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The Ordinary vs Estée Lauder

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

The Ordinary and Estée Lauder are skincare brands offering serums, moisturizers, cleansers, and more, built around hyaluronic acid and glycerin. The Canadian brand suits dry sensitive skin and dry skin best with key ingredients like squalane, while the American brand suits acne-prone skin and mature skin best through nourishing formulations. Both use hydrating ingredients to support the skin, but differ in their specific product ranges, targeted treatments, and heritage.

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

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Estée Lauder is an American skincare brand founded in 1946 and owned by The Estée Lauder Companies Inc..

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

Popular The Ordinary vs Estée Lauder products

People Say

The OrdinaryEstée Lauder
  • Hydration and Moisture Often MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “skin drinks it up immediately — Estée Lauder Advanced Night Repair”
    • “The formula is incredibly hydrating and leaves my skin feeling smooth. — Estée Lauder Re-Nutriv”
    • “texture is dreamy — Estée Lauder Advanced Night Repair Eye Supercharged Gel-Creme”
    • “skin feels immediately hydrated — The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5”
  • Texture and Pores Mostly MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “glass skin effect — The Ordinary Glycolic Acid 7% Toning Solution”
    • “pores look significantly smaller — The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1%”
    • “skin feels like a baby's bottom — Estée Lauder Advanced Night Repair”
    • “silky smooth — Estée Lauder Micro Essence Treatment Lotion”
  • Value and Price Mostly MentionedNot noted
    • “lasts forever — The Ordinary Glycolic Acid 7% Toning Solution”
    • “eliminated armpit odor — The Ordinary Glycolic Acid 7% Toning Solution”
    • “can't beat the price — The Ordinary Salicylic Acid 2% Solution”
  • Additional Benefits and Performance Often MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “never had any reaction to it with my sensitive skin — The Ordinary Mandelic Acid 10% + HA”
    • “Nature's botox — The Ordinary Multi-Peptide + Copper Peptides 1% Serum”
    • “included SPF 15 is ideal for mild sun exposure — Estée Lauder DayWear Moisturizer”
    • “stronger — Estée Lauder Micro Essence Treatment Lotion”
  • Lightweight and Fast Absorbing Often MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “Sinks in immediately — The Ordinary Natural Moisturizing Factors + HA”
    • “Sinks in immediately — The Ordinary Multi-Peptide + Copper Peptides 1% Serum”
    • “Absorbs quickly into the skin — Estée Lauder Revitalizing Supreme+”
    • “watery — Estée Lauder Micro Essence Treatment Lotion”
  • Acne and Blemish Control 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”
  • High Price Point Not notedMostly Mentioned
    • “way too expensive for the size — Estée Lauder Advanced Night Repair”
  • Inconsistent Results or Formula Issues Often MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “no change in pigment — The Ordinary Caffeine Solution 5% + EGCG”
    • “Skin felt tight an hour later — The Ordinary Natural Moisturizing Factors + HA”
    • “didn't notice any difference — Estée Lauder Advanced Night Repair”
    • “just expensive water — Estée Lauder Micro Essence Treatment Lotion”
  • Pilling, Sticky, or Heavy Finish Mostly MentionedRarely Noted
    • “tacky film — Estée Lauder Micro Essence Treatment Lotion”
    • “Leaves a greasy film behind — Estée Lauder Take It Away Makeup Remover Lotion”
    • “crumbles and piles under moisturizer — The Ordinary Azelaic Acid Suspension 10%”

The Ordinary vs Estée Lauder routines for dry skin

See multi-brand routine · 98% fit

The Ordinary vs Estée Lauder routines for oily skin

See multi-brand routine · 95% fit

The Ordinary vs Estée Lauder routines for combination skin

See multi-brand routine · 94% fit

Questions and answers

The Ordinary or Estée Lauder: which is better?

The Ordinary offers better value and a superior fit for dry, oily, combination, sensitive, and dark spot-prone skin, whereas Estée Lauder performs better for deep hydration. Both brands achieve equal routine fit levels for acne-prone, mature, and oily acne-prone skin.

What is the difference between The Ordinary and Estée Lauder?

The Ordinary offers superior value and effectiveness for dry, oily, combination, sensitive, and dark spot-prone skin, while Estée Lauder stands out for deep hydration and luxurious formulations at a higher price point. Both brands perform equally well for acne-prone, mature, and oily acne-prone skin.

The Ordinary or Estée Lauder for dry skin?

The Ordinary is a better fit for dry skin, offering a Superior routine compared to Estée Lauder's High fit. Hyaluronic acid helps bind moisture to the skin, improving hydration and overall skin quality.

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

The Ordinary or Estée Lauder: which cleanser is better?

The products on this page show that both brands offer cleansers with high fit levels for various skin types, but reviewers note that Estée Lauder provides exceptionally gentle and non-drying cleansers. Hyaluronic acid helps retain moisture in the skin for improved hydration.

Journal of Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences, 2015

Which is more affordable, The Ordinary or Estée Lauder?

The Ordinary is more affordable, offering budget-friendly serums and great value compared to Estée Lauder which has a high price point.

The Ordinary or Estée Lauder for oily skin?

The Ordinary is a better fit for oily skin, as Lovi rates its routine as Superior compared to Average for Estée Lauder. The Ordinary offers affordable and great value serums that help with acne-clearing and texture-smoothing.

The Ordinary or Estée Lauder: which moisturizer is better?

The products on this page show that The Ordinary offers superior moisturization for dry skin with options like Natural Moisturizing Factors + HA, while Estée Lauder provides options such as Revitalizing Supreme+. Hyaluronic acid helps improve skin hydration across both brands.

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

The Ordinary or Estée Lauder for sensitive skin?

The Ordinary is superior for sensitive skin on this page, while Estée Lauder offers a high fit level. Reviewers mention that the products on this page from The Ordinary help provide gentle and non-irritating serums.

The Ordinary or Estée Lauder for acne-prone skin?

Both The Ordinary and Estée Lauder have a High routine fit level for acne-prone skin on the products on this page. Reviewers report that The Ordinary is better for acne and blemish control.

The Ordinary or Estée Lauder for dry sensitive skin?

The Ordinary offers a Superior fit for dry sensitive skin, whereas Estée Lauder provides a High fit for this skin type.

The Ordinary or Estée Lauder for mature skin?

Both The Ordinary and Estée Lauder have a High routine fit for mature skin. However, reviewers note that Estée Lauder provides deep hydration, whereas The Ordinary offers affordable and great value 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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