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Anua vs The Ordinary

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

Anua and The Ordinary are distinct skincare lines offering targeted solutions for diverse complexions. The Korean brand features soothing toners and serums centered on heartleaf and niacinamide, making it especially well-suited for oily acne-prone skin and combination skin. Conversely, the Canadian brand focuses on science-backed serums and moisturizers utilizing glycerin and squalane, which tend to benefit sensitive skin and combination skin most. While both utilize ingredients like hyaluronic acid to address aging concerns, the former relies on botanical infusions for clarity, whereas the latter employs straightforward actives for barrier support.

Anua is a Korean skincare brand founded in 2019 and owned by The Founders Inc..

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The Ordinary is a Canadian skincare brand founded in 2016 and owned by The Estée Lauder Companies Inc. since 2021.

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

Popular Anua vs The Ordinary products

People Say

AnuaThe Ordinary
  • Texture and Pores Mostly MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “Dissolved my sebaceous filaments immediately — Anua Heartleaf Pore Control Cleansing Oil”
    • “Skin feels super smooth — Anua PEACH 70% NIACINAMIDE SERUM”
    • “glass skin effect — The Ordinary Glycolic Acid 7% Toning Solution”
    • “pores look significantly smaller — The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1%”
  • Hydration and Moisture Mostly MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “complexion feels so plump — Anua PDRN Hyaluronic Acid Capsule 100 Serum”
    • “leaves skin plump — Anua Rice 70 Glow Milky Toner”
    • “Drink of water for my skin — Anua PEACH 70% NIACINAMIDE SERUM”
    • “skin feels immediately hydrated — The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5”
  • Affordable Price and Value Not notedMostly Mentioned
    • “lasts forever — The Ordinary Glycolic Acid 7% Toning Solution”
    • “can't beat the price — The Ordinary Salicylic Acid 2% Solution”
    • “extremely affordable — The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1%”
  • Brightening and Dark Spots Often MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “Significant reduction in hyperpigmentation from acne scarring. — Anua Niacinamide 10% + TXA 4% Serum”
    • “Gives a nice healthy glow — Anua PEACH 70% NIACINAMIDE SERUM”
    • “faded dark spots — The Ordinary Glycolic Acid 7% Toning Solution”
    • “scars lightened up quite a bit — The Ordinary AHA 30% + BHA 2% Peeling Solution”
  • Lightweight and Fast Absorbing Often MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “melts into skin — Anua Heartleaf Silky Moisture Sun Cream”
    • “Feels like water, not heavy oil — Anua Heartleaf Pore Control Cleansing Oil”
    • “Absorbs quickly without stickiness — Anua Heartleaf 77% Soothing Toner”
    • “Sinks in immediately — The Ordinary Multi-Peptide + Copper Peptides 1% Serum”
  • Sticky or Tacky Finish Sometimes NotedOften Mentioned
    • “Left such a gross tacky finish that refused to dry. — Anua Niacinamide 10% + TXA 4% Serum”
    • “leaves a tacky finish — Anua BHA 2% Gentle Exfoliating Toner”
    • “tacky finish — Anua Rice 70 Glow Milky Toner”
    • “feels very sticky — The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5”
  • Breakouts and Acne Concerns Often MentionedRarely Noted
    • “broke me out in cysts — The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1%”
    • “broke me out in cysts — The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5”
    • “gave me cystic acne — The Ordinary Glycolic Acid 7% Toning Solution”
    • “Wrecked my skin barrier — Anua Heartleaf Pore Control Cleansing Oil”

Anua vs The Ordinary routines for dry skin

Buy The Ordinary routine · AED 542.90 · 89% fitBuy Anua routine · AED 550.12 · 78% fitSee multi-brand routine · 96% fit

Anua vs The Ordinary routines for oily skin

Buy The Ordinary routine · AED 833.82 · 91% fitBuy Anua routine · AED 389.94 · 81% fitSee multi-brand routine · 97% fit

Anua vs The Ordinary routines for combination skin

Buy The Ordinary routine · AED 712.46 · 92% fitBuy Anua routine · AED 372.20 · 82% fitSee multi-brand routine · 96% fit

Questions and answers

Anua or The Ordinary: which is better?

Both brands are great choices depending on your specific needs, as Anua excels in providing lightweight hydration and barrier support while The Ordinary offers superior value and targeted treatments for various skin types. Reviewers note that Anua is well-liked for its glowing, fast-absorbing toners, whereas The Ordinary is frequently praised for its acne-clearing and texture-smoothing serums.

What is the difference between Anua and The Ordinary?

The Ordinary offers superior routine fit for oily, combination, sensitive, mature, dry sensitive, and dark spot-prone skin types, while Anua provides better hydration and moisture. Both brands feature fragrance-free product ranges.

Anua or The Ordinary for dry skin?

Both Anua and The Ordinary provide a High routine fit for dry skin based on the products on this page. Reviewers note that Anua is better for hydration and moisture, while The Ordinary offers affordable and great value serums.

Anua or The Ordinary: which cleanser is better?

Both Anua and The Ordinary offer effective cleansers, with Lovi giving high fit ratings for multiple skin types across the cleansing products on this page. Reviewers note that Anua cleansers help with gentle soothing, while The Ordinary options provide affordable value.

Which is more affordable, Anua or The Ordinary?

The Ordinary is more affordable, offering affordable and great value serums among the products on this page.

Between Anua and The Ordinary, which brand performs better for hydration and moisture?

Anua performs better for hydration and moisture, as review themes show it leads in this category compared to The Ordinary.

Which brand has fewer issues with sticky or tacky finishes, Anua or The Ordinary?

The Ordinary has fewer issues with sticky or tacky finishes because review themes on the page indicate that Anua receives negative notes for a sticky or tacky finish while The Ordinary does not.

How do the founding details and corporate ownership compare between Anua and The Ordinary?

Anua was founded in 2019 in South Korea and is owned by The Founders Inc., while The Ordinary was founded in 2016 in Canada and is owned by The Estée Lauder Companies Inc. since 2021.

Anua or The Ordinary for oily skin?

For oily skin, The Ordinary has a Superior routine fit while Anua has a High fit level. The Ordinary offers acne-clearing serums that reviewers often praise, alongside popular options like niacinamide.

The British Journal of Dermatology, 2002Antioxidants, 2021

Anua or The Ordinary: which moisturizer is better?

When it comes to moisturizers, Anua is better for hydration and moisture, while The Ordinary offers better affordability and value among the products on this page. Both brands provide high or superior routine fit levels for dry skin.

Anua or The Ordinary for sensitive skin?

Both Anua and The Ordinary are great for sensitive skin, but The Ordinary reaches a Superior fit level while Anua is High. Reviewers mention that both brands offer gentle, non-irritating products without any fragrance across the products on this page.

Anua or The Ordinary for acne-prone skin?

Both Anua and The Ordinary provide high Lovi fit levels for acne-prone skin among the products on this page. Reviewers often mention Anua for gentle toners and brightening serums, while The Ordinary is frequently noted for acne-clearing serums.

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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