The Ordinary vs No7
The Ordinary and No7 are distinct skincare lines created to address diverse dermatological needs. The Ordinary offers serums, moisturizers, cleansers, and toners built around hyaluronic acid, glycerin, and squalane, while No7 provides serums, eye products, moisturizers, and sunscreens built around vitamin C, shea butter, and hyaluronic acid. The Canadian brand suits dry and oily acne-prone skin best, whereas the British brand fits mature and dry skin best. They differ primarily in their foundational ingredient profiles and brand heritage, with the former emphasizing targeted single-ingredient efficacy and the latter focusing on comprehensive multi-ingredient formulations.
The Ordinary is a Canadian skincare brand founded in 2016 and owned by The Estée Lauder Companies Inc. since 2021.
No7 is a British skincare brand founded in 1935 and owned by Sycamore Partners since 2025.
cosmeticsbusiness.comen.wikipedia.org
This page compares some of the most popular The Ordinary and No7 products; for every product of both brands, with a fit score for your own skin, use the Lovi app.
Popular The Ordinary vs No7 products
People Say
Hydration, plumping, and value Mostly MentionedMostly Mentioned
- “skin feels immediately hydrated — The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5”
- “lasts forever — The Ordinary Glycolic Acid 7% Toning Solution”
- “Skin feels softer — No7 Future Renew Damage Reversal Serum”
- “zero irritation — No7 Pure Retinol Eye Cream”
Smoothes skin texture and improves glow Mostly MentionedMostly Mentioned
- “glass skin effect — The Ordinary Glycolic Acid 7% Toning Solution”
- “eliminated armpit odor — The Ordinary Glycolic Acid 7% Toning Solution”
- “skin feels so soft — No7 Total Renewal Micro-Dermabrasion Exfoliator”
- “skin feels velvety — No7 Pure Retinol”
Reduces redness and clears acne Often MentionedNot noted
- “calms down the redness immediately — The Ordinary Azelaic Acid Suspension 10%”
- “pimples disappear within a day — The Ordinary Salicylic Acid 2% Solution”
- “scars and hormonal acne faded — The Ordinary Azelaic Acid Suspension 10%”
Irritation, stinging, and breakouts Mostly MentionedMostly Mentioned
- “Smells like vinegar — The Ordinary Multi-Peptide + Copper Peptides 1% Serum”
- “irritated AF the next day — The Ordinary AHA 30% + BHA 2% Peeling Solution”
- “Can be drying — No7 Pure Retinol 1% Night Concentrate”
- “caused flaky skin — No7 Pure Retinol”
Texture and pilling issues under makeup Mostly MentionedNot noted
- “crumbles and piles under moisturizer — The Ordinary Azelaic Acid Suspension 10%”
The Ordinary vs No7 routines for dry skin
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Cleanser
Squalane Cleanser
Morning · Evening · Once a week
S$27.46
-
Hydrating Toner
COSRX Propolis Synergy Toner
Morning
S$41.07
-
Moisturizer
Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5
Morning · Evening · Once a week
S$44.26
-
SPF
thinkbaby Safe Sunscreen SPF 50+
Morning
S$21.09
-
Pre-Cleanser
MISSHA Ultra Hyalon Cleansing Cream
Evening · Once a week
S$39.68
-
Serum or Treatment
Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1%
Evening · Once a week
S$14.79
-
Nourishing Mask
MEDIHEAL Collagen Essential Mask
Once a week
S$62.94
-
Cleanser
CeraVe Hydrating Facial Cleanser
Morning · Evening · Once a week
S$25.06
-
Hydrating Toner
COSRX Propolis Synergy Toner
Morning
S$41.07
-
Moisturizer
Protect & Perfect Intense Advanced Night Cream
Morning · Evening · Once a week
S$37.96
-
SPF
Protect & Perfect Intense Advanced Day Cream
Morning
S$75.55
-
Pre-Cleanser
MISSHA Ultra Hyalon Cleansing Cream
Evening · Once a week
S$39.68
-
Serum or Treatment
Protect & Perfect Intense Advanced Serum
Evening · Once a week
S$48.24
-
Nourishing Mask
MEDIHEAL Collagen Essential Mask
Once a week
S$62.94
Buy The Ordinary routine · S$164.78 · 92% fit
Buy No7 routine · S$330.50 · 90% fitSee multi-brand routine · 99% fit
The Ordinary vs No7 routines for oily skin
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Cleanser
Squalane Cleanser
Morning · Evening · Once a week
S$27.46
-
Hydrating Toner
TROIAREUKE H+Cocktail Purifying Ampoule Toner
Morning · Once a week
S$168.51
-
Moisturizer
Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5
Morning · Evening · Once a week
S$44.26
-
SPF
CeraVe AM Facial Moisturizing Lotion SPF 30
Morning
S$28.72
-
Pre-Cleanser
Shu Uemura Ultime8 Sublime Beauty Cleansing Oil
Evening · Once a week
S$70.21
-
Cleansing Toner
Medicube Zero Pore Pad 2.0
Evening · Once a week
S$36.48
-
Serum or Treatment
Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1%
Evening · Once a week
S$14.79
-
Cleansing Mask
HERBIVORE Botanicals Blue Tansy BHA and Enzyme Pore Refining Mask
Once a week
S$89.14
-
Cleanser
CeraVe Foaming Facial Cleanser
Morning · Evening · Once a week
S$30.40
-
Hydrating Toner
TROIAREUKE H+Cocktail Purifying Ampoule Toner
Morning · Once a week
S$168.51
-
Moisturizer
Protect & Perfect Intense Advanced Night Cream
Morning · Evening · Once a week
S$37.96
-
SPF
Protect & Perfect Intense Advanced Day Cream
Morning
S$75.55
-
Pre-Cleanser
Shu Uemura Ultime8 Sublime Beauty Cleansing Oil
Evening · Once a week
S$70.21
-
Cleansing Toner
Medicube Zero Pore Pad 2.0
Evening · Once a week
S$36.48
-
Serum or Treatment
Protect & Perfect Intense Advanced Serum
Evening · Once a week
S$48.24
-
Cleansing Mask
HERBIVORE Botanicals Blue Tansy BHA and Enzyme Pore Refining Mask
Once a week
S$89.14
Buy The Ordinary routine · S$393.06 · 89% fit
Buy No7 routine · S$556.49 · 82% fitSee multi-brand routine · 96% fit
The Ordinary vs No7 routines for combination skin
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Cleanser
Squalane Cleanser
Morning · Evening · Once a week
S$27.46
-
Hydrating Toner
Whamisa Organic Flowers Toner Deep Rich
Morning · Once a week
S$64.81
-
Moisturizer
Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5
Morning · Evening · Once a week
S$44.26
-
SPF
CeraVe AM Facial Moisturizing Lotion SPF 30
Morning
S$28.72
-
Pre-Cleanser
Shu Uemura Ultime8 Sublime Beauty Cleansing Oil
Evening · Once a week
S$70.21
-
Cleansing Toner
Medicube Zero Pore Pad 2.0
Evening · Once a week
S$36.48
-
Serum or Treatment
Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1%
Evening · Once a week
S$14.79
-
Cleansing Mask
HERBIVORE Botanicals Blue Tansy BHA and Enzyme Pore Refining Mask
Once a week
S$89.14
-
Cleanser
Fresh Soy Face Cleanser
Morning · Evening · Once a week
S$30.00
-
Hydrating Toner
Whamisa Organic Flowers Toner Deep Rich
Morning · Once a week
S$64.81
-
Moisturizer
Protect & Perfect Intense Advanced Night Cream
Morning · Evening · Once a week
S$37.96
-
SPF
Protect & Perfect Intense Advanced Day Cream
Morning
S$75.55
-
Pre-Cleanser
Shu Uemura Ultime8 Sublime Beauty Cleansing Oil
Evening · Once a week
S$70.21
-
Cleansing Toner
Medicube Zero Pore Pad 2.0
Evening · Once a week
S$36.48
-
Serum or Treatment
Protect & Perfect Intense Advanced Serum
Evening · Once a week
S$48.24
-
Cleansing Mask
HERBIVORE Botanicals Blue Tansy BHA and Enzyme Pore Refining Mask
Once a week
S$89.14
Buy The Ordinary routine · S$289.36 · 88% fit
Buy No7 routine · S$452.39 · 86% fitSee multi-brand routine · 97% fit
Questions and answers
The Ordinary or No7: which is better?
Both The Ordinary and No7 are equally matched across key review themes like hydration and texture smoothing, but The Ordinary does better at reducing redness and clearing acne. When it comes to routine fit, both brands offer a Superior or High level of fit for all skin types, though The Ordinary achieves a Superior routine fit specifically for oily acne-prone skin.
What is the difference between The Ordinary and No7?
Both The Ordinary and No7 offer great options for different skin needs, but The Ordinary does better at reducing redness and clearing acne. Reviewers note that No7 helps with skin feel and texture improvements as well as eye product hydration and firmness, though it can sometimes have texture and pilling issues under makeup.
The Ordinary or No7 for dry skin?
Both The Ordinary and No7 offer a Superior routine fit for dry skin. The Ordinary features hydrating ingredients like hyaluronic acid and squalane across the products on this page, while No7 utilizes ingredients such as hyaluronic acid and shea butter for deep hydration.
The Ordinary or No7: which moisturizer is better?
Both The Ordinary and No7 offer moisturizers with great fit levels for different skin types on this page. The Ordinary features options like Natural Moisturizing Factors + HA which helps deliver superior hydration for dry skin.
Which is more affordable, The Ordinary or No7?
The products on this page for The Ordinary include affordable and great value serums as a commonly noted benefit by reviewers. No7 focuses more on anti-aging and hydration but does not feature affordability as a highlighted advantage.
Do The Ordinary products contain fragrance?
Every product from The Ordinary on this page lists no fragrance in its ingredients.
Which brand is better for oily acne-prone skin?
For oily acne-prone skin, both brands offer High routine fit levels, but The Ordinary does better for reducing redness and clearing acne. Reviewers mention that niacinamide helps control oil and acne.
When was No7 founded and who owns it?
No7 was founded in 1935 in the United Kingdom and is owned by Sycamore Partners since 2025.
The Ordinary or No7 for oily skin?
For oily skin, both The Ordinary and No7 offer a High routine fit on this page, making them equally good options for your skin type. The Ordinary may help reduce redness and clear acne better, as its products on this page specifically target breakout-prone complexions.
The Ordinary or No7 for sensitive skin?
For sensitive skin, both The Ordinary and No7 offer a High routine fit on the products on this page. Reviewers report that The Ordinary helps by providing gentle and non-irritating serums.
The Ordinary or No7 for acne-prone skin?
Both The Ordinary and No7 show a High routine fit for acne-prone skin, but The Ordinary does better at reducing redness and clearing acne. The Ordinary features a wide range of dedicated acne-clearing serums that may help target blemishes effectively.
Research behind their key ingredients
The Effect of Aloe Vera Clinical Trials on Prevention and Healing of Skin Wound: A Systematic Review
Molecular basis of retinol anti-ageing properties in naturally aged human skin in vivo
Topical palmitoyl pentapeptide provides improvement in photoaged human facial skin
Effects of ascorbic acid on gingival melanin pigmentation in vitro and in vivo
Panax ginseng induces human Type I collagen synthesis through activation of Smad signaling
Vitamin C-squalene bioconjugate promotes epidermal thickening and collagen production in human skin
The moisturizing effects of glycolipid biosurfactants, mannosylerythritol lipids, on human skin
Reduction in the appearance of facial hyperpigmentation by topical N-acetyl glucosamine
Microneedling by dermapen and glycolic acid peel for the treatment of acne scars: Comparative study
Lycopene and Melatonin: Antioxidant Compounds in Cosmetic Formulations
The synergistic effect of retinyl propionate and hydroxypinacolone retinoate on skin aging
Nanostructured Lipid Carrier for Topical Application of N-Acetyl Glucosamine
Topical lycopene emulgel significantly improves biophysical parameters of human skin
The evaluation of aluminum oxide crystal microdermabrasion for photodamage
The anti wrinkle efficacy of synthetic hexapeptide (Argireline) in Chinese Subjects
Safety of a preservative system containing 1,2-hexanediol and caprylyl glycol
Clinical and histologic changes determine optimal treatment regimens for microdermabrasion
A bioactive complex to protect proteins from UV-induced oxidation in human epidermis
Treatment with Ascorbyl Glucoside-Arginine Complex Ameliorates Solar Lentigos
Natural Moisturizing Factor-Enriched Formulations Compared to a Ceramide-Based Cream
Targeting Circadian Rhythm for the Regulation of Skin Collagen Metabolism
Retrospective Review of Dermal Safety Studies of Organic Sunscreens
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.
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Co-founder, Medical Director
Cosmetic chemist, cosmetologist, aesthetic products developer
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Co-founder, CEO and CTO
PhD in computer science, 3x US patent holder, ex-Google, ex-Yandex
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Dr. Sofía Perea Pérez, MD, MSc
Medical Board
Aesthetic medicine practitioner, MSc in Longevity and Anti-Aging Medicine
-

Medical Board
Specialist dermatologist, MBBS, MD, IFAAD
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Medical Board
Cosmetic chemist, SCS, IFSCC member
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Medical Board, Medical Advisor
Dermatology MD
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Elina Nazarenko, MD
Medical Board
Dermatology and diagnostic consultant
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Victoria Derkova, MS
Medical Board
Cosmetic chemist, cosmetic development technologist
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