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The Ordinary vs La Roche-Posay

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

The Ordinary and La Roche-Posay are two distinct skincare lines offering targeted solutions for various complexions. The Canadian brand centers its serums, moisturizers, cleansers, and toners on hyaluronic acid, glycerin, and squalane to suit dry sensitive skin, dry skin, and specific concerns like acne, dark spots, or aging. Meanwhile, the French brand is loved for its nourishing serums, rich moisturizers, gentle cleansers, and eye products formulated with glycerin, thermal water, and niacinamide for mature skin and skin with dark spots. These brands differ primarily in their formulation origins and specific active combinations, with both utilizing scientifically backed ingredients to enhance hydration, barrier function, and overall skin health.

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 Roche-Posay is a French skincare brand founded in 1975 and owned by L'Oréal S.A. since 1989.

laroche-posay.com.aufr.wikipedia.org

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

Popular The Ordinary vs La Roche-Posay products

People Say

The OrdinaryLa Roche-Posay
  • Other Product Benefits and Features Mostly MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “eliminated armpit odor — The Ordinary Glycolic Acid 7% Toning Solution”
    • “pores look significantly smaller — The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1%”
    • “deflates morning bags — The Ordinary Caffeine Solution 5% + EGCG”
    • “zero scent — La Roche-Posay Toleriane Double Repair Face Moisturizer”
  • Texture Improvement and 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”
    • “lightweight and absorbs quickly — La Roche-Posay Mela B3 Serum”
    • “Skin feels smoother — La Roche-Posay Retinol B3 Serum”
  • Hydration and Moisture Sometimes NotedMostly Mentioned
    • “absorbs instantly — La Roche-Posay Toleriane Double Repair Face Moisturizer”
    • “skin feels plump — La Roche-Posay Hyalu B5 Serum”
    • “legs stopped flaking — La Roche-Posay Lipikar AP+M Triple Repair Moisturizing Cream”
    • “skin feels immediately hydrated — The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5”
  • Sensitive Skin Friendly Sometimes NotedMostly Mentioned
    • “Great retinol for beginners — La Roche-Posay Retinol B3 Serum”
    • “Only cream that doesn't sting — La Roche-Posay Toleriane Dermallergo Eye Cream”
    • “no stinging — La Roche-Posay Toleriane Double Repair Face Moisturizer”
    • “Finally a cleanser that doesn't sting my face. — The Ordinary Squalane Cleanser”
  • 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%”
  • Acne Clearing and Prevention 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”
    • “clears acne blemishes — La Roche-Posay Effaclar Medicated Gel Cleanser”
  • Texture and Pilling Issues Mostly MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “pills like crazy — La Roche-Posay Toleriane Double Repair Face Moisturizer”
    • “Very sticky — La Roche-Posay Pure Vitamin C10 Serum”
    • “leaves a tacky residue — La Roche-Posay Hyalu B5 Serum”
    • “crumbles and piles under moisturizer — The Ordinary Azelaic Acid Suspension 10%”
  • Other Product Issues and Inefficiencies Sometimes NotedSometimes Noted
    • “Turns orange fast — La Roche-Posay Pure Vitamin C10 Serum”
    • “didn't see any significant improvement — La Roche-Posay Mela B3 Serum”
    • “Weaker retinol product — La Roche-Posay Retinol B3 Serum”
    • “no change in pigment — The Ordinary Caffeine Solution 5% + EGCG”
  • Skin Irritation and Stinging Often MentionedRarely Noted
    • “burned my face — La Roche-Posay Toleriane Double Repair Face Moisturizer”
    • “dried my skin out — La Roche-Posay Mela B3 Serum”
    • “burning sensation — La Roche-Posay Effaclar Medicated Gel Cleanser”
    • “irritated AF the next day — The Ordinary AHA 30% + BHA 2% Peeling Solution”
  • Packaging and Pump Issues Rarely NotedOften Mentioned
    • “The 50ml tube runs out way too fast. — The Ordinary Squalane Cleanser”
    • “Wish it came in a pump — The Ordinary Natural Moisturizing Factors + HA”
    • “pump stops working — La Roche-Posay Lipikar AP+M Triple Repair Moisturizing Cream”

The Ordinary vs La Roche-Posay routines for dry skin

See multi-brand routine · 98% fit

The Ordinary vs La Roche-Posay routines for oily skin

See multi-brand routine · 95% fit

The Ordinary vs La Roche-Posay routines for combination skin

See multi-brand routine · 94% fit

Questions and answers

The Ordinary or La Roche-Posay: which is better?

The Ordinary offers better value and pricing, while La Roche-Posay provides better hydration and moisture. Lovi finds that The Ordinary has a superior routine fit for dry skin, whereas La Roche-Posay has a high routine fit for dry skin.

What is the difference between The Ordinary and La Roche-Posay?

The Ordinary is a Canadian brand founded in 2016 and owned by The Estée Lauder Companies Inc., whereas La Roche-Posay is a French brand founded in 1975 and owned by L'Oréal S.A. Lovi rates The Ordinary as Superior for dry, oily, combination, sensitive, dry sensitive skin, and skin with dark spots, and High for acne-prone, mature, and oily acne-prone skin, while La Roche-Posay has a High routine fit across all of these skin types.

The Ordinary or La Roche-Posay for dry skin?

For dry skin, Lovi finds The Ordinary is a Superior match while La Roche-Posay is a High match. Reviewers say that The Ordinary offers better value and pricing, whereas La Roche-Posay is better for hydration and moisture.

The Ordinary or La Roche-Posay: which cleanser is better?

The Ordinary is often preferred for value, but La Roche-Posay is generally better suited for sensitive skin. Lovi fit ratings show that both brands offer cleansers with high effectiveness for various skin types.

Which is more affordable, The Ordinary or La Roche-Posay?

The Ordinary is more affordable, offering lower pricing and better value across the products on this page compared to La Roche-Posay.

The Ordinary or La Roche-Posay for dark spots?

For dark spots, Lovi rates The Ordinary as Superior and La Roche-Posay as High, making The Ordinary the better choice overall. Both brands offer targeted products containing niacinamide, which helps reduce cutaneous pigmentation and suppress melanosome transfer.

The British Journal of Dermatology, 2002

Which brand has fewer fragrance issues in its products?

The Ordinary has fewer fragrance issues because every product on this page lists no fragrance in its ingredients, whereas several La Roche-Posay products contain added scents.

The Ordinary or La Roche-Posay for oily skin?

For oily skin, Lovi finds The Ordinary Superior and La Roche-Posay High.

The Ordinary or La Roche-Posay: which moisturizer is better?

Both The Ordinary and La Roche-Posay offer moisturizers that help support skin hydration, with The Ordinary rated as having a Superior routine fit for dry skin compared to La Roche-Posay's High level.

The Ordinary or La Roche-Posay for sensitive skin?

For sensitive skin, Lovi finds The Ordinary Superior and La Roche-Posay High. Every product on The Ordinary page lists no fragrance in its ingredients, whereas some La Roche-Posay products contain fragrance.

The Ordinary or La Roche-Posay for acne-prone skin?

Both The Ordinary and La Roche-Posay fit acne-prone skin well, with Lovi rating both brands at a High level for this skin type.

The Ordinary or La Roche-Posay for mature skin?

For mature skin, both The Ordinary and La Roche-Posay offer High routine fit. Lovi rates The Ordinary High and La Roche-Posay High for mature 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

How does it fit your skin?

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