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The Ordinary vs Caudalie

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

The Ordinary and Caudalie are distinct skincare lines, with the Canadian brand featuring targeted serums, moisturizers, cleansers, and toners built around hyaluronic acid, glycerin, and squalane, while the French brand is beloved for botanical-forward serums, toners, moisturizers, and eye products that harness nutrient-rich vine and grape extracts. Both suit dry skin and dry sensitive skin best, offering specific formulas like niacinamide, mandelic acid, and lactic acid from the former, and purifying toners, glycolic peel masks, and rich creams from the latter. While the first relies on clinical single-ingredient science for concerns like acne, dark spots, and aging, the second employs botanical nourishment to restore balance, clarity, and vitality to the complexion.

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

glossy.coen.wikipedia.org

Caudalie is a French skincare brand founded in 1995.

en.wikipedia.orgen.caudalie.compitchbook.com

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

Popular The Ordinary vs Caudalie products

People Say

The OrdinaryCaudalie
  • Redness and sensitivity Often MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “calms down the redness immediately — The Ordinary Azelaic Acid Suspension 10%”
    • “Leaves my face feeling soft and not tight at all. — The Ordinary Squalane Cleanser”
    • “great for sensitive skin — Caudalie Vinoperfect Radiance Serum”
    • “calms my redness — Caudalie Grape Water”
  • Acne clearing and blemish reduction 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”
    • “cleared my hormonal acne — Caudalie Vinopure Purifying Gel Cleanser”
  • Skin smoothing and texture improvement Mostly MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “glass skin effect — The Ordinary Glycolic Acid 7% Toning Solution”
    • “never had any reaction to it with my sensitive skin — The Ordinary Mandelic Acid 10% + HA”
    • “skin feels baby butt smooth — The Ordinary AHA 30% + BHA 2% Peeling Solution”
    • “skin feels baby soft — Caudalie Instant Detox Mask”
  • Great value and affordable 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%”
  • Pleasant scent and refreshing aromas Not notedOften Mentioned
    • “smells like a spa — Caudalie Beauty Elixir”
    • “gives a glass-skin look — Caudalie Beauty Elixir”
    • “wakes up my skin — Caudalie Beauty Elixir”
  • Hydration and plumping effects Sometimes NotedOften Mentioned
    • “Provides intense hydration, smooths fine lines, and gives the skin an even, radiant appearance. — Caudalie Premier Cru The Cream”
    • “intense hydration — Caudalie Grape Water”
    • “skin feels plump — Caudalie Resveratrol-Lift Firming Cashmere Cream”
    • “skin feels immediately hydrated — The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5”
  • Texture and pilling issues under makeup Mostly MentionedRarely Noted
    • “tacky finish — Caudalie Vinoperfect Radiance Serum”
    • “does not remove make-up — Caudalie Vinoclean Instant Foaming Cleanser”
    • “Incompatible with my makeup. — Caudalie Premier Cru The Cream”
    • “crumbles and piles under moisturizer — The Ordinary Azelaic Acid Suspension 10%”
  • High price point and value concerns Not notedMostly Mentioned
    • “expensive — Caudalie Vinoperfect Radiance Serum”
  • Unpleasant scent or fragrance issues 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”
    • “smell is strong — Caudalie Vinopure Purifying Toner”
  • Stinging, harshness and irritation Often MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “burns my eyes — Caudalie Beauty Elixir”
    • “bit dry for daily use — Caudalie Vinopure Purifying Toner”
    • “woke up swollen — Caudalie Vinoperfect Brightening Eye Cream”
    • “irritated AF the next day — The Ordinary AHA 30% + BHA 2% Peeling Solution”

The Ordinary vs Caudalie routines for dry skin

Buy The Ordinary routine · A$192.91 · 96% fitBuy Caudalie routine · A$227.09 · 96% fitSee multi-brand routine · 97% fit

The Ordinary vs Caudalie routines for oily skin

Buy Caudalie routine · A$391.38 · 93% fitBuy The Ordinary routine · A$285.78 · 92% fitSee multi-brand routine · 96% fit

The Ordinary vs Caudalie routines for combination skin

Buy Caudalie routine · A$430.35 · 92% fitBuy The Ordinary routine · A$219.69 · 91% fitSee multi-brand routine · 95% fit

Questions and answers

The Ordinary or Caudalie: which is better?

Both The Ordinary and Caudalie offer exceptional options with an equal routine fit for most skin types, while The Ordinary is generally more affordable and better for acne clearing, and Caudalie tends to provide more refreshing aromas and hydration effects. Hyaluronic acid helps improve skin quality and signs of aging.

Dermatologic Therapy, 2022

What is the difference between The Ordinary and Caudalie?

The Ordinary excels in value and acne clearing, while Caudalie is noted for refreshing aromas and hydration effects. Both brands offer fragrance-free options across many products on this page.

The Ordinary or Caudalie for dry skin?

Both The Ordinary and Caudalie achieve a Superior routine fit for dry skin. The products on this page for both brands feature hydrating ingredients like hyaluronic acid and squalane, helping dry skin stay moisturized.

Drug Delivery, 2017Dermatologic Therapy, 2022

The Ordinary or Caudalie: which cleanser is better?

The Ordinary offers a range of cleansers featuring items like the Glycolipid Cream Cleanser, which helps cleanse while suiting dry skin and other types well. Caudalie also provides options such as the Vinopure Purifying Gel Cleanser, which is well-suited for oily skin.

Which is more affordable, The Ordinary or Caudalie?

The Ordinary is more affordable, as reviewers often mention its affordable and great value serums. In contrast, reviewers frequently note that Caudalie has a high price.

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

The products on this page from The Ordinary list no fragrance across the brand, whereas Caudalie includes fragrance in some of its formulas.

Which brand is better for acne-prone skin, The Ordinary or Caudalie?

Both brands offer great options for acne-prone skin, but Caudalie edges ahead with a Superior routine fit compared to The Ordinary's High level. The Ordinary products on this page are praised for acne clearing and blemish reduction, while Caudalie provides products like Vinopure Purifying Toner that help target breakouts.

Which brand offers better skin smoothing and texture improvement, The Ordinary or Caudalie?

The Ordinary does better for skin smoothing and texture improvement. Reviewers often mention its texture-smoothing serums as a key benefit of the products on this page.

The Ordinary or Caudalie for oily skin?

Both The Ordinary and Caudalie offer a Superior routine fit for oily skin. The Ordinary features fragrance-free products on the products on this page, while Caudalie includes several formulas that list fragrance.

The Ordinary or Caudalie: which moisturizer is better?

Both The Ordinary and Caudalie offer exceptional moisturizers, with routines for dry skin achieving a Superior fit level for both brands. Reviewers note that The Ordinary provides great value and affordable pricing, while Caudalie is praised for its pleasant texture and hydration benefits.

The Ordinary or Caudalie for sensitive skin?

Both The Ordinary and Caudalie provide a Superior routine fit for sensitive skin. Every product on The Ordinary page lists no fragrance in its ingredients, while 12 of 20 products on the Caudalie page list no fragrance.

The Ordinary or Caudalie for acne-prone skin?

For acne-prone skin, Caudalie has a Superior routine fit while The Ordinary has a High fit level. Reviewers report that acne clearing and blemish reduction are better with The Ordinary.

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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