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The Ordinary vs Shiseido

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

The Ordinary and Shiseido are prominent skincare brands offering moisturizers, cleansers, serums, and more, built around key ingredients like glycerin. The Canadian brand founded in 2016 fits dry skin and dry sensitive skin best, while the Japanese brand founded in 1872 suits sensitive skin and mature skin best. Both brands differ through their distinct formulations, with the former utilizing hyaluronic acid and squalane, and the latter providing gentle daily care. Through these meticulous offerings, its ingredients work effectively to support skin health.

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

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Shiseido is a Japanese skincare brand founded in 1872 and owned by Shiseido Company, Limited.

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

Popular The Ordinary vs Shiseido products

People Say

The OrdinaryShiseido
  • Hydration and Moisture Sometimes NotedMostly Mentioned
    • “Immediate sensation of comfort — Shiseido Benefiance Wrinkle Smoothing Eye Cream”
    • “skin feels plump, soft and nourished, eliminates dryness, bouncy feel — Shiseido VITAL PERFECTION”
    • “Skin feels more hydrated — Shiseido Activating Essence”
    • “skin feels immediately hydrated — The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5”
  • Value and Price 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%”
  • Texture Smoothing and Improvement Often MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “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%”
    • “smoothes rough skin — Shiseido Eudermine Revitalizing Essence”
  • Radiance and Brightening Rarely NotedOften Mentioned
    • “Skin looks brighter, more radiant, and "glowy." — Shiseido Ultimune Power Infusing Concentrate”
    • “faded pimple marks — Shiseido White Lucent Brightening Gel Cream”
    • “Eyes look more awake — Shiseido Benefiance Wrinkle Smoothing Eye Cream”
    • “tight, bright and shiny — The Ordinary AHA 30% + BHA 2% Peeling Solution”
  • Luxurious Texture Not notedOften Mentioned
    • “silky smooth, rich but non-greasy, absorbs quickly, melts into skin — Shiseido VITAL PERFECTION”
    • “Velvety, rich cream texture — Shiseido Benefiance Wrinkle Smoothing Eye Cream”
    • “Velvety texture — Shiseido FUTURE SOLUTION LX”
  • Lightweight Texture Sometimes NotedSometimes Noted
    • “Airy-soft texture — Shiseido Essential Energy Hydrating Cream”
    • “absorbs quickly — Shiseido White Lucent Brightening Gel Cream”
    • “Sinks right into the skin — Shiseido Activating Essence”
    • “Sinks in immediately — The Ordinary Multi-Peptide + Copper Peptides 1% Serum”
  • High Price Rarely NotedMostly Mentioned
    • “Expensive for Ordinary — The Ordinary Multi-Peptide + Copper Peptides 1% Serum”
    • “Very expensive for the size — Shiseido Benefiance Wrinkle Smoothing Eye Cream”
  • Fragrance and Scent Issues Rarely NotedOften Mentioned
    • “Smells like vinegar — The Ordinary Multi-Peptide + Copper Peptides 1% Serum”
    • “smell is unbearable — The Ordinary Azelaic Acid Suspension 10%”
    • “has a slight chemical smell — The Ordinary Mandelic Acid 10% + HA”
    • “old lady smell — Shiseido Eudermine Revitalizing Essence”
  • Pilling and Makeup Compatibility Often MentionedRarely Noted
    • “slightly tacky — Shiseido Eudermine Revitalizing Essence”
    • “A little too much (too greasy) — Shiseido Bio-Performance Advanced Super Revitalizing Cream”
    • “crumbles and piles under moisturizer — The Ordinary Azelaic Acid Suspension 10%”
  • Stinging and Irritation Often MentionedRarely Noted
    • “Caused some irritation — Shiseido Bio-Performance Advanced Super Revitalizing Cream”
    • “caused red bumpy rash — Shiseido Clarifying Cleansing Foam”
    • “caused red rash — Shiseido Treatment Softener”
    • “irritated AF the next day — The Ordinary AHA 30% + BHA 2% Peeling Solution”

The Ordinary vs Shiseido routines for dry skin

See multi-brand routine · 98% fit

The Ordinary vs Shiseido routines for oily skin

See multi-brand routine · 97% fit

The Ordinary vs Shiseido routines for combination skin

See multi-brand routine · 96% fit

Questions and answers

The Ordinary or Shiseido: which is better?

The Ordinary provides better overall routine fit and value across the products on this page, while Shiseido offers deeper hydration and more luxurious textures.

What is the difference between The Ordinary and Shiseido?

The products on this page show that The Ordinary offers fragrance-free formulas with superior value and texture smoothing, whereas Shiseido features luxurious textures and deep hydration with a higher price point. For dry skin, the routine fit for The Ordinary is Superior, while Shiseido is Average.

The Ordinary or Shiseido for dry skin?

The Ordinary is a better fit for dry skin, offering products on this page that rate Superior for this skin type while Shiseido products on this page rate Average. Niacinamide helps improve skin barrier function, and hyaluronic acid helps maintain skin hydration.

Dermatologic Therapy, 2022

The Ordinary or Shiseido: which cleanser is better?

The Ordinary products on this page generally offer a better fit for cleansers, with options like the Glycolipid Cream Cleanser rated Superior for dry skin compared to Shiseido's higher likelihood of dryness or irritation warnings.

Which is more affordable, The Ordinary or Shiseido?

The Ordinary offers much more affordable products on this page, whereas reviewers frequently note Shiseido's high price point.

How do The Ordinary and Shiseido compare regarding fragrance in their products?

The Ordinary lists no fragrance in the ingredients for every product on this page, whereas most Shiseido products on this page contain fragrance.

Which brand performs better for texture smoothing and improvement?

The Ordinary performs better for texture smoothing and improvement, supported by the products on this page.

What are the main skin types that Shiseido's brand-focused routines fit best?

Shiseido's brand-focused routines fit sensitive skin, mature skin, and skin with dark spots best.

The Ordinary or Shiseido for oily skin?

For oily skin, The Ordinary has a Superior routine fit, while Shiseido has a High routine fit.

The Ordinary or Shiseido: which moisturizer is better?

The products on this page show that The Ordinary is a better fit for dry skin, where its moisturizers like Natural Moisturizing Factors + HA reach a Superior fit compared to Shiseido's Average fit.

The Ordinary or Shiseido for sensitive skin?

The Ordinary is a better fit for sensitive skin, offering Superior routine fit compared to Shiseido's High fit on the products on this page. Furthermore, every product from The Ordinary on this page lists no fragrance in its ingredients.

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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