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The Ordinary vs L'Oreal Paris

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

The Ordinary and L'Oreal Paris are skincare brands respectively known for offering serums, moisturizers, cleansers, toners, masks, and eye products built around hyaluronic acid, glycerin, and squalane. The Canadian brand fits dry skin and dry sensitive skin best, while the French brand suits oily skin and combination skin best due to its balanced formulations. Both brands feature standout products for acne-prone skin, skin with dark spots, and mature skin. They differ in their founding years, parent companies, and origins, as well as the specific inclusions of squalane and targeted treatments.

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

glossy.coen.wikipedia.org

L'Oreal Paris is a French skincare brand founded in 1909 and owned by L'Oréal S.A..

en.wikipedia.orgloreal.comloreal-paris.co.ukcosmeticsbusiness.com

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

Popular The Ordinary vs L'Oreal Paris products

People Say

The OrdinaryL'Oreal Paris
  • Texture and Absorption Mostly MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “melts into skin — L'Oreal Paris Age Perfect Cell Renewal Midnight Cream”
    • “glides on easily without residue — L'Oreal Paris Revitalift Anti-Wrinkle + Firming Eye Cream”
    • “skin is a lot smoother — L'Oreal Paris Revitalift Laser Pure Retinol Night Serum”
    • “glass skin effect — The Ordinary Glycolic Acid 7% Toning Solution”
  • Hydration and Moisture Often MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “wake up with soft skin — L'Oreal Paris Age Perfect Cell Renewal Midnight Cream”
    • “Leaves my face feeling plump and dewy all day. — L'Oreal Paris Revitalift”
    • “Skin feels softer and more supple — L'Oreal Paris Revitalift Anti-Wrinkle + Firming Night Cream”
    • “skin feels immediately hydrated — The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5”
  • Value and Pricing Mostly MentionedSometimes 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%”
  • Brightening and Dark Spots Sometimes NotedMostly Mentioned
    • “skin looks luminous — L'Oreal Paris Glycolic Bright”
    • “significant reduction in the appearance of dark spots — L'Oreal Paris Bright Reveal 12% Niacinamide Dark Spot Serum”
    • “skin looks glowing — L'Oreal Paris Age Perfect Cell Renewal Midnight Cream”
    • “Dark spots have faded noticeably — The Ordinary Alpha Arbutin 2% + HA”
  • Acne and Blemish Control Often MentionedRarely 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”
    • “After two uses, my pores were clean! — L'Oreal Paris Pure-Clay Mask”
  • Gentle and Sensitive Skin Often MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “never had any reaction to it with my sensitive skin — The Ordinary Mandelic Acid 10% + HA”
    • “Finally a cleanser that doesn't sting my face. — The Ordinary Squalane Cleanser”
    • “No irritation at all — The Ordinary Natural Moisturizing Factors + HA”
    • “very gentle, didn't irritate my skin — L'Oreal Paris Bright Reveal 12% Niacinamide Dark Spot Serum”
  • Ineffective Results and Conflicts Often MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “no change in pigment — The Ordinary Caffeine Solution 5% + EGCG”
    • “Struggles to get my waterproof mascara off completely. — The Ordinary Squalane Cleanser”
    • “Used the whole jar but saw no change in wrinkles. — L'Oreal Paris Revitalift”
    • “doesn't do anything about the discoloration — L'Oreal Paris Revitalift Anti-Wrinkle + Firming Eye Cream”
  • Irritation and Stinging Sometimes NotedOften 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”
    • “retinol can be irritating for sensitive skin — L'Oreal Paris Revitalift Pressed Night Cream”
    • “burnt my face after two uses — L'Oreal Paris Revitalift Laser Pure Retinol Night Serum”
  • Sticky or Greasy Residue Often MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “Balls up when I try to apply foundation over it. — L'Oreal Paris Revitalift”
    • “felt oily on my face — L'Oreal Paris Age Perfect Cell Renewal Midnight Cream”
    • “feels a little sticky and tacky — L'Oreal Paris Dark Spot Exfoliant Peel”
    • “crumbles and piles under moisturizer — The Ordinary Azelaic Acid Suspension 10%”

The Ordinary vs L'Oreal Paris routines for dry skin

Buy The Ordinary routine · CA$155.67 · 97% fitBuy L'Oreal Paris routine · CA$174.12 · 91% fitSee multi-brand routine · 99% fit

The Ordinary vs L'Oreal Paris routines for oily skin

Buy L'Oreal Paris routine · CA$311.86 · 94% fitBuy The Ordinary routine · CA$198.33 · 92% fitSee multi-brand routine · 96% fit

The Ordinary vs L'Oreal Paris routines for combination skin

Buy L'Oreal Paris routine · CA$278.95 · 94% fitBuy The Ordinary routine · CA$187.44 · 93% fitSee multi-brand routine · 96% fit

Questions and answers

The Ordinary or L'Oreal Paris: which is better?

Both brands are great depending on your needs, as The Ordinary excels in value and acne care while L'Oreal Paris offers luxurious textures and deep hydration. Niacinamide may help reduce pigmentation and improve skin tone.

The British Journal of Dermatology, 2002

What is the difference between The Ordinary and L'Oreal Paris?

The Ordinary offers fragrance-free, budget-friendly options that help with acne control and sensitive skin, whereas L'Oreal Paris provides luxurious textures and deep hydration, though some products contain fragrance. Niacinamide helps reduce pigmentation and improves skin aging, while topical hyaluronic acid helps improve skin hydration and signs of aging.

The British Journal of Dermatology, 2002Antioxidants, 2021

The Ordinary or L'Oreal Paris for dry skin?

Both The Ordinary and L'Oreal Paris fit dry skin equally well, as Lovi rates both brands as Superior for this skin type. The Ordinary is founded in Canada and owned by The Estée Lauder Companies Inc. since 2021, while L'Oreal Paris was founded in France in 1909 and is owned by L'Oréal S.A.

The Ordinary or L'Oreal Paris: which moisturizer is better?

The products on this page show that both The Ordinary and L'Oreal Paris offer moisturizers that help with hydration and skin smoothing, with The Ordinary being a better fit for sensitive skin types. Hyaluronic acid helps improve skin moisture, and niacinamide may help reduce pigmentation.

Dermatologic Therapy, 2022The British Journal of Dermatology, 2002

Which is more affordable, The Ordinary or L'Oreal Paris?

The products on this page from The Ordinary are generally more affordable, with value and pricing being an area where reviewers say the brand does better than L'Oreal Paris.

Which brand has better texture and absorption, The Ordinary or L'Oreal Paris?

L'Oreal Paris does better for texture and absorption. Reviewers frequently note that the products on this page from L'Oreal Paris provide luxurious and pleasant textures.

Do products from The Ordinary contain fragrance?

Every product on the Lovi page for The Ordinary lists no fragrance in its ingredients.

Which brand is better suited for mature skin?

Both The Ordinary and L'Oreal Paris fit mature skin at a Superior level with the products on this page. Topical retinol, which is included in both brand ranges, stimulates collagen accumulation and helps improve the appearance of naturally aged skin.

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

The Ordinary or L'Oreal Paris for oily skin?

Both The Ordinary and L'Oreal Paris fit oily skin with a Superior routine level. The Ordinary products on this page list no fragrance, while L'Oreal Paris provides luxurious textures and deep hydration.

The Ordinary or L'Oreal Paris for sensitive skin?

The Ordinary is a better choice for sensitive skin because the products on this page list no fragrance, whereas half of L'Oreal Paris products contain fragrance. Additionally, reviewers report that The Ordinary offers gentle and non-irritating serums, while L'Oreal Paris products frequently cause skin irritation and stinging.

The Ordinary or L'Oreal Paris for acne-prone skin?

The Ordinary is a strong choice for acne-prone skin, offering products on this page that help with blemish control. L'Oreal Paris also achieves a Superior fit level for this skin type.

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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