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The Ordinary vs Beauty of Joseon

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

The Ordinary and Beauty of Joseon are two 2016 skincare brands offering gentle daily care suited best for dry skin and sensitive skin. The Canadian company provides serums, moisturizers, cleansers, and toners built around hyaluronic acid, glycerin, and squalane, while the Korean brand is loved for thoughtful serums, masks, moisturizers, and sunscreens featuring niacinamide, glycerin, and hyaluronic. For specific concerns, both feature standout options for acne-prone skin, dark spots, and mature skin. They differ primarily in their exact product types, targeted formulations, and parent companies.

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

glossy.coen.wikipedia.org

Beauty of Joseon is a Korean skincare brand founded in 2016 and owned by Goodai Global Inc. since 2019.

kbeautywiki.combeautymatter.comprnewswire.comgoodai-global.com

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

Popular The Ordinary vs Beauty of Joseon products

People Say

The OrdinaryBeauty of Joseon
  • Texture and Smoothness Often MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “glass skin effect — The Ordinary Glycolic Acid 7% Toning Solution”
    • “skin feels baby butt smooth — The Ordinary AHA 30% + BHA 2% Peeling Solution”
    • “skin feels incredibly smooth — Beauty of Joseon Ground Rice and Honey Glow Mask”
    • “skin feels baby soft — Beauty of Joseon Apricot Blossom Peeling Gel”
  • Hydration and Moisture Often MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “Saved my dry winter skin — Beauty of Joseon Dynasty Cream”
    • “doesn't dry my skin like other cleansers — Beauty of Joseon Radiance Cleansing Balm”
    • “eyes look less tired — Beauty of Joseon Revive Eye Serum”
    • “skin feels immediately hydrated — The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5”
  • Gentle Formula Sometimes NotedMostly Mentioned
    • “no irritation at all — Beauty of Joseon Revive Eye Serum”
    • “cleansed my face gently without making my skin feel irritated — Beauty of Joseon Green Plum Refreshing Cleanser”
    • “doesn't irritate my sensitive skin — Beauty of Joseon Apricot Blossom Peeling Gel”
    • “never had any reaction to it with my sensitive skin — The Ordinary Mandelic Acid 10% + HA”
  • 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%”
  • Lightweight and Non-Greasy Often MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “feels like a light moisturizer — Beauty of Joseon Relief Sun: Rice + Probiotics”
    • “sinks in instantly — Beauty of Joseon Ginseng Essence Water”
    • “sinks in immediately — Beauty of Joseon Red Bean Water Gel”
    • “Sinks in immediately — The Ordinary Natural Moisturizing Factors + HA”
  • Acne and Blemish Control 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”
    • “reduced my redness significantly — Beauty of Joseon Glow Serum”
  • Texture Issues and Pilling Often MentionedRarely Noted
    • “hard to scoop in winter — Beauty of Joseon Radiance Cleansing Balm”
    • “feels slimy — Beauty of Joseon Apricot Blossom Peeling Gel”
    • “crumbles and piles under moisturizer — The Ordinary Azelaic Acid Suspension 10%”
  • Unpleasant Scent 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”
    • “smells like cooking oil — Beauty of Joseon Ginseng Cleansing Oil”
  • Breakouts and Purging Sometimes NotedSometimes Noted
    • “broke me out in cysts — The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1%”
    • “broke me out in cysts — The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5”
    • “Broke me out in cystic acne — Beauty of Joseon Dynasty Cream”
    • “gave me cystic acne — Beauty of Joseon Ginseng Cleansing Oil”

The Ordinary vs Beauty of Joseon routines for dry skin

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The Ordinary vs Beauty of Joseon routines for oily skin

See multi-brand routine · 96% fit

The Ordinary vs Beauty of Joseon routines for combination skin

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Questions and answers

The Ordinary or Beauty of Joseon: which is better?

Both The Ordinary and Beauty of Joseon are great brands, with The Ordinary offering better value and pricing while Beauty of Joseon is better for deep hydration and gentle formulas. Lovi rates the routine fit for both brands as Superior to High across all skin types, though reviewers note that Beauty of Joseon may occasionally cause breakouts.

What is the difference between The Ordinary and Beauty of Joseon?

The Ordinary excels in value and pricing, while Beauty of Joseon is known for deep hydration and gentle formulas. Both brands offer products that help improve skin quality and manage signs of aging.

Dermatologic Therapy, 2022

The Ordinary or Beauty of Joseon for dry skin?

For dry skin, both brands work well, but The Ordinary offers Superior routine fit while Beauty of Joseon provides High routine fit. The Ordinary features products like Natural Moisturizing Factors + HA which helps deliver intense hydration.

Dermatologic Therapy, 2022

The Ordinary or Beauty of Joseon: which cleanser is better?

When comparing cleansers, both The Ordinary and Beauty of Joseon offer options where Lovi rates the fit as high across multiple skin types, including dry, sensitive, and oily skin. The Ordinary provides affordable value-focused options like the Glucoside Foaming Cleanser, while Beauty of Joseon features popular cleansers like the Green Plum Refreshing Cleanser and Ginseng Cleansing Oil known for deep hydration and gentle formulas.

Which is more affordable, The Ordinary or Beauty of Joseon?

The Ordinary offers better value and pricing among the products on this page.

Which brand performs better for hydration and moisture, The Ordinary or Beauty of Joseon?

Beauty of Joseon performs better for hydration and moisture among the products on this page. Reviewers note that Beauty of Joseon delivers deep hydration and moisturization.

How do the two brands compare in terms of acne and blemish control?

The Ordinary does better than Beauty of Joseon for acne and blemish control. The products on this page from The Ordinary provide acne-clearing serums and the brand achieves a Superior routine fit for acne-prone skin.

Which brand is better suited for mature skin, The Ordinary or Beauty of Joseon?

The Ordinary has a Superior routine fit for mature skin, whereas Beauty of Joseon has an Average routine fit for it. The Ordinary offers products that help target signs of aging with ingredients like retinol, which may stimulate collagen accumulation in naturally aged human skin.

The Journal of Investigative Dermatology, 2000

The Ordinary or Beauty of Joseon for oily skin?

For oily skin, The Ordinary has a Superior routine fit on the products on this page compared to Beauty of Joseon which has a High fit. Reviewers note that niacinamide helps with oil control and helps brighten skin.

The British Journal of Dermatology, 2002

The Ordinary or Beauty of Joseon: which moisturizer is better?

When comparing moisturizers, The Ordinary offers superior routine fit for dry skin, whereas Beauty of Joseon delivers high fit with a focus on deep hydration.

The Ordinary or Beauty of Joseon for sensitive skin?

For sensitive skin, both brands offer good options, though Lovi rates The Ordinary as having a Superior routine fit compared to Beauty of Joseon's High fit. The products on this page for both brands are formulated without fragrance.

The Ordinary or Beauty of Joseon for acne-prone skin?

For acne-prone skin, both brands offer great options, but the products on this page show that The Ordinary achieves a Superior routine fit compared to Beauty of Joseon's High fit. The Ordinary excels particularly in acne and blemish control.

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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