No. Clinique is not a cruelty-free choice. Its parent company acknowledges regulatory animal testing in markets where its brands are sold, and Clinique has a negative cruelty-free classification. We would buy elsewhere.

You can keep the preference that may have brought you to Clinique: fragrance-free skincare. The harder part is matching the product you use. A cleansing balm should not be replaced with a random gel wash just because the new brand has a better testing policy.

Does Clinique test on animals? Why we rule it out

The Estée Lauder Companies' policy says the group does not test its products on animals or ask others to do so. It also acknowledges animal tests on products or ingredients when required by law and describes efforts to have non-animal data accepted instead.

That is not a promise to avoid those tests in every market. Clinique's negative PETA record gives a matching brand-level verdict. We are assessing the commitment, not claiming to know the testing history of every jar.

The parent company's policy separately names approved brands in its portfolio, including The Ordinary. Clinique does not inherit those brands' approval. This is why the brand name matters even when two products share an owner.

Replacing Take The Day Off Cleansing Balm

Take The Day Off is a fragrance-free balm that turns to oil for removing makeup and sunscreen. We'd start the comparison with another balm format.

The Ordinary Squalane Cleanser is a vegan-labeled option using plant-derived squalane. The 50 ml mini was $10.50 on October 29, 2026. Its instructions are to warm it in your hands, apply it to dry skin and rinse.

The packaging change is noticeable: a tube replaces Clinique's jar. That may be a benefit if you prefer squeezing out a measured amount. We haven't tested the two for identical makeup removal or feel, so this is a practical starting point, not a “dupe” claim.

There is an ownership catch. The Ordinary also belongs to The Estée Lauder Companies. We'd consider it if your aim is to buy a cruelty-free brand; we'd exclude it if your aim is to leave Clinique's parent company altogether.

Keep the makeup-removal step simple

Clinique's instructions start with dry skin: massage in the balm, rinse with warm water, then use a cleanser if following its suggested double cleanse. The Ordinary also starts on dry skin, after warming the product in your hands. That shared application method makes it a more relevant comparison than a face wash designed to lather on wet skin.

The important question is what you need to remove. Heavy eye makeup, sunscreen and a morning wash are different tasks. If your current balm is the first step in a two-product routine, replacing it does not mean you also need to replace the second cleanser that day.

At the prices checked, The Ordinary's small tube costs less to try than Clinique's $15, 1 oz mini. The sizes differ, so this is a comparison of the initial spend. It does not establish the cheaper cost per cleanse; that would require measuring how much of each formula you use.

We would start with the small tube if you accept the shared owner. If avoiding Estée Lauder Companies is your main reason for leaving Clinique, skip that detour and choose a brand outside the group.

Everyday cleansing without added fragrance

If you want a regular rinse-off wash rather than a balm, compare BYOMA Creamy Jelly Cleanser. It is fragrance-free and soap-free, and the 175 ml bottle was $12.99 on October 29, about $7.42 per 100 ml.

BYOMA has a verified cruelty-free record and a vegan brand claim. It belongs to Bansk Group, so this purchase also moves outside Clinique's parent company. Our face-wash guide compares it with Naturium's niacinamide cleanser.

A cream or a gel cream?

For a small first purchase, we'd start with The Ordinary Natural Moisturizing Factors + HA: $6.70 for 30 ml at the sizes checked. It is a cream in a squeeze tube. BYOMA Moisturising Gel Cream was $14.99 for 50 ml and offers a gel cream in a pump.

The Ordinary is cheaper upfront and per milliliter. BYOMA is the option if you prefer the gel format or want to avoid the shared parent. Our moisturizer comparison sets out the ingredients and price calculation. Prices exclude tax and shipping.

If you are replacing Moisture Surge

Moisture Surge 100H is an oil-free gel moisturizer. Its formula includes glycerin, silicones, aloe ingredients and sodium hyaluronate. That gives you a more useful comparison than the pink jar or the large number in its name.

Clinique still directs users to apply it morning and night. The 100-hour claim is a brand hydration claim, not an instruction to use it once every four days. You also do not need a replacement that puts an equally large number on the pack.

Of the options above, BYOMA's gel cream is the closer format to investigate. The Ordinary's cream is the lower-cost starting point if that texture suits you. Neither has been established here as a performance match for Moisture Surge.

Our pick depends on the purchase you are trying to make: BYOMA for a gel cream outside Clinique's corporate group, or The Ordinary for a small, inexpensive cream from a separately approved brand. Keep your preference for fragrance-free skincare. That preference does not require staying with Clinique.

Is Clinique vegan?

We would not treat the whole range as vegan. Fragrance-free means something useful about added scent, but it does not rule out all animal-derived ingredients. A vegan claim on one formula would still leave Clinique's testing policy unchanged.

For the next purchase, keep the features that matter to you and use ownership to narrow the shortlist if necessary. There is no need to buy a whole new range because one moisturizer is running out.

Sources

PETA. Is Clinique (Estee Lauder) Cruelty-Free?. https://crueltyfree.peta.org/company/clinique-estee-lauder/. Accessed on October 28, 2026.

The Estée Lauder Companies. Clinique. https://www.elcompanies.com/en/our-brands/clinique. Accessed on October 28, 2026.

The Estée Lauder Companies. Animal testing. https://www.elcompanies.com/en/our-commitments/viewpoints/animal-testing. Accessed on October 28, 2026.

Clinique. Take The Day Off Cleansing Balm. https://www.clinique.com/products/take-the-day-off-cleansing-balm. Accessed on October 29, 2026.

The Ordinary. Squalane Cleanser. https://theordinary.com/en-us/squalane-face-cleanser-100446.html. Accessed on October 29, 2026.

Clinique. Moisture Surge 100H Auto-Replenishing Hydrator. https://www.clinique.com/products/moisture-surge-100h-auto-replenishing-hydrator. Accessed on October 29, 2026.