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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 former features hyaluronic acid, glycerin, and squalane, suiting dry skin, dry sensitive skin, acne-prone skin, dark spots, and mature skin best. Meanwhile, the latter utilizes glycerin, hyaluronic acid, and dimethicone, which suit sensitive skin and mature skin best while also addressing acne and dark spots. Both brands differ in their specific formulations, targeted concerns, and scientific backing.

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 · A$192.91 · 96% fitBuy Neutrogena routine · A$116.40 · 81% fitSee multi-brand routine · 97% fit

The Ordinary vs Neutrogena routines for oily skin

Buy The Ordinary routine · A$285.78 · 92% fitBuy Neutrogena routine · A$244.80 · 75% fitSee multi-brand routine · 96% fit

The Ordinary vs Neutrogena routines for combination skin

Buy The Ordinary routine · A$219.69 · 91% fitBuy Neutrogena routine · A$195.25 · 80% fitSee multi-brand routine · 95% fit

Questions and answers

The Ordinary or Neutrogena: which is better?

Both brands offer great options, but The Ordinary is rated Superior for dry, oily, combination, sensitive, mature, dark spot, and dry sensitive skin types on this page, while Neutrogena is rated High for those same skin types. The Ordinary provides better value and targets texture and blemishes well, whereas Neutrogena is known for deep hydration and lightweight formulas.

What is the difference between The Ordinary and Neutrogena?

The Ordinary is generally better for value and clearing blemishes, while Neutrogena is often praised for hydration and lightweight moisturizers. Lovi rates The Ordinary as having a Superior routine fit for dry, oily, combination, sensitive, mature, and dark spot skin types, whereas Neutrogena has a High fit across those same categories.

The Ordinary or Neutrogena for dry skin?

For dry skin, Lovi finds The Ordinary has a Superior routine fit while Neutrogena has a High fit. The products on this page from The Ordinary feature key ingredients like hyaluronic acid to help maintain moisture.

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

The Ordinary or Neutrogena: which cleanser is better?

Both The Ordinary and Neutrogena offer cleansers that fit sensitive, dry, and oily skin at a High level on this page. The Ordinary has fragrance-free options across all its cleansers, while Neutrogena has a few cleansers with fragrance.

Which is more affordable, The Ordinary or Neutrogena?

The Ordinary is more affordable on this page, as it is noted for its value for money and pricing. Reviewers often mention its serums as affordable and offering great value, whereas Neutrogena has packaging and value concerns.

Between The Ordinary and Neutrogena, which brand has a better routine fit for mature skin?

The Ordinary provides a superior routine fit for mature skin compared to Neutrogena. The products on this page help improve various signs of aging while keeping the formulas fragrance-free.

Which skincare brand has more fragrance-free options, The Ordinary or Neutrogena?

The Ordinary has more fragrance-free options because every single product on the page lists no fragrance in its ingredients. In contrast, Neutrogena has a few products with fragrance, as 35 of its 39 products on this page list no fragrance.

The Ordinary or Neutrogena: which brand is better for fading dark spots?

The Ordinary is better for fading dark spots, as Lovi rates its dark-spot routine as Superior compared to Neutrogena's High. The Ordinary features several products that are well-suited for this concern, and niacinamide helps reduce cutaneous pigmentation.

The British Journal of Dermatology, 2002

The Ordinary or Neutrogena for oily skin?

For oily skin, Lovi finds The Ordinary to be a Superior match, whereas Neutrogena has a High fit level on this page. Reviewers report that The Ordinary does better at clearing acne and improving skin texture.

The Ordinary or Neutrogena: which moisturizer is better?

The products on this page show that The Ordinary offers superior moisturization routines for dry skin, while Neutrogena is frequently praised on this page for its deeply hydrating moisturizers. Lovi rates the routine fit for dry skin as Superior for The Ordinary and High for Neutrogena.

The Ordinary or Neutrogena for sensitive skin?

The Ordinary is a better fit for sensitive skin, offering a Superior routine fit compared to Neutrogena's High fit on this page. Reviewers frequently mention The Ordinary for gentle and non-irritating serums, whereas Neutrogena sometimes receives notes about skin irritation and stinging.

The Ordinary or Neutrogena for acne-prone skin?

Both The Ordinary and Neutrogena have a High Lovi fit for acne-prone skin. The Ordinary offers products on this page that help clear acne and blemishes, while Neutrogena provides 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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