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The Ordinary vs SkinCeuticals

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

The Ordinary and SkinCeuticals are prominent skincare brands offering serums, moisturizers, cleansers, and other formulations. Both suit dry skin and dry sensitive skin best through key ingredients like glycerin, which significantly increases skin hydration and barrier function, hyaluronic acid, which lengthens the duration of wrinkle reduction, and squalane or dimethicone. While the Canadian brand focuses on affordable single-ingredient staples, the American brand is loved for its advanced, targeted formulations.

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

glossy.coen.wikipedia.org

SkinCeuticals is an American skincare brand founded in 1994 and owned by L'Oréal since 2005.

loreal.comskinceuticals-za.compitchbook.com

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

Popular The Ordinary vs SkinCeuticals products

People Say

The OrdinarySkinCeuticals
  • Smoothes skin texture Often MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “glass skin effect — The Ordinary Glycolic Acid 7% Toning Solution”
    • “skin feels baby butt smooth — The Ordinary AHA 30% + BHA 2% Peeling Solution”
    • “definitely gave me a glass skin texture — SkinCeuticals P-TOX”
    • “pores appeared less noticeable — SkinCeuticals P-Tiox”
  • Clears acne and blemishes Often MentionedSometimes 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”
    • “cystic acne shrinking — SkinCeuticals Blemish + Age Defense”
  • Great 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%”
  • Hydration and plumping Sometimes NotedOften Mentioned
    • “Hydrated my skin beautifully. — SkinCeuticals Triple Lipid Restore 2:4:2”
    • “Pure hydration in a bottle — SkinCeuticals Hydrating B5 Gel”
    • “skin feels super hydrated — SkinCeuticals H.A. Intensifier”
    • “skin feels immediately hydrated — The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5”
  • Lightweight absorption Rarely NotedOften Mentioned
    • “absorbs quickly — SkinCeuticals Discoloration Defense Serum”
    • “absorbs very quickly — SkinCeuticals P-Tiox”
    • “sank in quickly — SkinCeuticals Phyto Corrective Gel”
    • “Sinks in immediately — The Ordinary Multi-Peptide + Copper Peptides 1% Serum”
  • Gentle and non-irritating Sometimes NotedSometimes Noted
    • “Leaves my face feeling soft and not tight at all. — The Ordinary Squalane Cleanser”
    • “Finally a cleanser that doesn't sting my face. — The Ordinary Squalane Cleanser”
    • “No irritation at all — The Ordinary Natural Moisturizing Factors + HA”
    • “Perfect starting strength — SkinCeuticals Retinol 0.3”
  • High price point Not notedMostly Mentioned
    • “Too pricey for the hype — SkinCeuticals P-TOX”
  • Sticky or tacky finish Sometimes NotedRarely Noted
    • “feels tacky — SkinCeuticals H.A. Intensifier”
    • “slight tackiness — SkinCeuticals P-Tiox”
    • “sticky residue — SkinCeuticals Phyto Corrective Gel”
    • “feels very sticky — The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5”
  • Slow or no results Rarely NotedSometimes Noted
    • “not a miracle worker overnight — The Ordinary Mandelic Acid 10% + HA”
    • “Didn't do anything special — The Ordinary Alpha Arbutin 2% + HA”
    • “haven't noticed much change on the deeper lines — SkinCeuticals P-TOX”
  • Stinging and irritation Sometimes NotedRarely Noted
    • “caused redness — SkinCeuticals P-Tiox”
    • “I tried a sample of this stuff and it make my face so red! — SkinCeuticals Triple Lipid Restore 2:4:2”
    • “burned my eyes — SkinCeuticals A.G.E. Advanced Eye”
    • “stings a little but worth it — The Ordinary AHA 30% + BHA 2% Peeling Solution”

The Ordinary vs SkinCeuticals routines for dry skin

See multi-brand routine · 97% fit

The Ordinary vs SkinCeuticals routines for oily skin

See multi-brand routine · 95% fit

The Ordinary vs SkinCeuticals routines for combination skin

See multi-brand routine · 96% fit

Questions and answers

The Ordinary or SkinCeuticals: which is better?

The Ordinary and SkinCeuticals are both great choices, as each brand offers superior routine fit levels for dry, oily, combination, mature, and dry sensitive skin. Reviewers note that The Ordinary is more affordable and better at clearing acne, while SkinCeuticals excels in hydration and lightweight absorption.

What is the difference between The Ordinary and SkinCeuticals?

The Ordinary provides products on this page that are more affordable and better for clearing acne and dark spots, while SkinCeuticals offers options that are generally known for a high price point and lightweight absorption. Both brands achieve equal routine fit levels for dry, oily, combination, mature, and dry sensitive skin types.

The Ordinary or SkinCeuticals for dry skin?

Both The Ordinary and SkinCeuticals offer a Superior routine fit for dry skin. The Ordinary features fragrance-free formulas with key ingredients like hyaluronic acid and squalane, while SkinCeuticals provides hydrating options backed by a range of active components.

Journal of Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences, 2015Dermatologic Therapy, 2022

The Ordinary or SkinCeuticals: which cleanser is better?

Both The Ordinary and SkinCeuticals offer cleansers with strong routine fits for various skin types, but shoppers looking for value commonly favor The Ordinary. Hyaluronic acid and glycerin are key ingredients shared across many products on these pages to support hydration.

Journal of Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences, 2015

Which is more affordable, The Ordinary or SkinCeuticals?

The Ordinary is more affordable, as reviewers on the page frequently note its great value and pricing.

The Ordinary or SkinCeuticals for fading dark spots?

The Ordinary is a better choice for fading dark spots because reviewers frequently highlight its targeted serums for this concern, and Lovi rates its overall routine fit as Superior compared to SkinCeuticals at High. Additionally, niacinamide helps reduce cutaneous pigmentation and suppress melanosome transfer.

The British Journal of Dermatology, 2002Antioxidants, 2021

Do The Ordinary products or SkinCeuticals products contain fragrance?

Every product on The Ordinary page lists no fragrance in its ingredients, while SkinCeuticals includes fragrance in 3 of its 37 products on this page.

The Ordinary or SkinCeuticals for oily skin?

Both The Ordinary and SkinCeuticals offer a Superior routine fit for oily skin. Reviewers note that The Ordinary provides better acne-clearing and value, while SkinCeuticals excels in lightweight absorption and hydration.

The Ordinary or SkinCeuticals: which moisturizer is better?

Both The Ordinary and SkinCeuticals offer moisturizers with a Superior routine fit for dry and dry sensitive skin on the products on this page. The Ordinary is noted for offering great value, while SkinCeuticals is frequently praised for its hydrating and plumping moisturizers.

The Ordinary or SkinCeuticals for sensitive skin?

The Ordinary is a better fit for sensitive skin on this page, achieving a Superior routine fit compared to SkinCeuticals at High.

The Ordinary or SkinCeuticals for acne-prone skin?

Both The Ordinary and SkinCeuticals offer a High routine fit for acne-prone skin, and review themes show The Ordinary does better for clearing acne and blemishes.

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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