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The Ordinary vs La Roche-Posay

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

The Ordinary and La Roche-Posay are two distinct skincare lines offering targeted solutions for diverse complexions. The Canadian brand centers its serums, moisturizers, cleansers, and toners on hyaluronic acid, glycerin, and squalane to suit sensitive and combination skin, while the French label relies on glycerin, thermal water, and niacinamide within its nourishing serums, comforting moisturizers, gentle cleansers, and soothing eye products to favor oily and acne-prone skin. Both collections address specific concerns like dark spots, acne, and aging through scientifically supported formulations. Ultimately, the former emphasizes single-ingredient potency for customized routines, whereas the latter provides comprehensive, soothing care rooted in mineral-rich thermal water.

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

glossy.coen.wikipedia.org

La Roche-Posay is a French skincare brand founded in 1975 and owned by L'Oréal S.A. since 1989.

laroche-posay.com.aufr.wikipedia.org

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

Popular The Ordinary vs La Roche-Posay products

People Say

The OrdinaryLa Roche-Posay
  • Other Product Benefits and Features Mostly MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “eliminated armpit odor — The Ordinary Glycolic Acid 7% Toning Solution”
    • “pores look significantly smaller — The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1%”
    • “deflates morning bags — The Ordinary Caffeine Solution 5% + EGCG”
    • “zero scent — La Roche-Posay Toleriane Double Repair Face Moisturizer”
  • Texture Improvement and Smoothing 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”
    • “lightweight and absorbs quickly — La Roche-Posay Mela B3 Serum”
    • “Skin feels smoother — La Roche-Posay Retinol B3 Serum”
  • Hydration and Moisture Sometimes NotedMostly Mentioned
    • “absorbs instantly — La Roche-Posay Toleriane Double Repair Face Moisturizer”
    • “skin feels plump — La Roche-Posay Hyalu B5 Serum”
    • “legs stopped flaking — La Roche-Posay Lipikar AP+M Triple Repair Moisturizing Cream”
    • “skin feels immediately hydrated — The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5”
  • Sensitive Skin Friendly Sometimes NotedMostly Mentioned
    • “Great retinol for beginners — La Roche-Posay Retinol B3 Serum”
    • “Only cream that doesn't sting — La Roche-Posay Toleriane Dermallergo Eye Cream”
    • “no stinging — La Roche-Posay Toleriane Double Repair Face Moisturizer”
    • “Finally a cleanser that doesn't sting my face. — The Ordinary Squalane Cleanser”
  • 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%”
  • Acne Clearing and Prevention 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”
    • “clears acne blemishes — La Roche-Posay Effaclar Medicated Gel Cleanser”
  • Texture and Pilling Issues Mostly MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “pills like crazy — La Roche-Posay Toleriane Double Repair Face Moisturizer”
    • “Very sticky — La Roche-Posay Pure Vitamin C10 Serum”
    • “leaves a tacky residue — La Roche-Posay Hyalu B5 Serum”
    • “crumbles and piles under moisturizer — The Ordinary Azelaic Acid Suspension 10%”
  • Other Product Issues and Inefficiencies Sometimes NotedSometimes Noted
    • “Turns orange fast — La Roche-Posay Pure Vitamin C10 Serum”
    • “didn't see any significant improvement — La Roche-Posay Mela B3 Serum”
    • “Weaker retinol product — La Roche-Posay Retinol B3 Serum”
    • “no change in pigment — The Ordinary Caffeine Solution 5% + EGCG”
  • Skin Irritation and Stinging Often MentionedRarely Noted
    • “burned my face — La Roche-Posay Toleriane Double Repair Face Moisturizer”
    • “dried my skin out — La Roche-Posay Mela B3 Serum”
    • “burning sensation — La Roche-Posay Effaclar Medicated Gel Cleanser”
    • “irritated AF the next day — The Ordinary AHA 30% + BHA 2% Peeling Solution”
  • Packaging and Pump Issues Rarely NotedOften Mentioned
    • “The 50ml tube runs out way too fast. — The Ordinary Squalane Cleanser”
    • “Wish it came in a pump — The Ordinary Natural Moisturizing Factors + HA”
    • “pump stops working — La Roche-Posay Lipikar AP+M Triple Repair Moisturizing Cream”

The Ordinary vs La Roche-Posay routines for dry skin

Buy The Ordinary routine · AED 542.90 · 89% fitBuy La Roche-Posay routine · AED 454.02 · 85% fitSee multi-brand routine · 96% fit

The Ordinary vs La Roche-Posay routines for oily skin

Buy The Ordinary routine · AED 833.82 · 91% fitBuy La Roche-Posay routine · AED 726.14 · 89% fitSee multi-brand routine · 97% fit

The Ordinary vs La Roche-Posay routines for combination skin

Buy The Ordinary routine · AED 712.46 · 92% fitBuy La Roche-Posay routine · AED 781.65 · 88% fitSee multi-brand routine · 96% fit

Questions and answers

The Ordinary or La Roche-Posay: which is better?

The Ordinary provides better value and superior options for sensitive, combination, and mature skin, while La Roche-Posay is known for targeted hydration and care for oily and acne-prone skin.

What is the difference between The Ordinary and La Roche-Posay?

The Ordinary offers better value and superior options for oily, combination, sensitive, mature skin, and dark spots, while La Roche-Posay is known for targeted hydration and sensitive-skin care. Both brands feature fragrance-free options, though La Roche-Posay includes added fragrance in some of its formulas.

The Ordinary or La Roche-Posay for dry skin?

For dry skin, both The Ordinary and La Roche-Posay have a High routine fit on the products on this page. The Ordinary products on this page list no fragrance, whereas 21 of 35 La Roche-Posay products on this page list no fragrance.

The Ordinary or La Roche-Posay: which cleanser is better?

Both The Ordinary and La Roche-Posay offer effective cleansers, with Lovi fit levels ranging from High to Average depending on your specific skin type. The Ordinary features options like the Glucoside Foaming Cleanser, while La Roche-Posay includes well-regarded formulas such as the Toleriane Hydrating Foaming Gel.

Which is more affordable, The Ordinary or La Roche-Posay?

The Ordinary is more affordable, as the products on this page are frequently noted by reviewers for offering great value at a lower price. La Roche-Posay frequently receives reviews mentioning price, value, and size concerns.

Between The Ordinary and La Roche-Posay, which brand is better suited for mature skin?

The Ordinary is better suited for mature skin, achieving a Superior routine fit compared to La Roche-Posay's High fit level. Additionally, topical retinol helps improve naturally aged skin by stimulating collagen accumulation.

The Journal of Investigative Dermatology, 2000

Do products from The Ordinary or La Roche-Posay contain fragrance?

Every product from The Ordinary on this page lists no fragrance in its ingredients, whereas some products from La Roche-Posay list fragrance. Specifically, 21 of the 35 La Roche-Posay products on this page list no fragrance, while the remaining 14 products include it.

Which brand performs better for fading dark spots and improving skin texture?

The Ordinary performs better for fading dark spots and improving skin texture, offering superior fit levels for skin with dark spots and popular texture-smoothing serums on this page. Niacinamide helps reduce cutaneous pigmentation and melanosome transfer, which supports an even skin tone.

The British Journal of Dermatology, 2002

The Ordinary or La Roche-Posay for oily skin?

For oily skin, both brands offer good options, though Lovi rates The Ordinary as Superior and La Roche-Posay as High. Niacinamide helps control oil and pigmentation across both ranges.

The British Journal of Dermatology, 2002Antioxidants, 2021

The Ordinary or La Roche-Posay: which moisturizer is better?

Both The Ordinary and La Roche-Posay offer moisturizers with a high Lovi fit level for dry skin. La Roche-Posay helps with hydration and moisture, while the products on this page by The Ordinary provide affordable value.

The Ordinary or La Roche-Posay for sensitive skin?

Lovi rates The Ordinary as Superior for sensitive skin, while La Roche-Posay is rated High. Reviewers note that every product on The Ordinary page lists no fragrance, whereas several La Roche-Posay products contain added fragrance.

The Ordinary or La Roche-Posay for acne-prone skin?

Both The Ordinary and La Roche-Posay fit acne-prone skin well, with Lovi fit levels of High for the products on this page. Reviewers note that The Ordinary offers affordable acne-clearing serums, while La Roche-Posay provides lightweight and hydrating moisturizers.

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

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