🇳🇱Netherlands

The Ordinary vs Minimalist

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

The Ordinary and Minimalist are science-led skincare brands offering targeted serums, moisturizers, and cleansers built around effective ingredients like hyaluronic acid, glycerin, and squalane. The Canadian brand centers on formulations featuring hyaluronic acid, glycerin, and squalane that best suit dry and dry sensitive skin, whereas the Indian brand focuses on sunscreens, moisturizers, and cleansers that suit oily and acne-prone skin best. While both brands address acne-prone skin, dark spots, and mature concerns through specialized products, they differ in their foundational ingredients and regional origins.

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

glossy.coen.wikipedia.org

Minimalist is an Indian skincare brand founded in 2020 and owned by Unilever PLC since 2025.

m.economictimes.comunilever.combeminimalist.copersonalcareinsights.com

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

Popular The Ordinary vs Minimalist products

People Say

The OrdinaryMinimalist
  • Hydration and plumping Often MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “very moisturizing — Minimalist SPF 50 Sunscreen”
    • “calmed it when my skin was super irritated — Minimalist Vitamin B5 10% Moisturizer”
    • “skin feels immediately hydrated — The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5”
  • Great value and affordable 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%”
  • Gentle and non-irritating Sometimes NotedOften Mentioned
    • “doesn't make skin feel tight — Minimalist Salicylic Acid + LHA 2% Face Cleanser”
    • “zero smell — Minimalist Vitamin B5 10% Moisturizer”
    • “great for sensitive skin — Minimalist Salicylic Acid + LHA 2% Face Cleanser”
    • “Finally a cleanser that doesn't sting my face. — The Ordinary Squalane Cleanser”
  • Matte finish and oil control Rarely NotedMostly Mentioned
    • “perfect moisturizer for oily skin — Minimalist Vitamin B5 10% Moisturizer”
    • “keeps skin oil-free for hours — Minimalist Salicylic Acid + LHA 2% Face Cleanser”
    • “controlled my sebum production — The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1%”
  • Texture smoothing and improvement Mostly MentionedNot noted
    • “glass skin effect — The Ordinary Glycolic Acid 7% Toning Solution”
    • “pores look significantly smaller — The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1%”
    • “skin feels baby butt smooth — The Ordinary AHA 30% + BHA 2% Peeling Solution”
  • Lightweight absorption Sometimes NotedOften Mentioned
    • “absorbs quickly and doesn't feel greasy — Minimalist Vitamin B5 10% Moisturizer”
    • “Sinks in immediately — The Ordinary Multi-Peptide + Copper Peptides 1% Serum”
  • Sticky finish Sometimes NotedOften Mentioned
    • “feels very sticky — The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5”
    • “feels very sticky — The Ordinary Salicylic Acid 2% Solution”
    • “sticky after application feel — Minimalist Vitamin B5 10% Moisturizer”
  • Pilling under makeup Sometimes NotedSometimes Noted
    • “pills under makeup — Minimalist SPF 50 Sunscreen”
    • “crumbles and piles under moisturizer — The Ordinary Azelaic Acid Suspension 10%”
  • Unpleasant scent Rarely NotedOften 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 chemicals — Minimalist Salicylic Acid + LHA 2% Face Cleanser”
  • Drying formulas Rarely NotedOften Mentioned
    • “incredibly drying — The Ordinary Azelaic Acid Suspension 10%”
    • “dried out skin — The Ordinary Caffeine Solution 5% + EGCG”
    • “not moisturizing enough — Minimalist Vitamin B5 10% Moisturizer”

The Ordinary vs Minimalist routines for dry skin

See multi-brand routine · 98% fit

The Ordinary vs Minimalist routines for oily skin

See multi-brand routine · 95% fit

The Ordinary vs Minimalist routines for combination skin

See multi-brand routine · 94% fit

Questions and answers

The Ordinary or Minimalist: which is better?

The Ordinary is better for dry sensitive skin, offering a Superior routine fit compared to Minimalist's High fit. The products on this page are fragrance-free and feature key ingredients like hyaluronic acid, which helps improve skin quality.

Dermatologic Therapy, 2022

What is the difference between The Ordinary and Minimalist?

The Ordinary offers a wider range of affordable products with Lovi fit levels up to Superior for dry and sensitive skin types, whereas Minimalist focuses on routines that fit acne-prone and oily skin best.

The Ordinary or Minimalist for dry skin?

The Ordinary is a better choice for dry skin, where Lovi rates its routine as Superior compared to Minimalist which is High. Reviewers note that The Ordinary offers great value and effective hydration.

The Ordinary or Minimalist: which moisturizer is better?

The Ordinary offers a wider range of moisturizers with superior fit levels for dry and dry sensitive skin, while Minimalist provides strong hydration and plumping benefits with a lightweight absorption. Both brands feature fragrance-free product options on this page.

Drug Delivery, 2017Dermatologic Therapy, 2022

Which is more affordable, The Ordinary or Minimalist?

The Ordinary offers better value, as reviewers on the products on this page frequently praise its great value and affordable price.

Which brand has better options for dark spots, The Ordinary or Minimalist?

Both The Ordinary and Minimalist provide equal routine fit levels for skin with dark spots. However, The Ordinary offers a wider variety of specialized treatments for this concern on the products on this page.

Do products from The Ordinary or Minimalist contain any fragrance?

Every product from The Ordinary and Minimalist on the products on this page lists no fragrance in its ingredients.

Which brand is owned by Unilever PLC, The Ordinary or Minimalist?

Minimalist is owned by Unilever PLC. The brand was founded in India in 2020 and became part of Unilever PLC in 2025.

The Ordinary or Minimalist for oily skin?

Both The Ordinary and Minimalist are great for oily skin, as Lovi rates their routines as Superior for this skin type. The Ordinary is known for offering great value and affordable price, while Minimalist does better on matte finish and oil control.

The Ordinary or Minimalist for sensitive skin?

The Ordinary fits sensitive skin better, as Lovi rates its routine as Superior compared to High for Minimalist. Reviewers also mention that The Ordinary is gentle and non-irritating, and the products on this page list no fragrance in their ingredients.

The Ordinary or Minimalist for acne-prone skin?

The Ordinary is a great choice for acne-prone skin, as the products on this page achieve a High routine fit level. Lovi rates the routine fit for acne-prone skin as High for The Ordinary and Superior for Minimalist.

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?

Scan your face, then any product: Lovi shows how well it fits you and what fits even better.

QR code: get the Lovi app
Download on theApp Store Get it onGoogle Play