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The Ordinary vs Estée Lauder

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

The Ordinary and Estée Lauder are skincare brands offering serums, moisturizers, cleansers, and more. Both brands suit dry skin and dry sensitive skin best, utilizing hyaluronic acid and glycerin. The Canadian brand centers its formulations around these ingredients alongside squalane, while the American brand thoughtfully incorporates nourishing options for specific concerns. They differ in their founding dates, product lines, and targeted treatments.

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

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Estée Lauder is an American skincare brand founded in 1946 and owned by The Estée Lauder Companies Inc..

en.wikipedia.orgelcompanies.com

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

Popular The Ordinary vs Estée Lauder products

People Say

The OrdinaryEstée Lauder
  • Hydration and Moisture Often MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “skin drinks it up immediately — Estée Lauder Advanced Night Repair”
    • “The formula is incredibly hydrating and leaves my skin feeling smooth. — Estée Lauder Re-Nutriv”
    • “texture is dreamy — Estée Lauder Advanced Night Repair Eye Supercharged Gel-Creme”
    • “skin feels immediately hydrated — The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5”
  • Texture and Pores Mostly MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “glass skin effect — The Ordinary Glycolic Acid 7% Toning Solution”
    • “pores look significantly smaller — The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1%”
    • “skin feels like a baby's bottom — Estée Lauder Advanced Night Repair”
    • “silky smooth — Estée Lauder Micro Essence Treatment Lotion”
  • Value and Price Mostly MentionedNot noted
    • “lasts forever — The Ordinary Glycolic Acid 7% Toning Solution”
    • “eliminated armpit odor — The Ordinary Glycolic Acid 7% Toning Solution”
    • “can't beat the price — The Ordinary Salicylic Acid 2% Solution”
  • Additional Benefits and Performance Often MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “never had any reaction to it with my sensitive skin — The Ordinary Mandelic Acid 10% + HA”
    • “Nature's botox — The Ordinary Multi-Peptide + Copper Peptides 1% Serum”
    • “included SPF 15 is ideal for mild sun exposure — Estée Lauder DayWear Moisturizer”
    • “stronger — Estée Lauder Micro Essence Treatment Lotion”
  • Lightweight and Fast Absorbing Often MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “Sinks in immediately — The Ordinary Natural Moisturizing Factors + HA”
    • “Sinks in immediately — The Ordinary Multi-Peptide + Copper Peptides 1% Serum”
    • “Absorbs quickly into the skin — Estée Lauder Revitalizing Supreme+”
    • “watery — Estée Lauder Micro Essence Treatment Lotion”
  • Acne and Blemish Control 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”
  • High Price Point Not notedMostly Mentioned
    • “way too expensive for the size — Estée Lauder Advanced Night Repair”
  • Inconsistent Results or Formula Issues Often MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “no change in pigment — The Ordinary Caffeine Solution 5% + EGCG”
    • “Skin felt tight an hour later — The Ordinary Natural Moisturizing Factors + HA”
    • “didn't notice any difference — Estée Lauder Advanced Night Repair”
    • “just expensive water — Estée Lauder Micro Essence Treatment Lotion”
  • Pilling, Sticky, or Heavy Finish Mostly MentionedRarely Noted
    • “tacky film — Estée Lauder Micro Essence Treatment Lotion”
    • “Leaves a greasy film behind — Estée Lauder Take It Away Makeup Remover Lotion”
    • “crumbles and piles under moisturizer — The Ordinary Azelaic Acid Suspension 10%”

The Ordinary vs Estée Lauder routines for dry skin

Buy The Ordinary routine · A$192.91 · 96% fitBuy Estée Lauder routine · A$330.00 · 83% fitSee multi-brand routine · 97% fit

The Ordinary vs Estée Lauder routines for oily skin

Buy The Ordinary routine · A$285.78 · 92% fitBuy Estée Lauder routine · A$497.39 · 80% fitSee multi-brand routine · 96% fit

The Ordinary vs Estée Lauder routines for combination skin

Buy The Ordinary routine · A$219.69 · 91% fitBuy Estée Lauder routine · A$490.31 · 78% fitSee multi-brand routine · 95% fit

Questions and answers

The Ordinary or Estée Lauder: which is better?

The Ordinary is generally better for budget-friendly routines and blemish control, while Estée Lauder offers deeper hydration with a higher price point. On this page, Lovi rates The Ordinary superior for dry, oily, combination, sensitive, mature, and dark spot skin types, and high for acne-prone and oily acne-prone skin.

What is the difference between The Ordinary and Estée Lauder?

The Ordinary generally offers much more affordable options and performs better for acne and blemish control, while Estée Lauder stands out for providing deeper hydration among the products on this page. Lovi rates The Ordinary as having a superior routine fit for dry, oily, combination, sensitive, mature, and dark-spot-prone skin types compared to Estée Lauder.

The Ordinary or Estée Lauder for dry skin?

The Ordinary is a better fit for dry skin, achieving a Superior routine fit compared to Estée Lauder's High fit on this page. Hyaluronic acid helps retain moisture, and topical application may improve skin hydration and barrier quality.

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

The Ordinary or Estée Lauder: which cleanser is better?

The products on this page show that both The Ordinary and Estée Lauder offer cleansers with high fit levels for various skin types. The Ordinary Glucoside Foaming Cleanser is well-suited for a wide range of skin conditions, while Estée Lauder Advanced Night Cleansing Gelée also performs well for acne-prone and mature skin.

Which is more affordable, The Ordinary or Estée Lauder?

The Ordinary is more affordable, offering affordable and great value serums among the products on this page, whereas reviewers frequently note a high price point for Estée Lauder.

Which brand has a stronger fragrance across its products?

Estée Lauder has a stronger fragrance across its products, as some items on the page list fragrance in their ingredients. In contrast, every product on the page from The Ordinary lists no fragrance.

The Ordinary or Estée Lauder for oily skin?

The Ordinary offers a Superior routine fit for oily skin, making it a better choice than Estée Lauder, which has a High routine fit for oily skin.

The Ordinary or Estée Lauder: which moisturizer is better?

The products on this page show that The Ordinary offers moisturizers with a Superior fit for dry skin, whereas Estée Lauder options like Re-Nutriv receive a Low fit level for dry skin. Reviewers also indicate that The Ordinary provides much better value and price for hydration needs.

The Ordinary or Estée Lauder for sensitive skin?

The Ordinary offers a superior routine fit for sensitive skin compared to Estée Lauder. Every product on The Ordinary page lists no fragrance, whereas some Estée Lauder items may contain fragrance.

The Ordinary or Estée Lauder for acne-prone skin?

Both The Ordinary and Estée Lauder have products on this page that fit acne-prone skin well, but The Ordinary offers more targeted blemish control options at a lower price point. Reviewers frequently praise The Ordinary for its acne-clearing serums, and Lovi rates its routine fit for acne-prone skin as High.

The Ordinary or Estée Lauder for dry sensitive skin?

The Ordinary is a better fit for dry sensitive skin, offering a Superior routine compared to Estée Lauder's High fit on the products on this page. Hyaluronic acid helps bind moisture to the skin and improves skin hydration.

Journal of Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences, 2015

The Ordinary or Estée Lauder for mature skin?

The Ordinary provides a Superior routine fit for mature skin, whereas Estée Lauder offers a High fit on the products on this page. Hyaluronic acid helps improve skin hydration and signs of aging.

Dermatologic Therapy, 2022

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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