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Neutrogena vs Avène

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

Neutrogena and Avène are respected skincare brands that offer reliable moisturizers, sunscreens, and cleansers formulated with ingredients like glycerin, hyaluronic acid, and dimethicone. Both suit oily acne-prone skin and acne-prone skin best, providing targeted care for specific concerns through everyday essentials and specialized treatments. Neutrogena relies on active components to increase hydration, reduce wrinkles, and decrease water loss, while the French brand focuses on nourishing glycerin for profound relief without heaviness. Ultimately, deciding between the two American and European lines depends on whether one prefers the expansive heritage of the former or the soothing thermal focus of the latter.

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

Avène is a French skincare brand founded in 1990 and owned by Fondation Pierre Fabre.

pierre-fabre.comavene.co.ukaveneusa.com

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

Popular Neutrogena vs Avène products

People Say

NeutrogenaAvène
  • Acne-safe and gentle on sensitive skin Mostly MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “leaves skin soft and balanced — Neutrogena Ultra Gentle Daily Cleanser”
    • “love that it has no scent — Neutrogena Ultra Gentle Daily Cleanser”
    • “leaves face clean but not dry — Avène Cleanance”
    • “Perfect cleanser for sensitive skin. — Avène Milk Cleanser”
  • Deep hydration and moisture 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”
    • “Restores moisture barrier — Avène Cold Cream”
  • Lightweight and non-greasy texture Mostly MentionedRarely Noted
    • “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”
    • “absorbs very quickly — Avène Vitamin Activ Cg Radiance Concentrated Serum”
  • Improves texture and anti-aging Sometimes NotedSometimes Noted
    • “Skin is looking smoother — Neutrogena Rapid Wrinkle Repair Regenerating Cream”
    • “Deep lines have softened — Neutrogena Rapid Wrinkle Repair Regenerating Cream”
    • “I've noticed a definite improvement in the fine lines around my eyes — Avène RetrinAL EYES”
    • “skin feels smoother — Avène Vitamin Activ Cg Radiance Concentrated Serum”
  • Fast absorption Sometimes NotedSometimes Noted
    • “Absorbs quickly — Neutrogena Rapid Wrinkle Repair Regenerating Cream”
    • “Absorbs really well into my skin without leaving a greasy residue behind. — Neutrogena Retinol Regenerating Cream”
    • “Applies easily and quickly absorbs. — Neutrogena Hydro Boost Hyaluronic Acid Serum”
    • “Absorbs into skin without residue. — Avène Tolerance Control Soothing Skin Recovery Balm”
  • Makeup compatibility and base Sometimes NotedRarely 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”
    • “Works well under makeup — Neutrogena HYDRO BOOST WATER CREAM”
    • “Remove a all of the makeup with ease. — Avène Milk Cleanser”
  • Strong fragrance and scent issues Sometimes NotedSometimes Noted
    • “Smell is too overpowering and lingering — Neutrogena Hydro Boost Water Gel”
    • “Scent is so off-putting — Neutrogena Rapid Wrinkle Repair Regenerating Cream”
    • “The fragrance is very present. — Avène Milk Cleanser”
    • “smell is too strong — Avène Cleanance”
  • Price and quantity value Sometimes NotedRarely Noted
    • “Its a bit pricey but so worth it!! — Avène Tolerance Control Soothing Skin Recovery Balm”
    • “a bit pricey — Avène Cleanance”
    • “small tube — Avène Antirougeurs Fort Relief Concentrate”
    • “Jar is too small for the price — Neutrogena Hydro Boost Water Gel”
  • Skin irritation and reactions Sometimes NotedRarely Noted
    • “burned my skin — Avène Cleanance”
    • “caused burning sensation — Avène Vitamin Activ Cg Radiance Concentrated Serum”
    • “caused rash — Avène Antirougeurs Fort Relief Concentrate”
    • “Made my face very red — Neutrogena HYDRO BOOST WATER CREAM”

Neutrogena vs Avène routines for dry skin

See multi-brand routine · 98% fit

Neutrogena vs Avène routines for oily skin

See multi-brand routine · 95% fit

Neutrogena vs Avène routines for combination skin

See multi-brand routine · 94% fit

Questions and answers

Neutrogena or Avène: which is better?

Neutrogena is better for deep hydration, lightweight textures, fast absorption, and makeup compatibility, while Avène is better on price and quantity value as well as skin irritation and reactions.

What is the difference between Neutrogena and Avène?

Neutrogena is an American brand founded in 1930 that often performs better for deep hydration, lightweight textures, and fast absorption, while Avène is a French brand founded in 1990 that tends to have fewer price and skin irritation concerns among reviewers. Both brands achieve equal routine fit levels across all skin types on this page.

Neutrogena or Avène for dry skin?

Both Neutrogena and Avène offer a High routine fit for dry skin on the products on this page. Neutrogena helps deliver deep hydration, while Avène is unlikely to cause strong skin irritation or reactions.

Neutrogena or Avène: which cleanser is better?

Neutrogena does better on the products on this page for cleansers, providing options like Ultra Gentle Daily Cleanser that Lovi rates as Superior for sensitive skin and combination skin. Avène also offers gentle choices, such as Milk Cleanser which is High for sensitive skin, but the Neutrogena range generally achieves stronger overall fit ratings across various skin types.

Which is more affordable, Neutrogena or Avène?

Avène is more affordable, as reviewers on the products on this page note price and quantity value concerns less often than for Neutrogena.

Neutrogena or Avène: which brand offers better anti-aging benefits?

Both Neutrogena and Avène offer products on this page that help improve signs of aging with a High fit level for mature skin. Neutrogena features retinol, which is shown to help stimulate collagen accumulation in naturally aged skin.

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

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

Neutrogena has more fragrance-free products on this page than Avène, with 35 out of 39 products listing no fragrance compared to Avène's 7 out of 15.

Neutrogena or Avène: which is better for mature skin?

Both Neutrogena and Avène achieve a High Lovi fit for mature skin. Neutrogena additionally provides specialized anti-aging options containing retinol, which helps stimulate collagen accumulation in naturally aged skin.

The Journal of Investigative Dermatology, 2000

Neutrogena or Avène for oily skin?

Both Neutrogena and Avène offer a High routine fit for oily skin. Neutrogena is frequently highlighted by reviewers for its lightweight and fast-absorbing formulas.

Neutrogena or Avène: which moisturizer is better?

Neutrogena is better for moisturizers on this page, as reviewers mention they are deeply hydrating, lightweight, non-greasy, and fast-absorbing. Topical hyaluronic acid helps improve skin quality and signs of aging.

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

Neutrogena or Avène for sensitive skin?

Both Neutrogena and Avène have an equal High Lovi fit level for sensitive skin based on the products on this page. Reviewers note that both brands offer options that are gentle on sensitive skin.

Neutrogena or Avène: which sunscreen is better?

Neutrogena is a better fit for sunscreen on this page because several of the products on this page achieve a Superior fit level for multiple skin types, whereas Avène has fewer top-tier options.

Neutrogena or Avène for acne-prone skin?

Both Neutrogena and Avène offer a High routine fit for acne-prone skin on the products on this page. Neutrogena helps deliver faster absorption and deep hydration with ingredients like hyaluronic acid, while Avène helps soothe skin irritation with gentle formulations.

Dermatologic Therapy, 2022

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

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