Clinique

Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion.

Moisturizers

About this product

A lightweight, fragrance-free moisturizing lotion designed to hydrate and nourish without feeling heavy or greasy.

Full ingredients

Water, Mineral Oil/Paraffinum Liquidum/Huile Minerale, Glycerin, Petrolatum, Stearic Acid, Glyceryl Stearate, Sesamum Indicum (Sesame) Oil, Urea, Lanolin Alcohol, Triethanolamine, Hordeum Vulgare (Barley) Extract/Extrait D'Orge, Cucumis Sativus (Cucumber) Fruit Extract, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seedcake, Propylene Glycol Dicaprate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Butylene Glycol, Pentylene Glycol, Trisodium Edta, Phenoxyethanol, Yellow 6 (Ci 15985), Yellow 5 (Ci 19140), Red 33 (Ci 17200)

Guru Score

78%

Yay

4 experts · Moderate agreement

4Gurus

4Yay

0Mixed

0Nay

What they liked

Lightweight, non-irritating formula
Hydrating without feeling greasy on normal skin
Fragrance-free

What they flagged

Can leave oily skin feeling shiny
May not hydrate dry or sensitive skin adequately

What the gurus are saying

This lotion earns strong praise for being lightweight, non-irritating, and hydrating without heaviness, making it a beloved staple for many. However, it split reviewers by skin type: those with very dry or sensitive skin found it left flakiness and redness despite feeling moisturized on application, while others with balanced or oily skin appreciated its non-greasy finish. It may work best for people whose dryness stems from barrier issues rather than pure moisture need, so patch-testing first is wise if your skin runs reactive.

Synthesized from 4 expert reviews · most recent take July 2026

Best for

Combination skinNormal skin

Type

MoisturizersLotion

Key actives

Hyaluronic acid

Formula notes

Fragrance-freeNo drying alcohol

Where to buy

Amazon → Google →

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What the gurus are saying.

Every take we've logged from this product's reviews across YouTube. Click any row to watch the moment they said it.

All takes Yay takes Nay takes Mixed takes Hide sponsored

Doctorly

3.58M subs

✓Yay

"The Clinique Dramatically Different moisturizer is something my wife used for a long time before becoming a Remedy user, and her sister still uses it too. It has a buttery finish but it's a lighter weight lotion, the yellow bottle many will recognize. It's really just a consistently good moisturizer for normal skin."

No BS Beauty

89k subs

✓Yay

"Their yellow dramatically different moisturizer is probably one of the ones that's been around the longest. I remember in the '90s of Clinique becoming popular for sensitive skin and buying moisturizers thinking it would help my skin. My skin was obviously dry but it just was never enough to really make a difference. I just kept thinking applying more moisturizer would help, and obviously we know now just moisturizer in and of itself for problematic skin is not enough."

All 3 takes from No BS Beauty

A Lifetime of Moisturizer Testing 💧💦 What Actually Held Up & My Most Purchased Face Creams

"The Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion [...] came in a clear bottle. I always thought my skin was dry and it would always be flaky and I'd put this on and then it would be flaky and oily. So it wasn't really a moisturizer I liked. [...] I probably used it for a year solid, not quite realizing that just putting oily moisturizer on your skin isn't enough sometimes. I had issues with dryness, so I'd apply this moisturizer and for me it didn't work. [...] It would make my skin feel moisturized, but then still flaky and red and itchy. [...] I'm not really recommending it per se. I'm sure there's some people that it works for, but that was a good year, year and a half of using that where I just couldn't figure out why my skin was always still looking red and flaky."

The Most Revolutionary Skincare Brands & People in Over the Years

A Decade Worth of Holy Grail Moisturizers & Face Creams - My Favorites Over the Past 10 Years

"It's basically probably my first moisturizer I ever used and the only one really I used up until I started getting into skincare. It was affordable and fragrance-free, although to be honest I don't think it was really made for my skin type. It always felt kind of greasy and shiny. It seems to work well for a lot of people, but for me I guess it was good enough to get me into skincare."

James Welsh

1.58M subs

✓Yay

"Their Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion became an instant hero product of theirs, loved for its lightweight, non-irritating formula. Today it's still one of Clinique's bestselling products worldwide."

Top Pick: hero product

Dr. Jenny Liu

321k subs

✓Yay

"My Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion is a little bit more nourishing but still not super heavy, and that's going to help my skin repair itself overnight."

All 2 takes from Dr. Jenny Liu

Dermatologist skincare picks for Chinese New Year | Dr. Jenny Liu

"Clinique's Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion is one to gift. Clinique is such a wonderful brand, and I also feel like it's very popular amongst Asian women. This moisturizer itself is just lovely. It's really their iconic moisturizer for a reason: it's hydrating yet nourishing at the same time, not heavy or greasy, and has wonderful ingredients. Plus, Clinique actually has a Chinese New Year limited edition that comes in this beautifully red bottle with Dragon details, so if you gift this to Mom or Auntie it's definitely going to earn you more Red Envelope points in the future."

Dermatologist Travel Skincare | Dr. Jenny Liu

"My Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion is a little bit more nourishing but still not super heavy, and that's going to help my skin repair itself overnight."

What the evidence says.

Independent of what the gurus think, this is what the published research supports about the main active ingredients here.

Urea

Urea both holds water in the skin and gently loosens dead surface cells. At higher strengths it has good evidence for very dry or thickened skin.

Source: DermNet

Humectants and emollients

Ingredients like these draw water into the surface layers and slow how fast it leaves. The evidence is for comfort, softness and hydration rather than for changing the structure of the skin.

Source: DermNet

Frequently asked.

What is Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion?

A lightweight, fragrance-free moisturizing lotion designed to hydrate and nourish without feeling heavy or greasy.

Is Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion worth it?

Yes. All 4 gurus who reviewed it give it their stamp of approval, for a Guru Score of 78%.

What is Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion's Guru Score?

Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion holds a Guru Score of 78%. That is our read on how warmly the experts talk about it, based on the verdicts of 4 expert reviewers we have collected. At least one expert has named it a Top Pick in its category.