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Clinique vs Shiseido

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

Clinique and Shiseido are heritage skincare brands, with the former founded in America in 1968 and the latter established in Japan in 1872. The American brand is widely loved for its thoughtful range of moisturizers, serums, makeup removers, and eye products combining hyaluronic acid, glycerin, and caffeine, while the Japanese brand is beloved for its thoughtful array of moisturizers, cleansers, sunscreens, and serums formulated with glycerin. Regarding suitability, the former suits dry skin and oily skin best, whereas the latter suits sensitive skin and mature skin best. Ultimately, they differ in their foundational origins and specific ingredient combinations, as the former utilizes hyaluronic acid, glycerin, and caffeine to balance moisture, control oil, and protect against UV radiation, while the latter relies on glycerin to significantly improve hydration and restore barrier function.

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

en.wikipedia.orgelcompanies.combusinesswire.comglossy.co

Shiseido is a Japanese skincare brand founded in 1872 and owned by Shiseido Company, Limited.

corp.shiseido.comen.wikipedia.orgmarketscreener.com

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

Popular Clinique vs Shiseido products

People Say

CliniqueShiseido
  • Hydration and Moisture Often MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “Immediate sensation of comfort — Shiseido Benefiance Wrinkle Smoothing Eye Cream”
    • “skin feels plump, soft and nourished, eliminates dryness, bouncy feel — Shiseido VITAL PERFECTION”
    • “Skin feels more hydrated — Shiseido Activating Essence”
    • “Keeps my dry patches at bay all day — Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion+”
  • Lightweight and Fast Absorbing Mostly MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “sinks in immediately — Clinique moisture surge”
    • “sinks in instantly — Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Gel”
    • “Lightweight, silky, non-sticky, sinks in instantly. — Shiseido Ultimune Power Infusing Concentrate”
    • “Airy-soft texture — Shiseido Essential Energy Hydrating Cream”
  • Texture and Softness Often MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “silky smooth, rich but non-greasy, absorbs quickly, melts into skin — Shiseido VITAL PERFECTION”
    • “foams into a rich cloud — Shiseido Clarifying Cleansing Foam”
    • “Velvety, rich cream texture — Shiseido Benefiance Wrinkle Smoothing Eye Cream”
    • “skin feels silky smooth — Clinique Smart Clinical Repair Wrinkle Correcting Serum”
  • Gentle and Non-Irritating Mostly MentionedRarely Noted
    • “never irritated my eyes — Clinique All About Eyes”
    • “No strong scent — Clinique Take The Day Off Cleansing Balm”
    • “No stinging eyes — Clinique Take The Day Off Cleansing Balm”
    • “No irritation — Shiseido Essential Energy Hydrating Cream”
  • Makeup Compatibility and Base Often MentionedRarely Noted
    • “Melts waterproof mascara — Clinique Take The Day Off Cleansing Balm”
    • “foundation glides on — Clinique moisture surge”
    • “holds concealer in place — Clinique All About Eyes”
    • “Great base for makeup — Shiseido Essential Energy Hydrating Cream”
  • Brightening and Radiance Rarely NotedOften Mentioned
    • “Skin looks brighter, more radiant, and "glowy." — Shiseido Ultimune Power Infusing Concentrate”
    • “faded pimple marks — Shiseido White Lucent Brightening Gel Cream”
    • “Eyes look more awake — Shiseido Benefiance Wrinkle Smoothing Eye Cream”
    • “wake up glowing — Clinique Moisture Surge Overnight Mask”
  • 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”
    • “Very expensive for the size — Shiseido Benefiance Wrinkle Smoothing Eye Cream”
  • Unpleasant or Strong Scent Sometimes NotedOften Mentioned
    • “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+”
    • “old lady smell — Shiseido Eudermine Revitalizing Essence”
  • Insufficient Hydration or Dryness Often MentionedRarely Noted
    • “Not enough for winter — Shiseido Essential Energy Hydrating Cream”
    • “left my skin squeaky dry — Shiseido Clarifying Cleansing Foam”
    • “skin felt tight — Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Gel”
  • Skin Irritation and Sensitivity Sometimes NotedSometimes Noted
    • “Blurry vision after use — Clinique Take The Day Off Cleansing Balm”
    • “Face stung and became red — Clinique Clarifying Lotion 2”
    • “increase your skin's sun sensitivity — Clinique Smart Clinical Repair Wrinkle Correcting Serum”
    • “Caused some irritation — Shiseido Bio-Performance Advanced Super Revitalizing Cream”

Clinique vs Shiseido routines for dry skin

Buy Clinique routine · S$253.28 · 95% fitBuy Shiseido routine · S$256.58 · 74% fitSee multi-brand routine · 99% fit

Clinique vs Shiseido routines for oily skin

Buy Clinique routine · S$486.90 · 94% fitBuy Shiseido routine · S$355.43 · 82% fitSee multi-brand routine · 96% fit

Clinique vs Shiseido routines for combination skin

Buy Clinique routine · S$382.80 · 94% fitBuy Shiseido routine · S$355.43 · 82% fitSee multi-brand routine · 97% fit

Questions and answers

Clinique or Shiseido: which is better?

Clinique is better for gentle, fragrance-free care, whereas Shiseido is better for deep hydration and luxurious textures. Reviewers note that Clinique has fewer scents and is less irritating, while Shiseido offers stronger radiance and moisture benefits.

What is the difference between Clinique and Shiseido?

Clinique is generally gentler and better for makeup compatibility, while Shiseido offers deeper hydration and luxurious textures. However, the products on this page show that Clinique tends to have a higher price point and occasional scent issues compared to Shiseido.

Clinique or Shiseido for dry skin?

Clinique is the better choice for dry skin, as Lovi rates its routine as Superior while Shiseido is rated Average. Additionally, the products on this page for Clinique are entirely fragrance-free, whereas most Shiseido products contain fragrance, which may help avoid skin irritation.

Clinique or Shiseido: which cleanser is better?

Clinique is better for gentle and non-irritating cleansing, as the products on this page are completely fragrance-free and the brand does better for gentle cleansers. Shiseido cleansers provide deep-cleansing and efficient benefits, though the brand is noted for having a strong fragrance across most of its cleansers.

Which is more affordable, Clinique or Shiseido?

Clinique is more affordable than Shiseido, as high price point is a notable drawback for Clinique while it is mostly mentioned for Shiseido.

Between Clinique and Shiseido, which brand is fragrance-free across all its products?

Clinique is fragrance-free across all its products, while Shiseido includes fragrance in the majority of the products on this page.

How do Clinique and Shiseido compare in terms of routine fit for mature skin?

For mature skin, Lovi finds that Clinique has a superior routine fit compared to Shiseido, which has a high routine fit. Both brands offer products with ingredients like hyaluronic acid and glycerin that help hydrate the skin and may improve signs of aging.

Dermatologic Therapy, 2022

Which brand performs better for brightening and radiance according to review themes?

Shiseido performs better for brightening and radiance according to review themes. Every product on the Clinique page lists no fragrance, whereas Shiseido has fragrance in most of its products on this page.

Clinique or Shiseido for oily skin?

For oily skin, Clinique offers a superior routine fit compared to Shiseido, which has a high routine fit on this page. Reviewers note that the products on this page help provide oil-controlling and smoothing benefits, with key ingredients like hyaluronic acid, glycerin, caffeine, and salicylic acid supporting skin quality.

Dermatologic Therapy, 2022Skin Pharmacology and Physiology, 2013

Clinique or Shiseido: which moisturizer is better?

Clinique is generally better for a gentle, fragrance-free moisturizer experience, while Shiseido offers luxurious textures with deep hydration. Lovi rates Clinique superior for dry, oily, and combination routines, whereas Shiseido products on this page often feature added fragrance.

Clinique or Shiseido for sensitive skin?

For sensitive skin, Clinique is the better choice because Lovi rates its routine fit as Superior, while Shiseido's routine fit is High. Additionally, review themes indicate that Clinique is more gentle and non-irritating, and the products on this page list no fragrance in their ingredients.

Clinique or Shiseido for acne-prone skin?

Clinique is the better choice for acne-prone skin, offering superior routine fit compared to Shiseido on this page. Lovi rates Clinique's routine fit for acne-prone skin as Superior, while Shiseido's routine fit is High.

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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