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The Ordinary vs COSRX

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

The Ordinary and COSRX are two popular skincare brands founded in 2016 and 2013, respectively. The Ordinary is known for serums, moisturizers, cleansers, and toners built around hyaluronic acid, glycerin, and squalane, while the brand is dearly loved for its expertly formulated serums, moisturizers, cleansers, and masks that thoughtfully incorporate hyaluronic acid, glycerin, and niacinamide. The former fits dry skin and sensitive skin best, whereas the latter suits acne-prone skin and oily skin best. Both brands differ in their formulations and targeted offerings, with the Canadian brand featuring specific acid and zinc treatments and the Korean brand utilizing snail mucin, propolis, and centella water.

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

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COSRX is a Korean skincare brand founded in 2013 and owned by Amorepacific Group since 2024.

koreajoongangdaily.combeautymatter.comprnewswire.com

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

Popular The Ordinary vs COSRX products

People Say

The OrdinaryCOSRX
  • Miscellaneous Performance Mostly MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “eliminated armpit odor — The Ordinary Glycolic Acid 7% Toning Solution”
    • “pores look significantly smaller — The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1%”
    • “dark skin friendly — COSRX Ultra-Light Invisible Sunscreen”
    • “calms down my redness — COSRX Advanced Snail 96 Mucin Power Essence”
  • Smooth and Improved Skin Texture 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”
    • “gives me that glass skin look — COSRX Advanced Snail 96 Mucin Power Essence”
    • “skin feels softer immediately — COSRX The 6 Peptide Skin Booster Serum”
  • Acne and Blemish Control Often MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “pimples disappear within a day — The Ordinary Salicylic Acid 2% Solution”
    • “scars and hormonal acne faded — The Ordinary Azelaic Acid Suspension 10%”
    • “helped to improve my acne after only 2 weeks — COSRX Salicylic Acid Daily Gentle Cleanser”
    • “cleared up my spots — COSRX Low pH Good Morning Gel Cleanser”
  • Gentle and Sensitive Skin Care Sometimes NotedMostly Mentioned
    • “No stinging or irritation — COSRX BHA Blackhead Power Liquid”
    • “extremely gentle — COSRX AHA/BHA Clarifying Treatment Toner”
    • “perfect for first-time retinol users — COSRX The Retinol 0.1 Cream”
    • “Leaves my face feeling soft and not tight at all. — The Ordinary Squalane Cleanser”
  • Value 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%”
    • “huge bottle — COSRX Advanced Snail Peptide Eye Cream”
  • Hydration and Moisture Sometimes NotedMostly Mentioned
    • “skin drinks it up — COSRX Advanced Snail 96 Mucin Power Essence”
    • “woke up with soft, supple skin — COSRX Advanced Snail 92 All in One Cream”
    • “gives a healthy glow — COSRX The 6 Peptide Skin Booster Serum”
    • “skin feels immediately hydrated — The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5”
  • Texture and Pilling Mostly MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “texture is gooey and stringy — COSRX Advanced Snail 92 All in One Cream”
    • “too slimy and sticky — COSRX Advanced Snail 96 Mucin Power Essence”
    • “Leaves a sticky film — COSRX BHA Blackhead Power Liquid”
    • “crumbles and piles under moisturizer — The Ordinary Azelaic Acid Suspension 10%”
  • Irritation and Harshness Often MentionedOften 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”
    • “left my face tight — COSRX Low pH Good Morning Gel Cleanser”
    • “leaves skin feeling tight — COSRX Salicylic Acid Daily Gentle Cleanser”
  • Miscellaneous Complaints Often MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “Takes a month to work — COSRX BHA Blackhead Power Liquid”
    • “didn't do anything — COSRX AHA/BHA Clarifying Treatment Toner”
    • “did absolutely nothing — COSRX Advanced Snail 96 Mucin Power Essence”
    • “Hard to layer — The Ordinary Multi-Peptide + Copper Peptides 1% Serum”

The Ordinary vs COSRX routines for dry skin

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The Ordinary vs COSRX routines for oily skin

See multi-brand routine · 96% fit

The Ordinary vs COSRX routines for combination skin

See multi-brand routine · 96% fit

Questions and answers

The Ordinary or COSRX: which is better?

Both brands are great choices, but they excel in different areas based on your skin type and budget. The Ordinary offers superior routine fit for dry skin, combination skin, mature skin, skin with dark spots, and dry sensitive skin, and reviewers note that it provides better value and pricing. COSRX provides better gentle and sensitive skin care and hydration and moisture.

What is the difference between The Ordinary and COSRX?

The Ordinary provides great value and pricing with routines that fit dry, combination, and mature skin at a Superior level, whereas COSRX offers superior hydration, moisture, and sensitive skin care with routines fitting acne-prone and oily skin at a Superior level.

The Ordinary or COSRX for dry skin?

For dry skin, Lovi finds The Ordinary has a Superior routine fit, while COSRX has a High fit. Reviewers say The Ordinary offers affordable and great value serums, whereas COSRX is noted for deep hydration and moisturization.

The Ordinary or COSRX: which cleanser is better?

Both The Ordinary and COSRX offer cleansers that fit sensitive and acne-prone skin well, though Lovi rates The Ordinary superior overall for dry and combination skin types. Reviewers note that COSRX cleansers help provide lightweight absorption and gentle care, while The Ordinary offers great value.

Which is more affordable, The Ordinary or COSRX?

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

Between The Ordinary and COSRX, which brand performs better for hydration and moisture according to reviewers?

COSRX performs better for hydration and moisture according to reviewers.

How do the founding years and corporate ownership of The Ordinary and COSRX compare?

The Ordinary was founded in Canada in 2016 and is owned by The Estée Lauder Companies Inc., while COSRX was founded in South Korea in 2013 and is owned by Amorepacific Group.

Which brand is better suited for addressing skin with dark spots: The Ordinary or COSRX?

The Ordinary is better suited for addressing skin with dark spots, as the products on this page achieve a superior routine fit compared to COSRX. Niacinamide helps reduce cutaneous pigmentation and suppresses melanosome transfer.

The British Journal of Dermatology, 2002

The Ordinary or COSRX for oily skin?

Both The Ordinary and COSRX offer a Superior routine fit for oily skin. Reviewers note that COSRX helps with lightweight absorption and deep hydration.

The Ordinary or COSRX: which moisturizer is better?

When it comes to moisturizers, COSRX provides superior hydration and moisture compared to The Ordinary. Lovi rates the routine fit for dry skin as Superior for The Ordinary and High for COSRX.

The Ordinary or COSRX for sensitive skin?

The Ordinary provides a Superior routine fit for sensitive skin, while COSRX offers a Superior fit as well. Reviewers note that COSRX does better for gentle and sensitive skin care among the products on this page.

The Ordinary or COSRX for acne-prone skin?

Both The Ordinary and COSRX are well-suited for acne-prone skin, with Lovi rating The Ordinary as Superior and COSRX as Superior. Reviewers note that both brands offer effective acne control and clearing.

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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