🇨🇦Canada

The Ordinary vs Olay

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

The Ordinary and Olay are accessible skincare brands offering diverse serums, moisturizers, and cleansers built around effective components like hyaluronic acid, glycerin, and niacinamide. The Canadian brand founded in 2016 suits dry skin and dry sensitive skin best, whereas the universally loved brand suits sensitive skin and oily skin best. While both brands share glycerin to improve skin hydration and barrier function, they differ in their specialized offerings, as the former features targeted treatments like Mandelic Acid for dark spots and the latter offers options like the Regenerist Luminous Tone Perfecting Cream for similar concerns.

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

glossy.coen.wikipedia.org

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

Popular The Ordinary vs Olay products

People Say

The OrdinaryOlay
  • Texture and Absorption Often MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “sinks in quickly — Olay Super Serum”
    • “skin feels baby soft — Olay Retinol24”
    • “Skin feels like silk — Olay Regenerist Retinol 24 Night Moisturizer”
    • “skin feels baby butt smooth — The Ordinary AHA 30% + BHA 2% Peeling Solution”
  • Hydration and Moisture Sometimes NotedMostly Mentioned
    • “Instantly smoother, softer, and more hydrated — Olay Regenerist Micro-Sculpting Cream”
    • “light and smooth — Olay Ultimate Eye Cream”
    • “hydrates the skin — Olay Advanced Eye Cream”
    • “skin feels immediately hydrated — The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5”
  • Value and Price 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 than high-end moisturizers — Olay Regenerist Micro-Sculpting Cream”
  • Brightening and Dark Spots Often MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “iridescent glow — Olay Super Serum”
    • “hides dark shadows — Olay Ultimate Eye Cream”
    • “skin looks brighter — Olay Vitamin C Serum”
    • “scars lightened up quite a bit — The Ordinary AHA 30% + BHA 2% Peeling Solution”
  • Acne and Blemish Clearing Often MentionedNot 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”
  • Pilling and Sticky Finish Often MentionedRarely Noted
    • “cakes up all over — Olay Advanced Eye Cream”
    • “pills under makeup — Olay Ultimate Eye Cream”
    • “feels sticky — Olay Vitamin C Serum”
    • “crumbles and piles under moisturizer — The Ordinary Azelaic Acid Suspension 10%”
  • Skin Irritation and Sensitivity Sometimes NotedSometimes Noted
    • “breakouts — Olay Super Serum”
    • “burned my skin — Olay Retinol24”
    • “burning sensation — Olay Ultimate Eye Cream”
    • “irritated AF the next day — The Ordinary AHA 30% + BHA 2% Peeling Solution”

The Ordinary vs Olay routines for dry skin

Buy The Ordinary routine · CA$155.67 · 97% fitBuy Olay routine · CA$156.85 · 82% fitSee multi-brand routine · 99% fit

The Ordinary vs Olay routines for oily skin

Buy The Ordinary routine · CA$198.33 · 92% fitBuy Olay routine · CA$298.41 · 83% fitSee multi-brand routine · 96% fit

The Ordinary vs Olay routines for combination skin

Buy The Ordinary routine · CA$187.44 · 93% fitBuy Olay routine · CA$250.43 · 82% fitSee multi-brand routine · 96% fit

Questions and answers

The Ordinary or Olay: which is better?

The Ordinary is often preferred for acne-clearing and value, while Olay tends to do better for texture, absorption, hydration, and brightening. For specific skin types, Lovi rates The Ordinary as Superior and Olay as High for dry skin, oily skin, combination skin, sensitive skin, mature skin, skin with dark spots, and dry sensitive skin.

What is the difference between The Ordinary and Olay?

The Ordinary excels in value and acne-clearing serums, while Olay performs better in hydration, texture, and brightening. Lovi shows that The Ordinary has a superior routine fit for dry, combination, sensitive, mature, dark spot, and dry sensitive skin types, whereas both brands have equal routine fit levels for acne-prone and oily acne-prone skin.

The Ordinary or Olay for dry skin?

For dry skin, The Ordinary fits better with a Superior routine level compared to Olay at High. The products on this page help improve skin moisture using key ingredients like hyaluronic acid.

Drug Delivery, 2017Dermatologic Therapy, 2022

The Ordinary or Olay: which cleanser is better?

The products on this page for The Ordinary include gentle cleansers like the Squalane Cleanser and Glucoside Foaming Cleanser, while Olay offers options such as the Regenerating Cream Cleanser and Cleansing Melts.

Which is more affordable, The Ordinary or Olay?

The Ordinary offers better value and price than Olay.

Which brand performs better for brightening and fading dark spots, The Ordinary or Olay?

Olay performs better for brightening and fading dark spots, as Olay does better in brightening and dark spot reviews on this page. Niacinamide in these products may help reduce cutaneous pigmentation.

The British Journal of Dermatology, 2002Antioxidants, 2021

Which brand has a better routine fit for mature skin, The Ordinary or Olay?

The Ordinary has a superior routine fit for mature skin compared to Olay, which has a high fit. Lovi rates The Ordinary as Superior and Olay as High for mature skin.

How do the fragrance options differ between The Ordinary and Olay products?

The products on this page from The Ordinary list no fragrance across their entire lineup. Olay offers fragrance-free options for almost all of its products, though one item on the page includes fragrance.

The Ordinary or Olay for oily skin?

For oily skin, both brands offer products on this page that help, with routine fit levels rated as Superior for The Ordinary and High for Olay. Reviewers note that The Ordinary does better for acne and blemish clearing, while Olay does better for texture and absorption.

The Ordinary or Olay: which moisturizer is better?

When it comes to moisturizers, Olay offers superior options for intense hydration and texture, while The Ordinary provides great value alternatives like its Natural Moisturizing Factors formulas. Hyaluronic acid helps improve skin moisture across both brands.

Drug Delivery, 2017Dermatologic Therapy, 2022

The Ordinary or Olay for sensitive skin?

The Ordinary is a better fit for sensitive skin, offering a Superior routine fit compared to Olay's High fit level. The Ordinary products on this page list no fragrance.

The Ordinary or Olay for acne-prone skin?

Both The Ordinary and Olay fit acne-prone skin at a High level on the products on this page. The Ordinary does better for acne and blemish clearing, while Olay helps with texture and absorption.

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?

Scan your face, then any product: Lovi shows how well it fits you and what fits even better.

QR code: get the Lovi app
Download on theApp Store Get it onGoogle Play