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SKIN1004 vs The Ordinary

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

SKIN1004 and The Ordinary are distinct skincare lines created to address diverse dermatological needs through targeted formulations. The Korean brand features soothing toners, moisturizers, sunscreens, and masks centered on centella asiatica, hyaluronic acid, and niacinamide to suit combination and oily skin, whereas the Canadian brand offers serums, moisturizers, cleansers, and toners built around hyaluronic acid, glycerin, and squalane that favor sensitive and combination skin. While both incorporate versatile hydrating compounds, the first emphasizes calming botanical extracts for blemish-prone and aging complexions, and the second relies on concentrated acids and lipids to refine texture and barrier function.

SKIN1004 is a Korean skincare brand founded in 2012 and owned by Goodai Global Inc. since 2024.

mk.co.krpitchbook.comtracxn.comgoodai-global.com

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 SKIN1004 and The Ordinary products; for every product of both brands, with a fit score for your own skin, use the Lovi app.

Popular SKIN1004 vs The Ordinary products

People Say

SKIN1004The Ordinary
  • Hydration and soothing Mostly MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “calmed my angry skin — SKIN1004 Madagascar Centella Toning Toner”
    • “Gives my dehydrated skin a moisture surge — SKIN1004 Madagascar Centella Watergel Sheet Ampoule Mask”
    • “Eliminated redness on my easily irritated skin — SKIN1004 Madagascar Centella Watergel Sheet Ampoule Mask”
    • “skin feels immediately hydrated — The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5”
  • Lightweight texture Mostly MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “sunk in like a dream — SKIN1004 Madagascar Centella Hyalu-Cica Water-Fit Sun Serum”
    • “Texture is on the thinner side... surprisingly lightweight. — SKIN1004 Madagascar Centella Light Cleansing Oil”
    • “absorbs like water — SKIN1004 Madagascar Centella Toning Toner”
    • “Sinks in immediately — The Ordinary Multi-Peptide + Copper Peptides 1% Serum”
  • Value and pricing Rarely 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%”
    • “huge bottle — SKIN1004 Madagascar Centella Toning Toner”
  • Exfoliation and smoothing Sometimes NotedMostly Mentioned
    • “glass skin effect — The Ordinary Glycolic Acid 7% Toning Solution”
    • “never had any reaction to it with my sensitive skin — The Ordinary Mandelic Acid 10% + HA”
    • “skin feels baby butt smooth — The Ordinary AHA 30% + BHA 2% Peeling Solution”
    • “skin feels super soft — SKIN1004 Zombie Pack”
  • Acne-safe and acne-clearing Rarely NotedOften Mentioned
    • “pimples disappear within a day — The Ordinary Salicylic Acid 2% Solution”
    • “scars and hormonal acne faded — The Ordinary Azelaic Acid Suspension 10%”
    • “faded dark spots — The Ordinary Glycolic Acid 7% Toning Solution”
    • “didn't cause new breakouts — SKIN1004 Hyalu-Cica Moisture Cream”
  • Subtle glow and brightening Rarely NotedSometimes Noted
    • “Dark spots have faded noticeably — The Ordinary Alpha Arbutin 2% + HA”
    • “helped lighten post-acne scars — The Ordinary Azelaic Acid Suspension 10%”
    • “dark scars are clearer within 2 weeks — The Ordinary Mandelic Acid 10% + HA”
    • “skin looks brighter immediately — SKIN1004 Madagascar Centella Tone Brightening Cleansing Gel Foam”
  • Sticky or tacky finish Sometimes NotedSometimes Noted
    • “left my skin medium tacky — SKIN1004 Madagascar Centella Poremizing Light Gel Cream”
    • “Left a slightly greasy feeling — SKIN1004 Madagascar Centella Watergel Sheet Ampoule Mask”
    • “feels tacky in high humidity — SKIN1004 Madagascar Centella Hyalu-Cica Water-Fit Sun Serum”
    • “feels very sticky — The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5”
  • Scent and fragrance issues Sometimes NotedRarely Noted
    • “Smells like vinegar — The Ordinary Multi-Peptide + Copper Peptides 1% Serum”
    • “smell is unbearable — The Ordinary Azelaic Acid Suspension 10%”
    • “has a slight chemical smell — The Ordinary Mandelic Acid 10% + HA”
    • “smells like wet dog — SKIN1004 Zombie Pack”
  • Insufficient moisture Sometimes NotedRarely Noted
    • “Skin felt tight an hour later — The Ordinary Natural Moisturizing Factors + HA”
    • “not enough for dry skin — SKIN1004 Madagascar Centella Poremizing Light Gel Cream”
  • Minor irritation and stinging Rarely NotedSometimes Noted
    • “caused tiny bumps — SKIN1004 Madagascar Centella Toning Toner”
    • “Stung my face — SKIN1004 Madagascar Centella Quick Calming Pad”
    • “subtle sting — SKIN1004 Probio-Cica Bakuchiol Eye Cream”
    • “stings a little but worth it — The Ordinary AHA 30% + BHA 2% Peeling Solution”

SKIN1004 vs The Ordinary routines for dry skin

Buy The Ordinary routine · AED 542.90 · 89% fitBuy SKIN1004 routine · AED 229.05 · 84% fitSee multi-brand routine · 96% fit

SKIN1004 vs The Ordinary routines for oily skin

Buy The Ordinary routine · AED 833.82 · 91% fitBuy SKIN1004 routine · AED 491.20 · 87% fitSee multi-brand routine · 97% fit

SKIN1004 vs The Ordinary routines for combination skin

Buy The Ordinary routine · AED 712.46 · 92% fitBuy SKIN1004 routine · AED 408.16 · 88% fitSee multi-brand routine · 96% fit

Questions and answers

SKIN1004 or The Ordinary: which is better?

Both brands are great, but The Ordinary has superior routine fit levels for sensitive, combination, mature, and dark spot skin types compared to SKIN1004. Reviewers note that The Ordinary provides better exfoliation, brightening, and acne-clearing benefits, while SKIN1004 delivers superior hydration and lightweight textures.

What is the difference between SKIN1004 and The Ordinary?

SKIN1004 delivers superior hydration and soothing with centella asiatica, while The Ordinary excels in value, exfoliation, and brightening with ingredients like niacinamide and glycolic acid. Reviewers note that SKIN1004 is known for lightweight textures, whereas The Ordinary is frequently praised for its texture-smoothing and acne-clearing serums.

SKIN1004 or The Ordinary for dry skin?

Both SKIN1004 and The Ordinary achieve a High routine fit for dry skin, though SKIN1004 excels in soothing hydration while The Ordinary is known for affordable value and targeted treatments. Hyaluronic acid helps maintain skin moisture across both brands.

Dermatologic Therapy, 2022

SKIN1004 or The Ordinary: which cleanser is better?

Both SKIN1004 and The Ordinary offer highly rated cleansers, such as the Madagascar Centella Tone Brightening Cleansing Gel Foam for SKIN1004 and the Glycolipid Cream Cleanser for The Ordinary, which both achieve a High Lovi fit for dry skin.

Which is more affordable, SKIN1004 or The Ordinary?

The Ordinary provides better value and pricing among the products on this page. Reviewers note that The Ordinary offers affordable and great value serums.

How do the founding years and corporate ownership of SKIN1004 and The Ordinary compare?

SKIN1004 was founded in South Korea in 2012 and is owned by Goodai Global Inc. since 2024, whereas The Ordinary was founded in Canada in 2016 and is owned by The Estée Lauder Companies Inc. since 2021.

Which brand performs better for exfoliation and skin smoothing according to review themes?

The Ordinary performs better for exfoliation and skin smoothing according to review themes.

SKIN1004 or The Ordinary for oily skin?

The Ordinary is superior for oily skin, whereas SKIN1004 has a high fit for it. The Ordinary offers targeted acne-clearing and exfoliation benefits, while SKIN1004 is known for lightweight and soothing textures.

SKIN1004 or The Ordinary: which moisturizer is better?

Both SKIN1004 and The Ordinary offer moisturizers that fit dry skin at a High level. Reviewers mention that SKIN1004 features lightweight and soothing moisturizers, while The Ordinary provides affordable options.

SKIN1004 or The Ordinary for sensitive skin?

Both SKIN1004 and The Ordinary fit sensitive skin well, with routine fit levels of High and Superior respectively. Reviewers praise SKIN1004 for hydration and soothing, while The Ordinary offers gentle and non-irritating serums.

SKIN1004 or The Ordinary for acne-prone skin?

Both SKIN1004 and The Ordinary achieve a High fit level for acne-prone skin, meaning they both work well for this skin type. SKIN1004 products on this page focus heavily on soothing and lightweight hydration, while The Ordinary products on this page are frequently praised for their acne-clearing and exfoliating 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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