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The Ordinary vs Neutrogena

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

The Ordinary and Neutrogena are trusted skincare lines that offer thoughtfully formulated serums, moisturizers, cleansers, toners, and more, enriched with key ingredients like hyaluronic acid, glycerin, and squalane or dimethicone. Both brands suit dry skin and sensitive skin best, with the Canadian line excelling through targeted treatments for acne, dark spots, and aging, while the American line focuses on gentle formulations that respect delicate moisture barriers. They differ primarily in their specialized solutions and active compounds, as the former relies on niacinamide, mandelic acid, and lactic acid, whereas the latter provides dedicated daily moisturizers, sunscreens, and cleansers.

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

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Neutrogena is an American skincare brand founded in 1930 and owned by Kimberly-Clark Corporation since 2026.

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

Popular The Ordinary vs Neutrogena products

People Say

The OrdinaryNeutrogena
  • Improves Skin Texture and Pores Mostly MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “glass skin effect — The Ordinary Glycolic Acid 7% Toning Solution”
    • “pores look significantly smaller — The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1%”
    • “never had any reaction to it with my sensitive skin — The Ordinary Mandelic Acid 10% + HA”
    • “Skin is looking smoother — Neutrogena Rapid Wrinkle Repair Regenerating Cream”
  • Hydration and Moisture Sometimes NotedMostly Mentioned
    • “Skin looked plumper and radiant — Neutrogena HYDRO BOOST WATER CREAM”
    • “It also hydrates my skin. This cream has been so easy to add to my routine. — Neutrogena Retinol Regenerating Cream”
    • “Quenches dry skin instantly — Neutrogena Hydro Boost Hydrating Hydrogel Mask”
    • “skin feels immediately hydrated — The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5”
  • Value for Money 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%”
    • “great price point — Neutrogena Oil-Free Eye Makeup Remover”
  • Lightweight and Non-Greasy Texture Sometimes NotedMostly Mentioned
    • “Absorbs instantly without sticky residue — Neutrogena Hydro Boost Water Gel”
    • “absorbs instantly — Neutrogena COLLAGEN BANK Moisturizer”
    • “Absorbs into skin without residue. — Neutrogena Hydro Boost Hyaluronic Acid Serum”
    • “Sinks in immediately — The Ordinary Multi-Peptide + Copper Peptides 1% Serum”
  • Gentle and Sensitive Skin Friendly Sometimes NotedOften Mentioned
    • “leaves skin soft and balanced — Neutrogena Ultra Gentle Daily Cleanser”
    • “love that it has no scent — Neutrogena Ultra Gentle Daily Cleanser”
    • “calms my acne prone skin — Neutrogena Ultra Gentle Daily Cleanser”
    • “Leaves my face feeling soft and not tight at all. — The Ordinary Squalane Cleanser”
  • Clears Acne and Blemishes Often MentionedNot 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”
  • Skin Irritation and Stinging Often MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “Made my face very red — Neutrogena HYDRO BOOST WATER CREAM”
    • “Burning sensation — Neutrogena Rapid Wrinkle Repair Regenerating Cream”
    • “stings my eyes badly — Neutrogena Ultra Gentle Daily Cleanser”
    • “irritated AF the next day — The Ordinary AHA 30% + BHA 2% Peeling Solution”
  • Packaging and Quantity Concerns Rarely NotedOften Mentioned
    • “The 50ml tube runs out way too fast. — The Ordinary Squalane Cleanser”
    • “Wish it came in a pump — The Ordinary Natural Moisturizing Factors + HA”
    • “Eye holes are too small — Neutrogena Hydro Boost Hydrating Hydrogel Mask”
  • Pilling and Makeup Application Issues Sometimes NotedRarely Noted
    • “balls up under foundation — Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Dry-Touch Sunscreen”
    • “doesn't remove mascara — Neutrogena Ultra Gentle Daily Cleanser”
    • “crumbles and piles under moisturizer — The Ordinary Azelaic Acid Suspension 10%”
  • Sticky or Tacky Finish Often MentionedRarely Noted
    • “Left a tacky feeling on my skin. — Neutrogena Hydro Boost Hyaluronic Acid Serum”
    • “feels very sticky — The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5”

The Ordinary vs Neutrogena routines for dry skin

See multi-brand routine · 98% fit

The Ordinary vs Neutrogena routines for oily skin

See multi-brand routine · 96% fit

The Ordinary vs Neutrogena routines for combination skin

See multi-brand routine · 95% fit

Questions and answers

The Ordinary or Neutrogena: which is better?

The Ordinary is generally better for value, texture smoothing, and clearing blemishes, while Neutrogena is better for deep hydration and lightweight feel. The products on this page show that Lovi fit is Superior for The Ordinary across dry, oily, combination, sensitive, mature, dark spot, and dry sensitive skin types, and High for Neutrogena.

What is the difference between The Ordinary and Neutrogena?

The Ordinary provides better value and focuses on clearing acne and improving skin texture, whereas Neutrogena is praised for deep hydration and lightweight textures. Lovi fit levels show The Ordinary is Superior for dry skin, while Neutrogena has a High routine fit.

The Ordinary or Neutrogena for dry skin?

The Ordinary is a better fit for dry skin, offering a Superior routine compared to Neutrogena's High fit on the products on this page. Topical hyaluronic acid helps improve skin hydration and signs of aging.

Dermatologic Therapy, 2022

The Ordinary or Neutrogena: which cleanser is better?

Both brands offer strong options, but on this page The Ordinary features cleansers with a better overall Lovi fit for dry and sensitive skin, while Neutrogena provides cleansers that reviewers often praise for being gentle.

Which is more affordable, The Ordinary or Neutrogena?

The Ordinary is more affordable, as the products on this page are noted for offering affordable and great value serums.

Which brand has more fragrance-free products, The Ordinary or Neutrogena?

The Ordinary has more fragrance-free products than Neutrogena because every single product on its page lists no fragrance, whereas 35 of the 39 products on Neutrogena's page list no fragrance.

The Ordinary or Neutrogena for anti-aging and mature skin?

The Ordinary is superior for mature skin and anti-aging compared to Neutrogena based on the products on this page. Retinol helps stimulate collagen accumulation in naturally aged skin.

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

How do the founding years and corporate ownership of The Ordinary and Neutrogena compare?

The Ordinary was founded in Canada in 2016 and is owned by The Estée Lauder Companies Inc. Neutrogena was founded in the United States in 1930 and is owned by Kimberly-Clark Corporation.

The Ordinary or Neutrogena for sensitive skin?

The Ordinary fits sensitive skin better than Neutrogena, achieving a Superior routine fit compared to Neutrogena's High. Furthermore, the products on this page from The Ordinary list no fragrance across their entire range.

The Ordinary or Neutrogena: which moisturizer is better?

Both The Ordinary and Neutrogena offer moisturizers with key ingredients like hyaluronic acid and glycerin that help hydrate the skin. Lovi rates the products on this page for dry skin as Superior for The Ordinary and High for Neutrogena. Hyaluronic acid helps improve skin quality and signs of aging.

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

The Ordinary or Neutrogena for acne-prone skin?

Both The Ordinary and Neutrogena are a good choice for acne-prone skin, as the products on this page for both brands achieve a High routine fit. The Ordinary excels specifically in clearing acne and blemishes, while Neutrogena offers options with a gentle and sensitive skin-friendly formulation.

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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