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The Ordinary vs Avène

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

The Ordinary and Avène are Canadian and French skincare brands founded in 2016 and 1990, respectively. The Ordinary offers serums, moisturizers, cleansers, and toners built around hyaluronic acid, glycerin, and squalane, while Avène provides gentle moisturizers, protective sunscreens, targeted serums, and soothing cleansers formulated with glycerin. The Canadian brand fits dry skin and sensitive skin best, whereas the French brand suits oily, acne-prone skin and combination skin best. They differ primarily in their founding origins, parent companies, and specific active ingredients, such as squalane and hyaluronic acid.

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

glossy.coen.wikipedia.org

Avène is a French skincare brand founded in 1990 and owned by Fondation Pierre Fabre.

pierre-fabre.comavene.co.ukaveneusa.com

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

Popular The Ordinary vs Avène products

People Say

The OrdinaryAvène
  • Gentle and non-irritating Sometimes NotedMostly Mentioned
    • “leaves face clean but not dry — Avène Cleanance”
    • “Perfect cleanser for sensitive skin. — Avène Milk Cleanser”
    • “no irritation at all — Avène Hydrance+”
    • “Leaves my face feeling soft and not tight at all. — The Ordinary Squalane Cleanser”
  • Texture smoothing Mostly MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “glass skin effect — The Ordinary Glycolic Acid 7% Toning Solution”
    • “pores look significantly smaller — The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1%”
    • “skin feels baby butt smooth — The Ordinary AHA 30% + BHA 2% Peeling Solution”
    • “I've noticed a definite improvement in the fine lines around my eyes — Avène RetrinAL EYES”
  • Great value and price 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%”
    • “Bottle lasts for months — Avène Cleanance Cleansing Gel”
  • Acne clearing 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”
    • “Cleared my cystic acne — Avène Cleanance Cleansing Gel”
  • Hydration and plumping Sometimes NotedOften Mentioned
    • “Restores moisture barrier — Avène Cold Cream”
    • “Leaves my skin feeling soft and hydrated. — Avène Milk Cleanser”
    • “intensely hydrated — Avène Hyaluron Activ B3 Concentrated Plumping Serum”
    • “skin feels immediately hydrated — The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5”
  • Lightweight absorption Sometimes NotedSometimes Noted
    • “absorbs very quickly — Avène Vitamin Activ Cg Radiance Concentrated Serum”
    • “Absorbs into skin without residue. — Avène Tolerance Control Soothing Skin Recovery Balm”
    • “It absorbs quickly and leaves the delicate eye area feeling hydrated — Avène RetrinAL EYES”
    • “Sinks in immediately — The Ordinary Multi-Peptide + Copper Peptides 1% Serum”
  • Sticky finish Often MentionedRarely Noted
    • “sticky kinda feeling — Avène Hyaluron Activ B3 Concentrated Plumping Serum”
    • “Left unpleasant greasy film — Avène Soothing Radiance Mask”
    • “feels very sticky — The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5”
  • Unpleasant scent Rarely NotedSometimes Noted
    • “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”
    • “The fragrance is very present. — Avène Milk Cleanser”
  • Stinging and irritation Often MentionedRarely Noted
    • “burned my skin — Avène Cleanance”
    • “caused burning sensation — Avène Vitamin Activ Cg Radiance Concentrated Serum”
    • “caused rash — Avène Antirougeurs Fort Relief Concentrate”
    • “stings a little but worth it — The Ordinary AHA 30% + BHA 2% Peeling Solution”

The Ordinary vs Avène routines for dry skin

See multi-brand routine · 99% fit

The Ordinary vs Avène routines for oily skin

See multi-brand routine · 96% fit

The Ordinary vs Avène routines for combination skin

See multi-brand routine · 96% fit

Questions and answers

The Ordinary or Avène: which is better?

The Ordinary offers better value and texture-smoothing benefits, whereas Avène stands out for soothing irritation and providing lightweight hydration. Both brands deliver great results, but The Ordinary has superior routine fit ratings across all skin types on this page.

What is the difference between The Ordinary and Avène?

The Ordinary offers fragrance-free, budget-friendly serums that help smooth texture and clear acne, while Avène features thermal water formulas that tend to be gentle and deeply hydrating. Lovi finds that The Ordinary has a Superior routine fit across all skin types, whereas Avène has a High routine fit for most. Hyaluronic acid helps provide anti-aging and antioxidant effects in skin care products.

Drug Delivery, 2017

The Ordinary or Avène for dry skin?

The Ordinary is a Superior fit for dry skin, while Avène is a High fit. The Ordinary features fragrance-free formulas with key ingredients like hyaluronic acid and glycerin that help hydrate the skin. Additionally, topical hyaluronic acid is helpful for improving skin quality and signs of aging.

Dermatologic Therapy, 2022

The Ordinary or Avène: which cleanser is better?

The Ordinary offers better cleanser options for most skin types on this page, with formulations like the Glycolipid Cream Cleanser rated as Superior for dry skin and High for oily skin. Reviewers also frequently praise the brand for great value and effective results. By comparison, Avène cleansers may cause stinging or irritation for certain skin types.

Which is more affordable, The Ordinary or Avène?

The Ordinary offers better affordability, as reviewers frequently praise its affordable and great value serums. In contrast, reviewers sometimes note the price point of Avène.

Do The Ordinary products contain fragrance?

The products on this page from The Ordinary list no fragrance in their ingredients.

Which brand performs better for texture smoothing?

The Ordinary performs better for texture smoothing among the products on this page. Reviewers often mention its texture-smoothing serums as a standout benefit.

What key ingredients are found across Avène products?

The products on this page for Avène feature thermal water and glycerin as their key ingredients.

The Ordinary or Avène for sensitive skin?

The Ordinary is a Superior fit for sensitive skin, whereas Avène has a High fit. The products on this page for The Ordinary list no fragrance.

The Ordinary or Avène: which moisturizer is better?

The products on this page show that both The Ordinary and Avène offer moisturizers with a high Lovi fit for dry skin, such as The Ordinary's Natural Moisturizing Factors + HA and Avène's Tolerance Control Soothing Skin Recovery Balm. Topical hyaluronic acid helps improve skin quality and signs of skin aging.

Dermatologic Therapy, 2022

The Ordinary or Avène for acne-prone skin?

The Ordinary is a superior fit for acne-prone skin compared to Avène. Reviewers highlight The Ordinary for its acne-clearing serums.

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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