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The Ordinary vs COSRX

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

The Ordinary and COSRX are two popular skincare brands, with the former being a Canadian line founded in 2016 and the latter a Korean line founded in 2013. The Ordinary is known for serums, moisturizers, cleansers, toners, and more, built around hyaluronic acid, glycerin, and squalane, while the brand adores COSRX for its thoughtfully formulated serums, moisturizers, cleansers, masks, and more, which harness proven ingredients like hyaluronic acid, glycerin, and niacinamide. The Canadian brand fits sensitive skin and dry sensitive skin best, whereas the Korean brand suits acne-prone skin and oily acne-prone skin best. Both differ because the Canadian line relies on squalane to increase epidermal thickness and collagen production, while the Korean line relies on niacinamide to significantly decrease hyperpigmentation and reduce skin aging.

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

glossy.coen.wikipedia.org

COSRX is a Korean skincare brand founded in 2013 and owned by Amorepacific Group since 2024.

koreajoongangdaily.combeautymatter.comprnewswire.com

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

Popular The Ordinary vs COSRX products

People Say

The OrdinaryCOSRX
  • Miscellaneous Performance Mostly MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “eliminated armpit odor — The Ordinary Glycolic Acid 7% Toning Solution”
    • “pores look significantly smaller — The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1%”
    • “dark skin friendly — COSRX Ultra-Light Invisible Sunscreen”
    • “calms down my redness — COSRX Advanced Snail 96 Mucin Power Essence”
  • Smooth and Improved Skin Texture 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”
    • “gives me that glass skin look — COSRX Advanced Snail 96 Mucin Power Essence”
    • “skin feels softer immediately — COSRX The 6 Peptide Skin Booster Serum”
  • Acne and Blemish Control Often MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “pimples disappear within a day — The Ordinary Salicylic Acid 2% Solution”
    • “scars and hormonal acne faded — The Ordinary Azelaic Acid Suspension 10%”
    • “helped to improve my acne after only 2 weeks — COSRX Salicylic Acid Daily Gentle Cleanser”
    • “cleared up my spots — COSRX Low pH Good Morning Gel Cleanser”
  • Gentle and Sensitive Skin Care Sometimes NotedMostly Mentioned
    • “No stinging or irritation — COSRX BHA Blackhead Power Liquid”
    • “extremely gentle — COSRX AHA/BHA Clarifying Treatment Toner”
    • “perfect for first-time retinol users — COSRX The Retinol 0.1 Cream”
    • “Leaves my face feeling soft and not tight at all. — The Ordinary Squalane Cleanser”
  • Value and Pricing Mostly MentionedRarely 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%”
    • “huge bottle — COSRX Advanced Snail Peptide Eye Cream”
  • Hydration and Moisture Sometimes NotedMostly Mentioned
    • “skin drinks it up — COSRX Advanced Snail 96 Mucin Power Essence”
    • “woke up with soft, supple skin — COSRX Advanced Snail 92 All in One Cream”
    • “gives a healthy glow — COSRX The 6 Peptide Skin Booster Serum”
    • “skin feels immediately hydrated — The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5”
  • Texture and Pilling Mostly MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “texture is gooey and stringy — COSRX Advanced Snail 92 All in One Cream”
    • “too slimy and sticky — COSRX Advanced Snail 96 Mucin Power Essence”
    • “Leaves a sticky film — COSRX BHA Blackhead Power Liquid”
    • “crumbles and piles under moisturizer — The Ordinary Azelaic Acid Suspension 10%”
  • Irritation and Harshness Often MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “irritated AF the next day — The Ordinary AHA 30% + BHA 2% Peeling Solution”
    • “stings a little but worth it — The Ordinary AHA 30% + BHA 2% Peeling Solution”
    • “left my face tight — COSRX Low pH Good Morning Gel Cleanser”
    • “leaves skin feeling tight — COSRX Salicylic Acid Daily Gentle Cleanser”
  • Miscellaneous Complaints Often MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “Takes a month to work — COSRX BHA Blackhead Power Liquid”
    • “didn't do anything — COSRX AHA/BHA Clarifying Treatment Toner”
    • “did absolutely nothing — COSRX Advanced Snail 96 Mucin Power Essence”
    • “Hard to layer — The Ordinary Multi-Peptide + Copper Peptides 1% Serum”

The Ordinary vs COSRX routines for dry skin

Buy The Ordinary routine · SAR 814.57 · 90% fitBuy COSRX routine · SAR 690.19 · 83% fitSee multi-brand routine · 96% fit

The Ordinary vs COSRX routines for oily skin

Buy The Ordinary routine · SAR 867.55 · 92% fitBuy COSRX routine · SAR 843.29 · 90% fitSee multi-brand routine · 97% fit

The Ordinary vs COSRX routines for combination skin

Buy The Ordinary routine · SAR 981.41 · 92% fitBuy COSRX routine · SAR 735.92 · 89% fitSee multi-brand routine · 97% fit

Questions and answers

The Ordinary or COSRX: which is better?

The Ordinary is a better choice for shoppers seeking budget-friendly value and superior routine fit across most skin types on this page. COSRX also performs strongly, offering exceptional hydration and specialized care for acne-prone or sensitive skin.

What is the difference between The Ordinary and COSRX?

Both brands offer gentle products, but COSRX is better for hydration and moisture, while The Ordinary is better known for affordability and pricing.

The Ordinary or COSRX for dry skin?

For dry skin, The Ordinary fits better as a brand with a Superior routine fit compared to COSRX which has a High fit. Sodium hyaluronate and hyaluronic acid help improve skin quality and signs of skin aging.

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

The Ordinary or COSRX: which cleanser is better?

Both The Ordinary and COSRX offer cleansers that fit oily, combination, and acne-prone skin well, with specific options like The Ordinary Glycolipid Cream Cleanser rated High for dry skin and COSRX Advanced Snail Mucin Gel Cleanser rated Superior for sensitive skin.

Which is more affordable, The Ordinary or COSRX?

The Ordinary offers better value and pricing among the products on this page.

Which brand performs better for gentle and sensitive skin care between The Ordinary and COSRX?

COSRX performs better than The Ordinary for gentle and sensitive skin care. Lovi rates COSRX as a Superior fit for sensitive skin routines, and the brand is noted by reviewers for being gentle and non-irritating.

How do The Ordinary and COSRX compare when it comes to hydration and moisture?

When it comes to hydration and moisture, COSRX does better than The Ordinary. The products on this page for COSRX provide deep hydration and moisturization and help improve skin texture.

Which brand has fewer issues with texture and pilling, The Ordinary or COSRX?

The Ordinary does better than COSRX when it comes to texture and pilling issues. Reviewers of the products on this page frequently note pilling and sticky or tacky finishes for The Ordinary, whereas COSRX is outperformed by The Ordinary specifically in this review theme.

The Ordinary or COSRX for oily skin?

Both The Ordinary and COSRX are a Superior fit for oily skin. The products on this page help manage oil and improve texture with ingredients like niacinamide and salicylic acid.

The Ordinary or COSRX: which moisturizer is better?

Both brands offer effective moisturizers, but COSRX is noted for superior hydration and moisture. The Ordinary products on this page provide great value and feature key ingredients like hyaluronic acid and squalane.

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

The Ordinary or COSRX for sensitive skin?

The Ordinary has a Superior routine fit for sensitive skin, while COSRX has a High fit level on this page. Reviewers report that COSRX does better for gentle and sensitive skin care overall, and the products on this page for both brands are largely fragrance-free.

The Ordinary or COSRX for acne-prone skin?

Both brands offer a Superior routine fit for acne-prone skin, with COSRX particularly noted for providing effective acne control and clearing. The Ordinary features a high concentration of acne-clearing serums on the products on this page.

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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