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The Ordinary vs Elemis

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

The Ordinary and Elemis represent two distinct approaches to daily skincare, balancing accessible science with sensory luxury. The Canadian brand centers on targeted formulas like hyaluronic acid, glycerin, and squalane to suit sensitive and combination skin, while the British brand harnesses nourishing ingredients such as glycerin and shea butter to care for mature and dry sensitive skin. Both lines offer thoughtfully formulated serums, moisturizers, cleansers, and toners designed to address specific needs through proven key ingredients. Ultimately, they differ in their origin, founding eras, and primary sensory experiences, offering distinct paths to healthy skin.

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

glossy.coen.wikipedia.org

Elemis is a British skincare brand founded in 1989 and owned by L'Occitane Group since 2019.

elemis.comau.elemis.comen.wikipedia.org

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

Popular The Ordinary vs Elemis products

People Say

The OrdinaryElemis
  • Texture and Absorption Often MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “Absorbs almost immediately, and my skin feels well hydrated all day. — Elemis Pro-Collagen Marine Cream”
    • “whipped silk feel — Elemis Superfood Midnight Facial”
    • “cloud-light gel formula — Elemis Pro-Collagen Eye Revive Mask”
    • “Sinks in immediately — The Ordinary Natural Moisturizing Factors + HA”
  • Smooths and Refines Skin Texture 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%”
    • “baby soft — Elemis Dynamic Resurfacing Facial Pads”
  • Hydration and Moisture Rarely NotedMostly Mentioned
    • “The cream really hydrates and my face looks amazing. — Elemis Pro-Collagen Night Cream”
    • “Quenches thirsty skin... immediate improvement. — Elemis Pro-Collagen Marine Cream”
    • “skin feels baby soft — Elemis Pro-Collagen Cleansing Balm”
    • “skin feels immediately hydrated — The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5”
  • 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%”
  • Other Benefits and Features Often MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “eliminated armpit odor — The Ordinary Glycolic Acid 7% Toning Solution”
    • “pores look significantly smaller — The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1%”
    • “Nature's botox — The Ordinary Multi-Peptide + Copper Peptides 1% Serum”
    • “My neck doesn't sag... plumps my skin to look more youthful. — Elemis Pro-Collagen Night Cream”
  • Gentle and Sensitive Skin Friendly Sometimes NotedSometimes Noted
    • “Leaves my face feeling soft and not tight at all. — The Ordinary Squalane Cleanser”
    • “Finally a cleanser that doesn't sting my face. — The Ordinary Squalane Cleanser”
    • “no stinging or redness — Elemis Papaya Enzyme Peel”
    • “Feels incredibly gentle and instantly rebalances my skin's pH. — Elemis Balancing Lavender Toner”
  • High Price Point Not notedMostly Mentioned
    • “Complete waste of money for me. — Elemis Pro-Collagen Marine Cream”
  • Heavy, Thick, or Sticky Texture Issues Often MentionedRarely Noted
    • “Great product, a bit heavy. — Elemis Pro-Collagen Night Cream”
    • “slightly tacky to touch — Elemis Pro-Collagen Eye Revive Mask”
    • “leaves white flakes — Elemis Pro-Collagen Advanced Eye Treatment”
    • “feels very sticky — The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5”
  • Other Complaints and Issues Often MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “blurry vision — Elemis Pro-Collagen Cleansing Balm”
    • “tends to flake off — Elemis Pro-Collagen Eye Revive Mask”
    • “slight tingling sensation — Elemis Dynamic Resurfacing Facial Wash”
    • “foams up like soap — The Ordinary Salicylic Acid 2% Solution”
  • Scent and Fragrance 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”
    • “The smell is very strong... could not handle for long. — Elemis Pro-Collagen Marine Cream”

The Ordinary vs Elemis routines for dry skin

Buy The Ordinary routine · AED 542.90 · 89% fitBuy Elemis routine · AED 2,268.50 · 82% fitSee multi-brand routine · 96% fit

The Ordinary vs Elemis routines for oily skin

Buy The Ordinary routine · AED 833.82 · 91% fitBuy Elemis routine · AED 1,630.94 · 77% fitSee multi-brand routine · 97% fit

The Ordinary vs Elemis routines for combination skin

Buy The Ordinary routine · AED 712.46 · 92% fitBuy Elemis routine · AED 1,644.88 · 79% fitSee multi-brand routine · 96% fit

Questions and answers

The Ordinary or Elemis: which is better?

The Ordinary offers better value and prices for the products on this page, while Elemis excels in hydration and texture. Both brands achieve similar high fit levels for dry, acne-prone, and oily acne-prone skin types.

What is the difference between The Ordinary and Elemis?

The Ordinary generally offers a higher fit level across most skin types, including superior routines for oily and combination skin, alongside fragrance-free formulas and better value. Elemis features luxurious textures and rich hydration, though many of its products contain added fragrance.

The Ordinary or Elemis for dry skin?

Both The Ordinary and Elemis have a High fit for dry skin on this page. The Ordinary features fragrance-free products with key ingredients like hyaluronic acid, glycerin, and squalane, whereas Elemis products often include fragrance and key ingredients like glycerin and shea butter.

Dermatologic Therapy, 2022

The Ordinary or Elemis: which cleanser is better?

Both The Ordinary and Elemis feature cleansers that achieve High fit levels across most skin types on this page. The Ordinary is typically more budget-friendly, while Elemis leans toward luxurious, hydrating formulations.

Which is more affordable, The Ordinary or Elemis?

The Ordinary offers better affordability, as reviewers often note its products provide great value at a lower price point compared to Elemis, which frequently faces complaints about a high price point.

Which brand has products with no added fragrance, The Ordinary or Elemis?

The Ordinary has products with no added fragrance across the products on this page. In comparison, Elemis has fragrance listed in most of its products on this page.

The Ordinary or Elemis for oily skin?

The Ordinary offers a Superior fit for oily skin, whereas Elemis has a High fit. Shoppers praise The Ordinary for its affordable and great value serums, while Elemis is noted for its hydrating moisturizers.

The Ordinary or Elemis: which moisturizer is better?

When comparing moisturizers, The Ordinary offers high to superior fit levels across most skin types with affordable pricing and zero fragrance across the products on this page, whereas Elemis features luxurious hydrating formulas that tend to have a higher price point and include fragrance in several options.

The Ordinary or Elemis for sensitive skin?

The Ordinary is a Superior fit for sensitive skin, whereas Elemis has a High fit. Reviewers note that The Ordinary is fragrance-free across the products on this page, which helps reduce the likelihood of skin irritation.

The Ordinary or Elemis for acne-prone skin?

Both The Ordinary and Elemis have a High fit for acne-prone skin on the products on this page. The Ordinary features a high number of fragrance-free, acne-clearing serums that help manage breakouts.

The Ordinary or Elemis for mature skin?

The Ordinary has a Superior routine fit for mature skin, whereas Elemis has a High routine fit. The Ordinary features targeted ingredients like retinol that help stimulate collagen accumulation in naturally aged human skin.

The Journal of Investigative Dermatology, 2000Archives of Dermatology, 2007

The Ordinary or Elemis for skin with dark spots?

The Ordinary is a Superior fit for skin with dark spots, whereas Elemis has a High fit level. The Ordinary offers targeted treatments that help fade dark pigmentation effectively.

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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