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The Ordinary vs COSRX

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

The Ordinary and COSRX are two distinct skincare lines known for thoughtful formulations built around key ingredients like hyaluronic acid, glycerin, squalane, and niacinamide. The Canadian brand centers its serums, moisturizers, and cleansers on soothing dry and sensitive skin, while the Korean brand champions acne-prone and oily skin types with targeted blemish solutions. Ultimately, they differ through their foundational approaches, offering specialized treatments tailored precisely to unique complexion needs.

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

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COSRX is a Korean skincare brand founded in 2013 and owned by Amorepacific Group since 2024.

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

Popular The Ordinary vs COSRX products

People Say

The OrdinaryCOSRX
  • Miscellaneous Performance Mostly MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “eliminated armpit odor — The Ordinary Glycolic Acid 7% Toning Solution”
    • “pores look significantly smaller — The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1%”
    • “dark skin friendly — COSRX Ultra-Light Invisible Sunscreen”
    • “calms down my redness — COSRX Advanced Snail 96 Mucin Power Essence”
  • Smooth and Improved Skin Texture 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”
    • “gives me that glass skin look — COSRX Advanced Snail 96 Mucin Power Essence”
    • “skin feels softer immediately — COSRX The 6 Peptide Skin Booster Serum”
  • Acne and Blemish Control Often MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “pimples disappear within a day — The Ordinary Salicylic Acid 2% Solution”
    • “scars and hormonal acne faded — The Ordinary Azelaic Acid Suspension 10%”
    • “helped to improve my acne after only 2 weeks — COSRX Salicylic Acid Daily Gentle Cleanser”
    • “cleared up my spots — COSRX Low pH Good Morning Gel Cleanser”
  • Gentle and Sensitive Skin Care Sometimes NotedMostly Mentioned
    • “No stinging or irritation — COSRX BHA Blackhead Power Liquid”
    • “extremely gentle — COSRX AHA/BHA Clarifying Treatment Toner”
    • “perfect for first-time retinol users — COSRX The Retinol 0.1 Cream”
    • “Leaves my face feeling soft and not tight at all. — The Ordinary Squalane Cleanser”
  • Value and Pricing 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%”
    • “huge bottle — COSRX Advanced Snail Peptide Eye Cream”
  • Hydration and Moisture Sometimes NotedMostly Mentioned
    • “skin drinks it up — COSRX Advanced Snail 96 Mucin Power Essence”
    • “woke up with soft, supple skin — COSRX Advanced Snail 92 All in One Cream”
    • “gives a healthy glow — COSRX The 6 Peptide Skin Booster Serum”
    • “skin feels immediately hydrated — The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5”
  • Texture and Pilling Mostly MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “texture is gooey and stringy — COSRX Advanced Snail 92 All in One Cream”
    • “too slimy and sticky — COSRX Advanced Snail 96 Mucin Power Essence”
    • “Leaves a sticky film — COSRX BHA Blackhead Power Liquid”
    • “crumbles and piles under moisturizer — The Ordinary Azelaic Acid Suspension 10%”
  • Irritation and Harshness Often MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “irritated AF the next day — The Ordinary AHA 30% + BHA 2% Peeling Solution”
    • “stings a little but worth it — The Ordinary AHA 30% + BHA 2% Peeling Solution”
    • “left my face tight — COSRX Low pH Good Morning Gel Cleanser”
    • “leaves skin feeling tight — COSRX Salicylic Acid Daily Gentle Cleanser”
  • Miscellaneous Complaints Often MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “Takes a month to work — COSRX BHA Blackhead Power Liquid”
    • “didn't do anything — COSRX AHA/BHA Clarifying Treatment Toner”
    • “did absolutely nothing — COSRX Advanced Snail 96 Mucin Power Essence”
    • “Hard to layer — The Ordinary Multi-Peptide + Copper Peptides 1% Serum”

The Ordinary vs COSRX routines for dry skin

See multi-brand routine · 98% fit

The Ordinary vs COSRX routines for oily skin

See multi-brand routine · 97% fit

The Ordinary vs COSRX routines for combination skin

See multi-brand routine · 96% fit

Questions and answers

The Ordinary or COSRX: which is better?

The Ordinary provides better value and pricing, whereas COSRX performs better for hydration and sensitive skin care. Both brands offer equal performance for acne and blemish control and skin texture improvement.

What is the difference between The Ordinary and COSRX?

The Ordinary focuses on targeted active ingredients for great value, while COSRX leans toward hydrating formulas with ingredients like snail mucin and propolis. Lovi ranks The Ordinary as having a Superior routine fit for dry, combination, mature, dark spots, and dry sensitive skin, whereas COSRX achieves a High fit for those same skin types.

The Ordinary or COSRX for dry skin?

The Ordinary fits dry skin better than COSRX, offering a superior routine compared to COSRX's high fit level. The Ordinary features a high concentration of key hydrating ingredients like hyaluronic acid across its products on this page.

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

The Ordinary or COSRX: which cleanser is better?

Both The Ordinary and COSRX offer top-performing cleansers, with Lovi rating several options from both brands as High or Superior for sensitive and acne-prone skin types.

Which is more affordable, The Ordinary or COSRX?

The Ordinary provides better value and pricing among the products on this page compared to COSRX.

How do the founding years and current parent companies of The Ordinary and COSRX compare?

The Ordinary was founded in Canada in 2016 and is owned by The Estée Lauder Companies Inc. COSRX was founded in South Korea in 2013 and is owned by Amorepacific Group.

Which brand performs better for hydration and moisture according to reviewers?

According to reviewers, COSRX performs better for hydration and moisture. The brand is often noted for providing deep hydration and moisturization through its products on this page.

Are there any products from either brand that contain fragrance?

The products on this page from The Ordinary list no fragrance in their ingredients, while COSRX includes fragrance in only one product, the Vitamin E Vitalizing Sunscreen SPF 50+.

The Ordinary or COSRX for oily skin?

Both brands fit oily skin at a Superior level through their focused routines. The products on this page offer effective oil control and lightweight hydration.

The Ordinary or COSRX: which moisturizer is better?

COSRX is better for deep hydration and moisturization among the products on this page, as reviewers often mention its lightweight absorption and moisture benefits. The Ordinary offers great value and pricing for its moisturizers, while Lovi rates COSRX as having a Superior routine fit for dry skin compared to The Ordinary's Superior fit.

The Ordinary or COSRX for sensitive skin?

The Ordinary fits sensitive skin with a Superior routine level, whereas COSRX achieves an equal Superior routine level for sensitive skin. Both brands offer products that reviewers often note as gentle and non-irritating.

The Ordinary or COSRX for acne-prone skin?

Both The Ordinary and COSRX are well-suited for acne-prone skin, with Lovi fit levels reaching Superior for products from both brands. Reviewers note that COSRX provides effective acne control while offering gentle care, whereas The Ordinary is frequently praised for its acne-clearing serums.

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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