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The Ordinary vs Cetaphil

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

The Ordinary and Cetaphil are two skincare lines offering serums, moisturizers, cleansers, and sunscreens built around ingredients like hyaluronic acid, glycerin, and squalane. The Canadian brand centers its offerings on formulas suited for sensitive skin and combination skin, while the American brand relies on nourishing elements to serve acne-prone skin and dry sensitive skin best. Both incorporate glycerin, yet the former focuses on targeted treatments using niacinamide, mandelic acid, and lactic acid, whereas the latter features panthenol and specialized antioxidant creams. Ultimately, they differ through their respective origins, core formulations, and specific product recommendations for distinct skin 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

Cetaphil is an American skincare brand founded in 1947 and owned by Galderma Group AG.

en.wikipedia.orgcetaphil.co.uk

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

Popular The Ordinary vs Cetaphil products

People Say

The OrdinaryCetaphil
  • Gentle on sensitive skin Sometimes NotedMostly Mentioned
    • “The only thing my reactive skin tolerates. — Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser”
    • “No breakouts since switching to this. — Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser”
    • “cleans without stripping — Cetaphil Daily Facial Cleanser”
    • “Leaves my face feeling soft and not tight at all. — The Ordinary Squalane Cleanser”
  • Affordable value Mostly MentionedRarely 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%”
    • “Bar lasts a long time — Cetaphil Gentle Cleansing Bar”
  • Hydration and moisture Sometimes NotedMostly Mentioned
    • “cleared up flaky skin — Cetaphil Moisturizing Cream”
    • “healed my dry patches — Cetaphil Moisturising Cream”
    • “Leaves my face feeling soft, not tight. — Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser”
    • “skin feels immediately hydrated — The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5”
  • Lightweight and non-greasy Often MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “absorbs instantly — Cetaphil Moisturizing Lotion”
    • “Absorbs quickly into skin without residue — Cetaphil Daily Hydrating Lotion”
    • “absorbs quickly — Cetaphil Moisturizing Cream”
    • “Sinks in immediately — The Ordinary Natural Moisturizing Factors + HA”
  • Skin texture improvement Often MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “glass skin effect — The Ordinary Glycolic Acid 7% Toning Solution”
    • “skin feels baby butt smooth — The Ordinary AHA 30% + BHA 2% Peeling Solution”
    • “skin looks smoother and brighter — The Ordinary Azelaic Acid Suspension 10%”
    • “Skin felt softer after one use — Cetaphil Gentle Exfoliating SA Cleanser”
  • Acne and blemish clearing Often MentionedRarely 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”
    • “Helps to remove pimple and acne. — Cetaphil Oily Skin Cleanser”
  • Skin irritation and stinging Often MentionedRarely Noted
    • “burns my face now — Cetaphil Moisturizing Lotion”
    • “new formula burns — Cetaphil Daily Facial Cleanser”
    • “burned my face — Cetaphil Vitamin C Serum”
    • “stings a little but worth it — The Ordinary AHA 30% + BHA 2% Peeling Solution”
  • 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”
    • “Overpowering masking fragrance — Cetaphil Gentle Cleansing Bar”
  • Sticky and tacky finish Sometimes NotedRarely Noted
    • “leaves a tacky finish — Cetaphil Vitamin C Serum”
    • “feels tacky — Cetaphil Moisturizing Lotion”
    • “feels very sticky — The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5”

The Ordinary vs Cetaphil routines for dry skin

Buy The Ordinary routine · AED 542.90 · 89% fitBuy Cetaphil routine · AED 319.93 · 82% fitSee multi-brand routine · 96% fit

The Ordinary vs Cetaphil routines for oily skin

Buy The Ordinary routine · AED 833.82 · 91% fitBuy Cetaphil routine · AED 854.61 · 81% fitSee multi-brand routine · 97% fit

The Ordinary vs Cetaphil routines for combination skin

Buy The Ordinary routine · AED 712.46 · 92% fitBuy Cetaphil routine · AED 706.66 · 82% fitSee multi-brand routine · 96% fit

Questions and answers

The Ordinary or Cetaphil: which is better?

The Ordinary is superior for oily, combination, sensitive, mature skin, and skin with dark spots, while both brands fit dry skin, acne-prone skin, and oily acne-prone skin at a high level. The Ordinary offers targeted treatments for texture and acne, whereas Cetaphil focuses on gentle, non-stripping cleansers and hydrating moisturizers.

What is the difference between The Ordinary and Cetaphil?

The Ordinary and Cetaphil differ mainly in their formulation focus and skin type performance, with The Ordinary achieving Superior fit levels for sensitive, combination, mature, dark spots, and dry sensitive skin types, while Cetaphil achieves High fit levels for those same categories. Reviewers report that Cetaphil provides better hydration and gentleness, whereas The Ordinary offers superior affordability and blemish-clearing effectiveness.

The Ordinary or Cetaphil for dry skin?

Both The Ordinary and Cetaphil have a High fit level for dry skin. The Ordinary features products on this page that provide high fit levels for dry skin, such as the Glycolipid Cream Cleanser and Natural Moisturizing Factors + HA, while Cetaphil offers high fit levels with items like the Rich Hydrating Night Cream.

The Ordinary or Cetaphil: which cleanser is better?

Both The Ordinary and Cetaphil offer cleansers that fit sensitive skin well, with Cetaphil often noted for gentle, non-stripping cleansers while the products on this page for The Ordinary provide affordable value. Cetaphil features a wider range of cleansers such as the Gentle Skin Cleanser that achieves a Superior fit level for dry skin, whereas The Ordinary offers options like the Glycolipid Cream Cleanser which also achieves a Superior fit for dry skin.

Which is more affordable, The Ordinary or Cetaphil?

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

Between The Ordinary and Cetaphil, which brand is gentler on sensitive skin?

Between The Ordinary and Cetaphil, Cetaphil is gentler on sensitive skin because reviewers frequently praise its cleansers for being gentle and non-stripping.

How do The Ordinary and Cetaphil compare when it comes to improving skin texture?

When it comes to improving skin texture, reviewers find that The Ordinary does better than Cetaphil. The Ordinary offers texture-smoothing serums that are often mentioned by shoppers.

Which brand performs better for managing skin with dark spots, The Ordinary or Cetaphil?

The Ordinary performs better for managing skin with dark spots, as the products on this page achieve a Superior fit level compared to Cetaphil's High level. Niacinamide, an ingredient found across the products, helps reduce cutaneous pigmentation and suppresses melanosome transfer.

The British Journal of Dermatology, 2002Antioxidants, 2021

The Ordinary or Cetaphil for oily skin?

The Ordinary offers a Superior routine fit for oily skin, whereas Cetaphil has a High fit. The products on this page for The Ordinary include specialized oil-controlling and acne-clearing serums with a fragrance-free formula.

The Ordinary or Cetaphil: which moisturizer is better?

When it comes to moisturizers, The Ordinary is a better fit than Cetaphil for dry skin on this page, achieving a Superior level compared to Cetaphil's High fit. The products on this page help deliver strong hydration and moisture support.

The Ordinary or Cetaphil for sensitive skin?

The Ordinary is a Superior fit for sensitive skin, whereas Cetaphil has a High fit level. The Ordinary features fragrance-free formulas that help improve skin texture and clear blemishes.

The Ordinary or Cetaphil for acne-prone skin?

Both The Ordinary and Cetaphil are well-suited for acne-prone skin, with the products on this page offering a High routine fit level for this skin type. Reviewers note that The Ordinary helps with acne-clearing serums, while Cetaphil is praised for gentle, non-stripping cleansers.

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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