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The Ordinary vs Medik8

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

The Ordinary and Medik8 are prominent skincare brands offering serums, moisturizers, cleansers, toners, and eye products built around key ingredients like hyaluronic acid, glycerin, and squalane. Both brands suit dry skin and dry sensitive skin best, while providing targeted formulas for acne-prone skin, dark spots, and mature skin. The Canadian brand, founded in 2016 and owned by The Estée Lauder Companies Inc. since 2021, relies on hyaluronic acid, glycerin, and squalane to reduce wrinkles, increase hydration, and boost collagen. Conversely, the British brand, founded in 2009 and acquired by L'Oréal Groupe in 2025, utilizes hyaluronic acid to lengthen wrinkle reduction effects differently.

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

glossy.coen.wikipedia.org

Medik8 is a British skincare brand founded in 2009 and owned by L'Oréal Groupe since 2025.

loreal.commedik8.comtracxn.com

This page compares some of the most popular The Ordinary and Medik8 products; for every product of both brands, with a fit score for your own skin, use the Lovi app.

Popular The Ordinary vs Medik8 products

People Say

The OrdinaryMedik8
  • Texture and Pores Mostly MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “glass skin effect — The Ordinary Glycolic Acid 7% Toning Solution”
    • “pores look significantly smaller — The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1%”
    • “smoother skin — Medik8 Surface Radiance Cleanse”
    • “My skin was smoother, my skin texture felt more resurfaced. — Medik8 Sleep Glycolic”
  • Gentle and Non-Irritating Formula Sometimes NotedMostly Mentioned
    • “zero irritation or peeling — Medik8 CRYSTAL RETINAL 3”
    • “only Vitamin C my sensitive skin can tolerate — Medik8 C-Tetra Serum”
    • “Best retinol replacement — Medik8 Bakuchiol Peptides”
    • “never had any reaction to it with my sensitive skin — The Ordinary Mandelic Acid 10% + HA”
  • Texture and Absorption (Lightweight/Elegant) Often MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “Sinks in immediately — The Ordinary Natural Moisturizing Factors + HA”
    • “Sinks in immediately — The Ordinary Multi-Peptide + Copper Peptides 1% Serum”
    • “absorbed effortlessly — Medik8 Total Moisture Daily Facial Cream”
    • “Absorbs fast — Medik8 Liquid Peptides”
  • Hydration and Moisture Often MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “Restores moisture — Medik8 Liquid Peptides”
    • “Instantly quenched the skin — Medik8 Hydr8 B5 Intense”
    • “Plumps skin with moisture — Medik8 Bakuchiol Peptides”
    • “skin feels immediately hydrated — The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5”
  • 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%”
    • “better value than Skinceuticals — Medik8 Super C Ferulic”
  • Brightening and Dark Spots Sometimes NotedOften Mentioned
    • “I wake up glowing. It adds back that youthful bloom that I've lost. — Medik8 Sleep Glycolic”
    • “unlocked a serious glow — Medik8 C-Tetra Serum”
    • “pigmentation lightened slightly — Medik8 Oxy-R Peptides”
    • “Dark spots have faded noticeably — The Ordinary Alpha Arbutin 2% + HA”
  • Other Minor Complaints and Performance Issues Mostly MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “too oily for my combination skin — Medik8 C-Tetra Serum”
    • “Not as effective as retinol — Medik8 Bakuchiol Peptides”
    • “no difference — Medik8 Oxy-R Peptides”
    • “foams up like soap — The Ordinary Salicylic Acid 2% Solution”
  • Pilling and Makeup Compatibility Often MentionedRarely Noted
    • “Didn't mix well with my foundation — Medik8 Hydr8 B5 Intense”
    • “crumbles and piles under moisturizer — The Ordinary Azelaic Acid Suspension 10%”
  • Skin Irritation and Burning Often MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “stinging sensation — Medik8 Super C Ferulic”
    • “caused slight redness — Medik8 Crystal Retinal Ceramide Eye 3”
    • “Caused stinging and redness — Medik8 Press & Glow”
    • “irritated AF the next day — The Ordinary AHA 30% + BHA 2% Peeling Solution”

The Ordinary vs Medik8 routines for dry skin

Buy The Ordinary routine · CA$155.67 · 97% fitBuy Medik8 routine · CA$134.16 · 97% fitSee multi-brand routine · 99% fit

The Ordinary vs Medik8 routines for oily skin

Buy The Ordinary routine · CA$198.33 · 92% fitBuy Medik8 routine · CA$386.00 · 88% fitSee multi-brand routine · 96% fit

The Ordinary vs Medik8 routines for combination skin

Buy The Ordinary routine · CA$187.44 · 93% fitBuy Medik8 routine · CA$350.00 · 93% fitSee multi-brand routine · 96% fit

Questions and answers

The Ordinary or Medik8: which is better?

Both brands are great choices depending on your budget and skin goals, as The Ordinary offers affordable value while Medik8 excels in hydration and brightening. For the products on this page, both brands achieve a Superior routine fit for dry, combination, sensitive, and mature skin.

What is the difference between The Ordinary and Medik8?

Both The Ordinary and Medik8 offer great routines for dry, combination, sensitive, and mature skin, but The Ordinary provides significantly better value while Medik8 excels in hydration and brightening. Reviewers note that Medik8 delivers a more luxurious experience with better overall hydration, whereas The Ordinary is praised for being affordable and effective.

The Ordinary or Medik8 for dry skin?

Both The Ordinary and Medik8 have a Superior routine fit for dry skin. The Ordinary offers affordable and great value serums, while Medik8 provides deep hydration and plumping for the products on this page.

The Ordinary or Medik8: which cleanser is better?

Both The Ordinary and Medik8 offer great cleansers, with The Ordinary featuring options like the Glucoside Foaming Cleanser and Glycolipid Cream Cleanser that help suit various skin types well.

Which is more affordable, The Ordinary or Medik8?

The Ordinary is more affordable than Medik8, offering value and budget-friendly pricing across the products on this page.

Which brand has a wider variety of fragrance-free products, The Ordinary or Medik8?

Both The Ordinary and Medik8 offer a wide variety of fragrance-free options among the products on this page, as every single product from The Ordinary and 11 out of 12 products from Medik8 are formulated without fragrance.

Between The Ordinary and Medik8, which one is better suited for fading dark spots?

The Ordinary is better suited for fading dark spots, as it achieves a superior routine fit for skin with dark spots compared to Medik8's high fit. Niacinamide may help reduce cutaneous pigmentation by suppressing melanosome transfer.

The British Journal of Dermatology, 2002

Which brand offers better results for mature skin, The Ordinary or Medik8?

Both brands offer an equal routine fit level of Superior for mature skin, but review themes show Medik8 does better for hydration, while The Ordinary offers better value and pricing. Vitamin A helps stimulate collagen accumulation in naturally aged human skin.

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

The Ordinary or Medik8 for oily skin?

The Ordinary is a better choice for oily skin, as the products on this page achieve a Superior routine fit compared to the High fit of Medik8. Niacinamide helps regulate oil production, and topical hyaluronic acid may improve hydration without adding weight.

The British Journal of Dermatology, 2002Drug Delivery, 2017

The Ordinary or Medik8: which moisturizer is better?

Both The Ordinary and Medik8 offer great moisturizers, with The Ordinary being a better choice for value while Medik8 excels in deep hydration and plumping for the products on this page.

The Ordinary or Medik8 for sensitive skin?

Both The Ordinary and Medik8 are a Superior fit for sensitive skin on the products on this page. The Ordinary is known for offering affordable value, while Medik8 provides gentle and non-irritating formulas.

The Ordinary or Medik8 for acne-prone skin?

Both brands offer an equal level of routine fit for acne-prone skin, with The Ordinary rated High and Medik8 rated High.

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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