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The Ordinary vs COSRX

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

The Ordinary and COSRX are two popular skincare brands known for offering serums, moisturizers, cleansers, and more, built around active ingredients like hyaluronic acid, glycerin, and niacinamide. While the Canadian brand founded in 2016 fits dry skin and dry sensitive skin best using squalane to increase collagen production, the Korean brand founded in 2013 suits oily skin and acne-prone skin best because its trusted components balance excess oil and soothe irritation. Both brands provide targeted solutions for diverse needs, differing primarily in their foundational formulations and ideal skin types.

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

glossy.coen.wikipedia.org

COSRX is a Korean skincare brand founded in 2013 and owned by Amorepacific Group since 2024.

koreajoongangdaily.combeautymatter.comprnewswire.com

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

Popular The Ordinary vs COSRX products

People Say

The OrdinaryCOSRX
  • Miscellaneous Performance Mostly MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “eliminated armpit odor — The Ordinary Glycolic Acid 7% Toning Solution”
    • “pores look significantly smaller — The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1%”
    • “dark skin friendly — COSRX Ultra-Light Invisible Sunscreen”
    • “calms down my redness — COSRX Advanced Snail 96 Mucin Power Essence”
  • Smooth and Improved 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”
    • “gives me that glass skin look — COSRX Advanced Snail 96 Mucin Power Essence”
    • “skin feels softer immediately — COSRX The 6 Peptide Skin Booster Serum”
  • Acne and Blemish Control Often MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “pimples disappear within a day — The Ordinary Salicylic Acid 2% Solution”
    • “scars and hormonal acne faded — The Ordinary Azelaic Acid Suspension 10%”
    • “helped to improve my acne after only 2 weeks — COSRX Salicylic Acid Daily Gentle Cleanser”
    • “cleared up my spots — COSRX Low pH Good Morning Gel Cleanser”
  • Gentle and Sensitive Skin Care Sometimes NotedMostly Mentioned
    • “No stinging or irritation — COSRX BHA Blackhead Power Liquid”
    • “extremely gentle — COSRX AHA/BHA Clarifying Treatment Toner”
    • “perfect for first-time retinol users — COSRX The Retinol 0.1 Cream”
    • “Leaves my face feeling soft and not tight at all. — The Ordinary Squalane Cleanser”
  • Value 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%”
    • “huge bottle — COSRX Advanced Snail Peptide Eye Cream”
  • Hydration and Moisture Sometimes NotedMostly Mentioned
    • “skin drinks it up — COSRX Advanced Snail 96 Mucin Power Essence”
    • “woke up with soft, supple skin — COSRX Advanced Snail 92 All in One Cream”
    • “gives a healthy glow — COSRX The 6 Peptide Skin Booster Serum”
    • “skin feels immediately hydrated — The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5”
  • Texture and Pilling Mostly MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “texture is gooey and stringy — COSRX Advanced Snail 92 All in One Cream”
    • “too slimy and sticky — COSRX Advanced Snail 96 Mucin Power Essence”
    • “Leaves a sticky film — COSRX BHA Blackhead Power Liquid”
    • “crumbles and piles under moisturizer — The Ordinary Azelaic Acid Suspension 10%”
  • Irritation and Harshness Often MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “irritated AF the next day — The Ordinary AHA 30% + BHA 2% Peeling Solution”
    • “stings a little but worth it — The Ordinary AHA 30% + BHA 2% Peeling Solution”
    • “left my face tight — COSRX Low pH Good Morning Gel Cleanser”
    • “leaves skin feeling tight — COSRX Salicylic Acid Daily Gentle Cleanser”
  • Miscellaneous Complaints Often MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “Takes a month to work — COSRX BHA Blackhead Power Liquid”
    • “didn't do anything — COSRX AHA/BHA Clarifying Treatment Toner”
    • “did absolutely nothing — COSRX Advanced Snail 96 Mucin Power Essence”
    • “Hard to layer — The Ordinary Multi-Peptide + Copper Peptides 1% Serum”

The Ordinary vs COSRX routines for dry skin

Buy The Ordinary routine · CA$155.67 · 97% fitBuy COSRX routine · CA$218.38 · 91% fitSee multi-brand routine · 99% fit

The Ordinary vs COSRX routines for oily skin

Buy The Ordinary routine · CA$198.33 · 92% fitBuy COSRX routine · CA$288.29 · 92% fitSee multi-brand routine · 96% fit

The Ordinary vs COSRX routines for combination skin

Buy The Ordinary routine · CA$187.44 · 93% fitBuy COSRX routine · CA$271.24 · 91% fitSee multi-brand routine · 96% fit

Questions and answers

The Ordinary or COSRX: which is better?

Both brands are great choices, with The Ordinary offering better value and pricing while COSRX excels in hydration, moisture, and gentle care for sensitive skin.

What is the difference between The Ordinary and COSRX?

The Ordinary focuses on affordable ingredient-led formulations and offers superior fit for mature skin and dark spots, while COSRX delivers deeper hydration and is particularly effective for acne-prone skin. Both brands achieve equal superior fit levels for dry, oily, combination, sensitive, and dry sensitive skin types.

The Ordinary or COSRX for dry skin?

Both The Ordinary and COSRX are a Superior fit for dry skin. Reviewers note that COSRX excels in hydration and moisture, while The Ordinary offers great value and pricing.

The Ordinary or COSRX: which cleanser is better?

Both The Ordinary and COSRX offer cleansers with high fit levels across various skin types, such as the Glycolipid Cream Cleanser and the Advanced Snail Mucin Gel Cleanser. Reviewers mention that both brands provide effective and gentle cleansing options on this page.

Which is more affordable, The Ordinary or COSRX?

The Ordinary is more affordable between the two brands, with affordable and great value serums being often mentioned by reviewers.

The Ordinary or COSRX for dark spots?

The Ordinary is Lovi's top pick for fading dark spots, earning a Superior fit level compared to COSRX's High fit level. Niacinamide helps reduce skin pigmentation by suppressing melanosome transfer.

The British Journal of Dermatology, 2002

Which brand has better hydration and moisture performance?

COSRX does better for hydration and moisture, and reviewers often mention its deep hydration and moisturization. Lovi rates the routine fit for dry skin as Superior for The Ordinary and Superior for COSRX.

The Ordinary or COSRX for oily skin?

Both The Ordinary and COSRX fit oily skin equally well, as each brand achieves a Superior routine fit for this skin type. Reviewers frequently note that COSRX products offer lightweight absorption, while the products on this page from The Ordinary are often praised for being affordable and providing great value serums.

The Ordinary or COSRX: which moisturizer is better?

Both brands offer moisturizers that help deliver great hydration, with COSRX being better for sensitive skin care and deep moisturization. The Ordinary features options like Natural Moisturizing Factors + HA, which provides a High fit for dry skin on this page.

The Ordinary or COSRX for sensitive skin?

Both The Ordinary and COSRX are a Superior fit for sensitive skin on the products on this page. Reviewers note that COSRX is better for gentle and sensitive skin care.

The Ordinary or COSRX for acne-prone skin?

COSRX is the better choice for acne-prone skin because Lovi rates its routine as Superior, compared to High for The Ordinary. Reviewers also say that COSRX does better for gentle and sensitive skin care.

The Ordinary or COSRX for mature skin?

The Ordinary is a better fit for mature skin, reaching a Superior routine fit level compared to COSRX at High. Reviewers note that The Ordinary offers great value and effective texture-smoothing serums, while studies show that ingredients like retinol help improve the appearance of naturally aged skin.

The Journal of Investigative Dermatology, 2000Archives of Dermatology, 2007

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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