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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 brands that offer accessible daily essentials for diverse complexions. The Canadian brand centers its serums, cleansers, and moisturizers on hyaluronic acid, glycerin, and squalane to suit dry and oily acne-prone skin, while the French brand relies on glycerin and salicylic acid within its approachable makeup removers, serums, and masks to care for oily and acne-prone skin. Both utilize glycerin to significantly increase skin hydration and barrier function. They differ in their broader ingredient profiles and targeted formulations, allowing individuals to select either for their specific needs.

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 · S$164.78 · 92% fitBuy Garnier routine · S$218.41 · 79% fitSee multi-brand routine · 99% fit

The Ordinary vs Garnier routines for oily skin

Buy The Ordinary routine · S$393.06 · 89% fitBuy Garnier routine · S$463.71 · 87% fitSee multi-brand routine · 96% fit

The Ordinary vs Garnier routines for combination skin

Buy The Ordinary routine · S$289.36 · 88% fitBuy Garnier routine · S$328.14 · 85% fitSee multi-brand routine · 97% fit

Questions and answers

The Ordinary or Garnier: which is better?

The Ordinary is a better choice for dry and mature skin, where Lovi rates its routines as Superior compared to Garnier's High rating. The products on this page also offer greater value and better acne-clearing benefits, while Garnier is better for bright skin and lightweight absorption.

What is the difference between The Ordinary and Garnier?

The Ordinary generally offers better value and results for acne clearing and texture smoothing, whereas Garnier features lightweight serums and refreshing cleansers. For dry skin, the products on this page provide a Superior routine for The Ordinary and a High routine for Garnier.

The Ordinary or Garnier for dry skin?

For dry skin, Lovi finds that The Ordinary has a superior routine fit compared to Garnier, which achieves a high fit. Reviewers specifically note that The Ordinary offers better hydration and plumping for dry skin.

The Ordinary or Garnier: which cleanser is better?

The products on this page for The Ordinary include cleansers with high fit levels for dry skin and oily skin, while Garnier offers options like the Vitamin C Face Wash. Reviewers note that Garnier provides brightening and refreshing cleansers, whereas The Ordinary products on this page are generally praised for value.

Which is more affordable, The Ordinary or Garnier?

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

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

The products on this page from The Ordinary are entirely fragrance-free, whereas half of Garnier's products on this page contain fragrance.

The Ordinary or Garnier for sensitive skin?

For sensitive skin, both brands offer good options, as Lovi rates both The Ordinary and Garnier at a High fit level for this skin type. Reviewers note that products from both lines are generally gentle, while every product on The Ordinary page lists no fragrance.

The Ordinary or Garnier for acne-prone skin?

For acne-prone skin, both brands offer good options, as Lovi rates their routines as High for this skin type. However, the products on this page show that The Ordinary excels particularly in acne-clearing serums and great value pricing compared to Garnier.

The Ordinary or Garnier for mature skin?

For mature skin, The Ordinary offers a Superior Lovi routine fit while Garnier provides a High fit, making The Ordinary the better choice for this skin type. The Ordinary is noted for skin smoothing and texture improvement as well as great value and affordable pricing. Retinol helps stimulate collagen accumulation in naturally aged human skin.

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

The Ordinary or Garnier for skin with dark spots?

For skin with dark spots, The Ordinary offers better overall options because Lovi rates the routine fit as High compared to Garnier's High level, and The Ordinary's products on this page are rated better for dark spot fading. Niacinamide helps reduce cutaneous pigmentation as a key ingredient.

The British Journal of Dermatology, 2002

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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