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Anua vs The Ordinary

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

Anua and The Ordinary are distinct skincare brands offering moisturizers, toners, serums, cleansers, and more. Anua features hyaluronic acid, heartleaf, and niacinamide to suit oily acne-prone skin and skin with dark spots best, whereas the latter features hyaluronic acid, glycerin, and squalane to suit dry skin and oily acne-prone skin best. While both brands use hyaluronic acid, its products differ in their targeted formulations and supportive ingredients.

Anua is a Korean skincare brand founded in 2019 and owned by The Founders Inc..

prnewswire.comkedglobal.comtracxn.comv.daum.net

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

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

Popular Anua vs The Ordinary products

People Say

AnuaThe Ordinary
  • Texture and Pores Mostly MentionedMostly Mentioned
    • “Dissolved my sebaceous filaments immediately — Anua Heartleaf Pore Control Cleansing Oil”
    • “Skin feels super smooth — Anua PEACH 70% NIACINAMIDE SERUM”
    • “glass skin effect — The Ordinary Glycolic Acid 7% Toning Solution”
    • “pores look significantly smaller — The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1%”
  • Hydration and Moisture Mostly MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “complexion feels so plump — Anua PDRN Hyaluronic Acid Capsule 100 Serum”
    • “leaves skin plump — Anua Rice 70 Glow Milky Toner”
    • “Drink of water for my skin — Anua PEACH 70% NIACINAMIDE SERUM”
    • “skin feels immediately hydrated — The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5”
  • Affordable Price and Value Not notedMostly Mentioned
    • “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%”
  • Brightening and Dark Spots Often MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “Significant reduction in hyperpigmentation from acne scarring. — Anua Niacinamide 10% + TXA 4% Serum”
    • “Gives a nice healthy glow — Anua PEACH 70% NIACINAMIDE SERUM”
    • “faded dark spots — The Ordinary Glycolic Acid 7% Toning Solution”
    • “scars lightened up quite a bit — The Ordinary AHA 30% + BHA 2% Peeling Solution”
  • Lightweight and Fast Absorbing Often MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “melts into skin — Anua Heartleaf Silky Moisture Sun Cream”
    • “Feels like water, not heavy oil — Anua Heartleaf Pore Control Cleansing Oil”
    • “Absorbs quickly without stickiness — Anua Heartleaf 77% Soothing Toner”
    • “Sinks in immediately — The Ordinary Multi-Peptide + Copper Peptides 1% Serum”
  • Sticky or Tacky Finish Sometimes NotedOften Mentioned
    • “Left such a gross tacky finish that refused to dry. — Anua Niacinamide 10% + TXA 4% Serum”
    • “leaves a tacky finish — Anua BHA 2% Gentle Exfoliating Toner”
    • “tacky finish — Anua Rice 70 Glow Milky Toner”
    • “feels very sticky — The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5”
  • Breakouts and Acne Concerns Often MentionedRarely Noted
    • “broke me out in cysts — The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1%”
    • “broke me out in cysts — The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5”
    • “gave me cystic acne — The Ordinary Glycolic Acid 7% Toning Solution”
    • “Wrecked my skin barrier — Anua Heartleaf Pore Control Cleansing Oil”

Anua vs The Ordinary routines for dry skin

Buy The Ordinary routine · S$164.78 · 92% fitSee multi-brand routine · 99% fit

Anua vs The Ordinary routines for oily skin

Buy The Ordinary routine · S$393.06 · 89% fitBuy Anua routine · S$89.14 · 84% fitSee multi-brand routine · 96% fit

Anua vs The Ordinary routines for combination skin

Buy The Ordinary routine · S$289.36 · 88% fitBuy Anua routine · S$89.14 · 83% fitSee multi-brand routine · 97% fit

Questions and answers

Anua or The Ordinary: which is better?

Both brands are great choices depending on your specific skin goals and budget, as the products on this page offer strong formulations for hydration, brightening, and acne. The Ordinary provides superior value and targeted active serums, while Anua focuses on soothing and lightweight daily hydration routines. Topical niacinamide helps reduce cutaneous pigmentation and pigmentation transfer.

The British Journal of Dermatology, 2002Antioxidants, 2021

What is the difference between Anua and The Ordinary?

Anua focuses on heartleaf and rice extracts for lightweight hydration and soothing, while The Ordinary offers targeted treatments like acids and peptides for budget-friendly routines. Both brands provide fragrance-free options, but reviewers note that Anua is better for hydration and lightweight finishes, whereas The Ordinary is praised for its value and acne-clearing serums.

Anua or The Ordinary for dry skin?

For dry skin, The Ordinary has a Superior routine fit while Anua has a High fit on this page. The products on this page help improve moisture levels and support the skin barrier, with ingredients like hyaluronic acid assisting in skin hydration.

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

Anua or The Ordinary: which cleanser is better?

Both Anua and The Ordinary offer effective cleansers, with options like Anua's Heartleaf Pore Control Cleansing Oil and The Ordinary's Glucoside Foaming Cleanser performing well across various skin types on this page. Reviewers note that Anua provides great hydration and moisture, while The Ordinary is recognized for affordable price and value.

Which is more affordable, Anua or The Ordinary?

The Ordinary is more affordable, offering great value serums as noted by reviewers on the page.

Between Anua and The Ordinary, which brand performs better for mature skin?

The Ordinary performs better for mature skin on this page, offering a superior routine fit compared to Anua's high fit. Topical retinol helps stimulate collagen accumulation and improve signs of aging in mature skin.

The Journal of Investigative Dermatology, 2000

How do Anua and The Ordinary compare regarding hydration and moisture?

Anua does better than The Ordinary for hydration and moisture among the products on this page. Topical hyaluronic acid helps improve skin quality and hydration signs.

Dermatologic Therapy, 2022

Which brand has fewer issues with a sticky or tacky finish, Anua or The Ordinary?

The Ordinary has fewer issues with a sticky or tacky finish, as a sticky or tacky finish is noted less often for The Ordinary than for Anua.

Anua or The Ordinary for sensitive skin?

Both Anua and The Ordinary fit sensitive skin well, with Lovi fit levels rated High for the products on this page. Reviewers report that both brands offer gentle, non-irritating formulas with no fragrance listed across their product ranges.

Anua or The Ordinary: which moisturizer is better?

Both Anua and The Ordinary offer moisturizers with fragrance-free formulas, but they differ in routine fit and key ingredients. Lovi rates Anua's routine fit for dry skin as High and The Ordinary's as Superior.

Anua or The Ordinary for acne-prone skin?

Both brands are a good choice for acne-prone skin, with the products on this page showing a high routine fit for both Anua and The Ordinary. Reviewers note that Anua helps with lightweight toners and brightening serums, while The Ordinary offers effective acne-clearing serums and texture-smoothing options.

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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