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The Ordinary vs Garnier

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

The Ordinary and Garnier are trusted skincare lines that offer targeted serums, cleansers, and moisturizers for various complexions. The Ordinary features soothing formulas built around hyaluronic acid, glycerin, and squalane that suit sensitive and dry sensitive skin best. Conversely, Garnier includes effective makeup removers, masks, and serums featuring glycerin and salicylic acid that suit acne-prone and oily acne-prone skin best. Ultimately, both differ as the former relies on gentle hydration, while the latter targets common concerns with precision.

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

glossy.coen.wikipedia.org

Garnier is a French skincare brand founded in 1904 and owned by L'Oréal since 1965.

en.wikipedia.orgloreal.comgarnierusa.comafrica.garnier.com

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

Popular The Ordinary vs Garnier products

People Say

The OrdinaryGarnier
  • Great value and affordable pricing Mostly MentionedSometimes 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 for cheap — Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water”
  • Skin smoothing and texture improvement 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”
    • “skin looks smoother and brighter — The Ordinary Azelaic Acid Suspension 10%”
    • “my skin is baby smooth — Garnier 3in1 Clay Anti-Spot Wash Scrub Mask”
  • Brightens tired eyes and skin Rarely NotedMostly Mentioned
    • “Instantly brightens the face — Garnier Vitamin C Face Wash”
    • “My face is glowing this morning — Garnier Vitamin C Sheet Mask”
    • “woke up glowing — Garnier Vitamin C Brightening Night Serum”
    • “looks more awake — The Ordinary Caffeine Solution 5% + EGCG”
  • Acne and blemish clearing 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”
    • “stubborn blackheads gone — Garnier Pure Active 3-in-1 Charcoal Mask”
  • Lightweight absorption Sometimes NotedOften Mentioned
    • “absorbs immediately — Garnier Express Aclara”
    • “Sinks straight into the skin — Garnier Vitamin C Brightening Serum”
    • “sinks in immediately — Garnier Vitamin C Eye Cream”
    • “Sinks in immediately — The Ordinary Multi-Peptide + Copper Peptides 1% Serum”
  • Hydration and plumping Often MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “skin feels immediately hydrated — The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5”
    • “Leaves my face feeling soft and not tight at all. — The Ordinary Squalane Cleanser”
    • “leaves my skin radiant and clear — The Ordinary Mandelic Acid 10% + HA”
    • “doesn't leave skin feeling dry — Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water with Vitamin C”
  • Skin irritation, stinging, and burning Often MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “stings a little but worth it — The Ordinary AHA 30% + BHA 2% Peeling Solution”
    • “stings really bad upon application — The Ordinary Azelaic Acid Suspension 10%”
    • “burned my face — Garnier Express Aclara”
    • “burning sensation — Garnier Pure Active 3-in-1 Charcoal Mask”
  • Sticky and tacky finish Often MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “Leaves a sticky residue — Garnier Vitamin C Sheet Mask”
    • “leaves a tacky film — Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water”
    • “Felt a bit tacky afterwards — Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water All-in-1”
    • “feels very sticky — The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5”
  • Slow or ineffective results Sometimes NotedSometimes Noted
    • “no change in pigment — The Ordinary Caffeine Solution 5% + EGCG”
    • “not a miracle worker overnight — The Ordinary Mandelic Acid 10% + HA”
    • “dark circles returned after washing — Garnier Vitamin C Eye Cream”
    • “didn't remove sun spots — Garnier Express Aclara”

The Ordinary vs Garnier routines for dry skin

Buy The Ordinary routine · SAR 814.57 · 90% fitBuy Garnier routine · SAR 390.13 · 75% fitSee multi-brand routine · 96% fit

The Ordinary vs Garnier routines for oily skin

Buy The Ordinary routine · SAR 867.55 · 92% fitBuy Garnier routine · SAR 629.90 · 86% fitSee multi-brand routine · 97% fit

The Ordinary vs Garnier routines for combination skin

Buy The Ordinary routine · SAR 981.41 · 92% fitBuy Garnier routine · SAR 625.07 · 85% fitSee multi-brand routine · 97% fit

Questions and answers

The Ordinary or Garnier: which is better?

The Ordinary offers better value, skin smoothing, acne clearing, and hydration among the products on this page, whereas Garnier is praised for lightweight absorption and brightening. Lovi rates The Ordinary as a superior fit for most skin types compared to Garnier.

What is the difference between The Ordinary and Garnier?

The Ordinary offers better value, acne-clearing serums, and texture smoothing across the products on this page, while Garnier is known for lightweight absorption and brightening products. Niacinamide in these formulas helps reduce skin pigmentation and suppresses melanosome transfer.

The British Journal of Dermatology, 2002

The Ordinary or Garnier for dry skin?

The Ordinary offers a superior routine fit for dry skin compared to Garnier, backed by its fragrance-free formulas and strong hydrating options like the Natural Moisturizing Factors + HA moisturizer. Topical hyaluronic acid helps improve skin hydration and overall skin quality.

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

The Ordinary or Garnier: which cleanser is better?

The Ordinary offers better cleansers on this page, including the Glycolipid Cream Cleanser which has a Superior fit for dry skin, whereas Garnier cleansers range from average to caution for that skin type.

Which is more affordable, The Ordinary or Garnier?

The Ordinary is more affordable than Garnier, offering great value pricing across the products on this page.

The Ordinary or Garnier for dark spots?

The Ordinary is a better choice for dark spots because the products on this page achieve a superior Lovi fit level for skin with dark spots, whereas Garnier products on this page only reach a high fit. Niacinamide helps reduce cutaneous pigmentation and suppresses melanosome transfer.

The British Journal of Dermatology, 2002

Which brand has fragrance-free products, The Ordinary or Garnier?

The Ordinary offers fragrance-free products, as every product on this page lists no fragrance in its ingredients. In contrast, Garnier features fragrance in half of the products on this page.

The Ordinary or Garnier for sensitive skin?

The Ordinary is a better fit for sensitive skin, offering a Superior routine fit compared to Garnier's High routine fit on this page. Every product from The Ordinary on this page lists no fragrance in its ingredients, which helps reduce the risk of irritation.

The Ordinary or Garnier for acne-prone skin?

The Ordinary is a better choice for acne-prone skin, as the products on this page achieve a superior routine fit compared to Garnier. Reviewers frequently note that The Ordinary offers great value and effective acne-clearing serums, whereas Garnier products on this page sometimes cause skin irritation.

The Ordinary or Garnier for mature skin?

The Ordinary is a better fit for mature skin, offering Superior routine fit compared to Garnier's High level. The products on this page from The Ordinary also help smooth texture and provide great value, though topical retinol may stimulate collagen accumulation in naturally aged skin.

The Journal of Investigative Dermatology, 2000Archives of Dermatology, 2007

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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