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The Ordinary vs Beauty of Joseon

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

The Ordinary and Beauty of Joseon are prominent 2016 skincare brands offering thoughtful serums, moisturizers, cleansers, toners, masks, and sunscreens built around key ingredients like hyaluronic acid, glycerin, and squalane. The Canadian brand fits sensitive skin and combination skin best, while the Korean brand suits dry skin and skin with dark spots best. Both rely on glycerin to significantly increase skin hydration and barrier function, alongside hyaluronic acid to lengthen wrinkle reduction, yet they differ in their specific formulations and targeted concerns.

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

glossy.coen.wikipedia.org

Beauty of Joseon is a Korean skincare brand founded in 2016 and owned by Goodai Global Inc. since 2019.

kbeautywiki.combeautymatter.comprnewswire.comgoodai-global.com

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

Popular The Ordinary vs Beauty of Joseon products

People Say

The OrdinaryBeauty of Joseon
  • Texture and Smoothness Often MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “glass skin effect — The Ordinary Glycolic Acid 7% Toning Solution”
    • “skin feels baby butt smooth — The Ordinary AHA 30% + BHA 2% Peeling Solution”
    • “skin feels incredibly smooth — Beauty of Joseon Ground Rice and Honey Glow Mask”
    • “skin feels baby soft — Beauty of Joseon Apricot Blossom Peeling Gel”
  • Hydration and Moisture Often MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “Saved my dry winter skin — Beauty of Joseon Dynasty Cream”
    • “doesn't dry my skin like other cleansers — Beauty of Joseon Radiance Cleansing Balm”
    • “eyes look less tired — Beauty of Joseon Revive Eye Serum”
    • “skin feels immediately hydrated — The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5”
  • Gentle Formula Sometimes NotedMostly Mentioned
    • “no irritation at all — Beauty of Joseon Revive Eye Serum”
    • “cleansed my face gently without making my skin feel irritated — Beauty of Joseon Green Plum Refreshing Cleanser”
    • “doesn't irritate my sensitive skin — Beauty of Joseon Apricot Blossom Peeling Gel”
    • “never had any reaction to it with my sensitive skin — The Ordinary Mandelic Acid 10% + HA”
  • Value and Pricing Mostly MentionedNot noted
    • “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%”
  • Lightweight and Non-Greasy Often MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “feels like a light moisturizer — Beauty of Joseon Relief Sun: Rice + Probiotics”
    • “sinks in instantly — Beauty of Joseon Ginseng Essence Water”
    • “sinks in immediately — Beauty of Joseon Red Bean Water Gel”
    • “Sinks in immediately — The Ordinary Natural Moisturizing Factors + HA”
  • Acne and Blemish Control Often MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “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”
    • “reduced my redness significantly — Beauty of Joseon Glow Serum”
  • Texture Issues and Pilling Often MentionedRarely Noted
    • “hard to scoop in winter — Beauty of Joseon Radiance Cleansing Balm”
    • “feels slimy — Beauty of Joseon Apricot Blossom Peeling Gel”
    • “crumbles and piles under moisturizer — The Ordinary Azelaic Acid Suspension 10%”
  • Unpleasant Scent Rarely NotedOften Mentioned
    • “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 cooking oil — Beauty of Joseon Ginseng Cleansing Oil”
  • Breakouts and Purging Sometimes NotedSometimes Noted
    • “broke me out in cysts — The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1%”
    • “broke me out in cysts — The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5”
    • “Broke me out in cystic acne — Beauty of Joseon Dynasty Cream”
    • “gave me cystic acne — Beauty of Joseon Ginseng Cleansing Oil”

The Ordinary vs Beauty of Joseon routines for dry skin

Buy The Ordinary routine · AED 542.90 · 89% fitBuy Beauty of Joseon routine · AED 393.56 · 87% fitSee multi-brand routine · 96% fit

The Ordinary vs Beauty of Joseon routines for oily skin

Buy The Ordinary routine · AED 833.82 · 91% fitBuy Beauty of Joseon routine · AED 540.92 · 81% fitSee multi-brand routine · 97% fit

The Ordinary vs Beauty of Joseon routines for combination skin

Buy The Ordinary routine · AED 712.46 · 92% fitBuy Beauty of Joseon routine · AED 474.00 · 81% fitSee multi-brand routine · 96% fit

Questions and answers

The Ordinary or Beauty of Joseon: which is better?

The Ordinary provides better value and acne-clearing options, whereas Beauty of Joseon excels in hydration and gentle formulations. Both brands deliver effective hydration through hyaluronic acid and glycerin across the products on this page.

Dermatologic Therapy, 2022

What is the difference between The Ordinary and Beauty of Joseon?

The Ordinary focuses on targeted, budget-friendly active ingredient serums with strong ratings for acne, mature, and sensitive skin, while Beauty of Joseon leans toward traditional Korean hanbang ingredients that offer deep hydration and gentle, lightweight care. Reviewers note that The Ordinary provides great value for blemish control, whereas Beauty of Joseon excels in delivering a radiant glass-skin glow with soothing botanicals like ginseng and rice water.

The Ordinary or Beauty of Joseon for dry skin?

Both The Ordinary and Beauty of Joseon are a High fit for dry skin, though Beauty of Joseon delivers deeper hydration and moisture. Hyaluronic acid helps improve skin quality and signs of aging.

Dermatologic Therapy, 2022

The Ordinary or Beauty of Joseon: which cleanser is better?

Both The Ordinary and Beauty of Joseon offer great cleansers on this page, but they cater to different preferences. The Ordinary is known for affordable and effective options like the Squalane Cleanser, while Beauty of Joseon excels in deep hydration and gentle formulas like the Green Plum Refreshing Cleanser.

Which is more affordable, The Ordinary or Beauty of Joseon?

The products on this page show that The Ordinary offers better value and pricing compared to Beauty of Joseon.

Which brand performs better for mature skin, The Ordinary or Beauty of Joseon?

The Ordinary performs better for mature skin, achieving a Superior routine fit compared to Beauty of Joseon's Average fit. The products on this page help improve skin elasticity and reduce the appearance of aging.

The Journal of Investigative Dermatology, 2000

How do The Ordinary and Beauty of Joseon compare for fading dark spots?

For fading dark spots, The Ordinary offers superior routine fit compared to Beauty of Joseon, which provides a high fit. Niacinamide helps reduce cutaneous pigmentation and suppress melanosome transfer.

The British Journal of Dermatology, 2002Antioxidants, 2021

Which brand is gentler on the skin, The Ordinary or Beauty of Joseon?

Beauty of Joseon does better than The Ordinary for a gentle formula. Reviewers note that Beauty of Joseon offers gentle, non-irritating formulas.

The Ordinary or Beauty of Joseon for oily skin?

For oily skin, Lovi finds The Ordinary has a Superior routine fit, while Beauty of Joseon has a High fit. Niacinamide helps control skin aging and pigmentation.

Antioxidants, 2021

The Ordinary or Beauty of Joseon: which moisturizer is better?

Both The Ordinary and Beauty of Joseon offer excellent moisturizers, with The Ordinary delivering superior value and targeted blemish control while Beauty of Joseon excels in deep hydration and nourishment. For dry skin, the products on this page for both brands achieve a High fit level.

The Ordinary or Beauty of Joseon for sensitive skin?

For sensitive skin, The Ordinary has a Superior fit on Lovi, whereas Beauty of Joseon has a High fit. Reviewers praise the products on this page from both brands for being gentle and non-irritating.

The Ordinary or Beauty of Joseon for acne-prone skin?

Both The Ordinary and Beauty of Joseon are a High fit for acne-prone skin, with The Ordinary also offering superior acne and blemish control across the products on this page.

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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