🇦🇪United Arab Emirates

The Ordinary vs Minimalist

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

The Ordinary and Minimalist are popular skincare lines offering targeted serums, moisturizers, cleansers, and sunscreens built around dependable ingredients like hyaluronic acid, glycerin, squalane, and salicylic acid. The Canadian brand suits sensitive and combination skin best, whereas its Indian counterpart is ideally suited for acne-prone and oily skin types. While both companies deliver proven results for specific concerns, they differ in their formulation styles, regional origins, and ideal matches for diverse complexions.

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

glossy.coen.wikipedia.org

Minimalist is an Indian skincare brand founded in 2020 and owned by Unilever PLC since 2025.

m.economictimes.comunilever.combeminimalist.copersonalcareinsights.com

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

Popular The Ordinary vs Minimalist products

People Say

The OrdinaryMinimalist
  • Hydration and plumping Often MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “very moisturizing — Minimalist SPF 50 Sunscreen”
    • “calmed it when my skin was super irritated — Minimalist Vitamin B5 10% Moisturizer”
    • “skin feels immediately hydrated — The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5”
  • Great value and affordable 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%”
  • Gentle and non-irritating Sometimes NotedOften Mentioned
    • “doesn't make skin feel tight — Minimalist Salicylic Acid + LHA 2% Face Cleanser”
    • “zero smell — Minimalist Vitamin B5 10% Moisturizer”
    • “great for sensitive skin — Minimalist Salicylic Acid + LHA 2% Face Cleanser”
    • “Finally a cleanser that doesn't sting my face. — The Ordinary Squalane Cleanser”
  • Matte finish and oil control Rarely NotedMostly Mentioned
    • “perfect moisturizer for oily skin — Minimalist Vitamin B5 10% Moisturizer”
    • “keeps skin oil-free for hours — Minimalist Salicylic Acid + LHA 2% Face Cleanser”
    • “controlled my sebum production — The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1%”
  • Texture smoothing and improvement Mostly MentionedNot noted
    • “glass skin effect — The Ordinary Glycolic Acid 7% Toning Solution”
    • “pores look significantly smaller — The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1%”
    • “skin feels baby butt smooth — The Ordinary AHA 30% + BHA 2% Peeling Solution”
  • Lightweight absorption Sometimes NotedOften Mentioned
    • “absorbs quickly and doesn't feel greasy — Minimalist Vitamin B5 10% Moisturizer”
    • “Sinks in immediately — The Ordinary Multi-Peptide + Copper Peptides 1% Serum”
  • Sticky finish Sometimes NotedOften Mentioned
    • “feels very sticky — The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5”
    • “feels very sticky — The Ordinary Salicylic Acid 2% Solution”
    • “sticky after application feel — Minimalist Vitamin B5 10% Moisturizer”
  • Pilling under makeup Sometimes NotedSometimes Noted
    • “pills under makeup — Minimalist SPF 50 Sunscreen”
    • “crumbles and piles under moisturizer — The Ordinary Azelaic Acid Suspension 10%”
  • 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”
    • “smells like chemicals — Minimalist Salicylic Acid + LHA 2% Face Cleanser”
  • Drying formulas Rarely NotedOften Mentioned
    • “incredibly drying — The Ordinary Azelaic Acid Suspension 10%”
    • “dried out skin — The Ordinary Caffeine Solution 5% + EGCG”
    • “not moisturizing enough — Minimalist Vitamin B5 10% Moisturizer”

The Ordinary vs Minimalist routines for dry skin

Buy The Ordinary routine · AED 542.90 · 89% fitBuy Minimalist routine · AED 286.20 · 83% fitSee multi-brand routine · 96% fit

The Ordinary vs Minimalist routines for oily skin

Buy Minimalist routine · AED 752.43 · 94% fitBuy The Ordinary routine · AED 833.82 · 91% fitSee multi-brand routine · 97% fit

The Ordinary vs Minimalist routines for combination skin

Buy Minimalist routine · AED 699.49 · 93% fitBuy The Ordinary routine · AED 712.46 · 92% fitSee multi-brand routine · 96% fit

Questions and answers

The Ordinary or Minimalist: which is better?

The Ordinary is better for sensitive, mature, and dry sensitive skin, offering a Superior routine fit compared to the High fit level of Minimalist. Both brands provide an equal Superior routine fit for oily, combination, and dark spot-prone skin.

What is the difference between The Ordinary and Minimalist?

The Ordinary offers a much larger variety of targeted serums and is better suited for sensitive, dry sensitive, and mature skin, whereas Minimalist focuses on a smaller range with superior fit for acne-prone skin.

The Ordinary or Minimalist for dry skin?

Both The Ordinary and Minimalist fit dry skin with a High level. Hyaluronic acid helps improve skin hydration and signs of aging.

Drug Delivery, 2017Dermatologic Therapy, 2022

Which is more affordable, The Ordinary or Minimalist?

The Ordinary is more affordable, as the products on this page are frequently praised by reviewers for offering great value at a budget-friendly price.

Which brand has better options for smoothing skin texture, The Ordinary or Minimalist?

The Ordinary does better for smoothing skin texture, as the products on this page offer texture-smoothing serums that reviewers often mention. Hyaluronic acid helps improve skin quality and signs of aging.

Dermatologic Therapy, 2022

How do the founding years and corporate ownership of The Ordinary and Minimalist compare?

The Ordinary was founded in 2016 in Canada and has been owned by The Estée Lauder Companies Inc. since 2021. In contrast, Minimalist was founded in 2020 in India and is owned by Unilever PLC as of 2025.

Which brand is better suited for mature skin, The Ordinary or Minimalist?

The Ordinary is better suited for mature skin, achieving a Superior routine fit compared to Minimalist's High level. The products on this page help improve skin texture and reduce signs of aging.

The Ordinary or Minimalist for oily skin?

Both The Ordinary and Minimalist are a Superior fit for oily skin. Reviewers note that Minimalist provides better matte finish and oil control.

The Ordinary or Minimalist for sensitive skin?

The Ordinary fits sensitive skin better than Minimalist, achieving a Superior routine fit compared to Minimalist's High level. Reviewers on this page frequently praise the products on this page for being gentle and non-irritating.

The Ordinary or Minimalist for acne-prone skin?

For acne-prone skin, Minimalist performs better than The Ordinary because Minimalist achieves a Superior routine fit compared to The Ordinary's High level.

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?

Scan your face, then any product: Lovi shows how well it fits you and what fits even better.

QR code: get the Lovi app
Download on theApp Store Get it onGoogle Play