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The Ordinary vs L'Oreal Paris

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

The Ordinary and L'Oreal Paris are skincare brands respectively known for offering serums, moisturizers, cleansers, toners, masks, and eye products built around hyaluronic acid, glycerin, and squalane. The Canadian brand fits dry skin and dry sensitive skin best, while the French brand suits oily skin and combination skin best due to its balanced formulations. Both brands feature standout products for acne-prone skin, skin with dark spots, and mature skin. They differ in their founding years, parent companies, and origins, as well as the specific inclusions of squalane and targeted treatments.

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

glossy.coen.wikipedia.org

L'Oreal Paris is a French skincare brand founded in 1909 and owned by L'Oréal S.A..

en.wikipedia.orgloreal.comloreal-paris.co.ukcosmeticsbusiness.com

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

Popular The Ordinary vs L'Oreal Paris products

People Say

The OrdinaryL'Oreal Paris
  • Texture and Absorption Mostly MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “melts into skin — L'Oreal Paris Age Perfect Cell Renewal Midnight Cream”
    • “glides on easily without residue — L'Oreal Paris Revitalift Anti-Wrinkle + Firming Eye Cream”
    • “skin is a lot smoother — L'Oreal Paris Revitalift Laser Pure Retinol Night Serum”
    • “glass skin effect — The Ordinary Glycolic Acid 7% Toning Solution”
  • Hydration and Moisture Often MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “wake up with soft skin — L'Oreal Paris Age Perfect Cell Renewal Midnight Cream”
    • “Leaves my face feeling plump and dewy all day. — L'Oreal Paris Revitalift”
    • “Skin feels softer and more supple — L'Oreal Paris Revitalift Anti-Wrinkle + Firming Night Cream”
    • “skin feels immediately hydrated — The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5”
  • Value and Pricing Mostly MentionedSometimes 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%”
    • “Works just as well as my $80 luxury cream. — L'Oreal Paris Revitalift”
  • Brightening and Dark Spots Sometimes NotedMostly Mentioned
    • “skin looks luminous — L'Oreal Paris Glycolic Bright”
    • “significant reduction in the appearance of dark spots — L'Oreal Paris Bright Reveal 12% Niacinamide Dark Spot Serum”
    • “skin looks glowing — L'Oreal Paris Age Perfect Cell Renewal Midnight Cream”
    • “Dark spots have faded noticeably — The Ordinary Alpha Arbutin 2% + HA”
  • Acne and Blemish Control Often MentionedRarely 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”
    • “After two uses, my pores were clean! — L'Oreal Paris Pure-Clay Mask”
  • Gentle and Sensitive Skin Often MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “never had any reaction to it with my sensitive skin — The Ordinary Mandelic Acid 10% + HA”
    • “Finally a cleanser that doesn't sting my face. — The Ordinary Squalane Cleanser”
    • “No irritation at all — The Ordinary Natural Moisturizing Factors + HA”
    • “very gentle, didn't irritate my skin — L'Oreal Paris Bright Reveal 12% Niacinamide Dark Spot Serum”
  • Ineffective Results and Conflicts Often MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “no change in pigment — The Ordinary Caffeine Solution 5% + EGCG”
    • “Struggles to get my waterproof mascara off completely. — The Ordinary Squalane Cleanser”
    • “Used the whole jar but saw no change in wrinkles. — L'Oreal Paris Revitalift”
    • “doesn't do anything about the discoloration — L'Oreal Paris Revitalift Anti-Wrinkle + Firming Eye Cream”
  • Irritation and Stinging Sometimes NotedOften Mentioned
    • “irritated AF the next day — The Ordinary AHA 30% + BHA 2% Peeling Solution”
    • “stings a little but worth it — The Ordinary AHA 30% + BHA 2% Peeling Solution”
    • “retinol can be irritating for sensitive skin — L'Oreal Paris Revitalift Pressed Night Cream”
    • “burnt my face after two uses — L'Oreal Paris Revitalift Laser Pure Retinol Night Serum”
  • Sticky or Greasy Residue Often MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “Balls up when I try to apply foundation over it. — L'Oreal Paris Revitalift”
    • “felt oily on my face — L'Oreal Paris Age Perfect Cell Renewal Midnight Cream”
    • “feels a little sticky and tacky — L'Oreal Paris Dark Spot Exfoliant Peel”
    • “crumbles and piles under moisturizer — The Ordinary Azelaic Acid Suspension 10%”

The Ordinary vs L'Oreal Paris routines for dry skin

Buy The Ordinary routine · $109.78 · 97% fitBuy L'Oreal Paris routine · $119.66 · 91% fitSee multi-brand routine · 99% fit

The Ordinary vs L'Oreal Paris routines for oily skin

Buy L'Oreal Paris routine · $295.95 · 95% fitBuy The Ordinary routine · $207.87 · 93% fitSee multi-brand routine · 98% fit

The Ordinary vs L'Oreal Paris routines for combination skin

Buy L'Oreal Paris routine · $287.54 · 95% fitBuy The Ordinary routine · $219.97 · 93% fitSee multi-brand routine · 97% fit

Questions and answers

The Ordinary or L'Oreal Paris: which is better?

Both The Ordinary and L'Oreal Paris offer superior routines for most skin types, with The Ordinary being a better fit for sensitive and dry sensitive skin. The Ordinary stands out for acne and blemish control as well as value and pricing, while L'Oreal Paris excels in texture, absorption, hydration, and brightening.

What is the difference between The Ordinary and L'Oreal Paris?

The Ordinary offers fragrance-free formulas that focus on gentle ingredients like hyaluronic acid, whereas L'Oreal Paris provides luxurious textures with added fragrance in some products. Both brands perform similarly across many skin types, though L'Oreal Paris is often praised for hydration while The Ordinary excels in value.

Dermatologic Therapy, 2022

The Ordinary or L'Oreal Paris for dry skin?

Both The Ordinary and L'Oreal Paris achieve a Superior routine fit for dry skin on this page, but they differ in formulation and pricing. The Ordinary lists no fragrance across the products on this page and provides higher value, whereas L'Oreal Paris features luxurious textures and deep hydration.

The Ordinary or L'Oreal Paris: which moisturizer is better?

Both The Ordinary and L'Oreal Paris offer moisturizers that help deliver deep hydration with key ingredients like hyaluronic acid and glycerin. The products on this page for The Ordinary are rated a Superior fit for dry skin and dry sensitive skin, while L'Oreal Paris is rated a Superior fit for dry skin and a High fit for dry sensitive skin.

Dermatologic Therapy, 2022Drug Delivery, 2017

Which is more affordable, The Ordinary or L'Oreal Paris?

The Ordinary offers better value and affordability than L'Oreal Paris based on the reviewer feedback for the products on this page.

Which brand performs better for brightening and fading dark spots?

L'Oreal Paris performs better for brightening and fading dark spots among the products on this page. Niacinamide helps reduce cutaneous pigmentation and suppresses melanosome transfer.

The British Journal of Dermatology, 2002

How do the fragrance-free options compare between The Ordinary and L'Oreal Paris?

The Ordinary offers fragrance-free choices across all the products on this page, whereas L'Oreal Paris includes fragrance in half of its products on this page.

Which brand is better suited for oily acne-prone skin?

L'Oreal Paris is better suited for oily acne-prone skin, as Lovi rates its routine as Superior compared to High for The Ordinary.

The Ordinary or L'Oreal Paris for oily skin?

Both The Ordinary and L'Oreal Paris provide a Superior routine fit for oily skin. The Ordinary offers fragrance-free products on this page and is often preferred for acne-clearing serums.

The Ordinary or L'Oreal Paris for sensitive skin?

The Ordinary is a better fit for sensitive skin because Lovi rates its routine as Superior, compared to High for L'Oreal Paris. Every product on The Ordinary page lists no fragrance in its ingredients, whereas half of the L'Oreal Paris products on this page contain fragrance.

The Ordinary or L'Oreal Paris for acne-prone skin?

The Ordinary is a better fit for acne-prone skin, achieving a Superior routine fit compared to L'Oreal Paris. The products on this page help with acne-clearing serums and gentle formulations.

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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