🇨🇦Canada

The Ordinary vs SkinCeuticals

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

The Ordinary and SkinCeuticals are prominent skincare brands offering serums, moisturizers, cleansers, and more. The Canadian brand is built around hyaluronic acid, glycerin, and squalane, suiting dry skin and dry sensitive skin best, while the American brand incorporates glycerin, hyaluronic acid, and dimethicone, suiting dry skin and oily skin best. Both brands differ in their founding history, ownership, and targeted product options for specific skin concerns. Selecting between them depends on individual ingredient preferences and skin needs.

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

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SkinCeuticals is an American skincare brand founded in 1994 and owned by L'Oréal since 2005.

loreal.comskinceuticals-za.compitchbook.com

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

Popular The Ordinary vs SkinCeuticals products

People Say

The OrdinarySkinCeuticals
  • Smoothes skin texture Often MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “glass skin effect — The Ordinary Glycolic Acid 7% Toning Solution”
    • “skin feels baby butt smooth — The Ordinary AHA 30% + BHA 2% Peeling Solution”
    • “definitely gave me a glass skin texture — SkinCeuticals P-TOX”
    • “pores appeared less noticeable — SkinCeuticals P-Tiox”
  • Clears acne and blemishes Often MentionedSometimes 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”
    • “cystic acne shrinking — SkinCeuticals Blemish + Age Defense”
  • Great 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%”
  • Hydration and plumping Sometimes NotedOften Mentioned
    • “Hydrated my skin beautifully. — SkinCeuticals Triple Lipid Restore 2:4:2”
    • “Pure hydration in a bottle — SkinCeuticals Hydrating B5 Gel”
    • “skin feels super hydrated — SkinCeuticals H.A. Intensifier”
    • “skin feels immediately hydrated — The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5”
  • Lightweight absorption Rarely NotedOften Mentioned
    • “absorbs quickly — SkinCeuticals Discoloration Defense Serum”
    • “absorbs very quickly — SkinCeuticals P-Tiox”
    • “sank in quickly — SkinCeuticals Phyto Corrective Gel”
    • “Sinks in immediately — The Ordinary Multi-Peptide + Copper Peptides 1% Serum”
  • Gentle and non-irritating Sometimes NotedSometimes Noted
    • “Leaves my face feeling soft and not tight at all. — The Ordinary Squalane Cleanser”
    • “Finally a cleanser that doesn't sting my face. — The Ordinary Squalane Cleanser”
    • “No irritation at all — The Ordinary Natural Moisturizing Factors + HA”
    • “Perfect starting strength — SkinCeuticals Retinol 0.3”
  • High price point Not notedMostly Mentioned
    • “Too pricey for the hype — SkinCeuticals P-TOX”
  • Sticky or tacky finish Sometimes NotedRarely Noted
    • “feels tacky — SkinCeuticals H.A. Intensifier”
    • “slight tackiness — SkinCeuticals P-Tiox”
    • “sticky residue — SkinCeuticals Phyto Corrective Gel”
    • “feels very sticky — The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5”
  • Slow or no results Rarely NotedSometimes Noted
    • “not a miracle worker overnight — The Ordinary Mandelic Acid 10% + HA”
    • “Didn't do anything special — The Ordinary Alpha Arbutin 2% + HA”
    • “haven't noticed much change on the deeper lines — SkinCeuticals P-TOX”
  • Stinging and irritation Sometimes NotedRarely Noted
    • “caused redness — SkinCeuticals P-Tiox”
    • “I tried a sample of this stuff and it make my face so red! — SkinCeuticals Triple Lipid Restore 2:4:2”
    • “burned my eyes — SkinCeuticals A.G.E. Advanced Eye”
    • “stings a little but worth it — The Ordinary AHA 30% + BHA 2% Peeling Solution”

The Ordinary vs SkinCeuticals routines for dry skin

Buy The Ordinary routine · CA$155.67 · 97% fitBuy SkinCeuticals routine · CA$619.72 · 86% fitSee multi-brand routine · 99% fit

The Ordinary vs SkinCeuticals routines for oily skin

Buy The Ordinary routine · CA$198.33 · 92% fitBuy SkinCeuticals routine · CA$625.44 · 86% fitSee multi-brand routine · 96% fit

The Ordinary vs SkinCeuticals routines for combination skin

Buy The Ordinary routine · CA$187.44 · 93% fitBuy SkinCeuticals routine · CA$592.53 · 86% fitSee multi-brand routine · 96% fit

Questions and answers

The Ordinary or SkinCeuticals: which is better?

The Ordinary offers better value with more affordable products and stronger performance for clearing acne and soothing sensitive skin, while SkinCeuticals excels in hydration and lightweight absorption despite its high price point.

What is the difference between The Ordinary and SkinCeuticals?

The Ordinary and SkinCeuticals are both popular skincare brands, but they differ significantly in pricing and formulation focus. The products on this page show that The Ordinary offers much more affordable options with great value serums, while SkinCeuticals focuses on lightweight absorption and high-performance anti-aging formulations.

The Ordinary or SkinCeuticals for dry skin?

For dry skin, The Ordinary offers a Superior routine fit, while SkinCeuticals provides a High fit on this page. Reviewers report that The Ordinary delivers great value and pricing, whereas SkinCeuticals is noted for hydration and plumping.

The Ordinary or SkinCeuticals: which cleanser is better?

Both brands offer solid cleanser options, but The Ordinary may be a better choice for shoppers seeking great value alongside gentle formulations. The products on this page show that The Ordinary features cleansers well-suited for various skin types, while SkinCeuticals offers targeted options like the Squalane Cleanser and Glycolipid Cream Cleanser alternatives.

Which is more affordable, The Ordinary or SkinCeuticals?

The Ordinary offers more affordable products compared to SkinCeuticals, as reviewers frequently praise its great value and pricing while noting SkinCeuticals has a high price point.

The Ordinary or SkinCeuticals: which brand offers better value for serums?

The Ordinary offers better value for serums, with affordability noted as a strong benefit by reviewers across the products on this page. By contrast, SkinCeuticals carries a high price point that reviewers frequently mention.

Which brand performs better for smoothing skin texture according to reviewers?

Both The Ordinary and SkinCeuticals perform equally well for smoothing skin texture according to reviewers.

The Ordinary or SkinCeuticals: which brand is better for fading dark spots?

The Ordinary offers superior results for fading dark spots based on the products on this page. Niacinamide helps reduce cutaneous pigmentation and pigmentation suppression.

The British Journal of Dermatology, 2002

The Ordinary or SkinCeuticals for oily skin?

For oily skin, Lovi rates The Ordinary as Superior and SkinCeuticals as High. Reviewers note that The Ordinary provides better acne-clearing serums and great value, while SkinCeuticals offers lighter absorption.

The Ordinary or SkinCeuticals: which moisturizer is better?

Both The Ordinary and SkinCeuticals offer effective moisturizers tailored to different skin needs, with products on this page helping to deliver hydration and barrier support. The Ordinary provides affordable options like Natural Moisturizing Factors + HA which helps maintain skin moisture, while SkinCeuticals offers advanced formulas like Triple Lipid Restore 2:4:2 that may support skin barrier repair.

Journal of Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences, 2015

The Ordinary or SkinCeuticals for sensitive skin?

The Ordinary is the better choice for sensitive skin, as Lovi rates its overall routine as Superior compared to High for SkinCeuticals. Reviewers also highlight The Ordinary as gentler and less irritating, whereas SkinCeuticals products sometimes cause stinging and irritation.

The Ordinary or SkinCeuticals for acne-prone skin?

Both The Ordinary and SkinCeuticals fit acne-prone skin well, with The Ordinary rated High and SkinCeuticals rated High on this page.

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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