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The Ordinary vs Caudalie

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

The Ordinary and Caudalie are distinct skincare lines founded respectively in Canada in 2016 and France in 1995. The Ordinary centers its clinical serums, moisturizers, cleansers, and toners on hyaluronic acid, glycerin, and squalane, while the French brand crafts botanical serums, refreshing toners, nourishing moisturizers, and targeted eye products from grape-derived formulas. Both options suit dry skin best, though the Canadian line also accommodates dry sensitive skin and the botanical brand addresses oily skin. They differ primarily in their formulation approach, as the first relies on targeted single-ingredient efficacy for acne, dark spots, and aging, whereas the latter utilizes natural extracts for balanced hydration, clarification, and targeted concerns like the Vinopure Purifying Toner, the Vinoperfect Glycolic Peel Mask, and Premier Cru The Cream.

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

glossy.coen.wikipedia.org

Caudalie is a French skincare brand founded in 1995.

en.wikipedia.orgen.caudalie.compitchbook.com

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

Popular The Ordinary vs Caudalie products

People Say

The OrdinaryCaudalie
  • Redness and sensitivity Often MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “calms down the redness immediately — The Ordinary Azelaic Acid Suspension 10%”
    • “Leaves my face feeling soft and not tight at all. — The Ordinary Squalane Cleanser”
    • “great for sensitive skin — Caudalie Vinoperfect Radiance Serum”
    • “calms my redness — Caudalie Grape Water”
  • Acne clearing and blemish reduction 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”
    • “cleared my hormonal acne — Caudalie Vinopure Purifying Gel Cleanser”
  • Skin smoothing and texture improvement Mostly MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “glass skin effect — The Ordinary Glycolic Acid 7% Toning Solution”
    • “never had any reaction to it with my sensitive skin — The Ordinary Mandelic Acid 10% + HA”
    • “skin feels baby butt smooth — The Ordinary AHA 30% + BHA 2% Peeling Solution”
    • “skin feels baby soft — Caudalie Instant Detox Mask”
  • Great value and affordable 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%”
  • Pleasant scent and refreshing aromas Not notedOften Mentioned
    • “smells like a spa — Caudalie Beauty Elixir”
    • “gives a glass-skin look — Caudalie Beauty Elixir”
    • “wakes up my skin — Caudalie Beauty Elixir”
  • Hydration and plumping effects Sometimes NotedOften Mentioned
    • “Provides intense hydration, smooths fine lines, and gives the skin an even, radiant appearance. — Caudalie Premier Cru The Cream”
    • “intense hydration — Caudalie Grape Water”
    • “skin feels plump — Caudalie Resveratrol-Lift Firming Cashmere Cream”
    • “skin feels immediately hydrated — The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5”
  • Texture and pilling issues under makeup Mostly MentionedRarely Noted
    • “tacky finish — Caudalie Vinoperfect Radiance Serum”
    • “does not remove make-up — Caudalie Vinoclean Instant Foaming Cleanser”
    • “Incompatible with my makeup. — Caudalie Premier Cru The Cream”
    • “crumbles and piles under moisturizer — The Ordinary Azelaic Acid Suspension 10%”
  • High price point and value concerns Not notedMostly Mentioned
    • “expensive — Caudalie Vinoperfect Radiance Serum”
  • Unpleasant scent or fragrance issues 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”
    • “smell is strong — Caudalie Vinopure Purifying Toner”
  • Stinging, harshness and irritation Often MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “burns my eyes — Caudalie Beauty Elixir”
    • “bit dry for daily use — Caudalie Vinopure Purifying Toner”
    • “woke up swollen — Caudalie Vinoperfect Brightening Eye Cream”
    • “irritated AF the next day — The Ordinary AHA 30% + BHA 2% Peeling Solution”

The Ordinary vs Caudalie routines for dry skin

Buy The Ordinary routine · $109.78 · 97% fitBuy Caudalie routine · $246.99 · 91% fitSee multi-brand routine · 99% fit

The Ordinary vs Caudalie routines for oily skin

Buy The Ordinary routine · $207.87 · 93% fitBuy Caudalie routine · $324.97 · 87% fitSee multi-brand routine · 98% fit

The Ordinary vs Caudalie routines for combination skin

Buy The Ordinary routine · $219.97 · 93% fitBuy Caudalie routine · $317.97 · 86% fitSee multi-brand routine · 97% fit

Questions and answers

The Ordinary or Caudalie: which is better?

The Ordinary offers better value with more affordable pricing and stronger results for acne clearing and skin smoothing, while Caudalie excels in hydration, plumping effects, and refreshing scents. For dry skin, both brands show a Superior routine fit, whereas The Ordinary achieves a Superior routine fit for oily, combination, sensitive, acne-prone, mature, dark spot, and dry sensitive skin types.

What is the difference between The Ordinary and Caudalie?

The Ordinary provides better value and acne clearing, while Caudalie offers more refreshing scents and hydration. For routine fit on this page, The Ordinary is Superior for dry skin, oily skin, combination skin, sensitive skin, acne-prone skin, mature skin, skin with dark spots, and dry sensitive skin, whereas Caudalie is Superior for dry skin and High for oily skin, combination skin, sensitive skin, acne-prone skin, mature skin, skin with dark spots, and dry sensitive skin.

The Ordinary or Caudalie for dry skin?

Both The Ordinary and Caudalie are a Superior fit for dry skin on the products on this page. Reviewers note that Caudalie provides great hydration and plumping effects, while The Ordinary offers affordable value.

The Ordinary or Caudalie: which cleanser is better?

The products on this page from The Ordinary generally offer better value, while Caudalie cleansers may cause stinging or irritation for some users.

Which is more affordable, The Ordinary or Caudalie?

The Ordinary is more affordable, as reviewers frequently highlight its budget-friendly serums and great value compared to Caudalie's higher price point.

Between The Ordinary and Caudalie, which brand offers a better routine for mature skin?

The Ordinary offers a superior routine for mature skin compared to Caudalie. Reviewers report that The Ordinary performs better for skin smoothing, and every product on this page for The Ordinary lists no fragrance.

How do The Ordinary and Caudalie compare regarding fragrance in their products?

Every product on The Ordinary page lists no fragrance in its ingredients, whereas 8 of the 20 products on the Caudalie page contain fragrance.

Which brand is better for treating dark spots, The Ordinary or Caudalie?

Both The Ordinary and Caudalie provide products with a High or Superior fit for skin with dark spots, but reviewers note that The Ordinary is better for dark spot fading. Niacinamide helps reduce pigmentation by suppressing melanosome transfer.

The British Journal of Dermatology, 2002Antioxidants, 2021

The Ordinary or Caudalie for oily skin?

The Ordinary is a better fit for oily skin because its routine fit level is Superior, while Caudalie's is High. Reviewers note that the products on this page from The Ordinary provide affordable and great value serums and effective acne-clearing options.

The Ordinary or Caudalie: which moisturizer is better?

The Ordinary offers a superior routine fit for dry skin with products like Natural Moisturizing Factors + HA, whereas Caudalie also provides a superior fit for dry skin featuring Premier Cru The Cream. Reviewers note that Caudalie excels in hydration and plumping effects, while The Ordinary offers better value and affordability.

The Ordinary or Caudalie for sensitive skin?

Both The Ordinary and Caudalie work well for sensitive skin, but The Ordinary has a Superior routine fit compared to Caudalie's High fit level. Reviewers often mention that products on this page from both brands help soothe redness and irritation, and every product on The Ordinary page lists no fragrance.

The Ordinary or Caudalie for acne-prone skin?

The Ordinary works better for acne-prone skin because the products on this page help with acne clearing and blemish reduction. Lovi rates the routine fit for acne-prone skin as Superior for The Ordinary and High for Caudalie.

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

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