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The Ordinary vs Garnier

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

The Ordinary and Garnier are two accessible skincare brands defined by distinct formulations and heritages. The Canadian brand offers serums, moisturizers, cleansers, toners, and more, built around hyaluronic acid, glycerin, and squalane, which best suit sensitive and combination skin. Meanwhile, the French brand is widely loved for its effective makeup removers, serums, masks, cleansers, and more, featuring glycerin and salicylic acid to suit acne-prone and oily acne-prone skin best. Ultimately, both differ because the former relies on ingredients like hyaluronic acid and squalane, whereas the latter targets common concerns with precision using salicylic acid.

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

glossy.coen.wikipedia.org

Garnier is a French skincare brand founded in 1904 and owned by L'Oréal since 1965.

en.wikipedia.orgloreal.comgarnierusa.comafrica.garnier.com

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

Popular The Ordinary vs Garnier products

People Say

The OrdinaryGarnier
  • Great value and affordable pricing Mostly MentionedSometimes 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%”
    • “huge bottle for cheap — Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water”
  • Skin smoothing and texture 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%”
    • “my skin is baby smooth — Garnier 3in1 Clay Anti-Spot Wash Scrub Mask”
  • Brightens tired eyes and skin Rarely NotedMostly Mentioned
    • “Instantly brightens the face — Garnier Vitamin C Face Wash”
    • “My face is glowing this morning — Garnier Vitamin C Sheet Mask”
    • “woke up glowing — Garnier Vitamin C Brightening Night Serum”
    • “looks more awake — The Ordinary Caffeine Solution 5% + EGCG”
  • Acne and blemish clearing 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”
    • “stubborn blackheads gone — Garnier Pure Active 3-in-1 Charcoal Mask”
  • Lightweight absorption Sometimes NotedOften Mentioned
    • “absorbs immediately — Garnier Express Aclara”
    • “Sinks straight into the skin — Garnier Vitamin C Brightening Serum”
    • “sinks in immediately — Garnier Vitamin C Eye Cream”
    • “Sinks in immediately — The Ordinary Multi-Peptide + Copper Peptides 1% Serum”
  • Hydration and plumping Often MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “skin feels immediately hydrated — The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5”
    • “Leaves my face feeling soft and not tight at all. — The Ordinary Squalane Cleanser”
    • “leaves my skin radiant and clear — The Ordinary Mandelic Acid 10% + HA”
    • “doesn't leave skin feeling dry — Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water with Vitamin C”
  • Skin irritation, stinging, and burning Often MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “stings a little but worth it — The Ordinary AHA 30% + BHA 2% Peeling Solution”
    • “stings really bad upon application — The Ordinary Azelaic Acid Suspension 10%”
    • “burned my face — Garnier Express Aclara”
    • “burning sensation — Garnier Pure Active 3-in-1 Charcoal Mask”
  • Sticky and tacky finish Often MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “Leaves a sticky residue — Garnier Vitamin C Sheet Mask”
    • “leaves a tacky film — Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water”
    • “Felt a bit tacky afterwards — Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water All-in-1”
    • “feels very sticky — The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5”
  • Slow or ineffective results Sometimes NotedSometimes Noted
    • “no change in pigment — The Ordinary Caffeine Solution 5% + EGCG”
    • “not a miracle worker overnight — The Ordinary Mandelic Acid 10% + HA”
    • “dark circles returned after washing — Garnier Vitamin C Eye Cream”
    • “didn't remove sun spots — Garnier Express Aclara”

The Ordinary vs Garnier routines for dry skin

Buy The Ordinary routine · AED 542.90 · 89% fitBuy Garnier routine · AED 264.29 · 75% fitSee multi-brand routine · 96% fit

The Ordinary vs Garnier routines for oily skin

Buy The Ordinary routine · AED 833.82 · 91% fitBuy Garnier routine · AED 490.78 · 85% fitSee multi-brand routine · 97% fit

The Ordinary vs Garnier routines for combination skin

Buy The Ordinary routine · AED 712.46 · 92% fitBuy Garnier routine · AED 430.39 · 83% fitSee multi-brand routine · 96% fit

Questions and answers

The Ordinary or Garnier: which is better?

The Ordinary is often a better choice for value, acne-clearing, and skin smoothing, while Garnier may work well if you prefer lightweight absorption and brightening products. Lovi shows that The Ordinary has a superior fit for combination and sensitive skin on this page, whereas Garnier fits acne-prone and oily skin best.

What is the difference between The Ordinary and Garnier?

The Ordinary is often a better choice for affordable pricing, acne clearing, and skin smoothing, while Garnier is known for lightweight absorption and brightening. The Ordinary features fragrance-free formulas across the products on this page, whereas several Garnier items contain added fragrance.

The Ordinary or Garnier for dry skin?

Both The Ordinary and Garnier offer a High routine fit for dry skin. The Ordinary helps retain moisture using key ingredients like hyaluronic acid, glycerin, and squalane across the products on this page.

Journal of Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences, 2015Dermatologic Therapy, 2022

The Ordinary or Garnier: which cleanser is better?

The products on this page for The Ordinary offer a superior fit for oily and combination skin cleansers, while Garnier focuses more on acne-prone and oily skin types.

Which is more affordable, The Ordinary or Garnier?

The products on this page from The Ordinary provide better value and more affordable pricing compared to Garnier.

Which brand performs better for mature skin, The Ordinary or Garnier?

The Ordinary performs better for mature skin, achieving a Superior routine fit compared to Garnier's High level. Topical retinol helps stimulate collagen accumulation and improve naturally aged skin.

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

Do The Ordinary or Garnier products contain fragrance?

Every product from The Ordinary on this page lists no fragrance in its ingredients, while half of Garnier products on this page contain fragrance.

Which brand has better options for fading dark spots, The Ordinary or Garnier?

The Ordinary has better options for fading dark spots, as the products on this page achieve a superior fit level for skin with dark spots compared to Garnier's lower rating there. Topical niacinamide helps reduce cutaneous pigmentation and suppress melanosome transfer, supporting the fading of dark spots.

The British Journal of Dermatology, 2002

The Ordinary or Garnier for sensitive skin?

The Ordinary is a superior fit for sensitive skin compared to Garnier. The products on this page list no fragrance, which helps reduce the likelihood of skin irritation.

The Ordinary or Garnier for acne-prone skin?

Both brands offer an equal routine fit level of High for acne-prone skin. The products on this page show that The Ordinary excels at acne and blemish clearing, while Garnier features oil-controlling masks.

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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