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The Ordinary vs Neutrogena

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

The Ordinary and Neutrogena are trusted skincare brands offering diverse serums, moisturizers, cleansers, toners, and more. The Canadian brand centers on hyaluronic acid, glycerin, and squalane, suiting sensitive and combination skin best. Conversely, the American brand features glycerin, hyaluronic acid, and dimethicone, which suit mature skin and skin with dark spots best. While both utilize hydration-boosting ingredients to nurture the skin, they differ in their foundational formulations and ideal skin types.

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

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Neutrogena is an American skincare brand founded in 1930 and owned by Kimberly-Clark Corporation since 2026.

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

Popular The Ordinary vs Neutrogena products

People Say

The OrdinaryNeutrogena
  • Improves Skin Texture and Pores Mostly MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “glass skin effect — The Ordinary Glycolic Acid 7% Toning Solution”
    • “pores look significantly smaller — The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1%”
    • “never had any reaction to it with my sensitive skin — The Ordinary Mandelic Acid 10% + HA”
    • “Skin is looking smoother — Neutrogena Rapid Wrinkle Repair Regenerating Cream”
  • Hydration and Moisture Sometimes NotedMostly Mentioned
    • “Skin looked plumper and radiant — Neutrogena HYDRO BOOST WATER CREAM”
    • “It also hydrates my skin. This cream has been so easy to add to my routine. — Neutrogena Retinol Regenerating Cream”
    • “Quenches dry skin instantly — Neutrogena Hydro Boost Hydrating Hydrogel Mask”
    • “skin feels immediately hydrated — The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5”
  • Value for Money and Pricing Mostly MentionedRarely 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%”
    • “great price point — Neutrogena Oil-Free Eye Makeup Remover”
  • Lightweight and Non-Greasy Texture Sometimes NotedMostly Mentioned
    • “Absorbs instantly without sticky residue — Neutrogena Hydro Boost Water Gel”
    • “absorbs instantly — Neutrogena COLLAGEN BANK Moisturizer”
    • “Absorbs into skin without residue. — Neutrogena Hydro Boost Hyaluronic Acid Serum”
    • “Sinks in immediately — The Ordinary Multi-Peptide + Copper Peptides 1% Serum”
  • Gentle and Sensitive Skin Friendly Sometimes NotedOften Mentioned
    • “leaves skin soft and balanced — Neutrogena Ultra Gentle Daily Cleanser”
    • “love that it has no scent — Neutrogena Ultra Gentle Daily Cleanser”
    • “calms my acne prone skin — Neutrogena Ultra Gentle Daily Cleanser”
    • “Leaves my face feeling soft and not tight at all. — The Ordinary Squalane Cleanser”
  • Clears Acne and Blemishes Often MentionedNot 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”
  • Skin Irritation and Stinging Often MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “Made my face very red — Neutrogena HYDRO BOOST WATER CREAM”
    • “Burning sensation — Neutrogena Rapid Wrinkle Repair Regenerating Cream”
    • “stings my eyes badly — Neutrogena Ultra Gentle Daily Cleanser”
    • “irritated AF the next day — The Ordinary AHA 30% + BHA 2% Peeling Solution”
  • Packaging and Quantity Concerns 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”
    • “Eye holes are too small — Neutrogena Hydro Boost Hydrating Hydrogel Mask”
  • Pilling and Makeup Application Issues Sometimes NotedRarely Noted
    • “balls up under foundation — Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Dry-Touch Sunscreen”
    • “doesn't remove mascara — Neutrogena Ultra Gentle Daily Cleanser”
    • “crumbles and piles under moisturizer — The Ordinary Azelaic Acid Suspension 10%”
  • Sticky or Tacky Finish Often MentionedRarely Noted
    • “Left a tacky feeling on my skin. — Neutrogena Hydro Boost Hyaluronic Acid Serum”
    • “feels very sticky — The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5”

The Ordinary vs Neutrogena routines for dry skin

Buy The Ordinary routine · AED 542.90 · 89% fitBuy Neutrogena routine · AED 586.20 · 69% fitSee multi-brand routine · 96% fit

The Ordinary vs Neutrogena routines for oily skin

Buy The Ordinary routine · AED 833.82 · 91% fitBuy Neutrogena routine · AED 523.16 · 70% fitSee multi-brand routine · 97% fit

The Ordinary vs Neutrogena routines for combination skin

Buy The Ordinary routine · AED 712.46 · 92% fitBuy Neutrogena routine · AED 534.78 · 74% fitSee multi-brand routine · 96% fit

Questions and answers

The Ordinary or Neutrogena: which is better?

The Ordinary is a Superior fit for sensitive, combination, and dark-spot skin on the products on this page, while Neutrogena fits best for mature skin and acne-prone skin. Reviewers find that The Ordinary helps improve skin texture and offers better value, whereas Neutrogena helps provide deep hydration.

What is the difference between The Ordinary and Neutrogena?

The Ordinary is often preferred for its value and acne care, while Neutrogena is praised for its deep hydration and lightweight textures. Lovi gives The Ordinary superior routine fit for combination, sensitive, and mature skin types.

The Ordinary or Neutrogena for dry skin?

For dry skin, Lovi fit for The Ordinary is Superior while Neutrogena is Average. The products on this page by The Ordinary feature key ingredients like hyaluronic acid, which helps improve skin quality and signs of aging.

Dermatologic Therapy, 2022

The Ordinary or Neutrogena: which cleanser is better?

Both The Ordinary and Neutrogena offer strong cleanser options on the products on this page. The Ordinary features gentle choices like the Squalane Cleanser and Glucoside Foaming Cleanser, while Neutrogena provides popular options such as the Ultra Gentle Daily Cleanser, which has a Superior Lovi fit level for mature, acne-prone, and sensitive skin.

Which is more affordable, The Ordinary or Neutrogena?

The products on this page for The Ordinary offer better value for money and pricing than Neutrogena.

Which brand has better anti-aging products, The Ordinary or Neutrogena?

Neutrogena is a better choice for anti-aging moisturizers, while The Ordinary offers better texture-smoothing anti-aging serums on this page.

Which brand is more effective for fading dark spots, The Ordinary or Neutrogena?

The products on this page show that The Ordinary is superior for skin with dark spots, whereas Neutrogena has a High fit level. Niacinamide helps reduce cutaneous pigmentation and suppresses melanosome transfer.

The British Journal of Dermatology, 2002

Which brand has a better routine fit for mature skin, The Ordinary or Neutrogena?

For mature skin, The Ordinary has a superior routine fit, whereas Neutrogena has a high fit level on the products on this page.

The Ordinary or Neutrogena for oily skin?

The Ordinary is a Superior fit for oily skin, whereas Neutrogena has an Average fit. The products on this page help control oil and clear blemishes.

The Ordinary or Neutrogena: which moisturizer is better?

Neutrogena is better for hydration and moisture, featuring deeply hydrating moisturizers on this page. Lovi fit for dry skin is Superior for The Ordinary and Average for Neutrogena, while key ingredients like hyaluronic acid help improve skin quality.

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

The Ordinary or Neutrogena for sensitive skin?

The Ordinary is a better fit for sensitive skin, achieving a Superior routine fit level compared to Neutrogena's Average. Additionally, the products on this page from The Ordinary list no fragrance.

The Ordinary or Neutrogena for acne-prone skin?

Both brands fit acne-prone skin well, with Lovi rating The Ordinary High and Neutrogena High. The products on this page for The Ordinary offer acne-clearing serums, while Neutrogena features acne-safe and gentle 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

How does it fit your skin?

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