🇮🇪Ireland

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 popular skincare brands known for offering serums, moisturizers, cleansers, and more. The Canadian brand founded in 2016 features key ingredients like hyaluronic acid, glycerin, and squalane to suit dry skin and dry sensitive skin best. Conversely, the Korean brand founded in 2013 harnesses hyaluronic acid, glycerin, and niacinamide to suit oily skin and sensitive skin best. While both brands share core hydrating components, they differ in their specialized formulations and targeted approaches to specific skin concerns.

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

glossy.coen.wikipedia.org

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

koreajoongangdaily.combeautymatter.comprnewswire.com

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 · 96% fit

The Ordinary vs COSRX routines for combination skin

See multi-brand routine · 95% fit

Questions and answers

The Ordinary or COSRX: which is better?

Both brands perform well, but The Ordinary offers better value and pricing, whereas COSRX does better for hydration, moisture, and sensitive skin care.

What is the difference between The Ordinary and COSRX?

The Ordinary focuses on targeted active ingredients with strong value, whereas COSRX specializes in hydrating and soothing formulations featuring ingredients like snail mucin. Reviewers find that COSRX is better for sensitive skin and hydration, while The Ordinary excels in affordability and value.

The Ordinary or COSRX for dry skin?

The Ordinary is a superior fit for dry skin compared to COSRX, which has a high fit. The products on this page for The Ordinary offer deep hydration and moisturization with ingredients like hyaluronic acid, which helps improve skin quality and signs of aging.

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

The Ordinary or COSRX: which cleanser is better?

When it comes to cleansers, both The Ordinary and COSRX offer effective options on this page, but they cater to different needs. COSRX is better for gentle and sensitive skin care, whereas The Ordinary often provides greater value for shoppers.

Which is more affordable, The Ordinary or COSRX?

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

The Ordinary or COSRX for fading dark spots?

The Ordinary is a better fit for skin with dark spots, offering superior routine performance compared to COSRX. Niacinamide helps reduce skin pigmentation, and the products on this page are fragrance-free.

The British Journal of Dermatology, 2002Antioxidants, 2021

Which brand has better options for mature skin, The Ordinary or COSRX?

The Ordinary has better options for mature skin, as Lovi rates its routine as Superior compared to High for COSRX. The products on this page help improve skin texture and reduce signs of aging.

The Journal of Investigative Dermatology, 2000Archives of Dermatology, 2007

The Ordinary or COSRX for oily skin?

Both brands are a Superior fit for oily skin. Reviewers find that COSRX offers lightweight absorption, while The Ordinary provides affordable serums.

The Ordinary or COSRX: which moisturizer is better?

Both The Ordinary and COSRX offer great moisturizers, with COSRX particularly excelling in deep hydration and moisture. The Ordinary products on this page provide great value, while COSRX is often noted for lightweight absorption and soothing benefits.

The Ordinary or COSRX for sensitive skin?

The Ordinary fits sensitive skin with a Superior Lovi level, while COSRX fits sensitive skin with a Superior Lovi level as well. COSRX is noted by reviewers for being gentle and doing better for sensitive skin care.

The Ordinary or COSRX for acne-prone skin?

For acne-prone skin, COSRX fits better with a Superior routine level compared to The Ordinary's High level. Both brands offer products that help clear acne effectively.

The Ordinary or COSRX for dry sensitive skin?

The Ordinary is a better fit for dry sensitive skin, offering a Superior routine fit compared to the High fit from COSRX. Hyaluronic acid helps provide hydration for dry skin types.

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

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?

Scan your face, then any product: Lovi shows how well it fits you and what fits even better.

QR code: get the Lovi app
Download on theApp Store Get it onGoogle Play