🇪🇸Spain

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 two skincare brands offering serums, moisturizers, cleansers, and more. The Ordinary is best for dry skin and dry sensitive skin with its hyaluronic acid, glycerin, and squalane, while the brand is also known for specific formulas targeting acne-prone, dark spot, and mature skin. Conversely, Olay suits sensitive skin and mature skin best through its niacinamide and glycerin formulations, alongside targeted solutions for acne-prone skin, dark spots, and mature skin. Both brands differ in their specific product compositions, ingredient focuses, and ideal skin types.

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 · 97% fit

The Ordinary vs Olay routines for oily skin

See multi-brand routine · 95% 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?

Both brands are great choices depending on your budget and skin goals, with The Ordinary offering better value and blemish clearing, while Olay excels in intense hydration and texture improvement.

What is the difference between The Ordinary and Olay?

The Ordinary delivers better value and acne-clearing results, while Olay excels in hydration, texture, and brightening. Lovi rates The Ordinary as Superior for dry, oily, combination, dark spot, and dry sensitive skin routines, whereas Olay reaches Superior fit for mature skin.

The Ordinary or Olay for dry skin?

The Ordinary is a better fit for dry skin, offering a Superior routine compared to Olay's High fit level. Topical hyaluronic acid helps improve skin hydration and smooth signs of aging.

Dermatologic Therapy, 2022Drug Delivery, 2017

The Ordinary or Olay: which cleanser is better?

Both brands offer cleansers on this page, but The Ordinary fits dry skin and dry sensitive skin with a Superior level, whereas Olay cleansers are rated as Average or lower for those skin types.

Which is more affordable, The Ordinary or Olay?

The Ordinary offers better value, with reviewers frequently noting its affordable and budget-friendly serums.

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

Olay performs better for brightening and dark spots according to the review themes on this page. Ingredients like niacinamide help reduce cutaneous pigmentation and suppress melanosome transfer.

The British Journal of Dermatology, 2002Antioxidants, 2021

Do products from The Ordinary and Olay contain fragrance?

Every product on The Ordinary page lists no fragrance in its ingredients, and nearly all products on the Olay page are also fragrance-free except for the Oil Minimizing Clean Toner.

Which brand fits mature skin better, The Ordinary or Olay?

For mature skin, Lovi rates both The Ordinary and Olay as having a Superior routine fit level. Reviewers mention that Olay does better for texture and absorption and hydration and moisture, while The Ordinary does better for value and price.

The Ordinary or Olay for oily skin?

For oily skin, The Ordinary has a Superior routine fit while Olay has a High routine fit. The Ordinary offers affordable and great value serums that are often mentioned for acne-clearing and texture-smoothing.

The Ordinary or Olay: which moisturizer is better?

Both The Ordinary and Olay offer moisturizers on this page that help with hydration, but Olay is rated higher for overall moisture and texture among reviewers. The Ordinary relies on simple formulas with key ingredients like hyaluronic acid and squalane, whereas Olay features rich options with niacinamide and peptides.

Dermatologic Therapy, 2022Drug Delivery, 2017

The Ordinary or Olay for sensitive skin?

Both The Ordinary and Olay fit sensitive skin at a Superior level with equal effectiveness on this page. The Ordinary is frequently noted for gentle, non-irritating serums.

The Ordinary or Olay for acne-prone skin?

Both brands offer products that fit acne-prone skin well, but The Ordinary does better for acne and blemish clearing overall. Lovi rates the routine fit for acne-prone skin as High for both brands.

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