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The Ordinary vs Elemis

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

The Ordinary and Elemis are two distinct skincare lines known for curated serums, moisturizers, cleansers, and toners. The Canadian brand centers its formulations around hyaluronic acid, glycerin, and squalane to suit dry and dry sensitive skin, whereas the British brand weaves together glycerin and shea to deeply restore dry and mature skin. Both brands offer targeted solutions for acne-prone skin, dark spots, and mature skin, yet they differ in their foundational ingredients and overall heritage.

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

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Elemis is a British skincare brand founded in 1989 and owned by L'Occitane Group since 2019.

elemis.comau.elemis.comen.wikipedia.org

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

Popular The Ordinary vs Elemis products

People Say

The OrdinaryElemis
  • Texture and Absorption Often MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “Absorbs almost immediately, and my skin feels well hydrated all day. — Elemis Pro-Collagen Marine Cream”
    • “whipped silk feel — Elemis Superfood Midnight Facial”
    • “cloud-light gel formula — Elemis Pro-Collagen Eye Revive Mask”
    • “Sinks in immediately — The Ordinary Natural Moisturizing Factors + HA”
  • Smooths and Refines Skin Texture 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%”
    • “baby soft — Elemis Dynamic Resurfacing Facial Pads”
  • Hydration and Moisture Rarely NotedMostly Mentioned
    • “The cream really hydrates and my face looks amazing. — Elemis Pro-Collagen Night Cream”
    • “Quenches thirsty skin... immediate improvement. — Elemis Pro-Collagen Marine Cream”
    • “skin feels baby soft — Elemis Pro-Collagen Cleansing Balm”
    • “skin feels immediately hydrated — The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5”
  • Value and 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%”
  • Other Benefits and Features Often MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “eliminated armpit odor — The Ordinary Glycolic Acid 7% Toning Solution”
    • “pores look significantly smaller — The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1%”
    • “Nature's botox — The Ordinary Multi-Peptide + Copper Peptides 1% Serum”
    • “My neck doesn't sag... plumps my skin to look more youthful. — Elemis Pro-Collagen Night Cream”
  • Gentle and Sensitive Skin Friendly Sometimes NotedSometimes Noted
    • “Leaves my face feeling soft and not tight at all. — The Ordinary Squalane Cleanser”
    • “Finally a cleanser that doesn't sting my face. — The Ordinary Squalane Cleanser”
    • “no stinging or redness — Elemis Papaya Enzyme Peel”
    • “Feels incredibly gentle and instantly rebalances my skin's pH. — Elemis Balancing Lavender Toner”
  • High Price Point Not notedMostly Mentioned
    • “Complete waste of money for me. — Elemis Pro-Collagen Marine Cream”
  • Heavy, Thick, or Sticky Texture Issues Often MentionedRarely Noted
    • “Great product, a bit heavy. — Elemis Pro-Collagen Night Cream”
    • “slightly tacky to touch — Elemis Pro-Collagen Eye Revive Mask”
    • “leaves white flakes — Elemis Pro-Collagen Advanced Eye Treatment”
    • “feels very sticky — The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5”
  • Other Complaints and Issues Often MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “blurry vision — Elemis Pro-Collagen Cleansing Balm”
    • “tends to flake off — Elemis Pro-Collagen Eye Revive Mask”
    • “slight tingling sensation — Elemis Dynamic Resurfacing Facial Wash”
    • “foams up like soap — The Ordinary Salicylic Acid 2% Solution”
  • Scent and Fragrance 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”
    • “The smell is very strong... could not handle for long. — Elemis Pro-Collagen Marine Cream”

The Ordinary vs Elemis routines for dry skin

Buy The Ordinary routine · A$192.91 · 96% fitBuy Elemis routine · A$549.28 · 91% fitSee multi-brand routine · 97% fit

The Ordinary vs Elemis routines for oily skin

Buy The Ordinary routine · A$285.78 · 92% fitBuy Elemis routine · A$653.08 · 80% fitSee multi-brand routine · 96% fit

The Ordinary vs Elemis routines for combination skin

Buy The Ordinary routine · A$219.69 · 91% fitBuy Elemis routine · A$720.04 · 82% fitSee multi-brand routine · 95% fit

Questions and answers

The Ordinary or Elemis: which is better?

The Ordinary delivers better overall value and scent-free formulas, whereas Elemis offers luxurious hydrating textures with a higher price point. Both brands achieve equal routine fit levels for dry, mature, acne-prone, and oily acne-prone skin.

What is the difference between The Ordinary and Elemis?

The Ordinary offers budget-friendly products with no fragrance listed on this page and excels for dark spots and oily skin, whereas Elemis focuses on luxury moisturizers with many scented options and provides better hydration and texture. Both brands achieve equal routine fit levels for dry, mature, acne-prone, dry sensitive, and oily acne-prone skin.

The Ordinary or Elemis for dry skin?

Both The Ordinary and Elemis offer a Superior routine fit for dry skin. The Ordinary features fragrance-free formulas and strong value, while Elemis provides deeply hydrating moisturizers.

The Ordinary or Elemis: which cleanser is better?

Both The Ordinary and Elemis feature cleansers that help fit various skin types well, but reviewers mention that The Ordinary products on this page are more affordable. The Ordinary has fragrance-free cleansing options across its range, whereas Elemis includes some fragranced products.

Which is more affordable, The Ordinary or Elemis?

The Ordinary is more affordable, offering products on this page that reviewers often describe as affordable and great value serums. Review themes also show The Ordinary does better for value and price.

Which brand has more products without fragrance, The Ordinary or Elemis?

The Ordinary has more products without fragrance because every product on its page lists no fragrance in its ingredients, whereas only 4 of the 22 products on the Elemis page do.

How do The Ordinary and Elemis compare for mature skin routines?

Both The Ordinary and Elemis achieve a Superior routine fit for mature skin. However, reviewers highlight Elemis for hydrating moisturizers and texture, while The Ordinary offers better value and prices.

What are the main fragrance-related complaints or notes for Elemis products?

Elemis products on this page have mixed feedback regarding scent, with strong fragrance sometimes noted by reviewers as a concern alongside occasional skin irritation. Unlike the fragrance-free formulas found across The Ordinary, 18 of the 22 Elemis products on this page list added fragrance in their ingredients.

The Ordinary or Elemis for oily skin?

The Ordinary offers a Superior fit for oily skin, whereas Elemis provides a High fit. Every product on The Ordinary page lists no fragrance, while most Elemis products contain fragrance.

The Ordinary or Elemis: which moisturizer is better?

Both The Ordinary and Elemis offer great moisturizers, with The Ordinary delivering a Superior routine fit for dry skin and Elemis featuring highly rated options like the Pro-Collagen Marine Cream. Shoppers often praise Elemis for hydrating and luxurious moisturizer textures, though reviewers frequently note a high price point compared to The Ordinary.

The Ordinary or Elemis for sensitive skin?

The Ordinary is a better fit for sensitive skin, offering a Superior routine compared to the High routine of Elemis. The products on this page for The Ordinary are entirely fragrance-free, whereas most Elemis products contain added fragrance.

The Ordinary or Elemis for acne-prone skin?

Both The Ordinary and Elemis fit acne-prone skin well at a High level. The Ordinary offers fragrance-free products on this page and is known for affordable acne-clearing serums, whereas Elemis products on this page frequently include fragrance.

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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