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Medicube vs The Ordinary

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

Medicube and The Ordinary are two distinct skincare lines founded in 2016 that offer thoughtful moisturizers, serums, toners, and more. Medicube harnesses niacinamide, collagen, and hyaluronic acid to suit dry and oily acne-prone skin best, while The Ordinary relies on hyaluronic acid, glycerin, and squalane to fit dry and dry sensitive skin. Both brands address targeted concerns like acne, dark spots, and mature skin, yet they differ in their origin, ownership, and core ingredient profiles.

Medicube is a Korean skincare brand founded in 2016 and owned by APR Corp..

medicubereviews.co.ukglossy.co

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 Medicube and The Ordinary products; for every product of both brands, with a fit score for your own skin, use the Lovi app.

Popular Medicube vs The Ordinary products

People Say

MedicubeThe Ordinary
  • Hydration and Moisture Mostly MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “skin feels bouncier and hydrated — Medicube PDRN Pink Peptide Serum”
    • “glass skin — Medicube PDRN Pink Collagen Gel Mask”
    • “woke up with baby soft skin — Medicube Collagen Jelly Cream”
    • “skin feels immediately hydrated — The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5”
  • Skin Texture and Smoothing 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%”
    • “gives my skin a smooth, glass-like finish — Medicube Zero Pore Pad”
  • Value and Pricing Not notedMostly Mentioned
    • “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%”
  • Acne and Blemish Control Sometimes NotedOften Mentioned
    • “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”
    • “active breakouts look less inflamed — Medicube Red Succinic Acid Peeling Pad”
  • Glow and Radiance Often MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “gave me instant glass skin — Medicube Collagen Jelly Cream”
    • “woke up with glowing skin — Medicube Collagen Night Wrapping Mask”
    • “healthy, dewy glow — Medicube PDRN Pink Peptide Serum”
    • “glass skin effect — The Ordinary Glycolic Acid 7% Toning Solution”
  • Pore Care and Cleansing Often MentionedRarely Noted
    • “Pores drastically reduced — Medicube Zero Foam Cleanser”
    • “Mochi-like foam — Medicube Zero Foam Cleanser”
    • “Removes every trace of oil — Medicube Red Foam Cleanser”
    • “pores look significantly smaller — The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1%”
  • Sticky and Tacky Finish Often MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “hair sticks to my face — Medicube Collagen Jelly Cream”
    • “feels way too sticky and tacky — Medicube DEEP VITA-C CAPSULE CREAM”
    • “feels very sticky — The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5”
    • “feels very sticky — The Ordinary Salicylic Acid 2% Solution”
  • Irritation and Breakouts Often MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “broke me out in cysts — The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1%”
    • “broke me out in cysts — The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5”
    • “gave me cystic acne — The Ordinary Glycolic Acid 7% Toning Solution”
    • “caused redness and sensitivity — Medicube Zero Pore Pad”
  • Drying and Stinging Effects Sometimes NotedSometimes Noted
    • “Skin feels very tight — Medicube Zero Foam Cleanser”
    • “skin felt very tight — Medicube Zero Pore Blackhead Mud Mask”
    • “Skin feels quite dry after washing — Medicube Red Foam Cleanser”
    • “stings a little but worth it — The Ordinary AHA 30% + BHA 2% Peeling Solution”
  • Packaging and Quantity Concerns Often MentionedRarely Noted
    • “The 50ml tube runs out way too fast. — The Ordinary Squalane Cleanser”
    • “Wish it came in a pump — The Ordinary Natural Moisturizing Factors + HA”
    • “Expensive for Ordinary — The Ordinary Multi-Peptide + Copper Peptides 1% Serum”
    • “tube is tiny for the price — Medicube Collagen Night Wrapping Mask”

Medicube vs The Ordinary routines for dry skin

See multi-brand routine · 97% fit

Medicube vs The Ordinary routines for oily skin

See multi-brand routine · 95% fit

Medicube vs The Ordinary routines for combination skin

See multi-brand routine · 96% fit

Questions and answers

Medicube or The Ordinary: which is better?

Both brands offer great options, but The Ordinary is better for value, texture-smoothing, and acne-clearing, while Medicube delivers better hydration and glow. Topical hyaluronic acid helps improve skin quality and signs of aging.

Dermatologic Therapy, 2022

What is the difference between Medicube and The Ordinary?

Medicube helps deliver deep hydration and a radiant glow, whereas The Ordinary is noted for skin texture smoothing and acne-clearing serums. Both brands offer routines that fit dry skin equally well, but Lovi rates The Ordinary superior for oily, combination, sensitive, mature, and dark spot skin types.

Medicube or The Ordinary for dry skin?

Medicube and The Ordinary offer equal routine fit levels for dry skin, with both brands rating as Superior. Medicube features deep hydration moisturizers, while The Ordinary offers products that help nourish and hydrate dry skin.

Dermatologic Therapy, 2022

Medicube or The Ordinary: which cleanser is better?

Both brands offer strong cleanser options, but Medicube stands out for pore care and cleansing, while The Ordinary offers better overall value and pricing. Medicube products on this page feature key ingredients like Niacinamide and Centella asiatica that help soothe skin, whereas The Ordinary focuses on formulations with glycerin and squalane.

The British Journal of Dermatology, 2002Antioxidants, 2021

Which is more affordable, Medicube or The Ordinary?

The Ordinary is more affordable, as reviewers often mention it for providing affordable and great value serums. Medicube, by contrast, frequently receives complaints regarding small quantity and pricing issues.

Between Medicube and The Ordinary, which brand is better suited for improving skin texture and smoothing?

Between Medicube and The Ordinary, The Ordinary is better suited for improving skin texture and smoothing. Reviewers frequently mention its texture-smoothing serums as a standout benefit.

How do the fragrance options differ between Medicube and The Ordinary products?

Medicube offers a small selection of products containing fragrance, while every product from The Ordinary on this page lists no fragrance in its ingredients. Specifically, 23 of the 25 Medicube products list no fragrance, with fragrance appearing only in the Collagen Jelly Cream and Deep Vita A Retinol Serum.

Which brand performs better for pore care and cleansing, Medicube or The Ordinary?

Medicube performs better for pore care and cleansing, offering targeted products designed to address these concerns effectively.

Medicube or The Ordinary for oily skin?

The Ordinary is superior for oily skin, whereas Medicube has a high fit. The Ordinary excels particularly in value, acne and blemish control, and skin texture and smoothing.

Medicube or The Ordinary: which moisturizer is better?

Medicube offers moisturizers that deliver superior deep hydration and a radiant glow, while The Ordinary provides exceptional value and skin-smoothing hydration options like Natural Moisturizing Factors + HA. Lovi rates Medicube as Superior for dry skin routines, and The Ordinary as Superior for dry skin, dry sensitive skin, and mature skin.

Dermatologic Therapy, 2022Drug Delivery, 2017

Medicube or The Ordinary for sensitive skin?

Both brands offer a High routine fit for sensitive skin, but they excel in different areas. Medicube provides deep hydration and a radiant glow, while The Ordinary features affordable texture-smoothing and acne-clearing serums.

Medicube or The Ordinary for acne-prone skin?

Both Medicube and The Ordinary achieve a High fit level for acne-prone skin on the products on this page. Reviewers note that The Ordinary provides acne-clearing serums, while Medicube is recognized for pore care and cleansing.

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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