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SKIN1004 vs The Ordinary

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

SKIN1004 and The Ordinary are accessible skincare brands that serve distinct dermatological needs through targeted formulations. The Korean line relies on centella asiatica, hyaluronic acid, and niacinamide within gentle toners and sunscreens to suit oily and combination skin, whereas the Canadian brand centers on hyaluronic acid, glycerin, and squalane inside potent serums and moisturizers to comfort dry and dry sensitive skin. Both lines offer specialized remedies for acne, dark spots, and mature concerns, differing fundamentally in their core botanical philosophies and primary target complexions.

SKIN1004 is a Korean skincare brand founded in 2012 and owned by Goodai Global Inc. since 2024.

mk.co.krpitchbook.comtracxn.comgoodai-global.com

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

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This page compares some of the most popular SKIN1004 and The Ordinary products; for every product of both brands, with a fit score for your own skin, use the Lovi app.

Popular SKIN1004 vs The Ordinary products

People Say

SKIN1004The Ordinary
  • Hydration and soothing Mostly MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “calmed my angry skin — SKIN1004 Madagascar Centella Toning Toner”
    • “Gives my dehydrated skin a moisture surge — SKIN1004 Madagascar Centella Watergel Sheet Ampoule Mask”
    • “Eliminated redness on my easily irritated skin — SKIN1004 Madagascar Centella Watergel Sheet Ampoule Mask”
    • “skin feels immediately hydrated — The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5”
  • Lightweight texture Mostly MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “sunk in like a dream — SKIN1004 Madagascar Centella Hyalu-Cica Water-Fit Sun Serum”
    • “Texture is on the thinner side... surprisingly lightweight. — SKIN1004 Madagascar Centella Light Cleansing Oil”
    • “absorbs like water — SKIN1004 Madagascar Centella Toning Toner”
    • “Sinks in immediately — The Ordinary Multi-Peptide + Copper Peptides 1% Serum”
  • Value and pricing Rarely NotedMostly Mentioned
    • “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%”
    • “huge bottle — SKIN1004 Madagascar Centella Toning Toner”
  • Exfoliation and smoothing Sometimes NotedMostly Mentioned
    • “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 super soft — SKIN1004 Zombie Pack”
  • Acne-safe and acne-clearing Rarely NotedOften Mentioned
    • “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”
    • “didn't cause new breakouts — SKIN1004 Hyalu-Cica Moisture Cream”
  • Subtle glow and brightening Rarely NotedSometimes Noted
    • “Dark spots have faded noticeably — The Ordinary Alpha Arbutin 2% + HA”
    • “helped lighten post-acne scars — The Ordinary Azelaic Acid Suspension 10%”
    • “dark scars are clearer within 2 weeks — The Ordinary Mandelic Acid 10% + HA”
    • “skin looks brighter immediately — SKIN1004 Madagascar Centella Tone Brightening Cleansing Gel Foam”
  • Sticky or tacky finish Sometimes NotedSometimes Noted
    • “left my skin medium tacky — SKIN1004 Madagascar Centella Poremizing Light Gel Cream”
    • “Left a slightly greasy feeling — SKIN1004 Madagascar Centella Watergel Sheet Ampoule Mask”
    • “feels tacky in high humidity — SKIN1004 Madagascar Centella Hyalu-Cica Water-Fit Sun Serum”
    • “feels very sticky — The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5”
  • Scent and fragrance issues Sometimes NotedRarely Noted
    • “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”
    • “smells like wet dog — SKIN1004 Zombie Pack”
  • Insufficient moisture Sometimes NotedRarely Noted
    • “Skin felt tight an hour later — The Ordinary Natural Moisturizing Factors + HA”
    • “not enough for dry skin — SKIN1004 Madagascar Centella Poremizing Light Gel Cream”
  • Minor irritation and stinging Rarely NotedSometimes Noted
    • “caused tiny bumps — SKIN1004 Madagascar Centella Toning Toner”
    • “Stung my face — SKIN1004 Madagascar Centella Quick Calming Pad”
    • “subtle sting — SKIN1004 Probio-Cica Bakuchiol Eye Cream”
    • “stings a little but worth it — The Ordinary AHA 30% + BHA 2% Peeling Solution”

SKIN1004 vs The Ordinary routines for dry skin

Buy The Ordinary routine · CA$155.67 · 97% fitBuy SKIN1004 routine · CA$123.83 · 86% fitSee multi-brand routine · 99% fit

SKIN1004 vs The Ordinary routines for oily skin

Buy The Ordinary routine · CA$198.33 · 92% fitBuy SKIN1004 routine · CA$272.21 · 87% fitSee multi-brand routine · 96% fit

SKIN1004 vs The Ordinary routines for combination skin

Buy The Ordinary routine · CA$187.44 · 93% fitBuy SKIN1004 routine · CA$230.22 · 87% fitSee multi-brand routine · 96% fit

Questions and answers

SKIN1004 or The Ordinary: which is better?

SKIN1004 is better for hydration and soothing with lightweight textures, whereas The Ordinary is better for value, exfoliation, acne-clearing, and brightening. For routine fit levels, The Ordinary is rated Superior for dry, oily, combination, sensitive, mature, skin with dark spots, and dry sensitive skin, while SKIN1004 is rated High for those same skin types.

What is the difference between SKIN1004 and The Ordinary?

SKIN1004 stands out for its lightweight texture, hydration, and soothing formulas, whereas The Ordinary is better known for value, exfoliation, and acne-clearing serums.

SKIN1004 or The Ordinary for dry skin?

The products on this page from The Ordinary provide a superior routine fit for dry skin compared to SKIN1004, which achieves a high fit level. Hyaluronic acid helps bind moisture within dry skin and supports barrier hydration.

Journal of Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences, 2015

SKIN1004 or The Ordinary: which cleanser is better?

Both SKIN1004 and The Ordinary offer top-rated cleansers on the products on this page, but SKIN1004 excels in gentle hydration and soothing, whereas The Ordinary provides great value and effective formulas like the Glycolipid Cream Cleanser.

Which is more affordable, SKIN1004 or The Ordinary?

The Ordinary provides better value and pricing compared to SKIN1004. Reviewers frequently praise The Ordinary for offering affordable and great value serums across the products on this page.

How do SKIN1004 and The Ordinary compare for mature skin?

For mature skin, SKIN1004 has a High routine fit, while The Ordinary reaches a Superior fit. Reviewers note that The Ordinary provides affordable and great value serums as well as texture-smoothing serums, whereas SKIN1004 is praised for its lightweight and soothing toners.

Which brand offers better exfoliation and smoothing benefits?

The Ordinary does better for exfoliation and smoothing compared to SKIN1004. Reviewers frequently note its texture-smoothing serums and acid treatments.

SKIN1004 or The Ordinary for oily skin?

The Ordinary offers a Superior routine fit for oily skin compared to the High fit from SKIN1004. Reviewers note that The Ordinary delivers better results for acne-clearing and exfoliation, while SKIN1004 focuses more on lightweight hydration.

SKIN1004 or The Ordinary: which moisturizer is better?

When choosing a moisturizer, SKIN1004 is better for a lightweight and soothing feel, while The Ordinary is better for value and barrier support.

SKIN1004 or The Ordinary for sensitive skin?

Both SKIN1004 and The Ordinary achieve a High fit level for sensitive skin. Reviewers note that SKIN1004 delivers better hydration and soothing benefits, while The Ordinary offers superior overall routine fit for sensitive skin.

SKIN1004 or The Ordinary for acne-prone skin?

Both SKIN1004 and The Ordinary achieve a high Lovi fit level for acne-prone skin, meaning either brand helps support this skin type well. Reviewers note that The Ordinary stands out for acne-clearing and exfoliation benefits, while SKIN1004 is praised for its lightweight and soothing texture.

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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