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Clarins Haute Exigen… vs Sunday Riley A+ High… — Which Is Better? | Gracie

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Clarins Haute Exigence Jour vs Sunday Riley A+ High-Dose Retinoid Serum

Clarins Haute Exigence Jour scores 8.2/9.8 and Sunday Riley A+ High-Dose Retinoid Serum scores 8.0/9.8 — a near-tie where your skin type decides the winner.

Head to head

Clarins

Haute Exigence Jour

moisturiser

8.2

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Ingredients

Niacinamide
Retinol
Hyaluronic Acid
Salicylic Acid

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Honest skincare intel. No jargon, no gatekeeping — just the ingredients decoded.

Sunday Riley

A+ High-Dose Retinoid Serum

serumpremium

8.0

Score comparison

These two are neck and neck — just 0.2 points apart.

Clarins wins 1

Tied 2

41Clarins

7Shared

44Sunday Riley

Only in Clarins Haute Exigence Jour

34 unique

Aqua/Water/Eau Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride Cetearyl Alcohol Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea Butter)Hydrogenated Coco-Glycerides Glyceryl Stearate Peg-100 Stearate Cetearyl Glucoside Ascorbyl Glucoside Steareth-21+24 more

Shared ingredients

7 in common

Glycerin Pentylene Glycol Dimethicone Phenoxyethanol Tocopherol Potassium Sorbate Propanediol

Only in Sunday Riley A+ High-Dose Retinoid Serum

37 unique

Water Dimethyl Isosorbide Hexyldecanol Cetyl Peg/Ppg-10/1 Dimethicone Diheptyl Succinate Propylene Carbonate Phenyl Trimethicone Retinol Ubiquinone Honey Extract+27 more

Why these two are neck and neck

These two moisturisers take different paths to a similar destination. Both formulas include solid hydrating ingredients, and the overall scores reflect that — the gap here is genuinely slim.

Active Ingredient Strength is another area of separation. Sunday Riley A+ High-Dose Retinoid Serum scores 5.3 here versus 4.1 for Clarins Haute Exigence Jour. That difference comes down to how each formula is built — the ingredient list tells the story.

Clarins Haute Exigence Jour brings Ascorbyl Glucoside, Tocopheryl Acetate, and Tocopherol as actives, while sunday Riley A+ High-Dose Retinoid Serum relies on Retinol, Ubiquinone, and Honey Extract. Both approaches have merit, but the positioning and supporting ingredients make the difference.

Best for your skin type

Clarins Haute Exigence Jour is better if you have

Sensitive skin — the low-irritation formula keeps things gentle
Dry or dehydrated skin that craves moisture, thanks to Glycerin
Anyone who prefers clean, well-vetted formulations

Sunday Riley A+ High-Dose Retinoid Serum is better if you have

Sensitive skin — the low-irritation formula keeps things gentle
Dry or dehydrated skin that craves moisture, thanks to Dimethyl Isosorbide
Anyone who prefers clean, well-vetted formulations

Value comparison

Sunday Riley A+ High-Dose Retinoid Serum comes in at premium pricing with a 8.0 score, which is solid value at that tier.

Our verdict

✶ Our verdict

It's a close call — both products score within 0.3 points of each other. Your choice depends on your specific skin concerns.

8.2Clarins

8.0Sunday Riley

Frequently asked questions

Which is better: Clarins Haute Exigence Jour or Sunday Riley A+ High-Dose Retinoid Serum?

Based on ingredient analysis, Clarins Haute Exigence Jour scores higher overall. See the full score breakdown above for details on each attribute.

Do Clarins Haute Exigence Jour and Sunday Riley A+ High-Dose Retinoid Serum share ingredients?

Yes, they share common ingredients. Check the ingredient face-off section above for a detailed comparison.

What's the main difference between Clarins Haute Exigence Jour and Sunday Riley A+ High-Dose Retinoid Serum?

The key differences are in their active ingredients and formulation approach. Check the attribute battle above for a detailed breakdown.

Full analysis: Clarins Haute Exigence Jour→Full analysis: Sunday Riley A+ High-Dose Retinoid Serum→

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