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The Ordinary vs SkinCeuticals

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

The Ordinary and SkinCeuticals are prominent skincare brands offering serums, moisturizers, cleansers, and more. The Canadian brand is known for hyaluronic acid, glycerin, and squalane, suiting dry and dry sensitive skin best, while the American brand is loved for targeted solutions using glycerin, hyaluronic acid, and dimethicone that suit dry and mature skin. Both brands differ primarily in their founding years, ownership, and specific targeted product formulations for concerns like acne, dark spots, and aging.

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

glossy.coen.wikipedia.org

SkinCeuticals is an American skincare brand founded in 1994 and owned by L'Oréal since 2005.

loreal.comskinceuticals-za.compitchbook.com

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

Popular The Ordinary vs SkinCeuticals products

People Say

The OrdinarySkinCeuticals
  • Smoothes skin texture Often MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “glass skin effect — The Ordinary Glycolic Acid 7% Toning Solution”
    • “skin feels baby butt smooth — The Ordinary AHA 30% + BHA 2% Peeling Solution”
    • “definitely gave me a glass skin texture — SkinCeuticals P-TOX”
    • “pores appeared less noticeable — SkinCeuticals P-Tiox”
  • Clears acne and blemishes 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”
    • “cystic acne shrinking — SkinCeuticals Blemish + Age Defense”
  • Great 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%”
  • Hydration and plumping Sometimes NotedOften Mentioned
    • “Hydrated my skin beautifully. — SkinCeuticals Triple Lipid Restore 2:4:2”
    • “Pure hydration in a bottle — SkinCeuticals Hydrating B5 Gel”
    • “skin feels super hydrated — SkinCeuticals H.A. Intensifier”
    • “skin feels immediately hydrated — The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5”
  • Lightweight absorption Rarely NotedOften Mentioned
    • “absorbs quickly — SkinCeuticals Discoloration Defense Serum”
    • “absorbs very quickly — SkinCeuticals P-Tiox”
    • “sank in quickly — SkinCeuticals Phyto Corrective Gel”
    • “Sinks in immediately — The Ordinary Multi-Peptide + Copper Peptides 1% Serum”
  • Gentle and non-irritating Sometimes NotedSometimes Noted
    • “Leaves my face feeling soft and not tight at all. — The Ordinary Squalane Cleanser”
    • “Finally a cleanser that doesn't sting my face. — The Ordinary Squalane Cleanser”
    • “No irritation at all — The Ordinary Natural Moisturizing Factors + HA”
    • “Perfect starting strength — SkinCeuticals Retinol 0.3”
  • High price point Not notedMostly Mentioned
    • “Too pricey for the hype — SkinCeuticals P-TOX”
  • Sticky or tacky finish Sometimes NotedRarely Noted
    • “feels tacky — SkinCeuticals H.A. Intensifier”
    • “slight tackiness — SkinCeuticals P-Tiox”
    • “sticky residue — SkinCeuticals Phyto Corrective Gel”
    • “feels very sticky — The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5”
  • Slow or no results Rarely NotedSometimes Noted
    • “not a miracle worker overnight — The Ordinary Mandelic Acid 10% + HA”
    • “Didn't do anything special — The Ordinary Alpha Arbutin 2% + HA”
    • “haven't noticed much change on the deeper lines — SkinCeuticals P-TOX”
  • Stinging and irritation Sometimes NotedRarely Noted
    • “caused redness — SkinCeuticals P-Tiox”
    • “I tried a sample of this stuff and it make my face so red! — SkinCeuticals Triple Lipid Restore 2:4:2”
    • “burned my eyes — SkinCeuticals A.G.E. Advanced Eye”
    • “stings a little but worth it — The Ordinary AHA 30% + BHA 2% Peeling Solution”

The Ordinary vs SkinCeuticals routines for dry skin

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The Ordinary vs SkinCeuticals routines for oily skin

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The Ordinary vs SkinCeuticals routines for combination skin

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Questions and answers

The Ordinary or SkinCeuticals: which is better?

Both brands are great, but The Ordinary is better for budget-friendly value and sensitive skin, while SkinCeuticals excels in lightweight absorption and hydration. Sodium hyaluronate helps improve skin quality and signs of aging.

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

What is the difference between The Ordinary and SkinCeuticals?

The Ordinary offers great value and acne-clearing serums, while SkinCeuticals provides lightweight absorption and hydrating and plumping moisturizers. For fit levels, Lovi rates both brands as Superior for dry skin, oily skin, combination skin, and mature skin.

The Ordinary or SkinCeuticals for dry skin?

Both The Ordinary and SkinCeuticals offer a Superior routine fit for dry skin. The products on this page for both brands feature key hydrating ingredients like hyaluronic acid and glycerin.

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

The Ordinary or SkinCeuticals: which cleanser is better?

Both brands offer cleansers that fit various skin types well, with products like The Ordinary Glycolipid Cream Cleanser and SkinCeuticals Simply Clean Gel rated as having a High fit for dry and sensitive skin. Reviewers highlight The Ordinary for providing better value and pricing, while SkinCeuticals is frequently noted for lightweight absorption.

Which is more affordable, The Ordinary or SkinCeuticals?

The Ordinary is more affordable, offering products known for great value and pricing compared to SkinCeuticals, which has reviewers frequently mentioning a high price point.

The Ordinary or SkinCeuticals: which brand has better fragrance-free products?

Both brands offer entirely fragrance-free routines for the products on this page. Every product listed for The Ordinary contains no fragrance, while SkinCeuticals includes fragrance in only 3 of its 37 products.

The Ordinary or SkinCeuticals for oily skin?

Both The Ordinary and SkinCeuticals offer a Superior routine fit for oily skin. Reviewers note that The Ordinary provides great value and clears acne well, while SkinCeuticals offers lightweight absorption.

The Ordinary or SkinCeuticals: which moisturizer is better?

Both The Ordinary and SkinCeuticals offer top-tier moisturizers that deliver superior routine fit levels for dry and dry sensitive skin. Reviewers widely praise The Ordinary for delivering great value and affordability, while SkinCeuticals is frequently noted for providing highly hydrating and plumping results.

The Ordinary or SkinCeuticals for sensitive skin?

For sensitive skin, both brands offer a strong option, but Lovi rates The Ordinary as Superior and SkinCeuticals as High.

The Ordinary or SkinCeuticals for acne-prone skin?

Both The Ordinary and SkinCeuticals offer a high routine fit for acne-prone skin. The Ordinary features acne-clearing serums that reviewers frequently praise.

The Ordinary or SkinCeuticals for mature skin?

Both The Ordinary and SkinCeuticals offer a Superior routine fit for mature skin. SkinCeuticals is noted for lightweight absorption and hydrating and anti-aging serums, while The Ordinary offers great value and gentle formulas.

The Journal of Investigative Dermatology, 2000Dermatologic Therapy, 2022

The Ordinary or SkinCeuticals for skin with dark spots?

The Ordinary is a better choice for skin with dark spots, as the products on this page achieve a superior routine fit compared to SkinCeuticals. Niacinamide helps reduce cutaneous pigmentation and pigmentation transfer.

The British Journal of Dermatology, 2002Antioxidants, 2021

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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