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The Ordinary vs Garnier

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

The Ordinary and Garnier are two accessible skincare brands offering diverse solutions centered on hydrating and targeted ingredients. The Canadian brand, founded in 2016, features serums, moisturizers, cleansers, toners, and more built around hyaluronic acid, glycerin, and squalane to suit dry and dry sensitive skin best, with specific formulas for acne-prone, dark spots, and mature concerns. Meanwhile, the French brand, founded in 1904, is widely loved for its approachable range of makeup removers, serums, masks, cleansers, and more featuring glycerin and salicylic acid that suit oily acne-prone and acne-prone skin best, alongside targeted options for dark spots and mature skin. Both brands differ primarily in their core formulations and skin type suitability, with the former utilizing squalane and hyaluronic acid for barrier and wrinkle support, and the latter relying on salicylic acid to reduce acne lesions.

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

glossy.coen.wikipedia.org

Garnier is a French skincare brand founded in 1904 and owned by L'Oréal since 1965.

en.wikipedia.orgloreal.comgarnierusa.comafrica.garnier.com

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

Popular The Ordinary vs Garnier products

People Say

The OrdinaryGarnier
  • Great value and affordable pricing Mostly MentionedSometimes 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 for cheap — Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water”
  • Skin smoothing and texture improvement 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%”
    • “my skin is baby smooth — Garnier 3in1 Clay Anti-Spot Wash Scrub Mask”
  • Brightens tired eyes and skin Rarely NotedMostly Mentioned
    • “Instantly brightens the face — Garnier Vitamin C Face Wash”
    • “My face is glowing this morning — Garnier Vitamin C Sheet Mask”
    • “woke up glowing — Garnier Vitamin C Brightening Night Serum”
    • “looks more awake — The Ordinary Caffeine Solution 5% + EGCG”
  • Acne and blemish clearing 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”
    • “stubborn blackheads gone — Garnier Pure Active 3-in-1 Charcoal Mask”
  • Lightweight absorption Sometimes NotedOften Mentioned
    • “absorbs immediately — Garnier Express Aclara”
    • “Sinks straight into the skin — Garnier Vitamin C Brightening Serum”
    • “sinks in immediately — Garnier Vitamin C Eye Cream”
    • “Sinks in immediately — The Ordinary Multi-Peptide + Copper Peptides 1% Serum”
  • Hydration and plumping Often MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “skin feels immediately hydrated — The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5”
    • “Leaves my face feeling soft and not tight at all. — The Ordinary Squalane Cleanser”
    • “leaves my skin radiant and clear — The Ordinary Mandelic Acid 10% + HA”
    • “doesn't leave skin feeling dry — Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water with Vitamin C”
  • Skin irritation, stinging, and burning Often MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “stings a little but worth it — The Ordinary AHA 30% + BHA 2% Peeling Solution”
    • “stings really bad upon application — The Ordinary Azelaic Acid Suspension 10%”
    • “burned my face — Garnier Express Aclara”
    • “burning sensation — Garnier Pure Active 3-in-1 Charcoal Mask”
  • Sticky and tacky finish Often MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “Leaves a sticky residue — Garnier Vitamin C Sheet Mask”
    • “leaves a tacky film — Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water”
    • “Felt a bit tacky afterwards — Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water All-in-1”
    • “feels very sticky — The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5”
  • Slow or ineffective results Sometimes NotedSometimes Noted
    • “no change in pigment — The Ordinary Caffeine Solution 5% + EGCG”
    • “not a miracle worker overnight — The Ordinary Mandelic Acid 10% + HA”
    • “dark circles returned after washing — Garnier Vitamin C Eye Cream”
    • “didn't remove sun spots — Garnier Express Aclara”

The Ordinary vs Garnier routines for dry skin

See multi-brand routine · 98% fit

The Ordinary vs Garnier routines for oily skin

See multi-brand routine · 97% fit

The Ordinary vs Garnier routines for combination skin

See multi-brand routine · 96% fit

Questions and answers

The Ordinary or Garnier: which is better?

The Ordinary offers better value, acne-clearing, and skin-smoothing benefits among the products on this page, while Garnier excels in brightening and lightweight absorption. For dry skin, Lovi rates the routine fit as Superior for The Ordinary and Average for Garnier.

What is the difference between The Ordinary and Garnier?

The Ordinary offers a wider range of affordable, fragrance-free products that provide superior routine fit for dry and sensitive skin, whereas Garnier features popular makeup removers and lightweight, vitamin C-infused formulas that help brighten the skin. Reviewers note that the products on this page from The Ordinary excel in value and acne clearing, while Garnier options often deliver fast-absorbing hydration.

The Ordinary or Garnier for dry skin?

The Ordinary is a better fit for dry skin, offering Superior routine fit compared to Garnier's Average fit. The products on this page for The Ordinary provide deep hydration with key ingredients like hyaluronic acid, which helps improve skin quality.

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

The Ordinary or Garnier: which cleanser is better?

The Ordinary offers better-rated cleansers on this page, with the Glycolipid Cream Cleanser and Glucoside Foaming Cleanser achieving High fit levels across most skin types, while Garnier cleansers like Express Aclara and Vitamin C Face Wash show lower fit levels and potential warnings for dry or sensitive skin.

Which is more affordable, The Ordinary or Garnier?

The Ordinary is more affordable than Garnier because review themes note it has better value and pricing across the products on this page.

Which brand has better options for treating dark spots, The Ordinary or Garnier?

The Ordinary provides better options for treating dark spots, as the products on this page achieve a superior Lovi fit level for skin with dark spots. Additionally, niacinamide helps reduce cutaneous pigmentation and suppress melanosome transfer.

The British Journal of Dermatology, 2002

How do the ingredient fragrance profiles compare between The Ordinary and Garnier products?

The products on this page from The Ordinary list no fragrance in their ingredients, while half of the Garnier products on this page include fragrance. This means shoppers seeking fragrance-free options may find The Ordinary to be a more suitable brand.

Which brand is better suited for mature skin, The Ordinary or Garnier?

The products on this page show that The Ordinary has a Superior routine fit for mature skin, while Garnier has a High fit. The Ordinary is noted for better value and texture improvement, whereas Garnier is praised for brightening.

The Ordinary or Garnier for oily skin?

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

The Ordinary or Garnier for sensitive skin?

The Ordinary is a better fit for sensitive skin, offering a Superior routine fit compared to Garnier's High fit on the products on this page. The Ordinary products on this page also list no fragrance in their ingredients.

The Ordinary or Garnier for acne-prone skin?

The Ordinary is a better choice for acne-prone skin, as Lovi rates its routine fit as Superior compared to Garnier's High fit. The products on this page for The Ordinary offer specialized acne-clearing serums and texture-smoothing treatments.

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

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