🇨🇦Canada

The Ordinary vs SK-II

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

The Ordinary and SK-II are distinct skincare brands offering serums, moisturizers, cleansers, toners, and more. The Canadian brand centers its formulations around hyaluronic acid, glycerin, and squalane, whereas the Japanese brand anchors its luxurious products in pitera. Both suit dry skin best, though the former also fits dry sensitive skin and the latter fits combination skin. They differ significantly in heritage, key ingredients, and targeted treatments for acne-prone skin, dark spots, and mature skin.

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

glossy.coen.wikipedia.org

SK-II is a Japanese skincare brand founded in 1980 and owned by The Procter & Gamble Company since 1991.

en.wikipedia.orgdiscoversk-ii.wixsite.comglossy.co

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

Popular The Ordinary vs SK-II products

People Say

The OrdinarySK-II
  • Instant glow and radiance Rarely NotedMostly Mentioned
    • “gives a glass skin look — SK-II Facial Treatment Essence”
    • “leaves me with a red carpet glow — SK-II Facial Treatment Mask”
    • “Skin looks brighter — SK-II Genoptics Spot Essence”
    • “tight, bright and shiny — The Ordinary AHA 30% + BHA 2% Peeling Solution”
  • Hydration and plumping Sometimes NotedMostly Mentioned
    • “flooded my skin with moisture — SK-II Facial Treatment Mask”
    • “skin feels deeply hydrated, plump, and smoother — SK-II Skinpower Advanced Cream”
    • “Leaves skin soft, feels moisturized, does not dry out skin. — SK-II Facial Treatment Cleansing Oil”
    • “skin feels immediately hydrated — The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5”
  • Value and affordability 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 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%”
    • “pores became miraculously invisible — SK-II Facial Treatment Mask”
  • Lightweight absorption Sometimes NotedOften Mentioned
    • “drinks right into the skin — SK-II Facial Treatment Essence”
    • “Absorbs into the skin quickly. — SK-II Genoptics Ultraura Essence”
    • “Absorbs quickly — SK-II Genoptics Spot Essence”
    • “Sinks in immediately — The Ordinary Multi-Peptide + Copper Peptides 1% Serum”
  • Acne clearing and blemish reduction 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”
  • High price Rarely NotedMostly Mentioned
    • “Expensive for Ordinary — The Ordinary Multi-Peptide + Copper Peptides 1% Serum”
    • “way too expensive — SK-II Facial Treatment Essence”
  • Slow or ineffective results Sometimes NotedOften Mentioned
    • “no change in pigment — The Ordinary Caffeine Solution 5% + EGCG”
    • “not a miracle worker overnight — The Ordinary Mandelic Acid 10% + HA”
    • “Didn't do anything special — The Ordinary Alpha Arbutin 2% + HA”
    • “did absolutely nothing — SK-II Facial Treatment Essence”
  • Pilling and makeup issues Often MentionedRarely Noted
    • “dried to a tacky finish — SK-II Facial Treatment Mask”
    • “crumbles and piles under moisturizer — The Ordinary Azelaic Acid Suspension 10%”
  • Unpleasant scent Rarely NotedOften Mentioned
    • “Smells like vinegar — The Ordinary Multi-Peptide + Copper Peptides 1% Serum”
    • “smell is unbearable — The Ordinary Azelaic Acid Suspension 10%”
    • “has a slight chemical smell — The Ordinary Mandelic Acid 10% + HA”
    • “smells like dirty feet — SK-II Facial Treatment Essence”

The Ordinary vs SK-II routines for dry skin

Buy The Ordinary routine · CA$155.67 · 97% fitBuy SK-II routine · CA$783.50 · 93% fitSee multi-brand routine · 99% fit

The Ordinary vs SK-II routines for oily skin

Buy The Ordinary routine · CA$198.33 · 92% fitBuy SK-II routine · CA$1,101.33 · 91% fitSee multi-brand routine · 96% fit

The Ordinary vs SK-II routines for combination skin

Buy The Ordinary routine · CA$187.44 · 93% fitBuy SK-II routine · CA$1,065.33 · 93% fitSee multi-brand routine · 96% fit

Questions and answers

The Ordinary or SK-II: which is better?

Both The Ordinary and SK-II are great choices, as Lovi rates their routines as superior for dry, oily, combination, and dry sensitive skin. The Ordinary helps with budget-friendly value and smoothing skin texture, while SK-II may provide a better instant glow and lightweight absorption.

What is the difference between The Ordinary and SK-II?

The Ordinary offers budget-friendly skincare with strong texture-smoothing and acne-clearing benefits, whereas SK-II delivers higher-priced hydration and radiance through its proprietary Pitera ingredient. Lovi rates both brands as having a Superior routine fit for dry skin, combination skin, and dry sensitive skin.

The Ordinary or SK-II for dry skin?

Both The Ordinary and SK-II achieve a Superior routine fit for dry skin. Lovi rates the routine fit for both brands as equally high when targeting dry skin.

The Ordinary or SK-II: which moisturizer is better?

Both The Ordinary and SK-II offer moisturizers, with Lovi fit levels that vary by skin type, such as Natural Moisturizing Factors + HA for dry skin and Facial Treatment Essence for general hydration. Reviewers note that SK-II delivers better instant glow and radiance, while The Ordinary provides better value and affordability.

Which is more affordable, The Ordinary or SK-II?

The Ordinary offers more affordability than SK-II, as reviewers frequently note value and affordability for The Ordinary while noting high price complaints.

Which brand performs better for mature skin, The Ordinary or SK-II?

For mature skin, Lovi finds The Ordinary has a Superior routine fit while SK-II has a High fit.

How do The Ordinary and SK-II compare regarding skin texture smoothing and radiance?

The Ordinary is often noted for skin texture smoothing, while SK-II tends to do better for instant glow and radiance.

Which brand uses Pitera as a key ingredient across its products?

SK-II uses Pitera as a key ingredient across the products on this page.

The Ordinary or SK-II for oily skin?

Both The Ordinary and SK-II achieve a Superior routine fit for oily skin. The products on this page help manage oil and texture effectively across both brands.

The Ordinary or SK-II for sensitive skin?

For sensitive skin, both The Ordinary and SK-II are great choices, with Lovi fit levels of Superior for The Ordinary and High for SK-II. The products on this page list no fragrance in their ingredients.

The Ordinary or SK-II for acne-prone skin?

For acne-prone skin, SK-II reaches a Superior routine fit level while The Ordinary reaches a High fit level. Review themes indicate that The Ordinary does better for acne clearing and blemish reduction.

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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