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The Ordinary vs Cetaphil

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

The Ordinary and Cetaphil are well-regarded skincare brands that offer distinct approaches to daily care through serums, moisturizers, cleansers, and more. The Canadian brand centers its formulations on hyaluronic acid, glycerin, and squalane to best suit dry and sensitive skin, while the American brand relies on glycerin, niacinamide, and panthenol to favor combination and acne-prone skin. Both lines utilize nourishing ingredients to support the skin barrier, but they differ significantly in their targeted treatments and foundational chemistries.

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

glossy.coen.wikipedia.org

Cetaphil is an American skincare brand founded in 1947 and owned by Galderma Group AG.

en.wikipedia.orgcetaphil.co.uk

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

Popular The Ordinary vs Cetaphil products

People Say

The OrdinaryCetaphil
  • Gentle on sensitive skin Sometimes NotedMostly Mentioned
    • “The only thing my reactive skin tolerates. — Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser”
    • “No breakouts since switching to this. — Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser”
    • “cleans without stripping — Cetaphil Daily Facial Cleanser”
    • “Leaves my face feeling soft and not tight at all. — The Ordinary Squalane Cleanser”
  • Affordable value 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%”
    • “Bar lasts a long time — Cetaphil Gentle Cleansing Bar”
  • Hydration and moisture Sometimes NotedMostly Mentioned
    • “cleared up flaky skin — Cetaphil Moisturizing Cream”
    • “healed my dry patches — Cetaphil Moisturising Cream”
    • “Leaves my face feeling soft, not tight. — Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser”
    • “skin feels immediately hydrated — The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5”
  • Lightweight and non-greasy Often MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “absorbs instantly — Cetaphil Moisturizing Lotion”
    • “Absorbs quickly into skin without residue — Cetaphil Daily Hydrating Lotion”
    • “absorbs quickly — Cetaphil Moisturizing Cream”
    • “Sinks in immediately — The Ordinary Natural Moisturizing Factors + HA”
  • Skin texture 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%”
    • “Skin felt softer after one use — Cetaphil Gentle Exfoliating SA Cleanser”
  • Acne and blemish clearing Often MentionedRarely 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”
    • “Helps to remove pimple and acne. — Cetaphil Oily Skin Cleanser”
  • Skin irritation and stinging Often MentionedRarely Noted
    • “burns my face now — Cetaphil Moisturizing Lotion”
    • “new formula burns — Cetaphil Daily Facial Cleanser”
    • “burned my face — Cetaphil Vitamin C Serum”
    • “stings a little but worth it — The Ordinary AHA 30% + BHA 2% Peeling Solution”
  • Unpleasant scent 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”
    • “Overpowering masking fragrance — Cetaphil Gentle Cleansing Bar”
  • Sticky and tacky finish Sometimes NotedRarely Noted
    • “leaves a tacky finish — Cetaphil Vitamin C Serum”
    • “feels tacky — Cetaphil Moisturizing Lotion”
    • “feels very sticky — The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5”

The Ordinary vs Cetaphil routines for dry skin

See multi-brand routine · 99% fit

The Ordinary vs Cetaphil routines for oily skin

See multi-brand routine · 95% fit

The Ordinary vs Cetaphil routines for combination skin

See multi-brand routine · 95% fit

Questions and answers

The Ordinary or Cetaphil: which is better?

Both brands are great, but The Ordinary is typically better for affordable value, acne clearing, and skin texture improvement, while Cetaphil is better for gentle, non-stripping cleansers and hydration. Lovi rates the routine fit for both brands as Superior across almost all skin types.

What is the difference between The Ordinary and Cetaphil?

The Ordinary and Cetaphil both offer a wide range of effective skincare products, but they differ in their formulation focus and skin type strengths. The Ordinary is known for affordable, targeted single-ingredient serums that help improve skin texture and clear acne, while Cetaphil is praised for gentle, non-stripping cleansers and hydrating moisturizers that are well suited for sensitive skin.

The Ordinary or Cetaphil for dry skin?

For dry skin, The Ordinary has a Superior routine fit, whereas Cetaphil has a High routine fit. The Ordinary products on this page provide extensive hydration support with key ingredients like hyaluronic acid and glycerin, and every product on this page lists no fragrance.

Dermatologic Therapy, 2022

The Ordinary or Cetaphil: which cleanser is better?

Both The Ordinary and Cetaphil offer cleansers that are well-rated for various skin types, but Cetaphil is often noted for being especially gentle on sensitive skin. The Ordinary products on this page provide affordable value and target texture improvement and blemish clearing effectively.

Which is more affordable, The Ordinary or Cetaphil?

The Ordinary is more affordable, as reviewers often mention its affordable and great value serums. Cetaphil is not cited for this advantage on this page.

Which brand performs better for improving skin texture, The Ordinary or Cetaphil?

The Ordinary performs better for improving skin texture, as it is noted for its texture-smoothing serums and acne-clearing formulas. Cetaphil, on the other hand, is more focused on gentle cleansers and hydrating moisturizers.

Does The Ordinary or Cetaphil offer better hydration and moisture for the skin?

Cetaphil does better than The Ordinary when it comes to hydration and moisture. The products on this page for Cetaphil are frequently praised for offering hydrating and non-greasy moisturizers.

Which brand has a better routine fit for dry sensitive skin?

For dry sensitive skin, Lovi has a Superior routine fit for The Ordinary and a High routine fit for Cetaphil.

The Ordinary or Cetaphil for oily skin?

The Ordinary provides Superior routine fit for oily skin, whereas Cetaphil offers High fit. The Ordinary features affordable value serums and acne-clearing serums, while Cetaphil is known for gentle, non-stripping cleansers and lightweight, non-greasy moisturizers.

The Ordinary or Cetaphil: which moisturizer is better?

When comparing moisturizers, both The Ordinary and Cetaphil offer effective options, with The Ordinary providing a Superior fit for dry skin through products like Natural Moisturizing Factors + HA. Cetaphil also provides a High fit for dry skin, featuring popular options like Rich Hydrating Night Cream and Daily Hydrating Lotion. Hyaluronic acid helps improve skin hydration across the products on this page.

Dermatologic Therapy, 2022

The Ordinary or Cetaphil for sensitive skin?

Both The Ordinary and Cetaphil are well suited for sensitive skin, with routine fit levels rated as Superior for The Ordinary and High for Cetaphil. Reviewers note that Cetaphil excels at being gentle on sensitive skin, while The Ordinary offers affordable value and skin texture improvement.

The Ordinary or Cetaphil for acne-prone skin?

The Ordinary is a Superior fit for acne-prone skin, while Cetaphil is a High fit. Reviewers note that The Ordinary offers better 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

How does it fit your skin?

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