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The Ordinary vs Dr. Barbara Sturm

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

The Ordinary and Dr. Barbara Sturm are two distinct skincare brands founded in 2016 and 2014, respectively. The Canadian brand offers serums, moisturizers, cleansers, and toners built around hyaluronic acid, glycerin, and squalane, while the German brand is deeply loved for its gentle moisturizers, clarifying exfoliants, and nourishing serums built on scientifically advanced formulas. The Ordinary products fit dry sensitive skin and dry skin best, whereas the Sturm formulations suit sensitive, dry, and balanced skin best because they focus on deep hydration and barrier support. Both differ primarily in their ownership, ingredient concentrations, and price points, offering tailored paths to a calm, smooth, and radiant complexion.

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

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Dr. Barbara Sturm is a German skincare brand founded in 2014 and owned by Puig since 2024.

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

Popular The Ordinary vs Dr. Barbara Sturm products

People Say

The OrdinaryDr. Barbara Sturm
  • Redness and sensitivity Often MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “doesn't irritate my sensitive skin — Dr. Barbara Sturm The Good C Vitamin C Serum”
    • “reduced redness — Dr. Barbara Sturm Hyaluronic Serum”
    • “calms down the redness immediately — The Ordinary Azelaic Acid Suspension 10%”
  • Skin texture smoothing 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 texture is immediately more even — Dr. Barbara Sturm Enzyme Cleanser”
  • Hydration and plumping Sometimes NotedMostly Mentioned
    • “skin drank it up — Dr. Barbara Sturm Hyaluronic Serum”
    • “lines less visible — Dr. Barbara Sturm Hyaluronic Serum”
    • “skin feels softer — Dr. Barbara Sturm The Good C Vitamin C Serum”
    • “skin feels immediately hydrated — The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5”
  • Great value and price 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 absorption Sometimes NotedOften Mentioned
    • “sinks in immediately — Dr. Barbara Sturm Hyaluronic Serum”
    • “Sinks in immediately — The Ordinary Multi-Peptide + Copper Peptides 1% Serum”
  • Acne clearing and blemish reduction 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”
  • Extremely expensive Not notedMostly Mentioned
    • “way too expensive — Dr. Barbara Sturm Hyaluronic Serum”
  • Sticky finish and residue Often MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “tacky finish — Dr. Barbara Sturm Hyaluronic Serum”
    • “feels very sticky — The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5”
  • Slow results Rarely NotedOften Mentioned
    • “not a miracle worker overnight — The Ordinary Mandelic Acid 10% + HA”
    • “Didn't do anything special — The Ordinary Alpha Arbutin 2% + HA”
    • “did nothing — Dr. Barbara Sturm Hyaluronic Serum”
  • Skin stinging and irritation Often MentionedRarely Noted
    • “quite red after — Dr. Barbara Sturm Enzyme Cleanser”
    • “stings a little but worth it — The Ordinary AHA 30% + BHA 2% Peeling Solution”
  • Makeup pilling and compatibility Sometimes NotedRarely Noted
    • “pills under makeup — Dr. Barbara Sturm Hyaluronic Serum”
    • “crumbles and piles under moisturizer — The Ordinary Azelaic Acid Suspension 10%”

Questions and answers

The Ordinary or Dr. Barbara Sturm: which is better?

The Ordinary offers better value and acne-clearing benefits, whereas Dr. Barbara Sturm scores higher for hydration and reducing redness. The products on this page from The Ordinary provide budget-friendly options, while Dr. Barbara Sturm tends to be extremely expensive.

What is the difference between The Ordinary and Dr. Barbara Sturm?

The Ordinary provides much better value and pricing, whereas Dr. Barbara Sturm performs better for hydration, plumping, and reducing redness and sensitivity. Lovi finds that the products on this page for The Ordinary fit dry and oily skin types best, while Dr. Barbara Sturm offers a smaller selection.

The Ordinary or Dr. Barbara Sturm: which moisturizer is better?

When comparing moisturizers, the products on this page show that The Ordinary fits dry skin with a Superior Lovi fit level for formulas like Natural Moisturizing Factors + HA and Natural Moisturizing Factors + Beta Glucan. Dr. Barbara Sturm offers options like Hyaluronic Serum, which has a High Lovi fit for oily skin and Average for dry skin. Reviewers note that The Ordinary provides great value, whereas Dr. Barbara Sturm is extremely expensive.

Dermatologic Therapy, 2022

Which is more affordable, The Ordinary or Dr. Barbara Sturm?

The Ordinary offers much better value and price than Dr. Barbara Sturm, as affordable and great value serums are often mentioned by reviewers for the products on this page.

Which causes fewer breakouts, The Ordinary or Dr. Barbara Sturm?

The products on this page from The Ordinary provide better acne clearing and blemish reduction compared to Dr. Barbara Sturm. Reviewers note that The Ordinary offers acne-clearing serums, whereas Dr. Barbara Sturm does not hold an advantage in this area.

Between The Ordinary and Dr. Barbara Sturm, which brand is better for reducing redness and sensitivity?

Between the two brands, Dr. Barbara Sturm does better for reducing redness and sensitivity. The products on this page for both brands list no fragrance in their ingredients.

How do the founding years and corporate ownerships of The Ordinary and Dr. Barbara Sturm compare?

The Ordinary was founded in Canada in 2016 and is owned by The Estée Lauder Companies Inc. Dr. Barbara Sturm was founded in Germany in 2014 and is owned by Puig.

Which brand performs better for hydration and plumping according to review themes?

According to the review themes on this page, Dr. Barbara Sturm performs better for hydration and plumping compared to The Ordinary.

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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