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The Ordinary vs Dr. Althea

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

The Ordinary and Dr. Althea are skincare brands offering serums, moisturizers, cleansers, and more. The Canadian brand centers its formulations around hyaluronic acid, glycerin, and squalane, while the Korean brand is widely loved for gentle formulas. The former brand suits sensitive and combination skin best, whereas the latter suits acne-prone and dry skin best. They differ primarily in their regional origins, parent companies, and targeted ingredient profiles.

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

glossy.coen.wikipedia.org

Dr. Althea is a Korean skincare brand founded in 2014 and owned by The Pure Lab Co., Ltd..

doctoraltheaglobal.comdoctoralthea.co.kr

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

Popular The Ordinary vs Dr. Althea products

People Say

The OrdinaryDr. Althea
  • Gentle and non-irritating formula Sometimes NotedMostly Mentioned
    • “doesn't dry out my face — Dr. Althea Amino Acid Gentle Bubble Cleanser”
    • “skin doesn't feel stripped — Dr. Althea Amino Gel Cleanser”
    • “great for sensitive skin — Dr. Althea Vitamin C Boosting Serum”
    • “Leaves my face feeling soft and not tight at all. — The Ordinary Squalane Cleanser”
  • Texture smoothing and glow improvement 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 looks smoother and brighter — The Ordinary Azelaic Acid Suspension 10%”
    • “Melts instantly — Dr. Althea Pure Grinding Cleansing Balm”
  • Great value and price 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%”
  • Redness reduction and soothing Rarely NotedMostly Mentioned
    • “calms redness — Dr. Althea 345 Relief Cream”
    • “instantly calms irritated skin — Dr. Althea Barrier Cream”
    • “perfect for sensitive skin — Dr. Althea Amino Acid Gentle Bubble Cleanser”
    • “calms down the redness immediately — The Ordinary Azelaic Acid Suspension 10%”
  • Hydration and plumping Sometimes NotedOften Mentioned
    • “hydrating but light — Dr. Althea 345 Relief Cream”
    • “consistently hydrated mornings — Dr. Althea Barrier Cream”
    • “feels hydrated — Dr. Althea Amino Gel Cleanser”
    • “skin feels immediately hydrated — The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5”
  • Lightweight absorption and texture Sometimes NotedOften Mentioned
    • “absorbs beautifully — Dr. Althea 345 Relief Cream”
    • “absorbs quickly — Dr. Althea Vitamin C Boosting Serum”
    • “Sinks in immediately — The Ordinary Multi-Peptide + Copper Peptides 1% Serum”
  • 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 — Dr. Althea 345 Relief Cream”
    • “gave me cystic acne — Dr. Althea Barrier Cream”
  • Makeup pilling and compatibility issues Sometimes NotedRarely Noted
    • “pills under makeup — Dr. Althea 345 Relief Cream”
    • “crumbles and piles under moisturizer — The Ordinary Azelaic Acid Suspension 10%”
  • Sticky or tacky finish Sometimes NotedRarely Noted
    • “leaves a tacky film — Dr. Althea Vitamin C Boosting Serum”
    • “feels very sticky — The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5”

The Ordinary vs Dr. Althea routines for dry skin

Buy Dr. Althea routine · AED 430.35 · 90% fitBuy The Ordinary routine · AED 542.90 · 89% fitSee multi-brand routine · 96% fit

The Ordinary vs Dr. Althea routines for oily skin

Buy The Ordinary routine · AED 833.82 · 91% fitBuy Dr. Althea routine · AED 765.52 · 90% fitSee multi-brand routine · 97% fit

The Ordinary vs Dr. Althea routines for combination skin

Buy The Ordinary routine · AED 712.46 · 92% fitBuy Dr. Althea routine · AED 619.88 · 88% fitSee multi-brand routine · 96% fit

Questions and answers

The Ordinary or Dr. Althea: which is better?

The Ordinary is often preferred for value and fading dark spots, while Dr. Althea tends to excel with soothing moisturizers and gentle cleansers. Lovi rates The Ordinary as Superior for sensitive and mature skin, and Dr. Althea as Superior for acne-prone skin.

What is the difference between The Ordinary and Dr. Althea?

The Ordinary offers a large range of affordable, targeted serums that focus on texture smoothing and dark spots, while Dr. Althea provides gentle, soothing moisturizers and cleansers that help with hydration and redness. Lovi shows that The Ordinary fits sensitive skin, combination skin, and skin with dark spots best, whereas Dr. Althea fits acne-prone skin, dry skin, and oily skin best.

The Ordinary or Dr. Althea for dry skin?

For dry skin, Lovi finds that The Ordinary has a High routine fit while Dr. Althea has a Superior routine fit. Both brands offer products containing hyaluronic acid, which helps improve skin hydration.

Dermatologic Therapy, 2022

The Ordinary or Dr. Althea: which cleanser is better?

Dr. Althea helps provide a gentler cleansing experience with products like the Amino Acid Gentle Bubble Cleanser, while The Ordinary offers a wider range of options suited for multiple skin types.

Which is more affordable, The Ordinary or Dr. Althea?

The Ordinary offers better value and price according to reviewers on the page, making it the more affordable choice of the two brands.

Which brand is better for reducing redness and soothing skin, The Ordinary or Dr. Althea?

Dr. Althea does better for redness reduction and soothing. Reviewers mostly mention gentle cleansers and soothing moisturizers for the brand.

The Ordinary or Dr. Althea: which brand offers better hydration and plumping?

Dr. Althea does better for hydration and plumping according to reviewer feedback. Hyaluronic acid helps provide moisture benefits across the products on this page.

Dermatologic Therapy, 2022

The Ordinary or Dr. Althea for sensitive skin?

For sensitive skin, Lovi finds that The Ordinary has a Superior routine fit while Dr. Althea has a High routine fit. Reviewers mostly mention that Dr. Althea offers gentle cleansers, whereas The Ordinary is often noted for gentle and non-irritating serums.

The Ordinary or Dr. Althea: which moisturizer is better?

Both The Ordinary and Dr. Althea offer high-performing moisturizers, with The Ordinary providing exceptional options like Natural Moisturizing Factors + HA and Dr. Althea featuring the soothing 345 Relief Cream. Reviewers often mention Dr. Althea for hydrating and calming benefits, while The Ordinary is praised for great value and barrier support.

The Ordinary or Dr. Althea for skin with dark spots?

The Ordinary fits skin with dark spots better, with Lovi ranking it as Superior compared to Dr. Althea's High. The brand offers popular dark spot fading serums, and niacinamide helps reduce cutaneous pigmentation.

The British Journal of Dermatology, 2002

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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