🇬🇧United Kingdom

Neutrogena vs SK-II

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

Neutrogena and SK-II are prominent skincare brands offering moisturizers, sunscreens, cleansers, toners, serums, and masks that suit dry skin, acne-prone skin, and mature skin. The American brand relies on trusted ingredients like glycerin, hyaluronic acid, and dimethicone, while the Japanese brand is anchored by its signature ingredient, pitera. Through daily use, the former provides moisture-binding and barrier-supporting formulas, whereas the latter offers formulations designed to address imbalances and improve pore area, roughness, and redness.

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

SK-II is a Japanese skincare brand founded in 1980 and owned by The Procter & Gamble Company since 1991.

en.wikipedia.orgdiscoversk-ii.wixsite.comglossy.co

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

Popular Neutrogena vs SK-II products

People Say

NeutrogenaSK-II
  • Deep and intense hydration 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”
    • “flooded my skin with moisture — SK-II Facial Treatment Mask”
  • Lightweight and non-greasy texture Mostly MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “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”
    • “drinks right into the skin — SK-II Facial Treatment Essence”
  • Gentle and sensitive skin safe Mostly MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “leaves skin soft and balanced — Neutrogena Ultra Gentle Daily Cleanser”
    • “love that it has no scent — Neutrogena Ultra Gentle Daily Cleanser”
    • “calms my acne prone skin — Neutrogena Ultra Gentle Daily Cleanser”
    • “Watery consistency — SK-II Facial Treatment Clear Lotion”
  • Skin texture improvement and anti-aging Sometimes NotedOften Mentioned
    • “skin feels soft as butter — SK-II Facial Treatment Essence”
    • “pores became miraculously invisible — SK-II Facial Treatment Mask”
    • “Smoother skin — SK-II Facial Treatment Clear Lotion”
    • “Skin is looking smoother — Neutrogena Rapid Wrinkle Repair Regenerating Cream”
  • Soft skin and radiant glow Rarely NotedMostly Mentioned
    • “gives a glass skin look — SK-II Facial Treatment Essence”
    • “leaves me with a red carpet glow — SK-II Facial Treatment Mask”
    • “My skin is glowing now. — SK-II Genoptics Ultraura Essence”
    • “Face felt baby soft afterwards — Neutrogena Hydro Boost Hydrating Hydrogel Mask”
  • Makeup compatibility and primer qualities Sometimes NotedSometimes 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”
    • “Removes leftover dirt — SK-II Facial Treatment Clear Lotion”
    • “Dissolves waterproof mascara, melts stubborn makeup, removes sunscreen easily. — SK-II Facial Treatment Cleansing Oil”
  • Price versus quantity and high cost Sometimes NotedMostly Mentioned
    • “Jar is too small for the price — Neutrogena Hydro Boost Water Gel”
    • “Runs out quickly — Neutrogena HYDRO BOOST WATER CREAM”
    • “Tube is tiny for the cost — Neutrogena Hydro Boost Eye Gel-Cream”
    • “way too expensive — SK-II Facial Treatment Essence”
  • Strong fragrance and scent issues Sometimes NotedOften Mentioned
    • “Smell is too overpowering and lingering — Neutrogena Hydro Boost Water Gel”
    • “Scent is so off-putting — Neutrogena Rapid Wrinkle Repair Regenerating Cream”
    • “smells like dirty feet — SK-II Facial Treatment Essence”
    • “smells slightly like saliva — SK-II Facial Treatment Mask”
  • Lack of immediate or underwhelming results Rarely NotedOften Mentioned
    • “Did nothing for wrinkles — Neutrogena Rapid Wrinkle Repair Regenerating Cream”
    • “did absolutely nothing — SK-II Facial Treatment Essence”
  • Packaging and design concerns Sometimes NotedRarely Noted
    • “cotton is too thick and heavy — SK-II Facial Treatment Mask”
    • “Eye holes are too small — Neutrogena Hydro Boost Hydrating Hydrogel Mask”

Neutrogena vs SK-II routines for dry skin

Buy SK-II routine · £225.40 · 91% fitBuy Neutrogena routine · £135.42 · 87% fitSee multi-brand routine · 99% fit

Neutrogena vs SK-II routines for oily skin

Buy SK-II routine · £339.53 · 88% fitBuy Neutrogena routine · £154.72 · 77% fitSee multi-brand routine · 97% fit

Neutrogena vs SK-II routines for combination skin

Buy SK-II routine · £308.34 · 87% fitBuy Neutrogena routine · £177.52 · 80% fitSee multi-brand routine · 96% fit

Questions and answers

Neutrogena or SK-II: which is better?

Neutrogena is better for deep hydration, lightweight texture, and sensitive skin, whereas SK-II does better for skin texture improvement and a radiant glow. Lovi rates the routine fit for dry sensitive skin as High for SK-II and Average for Neutrogena, while both brands achieve High fit levels for all other skin types.

Neutrogena or SK-II for dry skin?

SK-II delivers a Superior routine fit for dry skin, whereas Neutrogena has a High routine fit for dry skin on this page. Reviewers report that Neutrogena does better for deep and intense hydration across the products on this page.

Neutrogena or SK-II: which moisturizer is better?

Neutrogena is a better choice for moisturizers based on the products on this page, as reviewers highlight its deep and intense hydration as well as lightweight and non-greasy textures. SK-II also offers moisturizers like the Facial Treatment Essence, but reviewers note that SK-II struggles more with packaging and design concerns.

Which is more affordable, Neutrogena or SK-II?

Neutrogena is generally more affordable than SK-II, as reviewers on the page frequently mention price versus quantity concerns for Neutrogena while SK-II is a high-cost luxury brand.

Between Neutrogena and SK-II, which brand has better fragrance-free options?

Neutrogena has better fragrance-free options on this page, as 35 of its 39 products list no fragrance. SK-II also offers fragrance-free choices, with every product on its page listing no fragrance.

How do the founding years and corporate ownership of Neutrogena and SK-II compare?

Neutrogena was founded in 1930 in the United States and has been owned by Kimberly-Clark Corporation since 2026, whereas SK-II was founded in 1980 in Japan and is owned by The Procter & Gamble Company since 1991.

Which brand performs better for skin texture improvement and anti-aging according to reviewers?

SK-II performs better for skin texture improvement and anti-aging according to reviewers. Retinol helps reduce signs of aging.

The Journal of Investigative Dermatology, 2000

Neutrogena or SK-II for oily skin?

Neutrogena and SK-II both deliver a High routine fit for oily skin. Reviewers note that Neutrogena does better for a lightweight and non-greasy texture, while SK-II uses a fragrance-free formula across the products on this page.

Neutrogena or SK-II for sensitive skin?

Both Neutrogena and SK-II achieve a High routine fit for sensitive skin, while the products on this page for SK-II also list no fragrance. Neutrogena is noted for being gentle and sensitive skin safe, and hyaluronic acid helps with hydration.

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

Neutrogena or SK-II for acne-prone skin?

For acne-prone skin, both Neutrogena and SK-II achieve a High routine fit level on this page. Reviewers note that Neutrogena helps provide deep hydration and gentle care, while the products on this page for SK-II rely on Pitera.

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?

Scan your face, then any product: Lovi shows how well it fits you and what fits even better.

QR code: get the Lovi app
Download on theApp Store Get it onGoogle Play