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The Ordinary vs darrow

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

The Ordinary and darrow are two distinct skincare lines known for their targeted, science-backed formulas. The Ordinary offers diverse serums, moisturizers, cleansers, and toners built around hyaluronic acid, glycerin, and squalane, suiting dry sensitive and dry skin best, while darrow is deeply loved for its gentle cleansers and rigorously tested formulas that suit sensitive, oily, and acne-prone skin. Both brands approach specific concerns carefully, with the Canadian brand featuring specialized acids for acne, dark spots, and mature skin, and the dermatological brand offering products like Actine to help restore natural skin balance.

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

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

Popular The Ordinary vs darrow products

Questions and answers

The Ordinary or darrow: which is better?

The Ordinary is the better choice for most shoppers, as the products on this page offer a much wider variety of affordable, fragrance-free skincare options tailored to specific skin types. In comparison, darrow only features a single cleanser with limited skin type suitability.

What is the difference between The Ordinary and darrow?

The Ordinary offers a large range of products featuring active ingredients that Lovi rates best for dry, dry sensitive, and oily skin, while darrow features a single cleanser on this page. Niacinamide helps reduce cutaneous pigmentation and melanosome transfer.

The British Journal of Dermatology, 2002

The Ordinary or darrow: which cleanser is better?

The Ordinary offers a wider range of cleansers with high fit levels for various skin types, such as the Glycolipid Cream Cleanser which has a High fit for dry and oily skin. In comparison, darrow features only one cleanser on this page, Actine, which shows average to low fit levels across most skin types.

Which is more affordable, The Ordinary or darrow?

Shoppers often note that The Ordinary offers affordable and great value serums among the products on this page, whereas darrow lists only a single cleanser without pricing focus here.

Which causes fewer breakouts, The Ordinary or darrow?

The Ordinary is a better fit for acne-prone skin, with several products achieving Superior or High fit levels on Lovi, whereas darrow's Actine cleanser shows a Low fit for acne-prone skin. The Ordinary features multiple acne-clearing serums that reviewers often praise for helping to address breakouts.

When were The Ordinary and darrow founded and who owns them?

The Ordinary was founded in Canada in 2016 and is owned by The Estée Lauder Companies Inc. Darrow was founded in 1969 and is owned by Pierre Fabre.

Do products from The Ordinary and darrow contain fragrance?

Every product on this page from both The Ordinary and darrow lists no fragrance in its ingredients.

Which brand offers a cleanser rated as high for dry skin?

The Ordinary offers a cleanser rated as High for dry skin with its Glycolipid Cream Cleanser, whereas darrow lists its Actine cleanser as Caution for dry skin.

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

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