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The Ordinary vs Beauty of Joseon

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

The Ordinary and Beauty of Joseon are distinct skincare brands founded in 2016, offering serums, moisturizers, masks, sunscreens, and more built around ingredients like hyaluronic acid, glycerin, and squalane. The Canadian brand is known for targeted formulas suiting dry sensitive skin and dry skin best, whereas the Korean brand is deeply loved for thoughtful care suiting sensitive skin and skin with dark spots best. Both utilize shared ingredients to support hydration and barrier function, yet they differ in their specific formulations and regional approaches to addressing concerns like acne-prone skin, dark spots, and mature skin.

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

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Beauty of Joseon is a Korean skincare brand founded in 2016 and owned by Goodai Global Inc. since 2019.

kbeautywiki.combeautymatter.comprnewswire.comgoodai-global.com

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

Popular The Ordinary vs Beauty of Joseon products

People Say

The OrdinaryBeauty of Joseon
  • Texture and Smoothness 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”
    • “skin feels incredibly smooth — Beauty of Joseon Ground Rice and Honey Glow Mask”
    • “skin feels baby soft — Beauty of Joseon Apricot Blossom Peeling Gel”
  • Hydration and Moisture Often MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “Saved my dry winter skin — Beauty of Joseon Dynasty Cream”
    • “doesn't dry my skin like other cleansers — Beauty of Joseon Radiance Cleansing Balm”
    • “eyes look less tired — Beauty of Joseon Revive Eye Serum”
    • “skin feels immediately hydrated — The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5”
  • Gentle Formula Sometimes NotedMostly Mentioned
    • “no irritation at all — Beauty of Joseon Revive Eye Serum”
    • “cleansed my face gently without making my skin feel irritated — Beauty of Joseon Green Plum Refreshing Cleanser”
    • “doesn't irritate my sensitive skin — Beauty of Joseon Apricot Blossom Peeling Gel”
    • “never had any reaction to it with my sensitive skin — The Ordinary Mandelic Acid 10% + HA”
  • 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%”
  • Lightweight and Non-Greasy Often MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “feels like a light moisturizer — Beauty of Joseon Relief Sun: Rice + Probiotics”
    • “sinks in instantly — Beauty of Joseon Ginseng Essence Water”
    • “sinks in immediately — Beauty of Joseon Red Bean Water Gel”
    • “Sinks in immediately — The Ordinary Natural Moisturizing Factors + HA”
  • Acne and Blemish Control 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”
    • “reduced my redness significantly — Beauty of Joseon Glow Serum”
  • Texture Issues and Pilling Often MentionedRarely Noted
    • “hard to scoop in winter — Beauty of Joseon Radiance Cleansing Balm”
    • “feels slimy — Beauty of Joseon Apricot Blossom Peeling Gel”
    • “crumbles and piles under moisturizer — The Ordinary Azelaic Acid Suspension 10%”
  • 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”
    • “smells like cooking oil — Beauty of Joseon Ginseng Cleansing Oil”
  • Breakouts and Purging Sometimes NotedSometimes Noted
    • “broke me out in cysts — The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1%”
    • “broke me out in cysts — The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5”
    • “Broke me out in cystic acne — Beauty of Joseon Dynasty Cream”
    • “gave me cystic acne — Beauty of Joseon Ginseng Cleansing Oil”

The Ordinary vs Beauty of Joseon routines for dry skin

See multi-brand routine · 98% fit

The Ordinary vs Beauty of Joseon routines for oily skin

See multi-brand routine · 95% fit

The Ordinary vs Beauty of Joseon routines for combination skin

See multi-brand routine · 94% fit

Questions and answers

The Ordinary or Beauty of Joseon: which is better?

The Ordinary provides better value and acne-clearing serums on the products on this page, while Beauty of Joseon is better for hydration and gentle formulas. For dry skin, the routine fit is Superior for The Ordinary and High for Beauty of Joseon.

What is the difference between The Ordinary and Beauty of Joseon?

The Ordinary offers superior value and better acne and blemish control across the products on this page, whereas Beauty of Joseon delivers deeper hydration and a more gentle formula. Hyaluronic acid helps improve skin quality and signs of aging.

Dermatologic Therapy, 2022

The Ordinary or Beauty of Joseon for dry skin?

For dry skin, Lovi rates The Ordinary as a Superior fit and Beauty of Joseon as a High fit. The Ordinary offers better value and pricing, while Beauty of Joseon excels in hydration and moisture. Hyaluronic acid helps improve skin hydration.

Dermatologic Therapy, 2022

The Ordinary or Beauty of Joseon: which cleanser is better?

Both The Ordinary and Beauty of Joseon offer great cleansers on the products on this page, but they cater to different preferences. The Ordinary delivers a superior routine fit for dry, oily, and sensitive skin types, while Beauty of Joseon is noted for its gentle formulas.

Which is more affordable, The Ordinary or Beauty of Joseon?

The Ordinary is more affordable and offers better value for money among the products on this page.

Which brand has better hydration and moisture performance, The Ordinary or Beauty of Joseon?

Beauty of Joseon does better than The Ordinary for hydration and moisture. The products on this page help deliver deep hydration with key ingredients like hyaluronic acid and glycerin.

Dermatologic Therapy, 2022

Do products from The Ordinary and Beauty of Joseon contain added fragrance?

Both The Ordinary and Beauty of Joseon are free of added fragrance, as every product on these pages lists no fragrance in its ingredients.

How do the review ratings for gentle formulas compare between The Ordinary and Beauty of Joseon?

Beauty of Joseon does better than The Ordinary for gentle formulas. Reviewers frequently mention both brands for gentle, non-irritating formulas.

The Ordinary or Beauty of Joseon for oily skin?

For oily skin, both brands work well, but The Ordinary offers a superior routine fit compared to Beauty of Joseon's high fit. Reviewers note that niacinamide helps control oil and brighten the complexion across the products on this page.

The British Journal of Dermatology, 2002Antioxidants, 2021

The Ordinary or Beauty of Joseon: which moisturizer is better?

When comparing the products on this page, both brands offer good moisturizers, but Beauty of Joseon delivers better deep hydration and moisturization, whereas The Ordinary provides superior value and pricing. Hyaluronic acid helps improve skin quality and hydration.

Dermatologic Therapy, 2022

The Ordinary or Beauty of Joseon for sensitive skin?

The Ordinary offers a Superior fit for sensitive skin on the products on this page, while Beauty of Joseon provides a High fit. Reviewers often note that both brands provide gentle, non-irritating formulas.

The Ordinary or Beauty of Joseon for acne-prone skin?

Both The Ordinary and Beauty of Joseon offer products that fit acne-prone skin well, with The Ordinary rated High and Beauty of Joseon rated High on this page.

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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