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The Ordinary vs Dr. Althea

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

The Ordinary and Dr. Althea are accessible skincare brands that offer serums, moisturizers, and cleansers designed for varied complexions. The Canadian brand centers its formulations on hyaluronic acid, glycerin, and squalane, suiting dry and sensitive skin best, while the Korean brand relies on soothing formulas to provide balanced hydration for dry and acne-prone skin. While both companies deliver targeted solutions for dark spots and mature concerns, they differ in their foundational approaches, pairing scientific minimalism with thoughtful K-beauty nourishment.

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

glossy.coen.wikipedia.org

Dr. Althea is a Korean skincare brand founded in 2014 and owned by The Pure Lab Co., Ltd..

doctoraltheaglobal.comdoctoralthea.co.kr

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

Popular The Ordinary vs Dr. Althea products

People Say

The OrdinaryDr. Althea
  • Gentle and non-irritating formula Sometimes NotedMostly Mentioned
    • “doesn't dry out my face — Dr. Althea Amino Acid Gentle Bubble Cleanser”
    • “skin doesn't feel stripped — Dr. Althea Amino Gel Cleanser”
    • “great for sensitive skin — Dr. Althea Vitamin C Boosting Serum”
    • “Leaves my face feeling soft and not tight at all. — The Ordinary Squalane Cleanser”
  • Texture smoothing and glow improvement 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 looks smoother and brighter — The Ordinary Azelaic Acid Suspension 10%”
    • “Melts instantly — Dr. Althea Pure Grinding Cleansing Balm”
  • Great value and price 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%”
  • Redness reduction and soothing Rarely NotedMostly Mentioned
    • “calms redness — Dr. Althea 345 Relief Cream”
    • “instantly calms irritated skin — Dr. Althea Barrier Cream”
    • “perfect for sensitive skin — Dr. Althea Amino Acid Gentle Bubble Cleanser”
    • “calms down the redness immediately — The Ordinary Azelaic Acid Suspension 10%”
  • Hydration and plumping Sometimes NotedOften Mentioned
    • “hydrating but light — Dr. Althea 345 Relief Cream”
    • “consistently hydrated mornings — Dr. Althea Barrier Cream”
    • “feels hydrated — Dr. Althea Amino Gel Cleanser”
    • “skin feels immediately hydrated — The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5”
  • Lightweight absorption and texture Sometimes NotedOften Mentioned
    • “absorbs beautifully — Dr. Althea 345 Relief Cream”
    • “absorbs quickly — Dr. Althea Vitamin C Boosting Serum”
    • “Sinks in immediately — The Ordinary Multi-Peptide + Copper Peptides 1% Serum”
  • 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 — Dr. Althea 345 Relief Cream”
    • “gave me cystic acne — Dr. Althea Barrier Cream”
  • Makeup pilling and compatibility issues Sometimes NotedRarely Noted
    • “pills under makeup — Dr. Althea 345 Relief Cream”
    • “crumbles and piles under moisturizer — The Ordinary Azelaic Acid Suspension 10%”
  • Sticky or tacky finish Sometimes NotedRarely Noted
    • “leaves a tacky film — Dr. Althea Vitamin C Boosting Serum”
    • “feels very sticky — The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5”

The Ordinary vs Dr. Althea routines for dry skin

See multi-brand routine · 99% fit

The Ordinary vs Dr. Althea routines for oily skin

See multi-brand routine · 96% fit

The Ordinary vs Dr. Althea routines for combination skin

See multi-brand routine · 96% fit

Questions and answers

The Ordinary or Dr. Althea: which is better?

The Ordinary offers better value and superior texture smoothing, whereas Dr. Althea helps more with gentle soothing and lightweight hydration.

What is the difference between The Ordinary and Dr. Althea?

The Ordinary offers a much larger variety of targeted serums with a superior routine fit across almost all skin types, while Dr. Althea provides fewer products focused more directly on soothing and gentle hydration.

The Ordinary or Dr. Althea for dry skin?

Both The Ordinary and Dr. Althea are a Superior fit for dry skin, offering effective hydration for dry skin types.

Dermatologic Therapy, 2022

The Ordinary or Dr. Althea: which cleanser is better?

The Ordinary offers a greater variety of cleansers with strong fit levels across skin types, while the products on this page for Dr. Althea also feature top-rated options like the Amino Acid Gentle Bubble Cleanser.

Which is more affordable, The Ordinary or Dr. Althea?

The Ordinary provides better value and price according to reviewers on the products on this page.

Which brand performs better for texture smoothing and glow improvement?

The Ordinary performs better for texture smoothing and glow improvement. Reviewers often mention its texture-smoothing serums and dark spot fading serums as key benefits.

How do the founding years and countries of origin compare between The Ordinary and Dr. Althea?

The Ordinary was founded in Canada in 2016, whereas Dr. Althea was established in South Korea in 2014.

Which brand is rated better for hydration and plumping according to review themes?

According to the review themes on this page, Dr. Althea does better for hydration and plumping.

The Ordinary or Dr. Althea for oily skin?

For oily skin, The Ordinary has a Superior routine fit, whereas Dr. Althea achieves a High fit on this page.

The Ordinary or Dr. Althea: which moisturizer is better?

Both The Ordinary and Dr. Althea offer great moisturizers, with The Ordinary featuring options like Natural Moisturizing Factors + HA that fit dry skin at a Superior level and Dr. Althea providing soothing choices like the 345 Relief Cream.

Dermatologic Therapy, 2022

The Ordinary or Dr. Althea for sensitive skin?

Lovi finds that The Ordinary has a Superior routine fit for sensitive skin, while Dr. Althea has a High routine fit.

The Ordinary or Dr. Althea for acne-prone skin?

Both The Ordinary and Dr. Althea are well-suited for acne-prone skin, with routines on the products on this page achieving a Superior Lovi fit level for this skin type. Niacinamide helps reduce cutaneous pigmentation and manage skin clarity.

The British Journal of Dermatology, 2002

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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