🇩🇪Germany

The Ordinary vs Olay

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

The Ordinary and Olay are accessible skincare brands offering diverse serums, moisturizers, cleansers, and toners. The Canadian brand centers its formulations on hyaluronic acid, glycerin, and squalane, suiting dry and sensitive skin best, whereas the second brand thoughtfully pairs niacinamide and glycerin to suit acne-prone and mature skin. Both brands differ in their specific ingredient concentrations and targeted concerns, providing tailored care for complex skin needs through gentle, effective compositions.

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

glossy.coen.wikipedia.org

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

Popular The Ordinary vs Olay products

People Say

The OrdinaryOlay
  • Texture and Absorption Often MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “sinks in quickly — Olay Super Serum”
    • “skin feels baby soft — Olay Retinol24”
    • “Skin feels like silk — Olay Regenerist Retinol 24 Night Moisturizer”
    • “skin feels baby butt smooth — The Ordinary AHA 30% + BHA 2% Peeling Solution”
  • Hydration and Moisture Sometimes NotedMostly Mentioned
    • “Instantly smoother, softer, and more hydrated — Olay Regenerist Micro-Sculpting Cream”
    • “light and smooth — Olay Ultimate Eye Cream”
    • “hydrates the skin — Olay Advanced Eye Cream”
    • “skin feels immediately hydrated — The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5”
  • 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%”
    • “Better than high-end moisturizers — Olay Regenerist Micro-Sculpting Cream”
  • Brightening and Dark Spots Often MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “iridescent glow — Olay Super Serum”
    • “hides dark shadows — Olay Ultimate Eye Cream”
    • “skin looks brighter — Olay Vitamin C Serum”
    • “scars lightened up quite a bit — The Ordinary AHA 30% + BHA 2% Peeling Solution”
  • Acne and Blemish Clearing 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”
  • Pilling and Sticky Finish Often MentionedRarely Noted
    • “cakes up all over — Olay Advanced Eye Cream”
    • “pills under makeup — Olay Ultimate Eye Cream”
    • “feels sticky — Olay Vitamin C Serum”
    • “crumbles and piles under moisturizer — The Ordinary Azelaic Acid Suspension 10%”
  • Skin Irritation and Sensitivity Sometimes NotedSometimes Noted
    • “breakouts — Olay Super Serum”
    • “burned my skin — Olay Retinol24”
    • “burning sensation — Olay Ultimate Eye Cream”
    • “irritated AF the next day — The Ordinary AHA 30% + BHA 2% Peeling Solution”

The Ordinary vs Olay routines for dry skin

See multi-brand routine · 99% fit

The Ordinary vs Olay routines for oily skin

See multi-brand routine · 96% fit

The Ordinary vs Olay routines for combination skin

See multi-brand routine · 96% fit

Questions and answers

The Ordinary or Olay: which is better?

The Ordinary offers better value and acne-clearing serums, while Olay excels in texture, hydration, and brightening.

What is the difference between The Ordinary and Olay?

The Ordinary focuses on affordable, single-ingredient serums that help with value and acne clearing, whereas Olay offers anti-aging moisturizers and creams that often provide better texture, hydration, and brightening. The Ordinary is owned by The Estée Lauder Companies Inc. and was founded in Canada in 2016, while Olay is owned by The Procter & Gamble Company and was founded in 1952.

The Ordinary or Olay for dry skin?

For dry skin, The Ordinary has a Superior routine fit, while Olay has a High routine fit. Hyaluronic acid helps improve skin quality and signs of skin aging.

Dermatologic Therapy, 2022

The Ordinary or Olay: which cleanser is better?

When choosing a cleanser, the products on this page from both The Ordinary and Olay offer solid options with High fit levels for dry and sensitive skin. Reviewers note that Olay cleansers tend to deliver better texture and hydration benefits.

Which is more affordable, The Ordinary or Olay?

The Ordinary is more affordable, offering popular value serums on the products on this page.

Which brand performs better for brightening and fading dark spots, The Ordinary or Olay?

Olay performs better for brightening and dark spots, while the products on this page help reduce pigmentation and support an even skin tone with ingredients like niacinamide.

The British Journal of Dermatology, 2002Antioxidants, 2021

Do The Ordinary products or Olay products contain fragrance?

Every product from The Ordinary on this page lists no fragrance in its ingredients. For Olay, 26 of the 27 products list no fragrance, while only the Oil Minimizing Clean Toner contains fragrance.

Which brand offers better texture and absorption according to reviewers?

Olay does better on texture and absorption according to reviewers. The products on this page help improve texture and smoothness and absorb fast.

The Ordinary or Olay for oily skin?

Both The Ordinary and Olay offer products that fit oily skin well, but The Ordinary achieves a Superior routine fit compared to Olay's High routine fit for oily skin. The Ordinary features fragrance-free options across the products on this page and is often noted for acne-clearing serums.

The Ordinary or Olay: which moisturizer is better?

When comparing moisturizers, Olay helps provide more intense hydration and smoother textures across its products on this page. Meanwhile, The Ordinary offers high-value options, like Natural Moisturizing Factors + HA, which provides superior fit levels for dry and dry sensitive skin.

Dermatologic Therapy, 2022

The Ordinary or Olay for sensitive skin?

For sensitive skin, both brands work well, but Lovi rates The Ordinary as Superior and Olay as High. Reviewers note that The Ordinary tends to cause less skin irritation and sensitivity.

The Ordinary or Olay for acne-prone skin?

Both brands offer products for acne-prone skin, but The Ordinary is typically chosen for blemish clearing since reviewers find its serums help clear acne better. Lovi rates The Ordinary as having a Superior routine fit for acne-prone skin, while Olay achieves a High fit.

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?

Scan your face, then any product: Lovi shows how well it fits you and what fits even better.

QR code: get the Lovi app
Download on theApp Store Get it onGoogle Play