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The Ordinary vs La Prairie

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

The Ordinary and La Prairie are contrasting skincare brands, with the Canadian line focusing on affordable serums, moisturizers, cleansers, and toners built around hyaluronic acid, glycerin, and squalane, while the Swiss house is celebrated for exquisite eye products, moisturizers, serums, and toners elevated by sophisticated formulas. Both options suit dry sensitive skin well, though the Canadian brand also supports dry, acne-prone, and mature skin through specific acid and vitamin treatments, whereas its counterpart caters to mature skin with refined creations like the Skin Caviar Luxe Cream. They differ primarily in their approach to active ingredients and luxury, offering distinct pathways to hydration and barrier support.

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

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La Prairie is a Swiss skincare brand founded in 1978 and owned by maxingvest GmbH & Co. KGaA since 2003.

en.wikipedia.orgreports.beiersdorf.combeiersdorf.com

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

Popular The Ordinary vs La Prairie products

People Say

The OrdinaryLa Prairie
  • Hydration and Plumping Sometimes NotedMostly Mentioned
    • “gentle yet effective moisturizing — La Prairie Cellular Softening and Balancing Lotion”
    • “erased my dry patches — La Prairie Skin Caviar Luxe Cream”
    • “skin feels plump — La Prairie Skin Caviar Liquid Lift”
    • “skin feels immediately hydrated — The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5”
  • Lightweight Absorption Often MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “absorbs instantly — La Prairie Skin Caviar Liquid Lift”
    • “absorbs instantly — La Prairie Skin Caviar Eye Lift”
    • “Sinks in immediately — The Ordinary Natural Moisturizing Factors + HA”
  • Firming and Lifting Sometimes NotedMostly Mentioned
    • “felt skin tighten immediately — La Prairie Skin Caviar Liquid Lift”
    • “opened my eyes — La Prairie Skin Caviar Eye Lift”
    • “jawline genuinely looks lifted — La Prairie Skin Caviar Luxe Cream”
    • “deflates morning bags — The Ordinary Caffeine Solution 5% + EGCG”
  • Value and Affordability 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”
  • Texture and Pores Mostly MentionedNot noted
    • “glass skin effect — The Ordinary Glycolic Acid 7% Toning Solution”
    • “pores look significantly smaller — The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1%”
    • “never had any reaction to it with my sensitive skin — The Ordinary Mandelic Acid 10% + HA”
  • Glow and Radiance Rarely NotedOften Mentioned
    • “gave my face a soft glow — La Prairie Skin Caviar Luxe Cream”
    • “skin looks radiant — La Prairie Skin Caviar Liquid Lift”
    • “tight, bright and shiny — The Ordinary AHA 30% + BHA 2% Peeling Solution”
  • High Price Rarely NotedMostly Mentioned
    • “Expensive for Ordinary — The Ordinary Multi-Peptide + Copper Peptides 1% Serum”
    • “eye-wateringly expensive — La Prairie Skin Caviar Luxe Cream”
  • Unpleasant Scent Rarely NotedMostly 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 a rich grandma — La Prairie Skin Caviar Luxe Cream”
  • Slow or Ineffective Results Sometimes NotedOften Mentioned
    • “no change in pigment — The Ordinary Caffeine Solution 5% + EGCG”
    • “not a miracle worker overnight — The Ordinary Mandelic Acid 10% + HA”
    • “Didn't do anything special — The Ordinary Alpha Arbutin 2% + HA”
    • “just a good moisturizer — La Prairie Skin Caviar Luxe Cream”
  • Texture Issues and Pilling Often MentionedRarely Noted
    • “caused pilling — La Prairie Cellular Softening and Balancing Lotion”
    • “foams up like soap — The Ordinary Salicylic Acid 2% Solution”

The Ordinary vs La Prairie routines for dry skin

See multi-brand routine · 98% fit

The Ordinary vs La Prairie routines for oily skin

See multi-brand routine · 95% fit

The Ordinary vs La Prairie routines for combination skin

See multi-brand routine · 94% fit

Questions and answers

The Ordinary or La Prairie: which is better?

The Ordinary provides better value and superior performance for tackling texture, pores, and dark spots, while La Prairie excels in luxury, firming, and deep hydration. For dry skin, the products on this page show that The Ordinary achieves a Superior fit level and La Prairie achieves a High fit level.

What is the difference between The Ordinary and La Prairie?

The Ordinary offers budget-friendly products that are great for texture, pores, and dark spots, whereas La Prairie provides luxury formulas focused on firming, lifting, and deep hydration. The Ordinary fits best for dry, oily, and sensitive skin types, while La Prairie is especially suited for dry sensitive, mature, and sensitive skin. Additionally, the products on this page from The Ordinary list no fragrance, while most La Prairie products contain fragrance.

The Ordinary or La Prairie for dry skin?

The Ordinary is a Superior fit for dry skin, whereas La Prairie achieves a High fit level. The Ordinary features affordable value serums and hydrating options across the products on this page, while La Prairie offers luxurious, lightweight textures.

The Ordinary or La Prairie: which moisturizer is better?

The Ordinary provides great value and hydration with products like Natural Moisturizing Factors + HA, while La Prairie offers luxurious options like Skin Caviar Luxe Cream with firming benefits. Both brands offer solid moisturization, but shoppers looking for deep hydration and anti-aging glow often prefer La Prairie.

Drug Delivery, 2017Dermatologic Therapy, 2022

Which is more affordable, The Ordinary or La Prairie?

The Ordinary offers much greater affordability, as reviewers often praise the brand for its budget-friendly serums while frequently criticizing La Prairie for exorbitant prices.

Which brand has better reviews for hydration and plumping, The Ordinary or La Prairie?

La Prairie has better reviews for hydration and plumping compared to The Ordinary. Hyaluronic acid helps provide deep hydration and smoothing across the products on this page.

Drug Delivery, 2017

Do products from The Ordinary or La Prairie contain fragrance?

The products on this page from The Ordinary list no fragrance in their ingredients, whereas 4 out of 5 La Prairie products on this page contain fragrance.

Which brand is better suited for mature skin, The Ordinary or La Prairie?

La Prairie is better suited for mature skin, earning a superior routine fit compared to The Ordinary's high fit level. Reviewers often note that La Prairie provides firming and lifting effects, while The Ordinary offers affordable value.

The Ordinary or La Prairie for oily skin?

The Ordinary provides a Superior routine fit for oily skin, whereas La Prairie offers a High fit. Reviewers note that the products on this page from The Ordinary do better with texture and pores.

The Ordinary or La Prairie for sensitive skin?

The Ordinary offers a Superior fit for sensitive skin, whereas La Prairie reaches a High fit level. Reviewers mention that the products on this page by The Ordinary are gentle and non-irritating, while La Prairie formulas frequently feature a strong fragrance.

The Ordinary or La Prairie for acne-prone skin?

Both The Ordinary and La Prairie offer a High fit for acne-prone skin. The products on this page for The Ordinary include dedicated options like niacinamide and salicylic acid that help with blemishes.

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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