🇨🇦Canada

The Ordinary vs Galderma

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

The Ordinary and Galderma are skincare brands that offer distinct approaches to targeted daily care. The Canadian brand centers its serums, moisturizers, cleansers, and toners around hyaluronic acid, glycerin, and squalane, suiting dry and dry sensitive skin best, whereas the Swiss brand focuses on specialized serums tailored for oily and combination skin. While both support mature, acne-prone skin and concerns with dark spots through specific formulations, they differ fundamentally in their product variety, foundational ingredients, 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

Galderma is a Swiss skincare brand founded in 1981 and owned by Galderma Group AG.

en.wikipedia.org

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

Popular The Ordinary vs Galderma products

People Say

The OrdinaryGalderma
  • Acne clearance and prevention Often MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “cleared up my skin — Galderma Benzac AC Mild Strength 2.5% Acne Gel”
    • “cystic acne gone — Galderma Epiduo Gel”
    • “stops new pimples — Galderma Epiduo Gel”
    • “pimples disappear within a day — The Ordinary Salicylic Acid 2% Solution”
  • Value and pricing 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%”
  • Skin 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%”
    • “skin feels smooth — Galderma Epiduo Gel”
  • Redness reduction and soothing Sometimes NotedSometimes Noted
    • “calms down the redness immediately — The Ordinary Azelaic Acid Suspension 10%”
    • “no irritation at all — The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5”
    • “angry redness tones down — Galderma Benzac AC 5”
  • Dark spots and scar fading Sometimes NotedSometimes Noted
    • “Dark spots have faded noticeably — The Ordinary Alpha Arbutin 2% + HA”
    • “helped lighten post-acne scars — The Ordinary Azelaic Acid Suspension 10%”
    • “scars are fading — Galderma Epiduo Gel”
  • Lightweight and non-greasy finish Often MentionedNot noted
    • “Sinks in immediately — The Ordinary Natural Moisturizing Factors + HA”
    • “Sinks in immediately — The Ordinary Multi-Peptide + Copper Peptides 1% Serum”
    • “Absorbs quickly — The Ordinary Alpha Arbutin 2% + HA”
  • Dryness and peeling Sometimes NotedMostly Mentioned
    • “Skin felt tight an hour later — The Ordinary Natural Moisturizing Factors + HA”
    • “incredibly drying — The Ordinary Azelaic Acid Suspension 10%”
    • “dried out skin — The Ordinary Caffeine Solution 5% + EGCG”
    • “skin flaking off — Galderma Epiduo Gel”
  • Stinging, burning, and harshness Sometimes NotedMostly Mentioned
    • “stings a little but worth it — The Ordinary AHA 30% + BHA 2% Peeling Solution”
    • “stings really bad upon application — The Ordinary Azelaic Acid Suspension 10%”
    • “burns upon application — The Ordinary Glycolic Acid 7% Toning Solution”
    • “face on fire — Galderma Epiduo Gel”
  • Breakouts and purging Sometimes NotedMostly Mentioned
    • “broke me out in cysts — The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1%”
    • “broke me out in cysts — The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5”
    • “gave me cystic acne — The Ordinary Glycolic Acid 7% Toning Solution”
    • “got worse first — Galderma Epiduo Gel”
  • Bleaching of fabrics Not notedMostly Mentioned
    • “bleached my towel — Galderma Benzac AC 5”
  • Pilling and texture issues Often MentionedNot noted
    • “crumbles and piles under moisturizer — The Ordinary Azelaic Acid Suspension 10%”
  • Sticky or tacky finish Often MentionedNot noted
    • “feels very sticky — The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5”

The Ordinary vs Galderma routines for dry skin

Buy The Ordinary routine · CA$155.67 · 97% fitBuy Galderma routine · CA$341.56 · 89% fitSee multi-brand routine · 99% fit

The Ordinary vs Galderma routines for oily skin

Buy Galderma routine · CA$347.28 · 94% fitBuy The Ordinary routine · CA$198.33 · 92% fitSee multi-brand routine · 96% fit

The Ordinary vs Galderma routines for combination skin

Buy Galderma routine · CA$314.37 · 94% fitBuy The Ordinary routine · CA$187.44 · 93% fitSee multi-brand routine · 96% fit

Questions and answers

The Ordinary or Galderma: which is better?

The Ordinary is a better fit for dry, sensitive, and mature skin types with its affordable and gentle range of products on this page, whereas Galderma is superior for acne-prone skin. Topical treatments with ingredients like niacinamide may help with pigmentation while hyaluronic acid supports skin moisture.

The British Journal of Dermatology, 2002Dermatologic Therapy, 2022

What is the difference between The Ordinary and Galderma?

The Ordinary offers a wider range of products focusing on value, hydration, and texture smoothing, whereas Galderma specializes in potent acne-clearing treatments.

The Ordinary or Galderma for dry skin?

The Ordinary fits dry skin better than Galderma, as Lovi rates routine fit for dry skin as Superior for The Ordinary and High for Galderma. The products on this page help hydrate and soothe dry skin with key ingredients like hyaluronic acid, glycerin, and squalane.

Drug Delivery, 2017Dermatologic Therapy, 2022

Which is more affordable, The Ordinary or Galderma?

The Ordinary offers better value and pricing among the products on this page compared to Galderma.

Which brand has a wider selection of products for mature skin, The Ordinary or Galderma?

The Ordinary offers a much wider selection of products on this page for mature skin than Galderma, which only focuses on acne treatments. Lovi rates the routine fit for mature skin as Superior for The Ordinary and Superior for Galderma.

How do the founding years and countries of origin compare between The Ordinary and Galderma?

The Ordinary was founded in Canada in 2016, whereas Galderma was founded in Switzerland in 1981.

Which brand provides better results for skin texture smoothing according to reviewers?

The Ordinary provides better results for skin texture smoothing according to reviewers. The products on this page help with texture-smoothing serums and are well-regarded for this benefit.

The Ordinary or Galderma for oily skin?

Both The Ordinary and Galderma provide a Superior routine fit for oily skin. The Ordinary offers a wide range of oil-controlling and acne-clearing options like niacinamide and salicylic acid, while Galderma focuses on targeted acne treatments such as Epiduo Gel and Benzac AC.

The Ordinary or Galderma for sensitive skin?

The Ordinary has a Superior routine fit for sensitive skin, whereas Galderma has a High fit. Reviewers often mention The Ordinary for gentle and non-irritating serums, while Galderma users commonly report severe irritation and discomfort.

The Ordinary or Galderma for acne-prone skin?

Galderma is a better fit for acne-prone skin, as the products on this page achieve a Superior routine fit compared to The Ordinary's High fit level. Galderma is noted for effective acne-clearing serums, although reviewers also mention severe dryness and peeling.

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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