🇫🇷France

The Ordinary vs Lancôme

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

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.

Popular The Ordinary vs Lancôme products

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 · 98% fit

The Ordinary vs Lancôme routines for oily skin

See multi-brand routine · 97% 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 is the better choice for value and acne care, as Lovi rates its routines Superior across all skin types compared to an Average fit for Lancôme.

What is the difference between The Ordinary and Lancôme?

The Ordinary offers superior routine fit and better value for money with fragrance-free products on this page, whereas Lancôme delivers deep hydration and improved texture with mostly scented items. The Ordinary achieves High or Superior fit levels across all skin types on this page, while Lancôme generally ranks lower in routine fit.

The Ordinary or Lancôme for dry skin?

The Ordinary is a better fit for dry skin, offering a Superior routine fit compared to Lancôme's Average fit on the products on this page. Topical hyaluronic acid, a key ingredient featured across The Ordinary's range, helps improve skin quality and signs of aging.

Dermatologic Therapy, 2022

The Ordinary or Lancôme: which cleanser is better?

The Ordinary is a better choice for cleansers because the products on this page achieve a High fit level for dry and oily skin types, whereas Lancôme cleansers generally carry a warning fit across most skin types.

Which is more affordable, The Ordinary or Lancôme?

The Ordinary is more affordable than Lancôme, as the products on this page are known for providing great value.

Which brand performs better for acne and blemish control?

The Ordinary performs better for acne and blemish control. Its products on this page offer superior acne-clearing benefits and better routines for acne-prone skin.

How do the fragrance profiles differ between The Ordinary and Lancôme products?

Every product by The Ordinary on this page lists no fragrance in its ingredients, whereas most Lancôme products on this page include fragrance. This means The Ordinary is much better suited for shoppers who want to avoid added scents.

Which brand is better suited for addressing skin with dark spots?

The Ordinary is better suited for addressing skin with dark spots because the products on this page achieve a Superior Lovi fit level for this skin concern across multiple treatments, compared to Lancôme which reaches an Average fit. Niacinamide, a key ingredient found in The Ordinary range, may help reduce cutaneous pigmentation and suppress melanosome transfer.

The British Journal of Dermatology, 2002

The Ordinary or Lancôme for oily skin?

For oily skin, The Ordinary has a Superior routine fit, whereas Lancome has an Average routine fit. Review themes show that The Ordinary does better for acne and blemish control.

The Ordinary or Lancôme: which moisturizer is better?

The products on this page show that The Ordinary delivers a Superior routine fit for dry skin compared to Lancôme's Average fit. Hyaluronic acid helps improve skin quality and signs of aging.

Dermatologic Therapy, 2022

The Ordinary or Lancôme for sensitive skin?

The Ordinary is a better fit for sensitive skin, earning a Superior routine fit compared to Lancôme's Average fit. Furthermore, every product on The Ordinary page lists no fragrance, whereas most Lancôme products contain fragrance.

The Ordinary or Lancôme for acne-prone skin?

The Ordinary is the better choice for acne-prone skin, as it achieves a Superior routine fit compared to LancGme's Average fit for this skin type. Furthermore, the products on this page from The Ordinary provide multiple targeted 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

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