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Clinique vs The INKEY List

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

Clinique and The INKEY List are well-regarded skincare brands that offer thoughtful selections of moisturizers, serums, eye products, and more to support diverse complexions. The American brand, founded in 1968, is widely loved for combining hyaluronic acid, glycerin, and caffeine, making its formulations best suited for dry and oily skin. Conversely, the British brand, founded in 2018, builds its products around glycerin, suiting dry and dry sensitive skin best. While both brands effectively address concerns like acne, dark spots, and aging through targeted items, they differ primarily in their founding heritage, ownership, and specific ingredient combinations.

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

en.wikipedia.orgelcompanies.combusinesswire.comglossy.co

The INKEY List is a British skincare brand founded in 2018 and owned by Brand Evangelists for Beauty Limited.

cosmeticsbusiness.comprnewswire.comtheinkeylist.comtracxn.com

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

Popular Clinique vs The INKEY List products

People Say

CliniqueThe INKEY List
  • Hydration and plumping effect Often MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “Keeps my dry patches at bay all day — Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion+”
    • “skin feels soft and smooth — Clinique Moisture Surge Overnight Mask”
    • “skin looks fresh and plump — The INKEY List Collagen Peptide Serum”
    • “Super hydrating — The INKEY List Polyglutamic Acid Serum”
  • Soothes and gentle for sensitive skin Mostly MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “never irritated my eyes — Clinique All About Eyes”
    • “No stinging eyes — Clinique Take The Day Off Cleansing Balm”
    • “cools the heat in my cheeks — Clinique Redness Solutions Daily Relief Cream”
    • “Safe and gentle especially for my dry, sensitive skin — The INKEY List Oat Cleansing Balm”
  • Lightweight and fast-absorbing texture Often MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “sinks in immediately — Clinique moisture surge”
    • “sinks in instantly — Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Gel”
    • “Gel consistency — The INKEY List Tranexamic Acid Serum”
    • “feels like applying straight up water to the skin — The INKEY List Omega Water Cream”
  • Good makeup base and compatibility Often MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “foundation glides on — Clinique moisture surge”
    • “holds concealer in place — Clinique All About Eyes”
    • “sits beautifully under makeup — The INKEY List Caffeine Eye Cream”
    • “no pilling under makeup — The INKEY List Hyaluronic Acid Serum”
  • Morning glow and skin smoothing Often MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “skin feels silky smooth — Clinique Smart Clinical Repair Wrinkle Correcting Serum”
    • “wake up glowing — Clinique Moisture Surge Overnight Mask”
    • “Skin feels softer — The INKEY List PHA Toner”
    • “Glass skin — The INKEY List Polyglutamic Acid Serum”
  • Reduces redness and blemishes Rarely NotedOften Mentioned
    • “Free of active acne — The INKEY List Salicylic Acid Cleanser”
    • “calms redness instantly — The INKEY List 10% Azelaic Acid Serum”
    • “Redness has lessened and the cluster of whiteheads... cleared. — The INKEY List Niacinamide Serum”
    • “keeps the redness at bay — Clinique Redness Solutions Daily Relief Cream”
  • Insufficient hydration or dryness Often MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “have dry skin but this doesn't feel hydrating at all — The INKEY List Omega Water Cream”
    • “leaves under eye dry — The INKEY List Caffeine Eye Cream”
    • “Leaves my skin a bit dry — The INKEY List Salicylic Acid Cleanser”
    • “skin felt tight — Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Gel”
  • High price and small size Often MentionedRarely Noted
    • “runs out quickly — The INKEY List Hyaluronic Acid Serum”
    • “tube is tiny — The INKEY List 10% Azelaic Acid Serum”
    • “jar is too small for the cost — Clinique moisture surge”
  • Causes breakouts and skin reactions Sometimes NotedSometimes Noted
    • “Woke up with whiteheads on my chin — Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion+”
    • “gave me tiny bumps — Clinique moisture surge”
    • “did cause major breakouts — The INKEY List Omega Water Cream”
    • “New formula breaks me out — The INKEY List Salicylic Acid Cleanser”

Clinique vs The INKEY List routines for dry skin

Buy The INKEY List routine · S$253.28 · 96% fitBuy Clinique routine · S$253.28 · 95% fitSee multi-brand routine · 99% fit

Clinique vs The INKEY List routines for oily skin

Buy Clinique routine · S$486.90 · 94% fitBuy The INKEY List routine · S$520.95 · 94% fitSee multi-brand routine · 96% fit

Clinique vs The INKEY List routines for combination skin

Buy Clinique routine · S$382.80 · 94% fitBuy The INKEY List routine · S$411.40 · 94% fitSee multi-brand routine · 97% fit

Questions and answers

Clinique or The INKEY List: which is better?

Both Clinique and The INKEY List perform equally well, as Lovi shows them tied with Superior routine fit across every skin type. Reviewers note that Clinique does better at soothing sensitive skin, while The INKEY List does better at reducing redness and blemishes.

What is the difference between Clinique and The INKEY List?

Both Clinique and The INKEY List provide products on the page with similar routine fit levels across major skin types, but Clinique is often noted as more soothing and gentle for sensitive skin, while The INKEY List is frequently praised for being more affordable.

Clinique or The INKEY List for dry skin?

Both Clinique and The INKEY List fit dry skin with a Superior routine level on the products on this page. Reviewers note that both brands offer hydrating moisturizers.

Clinique or The INKEY List: which cleanser is better?

Both Clinique and The INKEY List feature cleansers on the products on this page, and reviewers note that both brands offer gentle and effective options. Lovi finds that The INKEY List Salicylic Acid Cleanser has a High fit for acne-prone skin, while Clinique's all about clean has a Low fit for the same skin type.

Which is more affordable, Clinique or The INKEY List?

The INKEY List is more affordable, as reviewers often mention its low price point for both moisturizers and serums. In contrast, reviewers often mention Clinique's high price point.

Clinique or The INKEY List: which brand is better for reducing redness and blemishes?

The INKEY List does better than Clinique at reducing redness and blemishes among the products on this page.

Which brand offers better soothing and gentle options for sensitive skin, Clinique or The INKEY List?

Clinique is better for soothing and gentle options for sensitive skin. Review themes show that Clinique does better at soothing and being gentle for sensitive skin.

Clinique or The INKEY List: which brand has more packaging issues according to reviewers?

The INKEY List has more packaging issues, as reviewers often mention packaging problems for this brand compared to Clinique where this issue is not noted. Both brands offer fragrance-free products on the products on this page.

Clinique or The INKEY List for oily skin?

For oily skin, both Clinique and The INKEY List provide an equal routine fit. The products on this page help deliver lightweight hydration and oil control, while The INKEY List specifically stands out for reducing redness and blemishes.

Clinique or The INKEY List: which moisturizer is better?

Both Clinique and The INKEY List offer products on this page with High to Superior Lovi fit levels for moisturizers across various skin types. Reviewers note that both brands provide hydrating and lightweight, fast-absorbing moisturizers, while The INKEY List is also recognized for its affordable pricing.

Clinique or The INKEY List for sensitive skin?

Clinique and The INKEY List both offer an equal routine fit level of Superior for sensitive skin. Reviewers note that Clinique does better when it comes to soothing and being gentle for sensitive skin, while every product on the products on this page lists no fragrance in its ingredients.

Clinique or The INKEY List for acne-prone skin?

Both Clinique and The INKEY List achieve a Superior routine fit level for acne-prone skin on the products on this page. Reviewers note that The INKEY List reduces redness and blemishes better, while both brands are equal in causing breakouts and skin reactions.

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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