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The Ordinary vs Shiseido

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

The Ordinary and Shiseido are prominent skincare brands that offer distinct approaches to daily care through dedicated serums, moisturizers, cleansers, and toners. The Canadian brand centers its formulations on hyaluronic acid, glycerin, and squalane to suit dry skin and dry sensitive skin best, while the Japanese house utilizes balanced formulations featuring glycerin to favor sensitive skin and oily skin. They differ primarily in their heritage and targeted textures, with both providing specialized products for acne-prone skin, dark spots, and mature concerns.

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

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Shiseido is a Japanese skincare brand founded in 1872 and owned by Shiseido Company, Limited.

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

Popular The Ordinary vs Shiseido products

People Say

The OrdinaryShiseido
  • Hydration and Moisture Sometimes NotedMostly Mentioned
    • “Immediate sensation of comfort — Shiseido Benefiance Wrinkle Smoothing Eye Cream”
    • “skin feels plump, soft and nourished, eliminates dryness, bouncy feel — Shiseido VITAL PERFECTION”
    • “Skin feels more hydrated — Shiseido Activating Essence”
    • “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%”
  • Texture Smoothing and Improvement Often MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “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%”
    • “smoothes rough skin — Shiseido Eudermine Revitalizing Essence”
  • Radiance and Brightening Rarely NotedOften Mentioned
    • “Skin looks brighter, more radiant, and "glowy." — Shiseido Ultimune Power Infusing Concentrate”
    • “faded pimple marks — Shiseido White Lucent Brightening Gel Cream”
    • “Eyes look more awake — Shiseido Benefiance Wrinkle Smoothing Eye Cream”
    • “tight, bright and shiny — The Ordinary AHA 30% + BHA 2% Peeling Solution”
  • Luxurious Texture Not notedOften Mentioned
    • “silky smooth, rich but non-greasy, absorbs quickly, melts into skin — Shiseido VITAL PERFECTION”
    • “Velvety, rich cream texture — Shiseido Benefiance Wrinkle Smoothing Eye Cream”
    • “Velvety texture — Shiseido FUTURE SOLUTION LX”
  • Lightweight Texture Sometimes NotedSometimes Noted
    • “Airy-soft texture — Shiseido Essential Energy Hydrating Cream”
    • “absorbs quickly — Shiseido White Lucent Brightening Gel Cream”
    • “Sinks right into the skin — Shiseido Activating Essence”
    • “Sinks in immediately — The Ordinary Multi-Peptide + Copper Peptides 1% Serum”
  • High Price Rarely NotedMostly Mentioned
    • “Expensive for Ordinary — The Ordinary Multi-Peptide + Copper Peptides 1% Serum”
    • “Very expensive for the size — Shiseido Benefiance Wrinkle Smoothing Eye Cream”
  • Fragrance and Scent 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”
    • “old lady smell — Shiseido Eudermine Revitalizing Essence”
  • Pilling and Makeup Compatibility Often MentionedRarely Noted
    • “slightly tacky — Shiseido Eudermine Revitalizing Essence”
    • “A little too much (too greasy) — Shiseido Bio-Performance Advanced Super Revitalizing Cream”
    • “crumbles and piles under moisturizer — The Ordinary Azelaic Acid Suspension 10%”
  • Stinging and Irritation Often MentionedRarely Noted
    • “Caused some irritation — Shiseido Bio-Performance Advanced Super Revitalizing Cream”
    • “caused red bumpy rash — Shiseido Clarifying Cleansing Foam”
    • “caused red rash — Shiseido Treatment Softener”
    • “irritated AF the next day — The Ordinary AHA 30% + BHA 2% Peeling Solution”

The Ordinary vs Shiseido routines for dry skin

Buy The Ordinary routine · A$192.91 · 96% fitBuy Shiseido routine · A$515.52 · 74% fitSee multi-brand routine · 97% fit

The Ordinary vs Shiseido routines for oily skin

Buy The Ordinary routine · A$285.78 · 92% fitBuy Shiseido routine · A$737.92 · 84% fitSee multi-brand routine · 96% fit

The Ordinary vs Shiseido routines for combination skin

Buy The Ordinary routine · A$219.69 · 91% fitBuy Shiseido routine · A$614.44 · 81% fitSee multi-brand routine · 95% fit

Questions and answers

The Ordinary or Shiseido: which is better?

The Ordinary is a better choice for budget-friendly value and texture smoothing, while Shiseido is a better choice for deep hydration and luxurious textures. Lovi fit for dry skin is Superior for The Ordinary and Average for Shiseido.

What is the difference between The Ordinary and Shiseido?

The Ordinary offers more affordable skincare with fragrance-free formulas that focus on targeted treatments, whereas Shiseido provides a more luxurious experience featuring rich textures and added fragrances in many products.

The Ordinary or Shiseido for dry skin?

The Ordinary is a superior choice for dry skin compared to Shiseido, which offers an average fit for this skin type. Reviewers note that the products on this page by The Ordinary provide better value and hydration routines tailored to dry skin.

The Ordinary or Shiseido: which cleanser is better?

The products on this page show that The Ordinary offers cleansers with a superior or high Lovi fit across nearly all skin types, whereas Shiseido cleansers feature lower fit levels for dry and sensitive skin alongside a warning for dry skin.

Which is more affordable, The Ordinary or Shiseido?

The products on this page show that The Ordinary offers better value, while Shiseido products often carry a high price point.

Do The Ordinary products contain fragrance?

The Ordinary products on this page list no fragrance in their ingredients.

Which brand performs better for texture smoothing?

The Ordinary performs better for texture smoothing than Shiseido.

What are the main complaints about Shiseido products from reviewers?

Reviewers often complain that Shiseido products have a high price point and a strong fragrance. Sometimes they also note skin irritation and packaging issues.

The Ordinary or Shiseido for sensitive skin?

The Ordinary is a better fit for sensitive skin, offering a Superior routine compared to Shiseido's High fit level. Furthermore, every product on The Ordinary page lists no fragrance in its ingredients.

The Ordinary or Shiseido: which moisturizer is better?

The products on this page show that The Ordinary offers superior moisturizer routines for dry skin, while Shiseido products on this page are known for deep hydration and luxurious textures.

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?

Scan your face, then any product: Lovi shows how well it fits you and what fits even better.

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