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The Ordinary vs Neutrogena

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

The Ordinary and Neutrogena are skincare brands offering serums, moisturizers, cleansers, toners, and more. The Canadian brand centers its formulations around hyaluronic acid, glycerin, and squalane, suiting dry skin and dry sensitive skin best, whereas the American brand is thoughtfully loved for nourishing moisturizers, protective sunscreens, gentle cleansers, refreshing toners, and more, formulated with glycerin, hyaluronic acid, and dimethicone, suiting sensitive skin and acne-prone skin best. Both brands differ in their key ingredient profiles and target skin types, with specific standout products addressing 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.

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Neutrogena is an American skincare brand founded in 1930 and owned by Kimberly-Clark Corporation since 2026.

investor.kimberly-clark.comen.wikipedia.orginvestors.kenvue.com

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

Popular The Ordinary vs Neutrogena products

People Say

The OrdinaryNeutrogena
  • Improves Skin Texture and Pores Mostly MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “glass skin effect — The Ordinary Glycolic Acid 7% Toning Solution”
    • “pores look significantly smaller — The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1%”
    • “never had any reaction to it with my sensitive skin — The Ordinary Mandelic Acid 10% + HA”
    • “Skin is looking smoother — Neutrogena Rapid Wrinkle Repair Regenerating Cream”
  • Hydration and Moisture Sometimes NotedMostly Mentioned
    • “Skin looked plumper and radiant — Neutrogena HYDRO BOOST WATER CREAM”
    • “It also hydrates my skin. This cream has been so easy to add to my routine. — Neutrogena Retinol Regenerating Cream”
    • “Quenches dry skin instantly — Neutrogena Hydro Boost Hydrating Hydrogel Mask”
    • “skin feels immediately hydrated — The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5”
  • Value for Money and Pricing 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%”
    • “great price point — Neutrogena Oil-Free Eye Makeup Remover”
  • Lightweight and Non-Greasy Texture Sometimes NotedMostly Mentioned
    • “Absorbs instantly without sticky residue — Neutrogena Hydro Boost Water Gel”
    • “absorbs instantly — Neutrogena COLLAGEN BANK Moisturizer”
    • “Absorbs into skin without residue. — Neutrogena Hydro Boost Hyaluronic Acid Serum”
    • “Sinks in immediately — The Ordinary Multi-Peptide + Copper Peptides 1% Serum”
  • Gentle and Sensitive Skin Friendly Sometimes NotedOften Mentioned
    • “leaves skin soft and balanced — Neutrogena Ultra Gentle Daily Cleanser”
    • “love that it has no scent — Neutrogena Ultra Gentle Daily Cleanser”
    • “calms my acne prone skin — Neutrogena Ultra Gentle Daily Cleanser”
    • “Leaves my face feeling soft and not tight at all. — The Ordinary Squalane Cleanser”
  • Clears Acne and Blemishes 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”
  • Skin Irritation and Stinging Often MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “Made my face very red — Neutrogena HYDRO BOOST WATER CREAM”
    • “Burning sensation — Neutrogena Rapid Wrinkle Repair Regenerating Cream”
    • “stings my eyes badly — Neutrogena Ultra Gentle Daily Cleanser”
    • “irritated AF the next day — The Ordinary AHA 30% + BHA 2% Peeling Solution”
  • Packaging and Quantity Concerns Rarely NotedOften Mentioned
    • “The 50ml tube runs out way too fast. — The Ordinary Squalane Cleanser”
    • “Wish it came in a pump — The Ordinary Natural Moisturizing Factors + HA”
    • “Eye holes are too small — Neutrogena Hydro Boost Hydrating Hydrogel Mask”
  • Pilling and Makeup Application Issues Sometimes NotedRarely Noted
    • “balls up under foundation — Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Dry-Touch Sunscreen”
    • “doesn't remove mascara — Neutrogena Ultra Gentle Daily Cleanser”
    • “crumbles and piles under moisturizer — The Ordinary Azelaic Acid Suspension 10%”
  • Sticky or Tacky Finish Often MentionedRarely Noted
    • “Left a tacky feeling on my skin. — Neutrogena Hydro Boost Hyaluronic Acid Serum”
    • “feels very sticky — The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5”

The Ordinary vs Neutrogena routines for dry skin

Buy The Ordinary routine · $109.78 · 97% fitBuy Neutrogena routine · $121.45 · 75% fitSee multi-brand routine · 99% fit

The Ordinary vs Neutrogena routines for oily skin

Buy The Ordinary routine · $207.87 · 93% fitBuy Neutrogena routine · $263.48 · 74% fitSee multi-brand routine · 98% fit

The Ordinary vs Neutrogena routines for combination skin

Buy The Ordinary routine · $219.97 · 93% fitBuy Neutrogena routine · $243.38 · 77% fitSee multi-brand routine · 97% fit

Questions and answers

The Ordinary or Neutrogena: which is better?

The Ordinary offers a Superior fit for all skin types on this page, making it a better choice than Neutrogena. The Ordinary is noted for its value, clearing acne, and improving skin texture, whereas Neutrogena may have stronger fragrance issues and skin irritation.

What is the difference between The Ordinary and Neutrogena?

The Ordinary is superior for improving skin texture and clearing acne, while Neutrogena excels in deep hydration and lightweight textures. The products on this page show that The Ordinary offers better value, whereas Neutrogena features a broader range of moisturizers with key ingredients like hyaluronic acid and glycerin.

Journal of Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences, 2015Dermatologic Therapy, 2022

The Ordinary or Neutrogena for dry skin?

The Ordinary is a better fit for dry skin, achieving a Superior routine fit compared to Neutrogena's High fit level. The products on this page for The Ordinary offer deep hydration through ingredients like hyaluronic acid, which helps improve skin quality.

Dermatologic Therapy, 2022Journal of Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences, 2015

The Ordinary or Neutrogena: which cleanser is better?

The products on this page show that both brands offer cleansers with high fit levels for various skin types, but the products on this page from The Ordinary provide better value for money and focus on improving skin texture and pores. Lovi fit ratings for cleansers show that options like The Ordinary Glycolipid Cream Cleanser achieve a Superior fit for dry skin, while Neutrogena Ultra Gentle Daily Cleanser reaches a High fit.

Which is more affordable, The Ordinary or Neutrogena?

The Ordinary is more affordable, offering affordable and great value serums among the products on this page.

Between The Ordinary and Neutrogena, which brand has better options for fading dark spots?

The Ordinary provides superior options for dark spots compared to Neutrogena. The products on this page include high-performing fading ingredients like niacinamide and glycolic acid that help reduce cutaneous pigmentation.

The British Journal of Dermatology, 2002

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

Every product on The Ordinary page lists no fragrance in its ingredients, whereas Neutrogena includes fragrance in 4 of the 39 products on its page.

Which brand performs better for smoothing skin texture and minimizing pores?

The Ordinary performs better for smoothing skin texture and minimizing pores, as texture-smoothing serums are often mentioned by reviewers for the products on this page.

The Ordinary or Neutrogena for oily skin?

The Ordinary is a better fit for oily skin, offering a Superior routine compared to Neutrogena's Average fit. The products on this page help improve skin texture and clear acne.

The Ordinary or Neutrogena: which moisturizer is better?

Both brands offer moisturizers, but the products on this page show that Neutrogena is praised for deeply hydrating and lightweight moisturizers while The Ordinary excels in overall routine fit for dry skin. Hyaluronic acid helps retain moisture in the skin.

Journal of Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences, 2015Dermatologic Therapy, 2022

The Ordinary or Neutrogena for sensitive skin?

The Ordinary is a superior fit for sensitive skin on Lovi, while Neutrogena is a High fit. The Ordinary products on this page list no fragrance in their ingredients.

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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