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The Ordinary vs Lancôme

The Ordinary and Lancôme are distinct skincare brands that offer diverse formulations for varying complexions. The Canadian brand centers its serums, moisturizers, and cleansers on hyaluronic acid, glycerin, and squalane, making it particularly well suited for dry and dry sensitive skin. Meanwhile, the French brand is thoughtfully loved for its nourishing moisturizers, eye products, and serums formulated with glycerin, hyaluronic acid, and adenosine, which suit sensitive and mature skin best. While both utilize powerful hydrating ingredients to improve barrier function and reduce wrinkles, they differ in their heritage, specific targeted solutions, and overall aesthetic approaches.

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

glossy.coen.wikipedia.org

Lancôme is a French skincare brand founded in 1935 and owned by L'Oréal S.A. since 1964.

loreal.comen.wikipedia.orgcosmeticsbusiness.com

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

People Say

The OrdinaryLancôme
  • Texture and Absorption Mostly MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “absorbs quickly — Lancôme RÉNERGIE”
    • “absorbs almost instantly — Lancôme Génifique Ultimate”
    • “Skin feels cushiony soft — Lancôme Advanced Génifique Youth Activating Concentrate”
    • “glass skin effect — The Ordinary Glycolic Acid 7% Toning Solution”
  • Hydration and Moisture Often MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “gives my skin an instant dewy glow — Lancôme Tonique Confort”
    • “keeps the skin soft and hydrated — Lancôme HYDRA ZEN”
    • “The product provides deep hydration and visible rejuvenation. — Lancôme Advanced Génifique Night Cream”
    • “skin feels immediately hydrated — The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5”
  • 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%”
  • Acne and Blemish Control Mostly MentionedNot noted
    • “pimples disappear within a day — The Ordinary Salicylic Acid 2% Solution”
    • “pores look significantly smaller — The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1%”
    • “scars and hormonal acne faded — The Ordinary Azelaic Acid Suspension 10%”
  • Gentle Care for Sensitive Skin Sometimes NotedSometimes Noted
    • “Finally a cleanser that doesn't sting my face. — The Ordinary Squalane Cleanser”
    • “No irritation at all — The Ordinary Natural Moisturizing Factors + HA”
    • “instantly soothed my skin — Lancôme Génifique Ultimate”
    • “Doesn't sting my eyes — Lancôme Bi-Facil Double Action Eye Makeup Remover”
  • Unique Textures and Finishes Sometimes NotedOften Mentioned
    • “skin is softer to touch — Lancôme Absolue Precious Oil”
    • “triple-chamber keeps ingredients fresh — Lancôme RÉNERGIE”
    • “Bottle lasts forever — Lancôme Bi-Facil Double Action Eye Makeup Remover”
    • “Sinks in immediately — The Ordinary Natural Moisturizing Factors + HA”
  • Pilling and Application Issues Mostly MentionedRarely Noted
    • “Leaves a greasy film — Lancôme Bi-Facil Double Action Eye Makeup Remover”
    • “pilling like dead skin — Lancôme Génifique Ultimate”
    • “left a tacky film on my face — Lancôme Tonique Confort”
    • “crumbles and piles under moisturizer — The Ordinary Azelaic Acid Suspension 10%”
  • General Formulation Issues Often MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “didn't notice much change in wrinkles — Lancôme Génifique Ultimate”
    • “Did absolutely nothing — Lancôme Advanced Génifique Youth Activating Concentrate”
    • “Strong smell of alcohol — Lancôme Advanced Génifique Youth Activating Concentrate”
    • “foams up like soap — The Ordinary Salicylic Acid 2% Solution”
  • Skin Irritation and Sensitivity Often MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “caused a breakout — Lancôme RÉNERGIE”
    • “felt a burning sensation immediately — Lancôme Tonique Confort”
    • “burns my eyes — Lancôme Crème Radiance”
    • “irritated AF the next day — The Ordinary AHA 30% + BHA 2% Peeling Solution”

The Ordinary vs Lancôme routines for dry skin

See multi-brand routine · 97% fit

The Ordinary vs Lancôme routines for oily skin

See multi-brand routine · 95% fit

The Ordinary vs Lancôme routines for combination skin

See multi-brand routine · 96% fit

Questions and answers

The Ordinary or Lancôme: which is better?

The Ordinary provides better overall value and acne-clearing serums, whereas Lancôme excels in texture, absorption, and deep hydration.

What is the difference between The Ordinary and Lancôme?

The Ordinary provides a more affordable approach with superior value and acne control, while Lancôme excels in providing deep hydration and pleasant textures. The Ordinary has a fragrance-free lineup on this page, whereas many Lancôme products contain added fragrance.

The Ordinary or Lancôme for dry skin?

For dry skin, The Ordinary provides a Superior routine fit, whereas Lancôme offers a High fit. Hyaluronic acid helps improve skin moisture.

Dermatologic Therapy, 2022

The Ordinary or Lancôme: which cleanser is better?

When comparing cleansers, the products on this page show that The Ordinary offers great value and effective blemish control, whereas Lancôme is often noted for deep hydration and a pleasant scent. Lovi finds that The Ordinary has a Superior routine fit for oily and combination skin compared to Lancôme.

Which is more affordable, The Ordinary or Lancôme?

The Ordinary is more affordable, offering budget-friendly serums that reviewers frequently praise for great value. In contrast, reviewers note that Lancôme has a high price point.

The Ordinary or Lancôme for dark spots?

The Ordinary is a better choice for skin with dark spots because the products on this page achieve a Superior routine fit, whereas Lancome achieves a High fit level. Niacinamide helps reduce cutaneous pigmentation and suppresses melanosome transfer.

The British Journal of Dermatology, 2002

Which brand performs better for texture and absorption?

Lancôme performs better for texture and absorption on the products on this page.

Do The Ordinary products contain fragrance?

The products on this page by The Ordinary list no fragrance in their ingredients.

The Ordinary or Lancôme for oily skin?

The Ordinary is a better fit for oily skin, offering a Superior routine compared to Lancôme's High fit on the products on this page.

The Ordinary or Lancôme: which moisturizer is better?

The products on this page show that The Ordinary offers superior or high fit levels across various moisturizers for dry skin, such as Natural Moisturizing Factors + HA which has a Superior fit, whereas Lancôme moisturizers like RÉNERGIE have a Caution fit level for dry skin. Additionally, hyaluronic acid, a key ingredient found in the moisturizers of both brands, helps provide deep hydration.

Dermatologic Therapy, 2022

The Ordinary or Lancôme for sensitive skin?

The Ordinary is a better fit for sensitive skin, achieving a Superior routine fit compared to Lancôme's High level. Additionally, all products on this page for The Ordinary list no fragrance, whereas most Lancôme products include added fragrance.

The Ordinary or Lancôme for acne-prone skin?

Both The Ordinary and Lancôme offer products with a high routine fit for acne-prone skin on this page, but reviewers note that The Ordinary does better for acne and blemish control. The Ordinary features fragrance-free formulas across the products on this page, whereas several Lancôme products include fragrance.

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.

How does it fit your skin?

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