clinique stands out for its lightweight textures and gentleness on sensitive skin. Reviewers note that both brands come with a high price point.

What is the difference between Clinique and Estée Lauder?

Clinique is better for lightweight textures, sensitive skin, and exfoliation, while Estée Lauder excels in deep hydration and anti-aging routines. Both brands feature hyaluronic acid and glycerin across their products.

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

Clinique or Estée Lauder for dry skin?

Estée Lauder fits dry skin better than Clinique, as Estée Lauder reaches a High routine fit for dry skin while Clinique reaches an Average fit. Estée Lauder products on this page help deliver deep hydration, which may improve dry skin.

Dermatologic Therapy, 2022

Clinique or Estée Lauder: which cleanser is better?

Clinique is better for exfoliation and cleansing on this page. Reviewers report that Estée Lauder cleansers tend to be gentle and non-drying, while Clinique cleansers are noted as being gentle and effective.

Which is more affordable, Clinique or Estée Lauder?

Clinique is often noted for a high price point, while Estée Lauder's high price point is mostly mentioned by reviewers, so neither brand is explicitly more affordable based on the page facts.

Clinique or Estée Lauder: which has better fragrance options?

Clinique is better for fragrance options because every product on the page lists no fragrance in its ingredients, whereas some Estée Lauder products contain strong fragrances.

Clinique or Estée Lauder for oily skin?

Clinique is better for oily skin, as Lovi rates its routine fit as High compared to an Average fit for Estée Lauder. Reviewers also note that Clinique offers better lightweight and fast-absorbing textures.

Clinique or Estée Lauder: which moisturizer is better?

Both Clinique and Estée Lauder offer great moisturizers, with Estée Lauder achieving a High routine fit for dry skin compared to Clinique's Average level. Reviewers mention that Estée Lauder provides deep hydration, while Clinique's moisturizers are known for being lightweight and fast-absorbing.

Clinique or Estée Lauder for sensitive skin?

Estée Lauder fits sensitive skin better, as Lovi rates its routine as High compared to Clinique's Average. Estée Lauder also offers deep hydration while Clinique has a high price point.

Clinique or Estée Lauder for acne-prone skin?

Estée Lauder is a better fit for acne-prone skin, as Lovi rates its routine as High compared to Clinique's Average fit level.

Clinique or Estée Lauder for mature skin?

Both Clinique and Estée Lauder fit mature skin with a High level. Estée Lauder provides deep hydration, while Clinique offers lightweight and fast-absorbing moisturizers, and both brands feature hyaluronic acid which helps support skin quality.

Dermatologic Therapy, 2022

Clinique or Estée Lauder for dry sensitive skin?

For dry sensitive skin, Clinique fits better than Estée Lauder, as Clinique reaches a High routine fit level compared to Estée Lauder's Average level. Additionally, reviewers report that the products on this page from Clinique are generally gentle and suitable for sensitive skin.

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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