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The Ordinary vs Some By Mi

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

The Ordinary and Some By Mi are skincare brands founded in 2016. The Canadian brand centers its serums, moisturizers, cleansers, and toners on hyaluronic acid, glycerin, and squalane, while the Korean brand builds its matching line around niacinamide, centella asiatica, and salicylic acid. Both brands suit dry skin best, though the former fits oily acne-prone skin and the latter fits skin with dark spots. They differ primarily in their active ingredients and target concerns, offering distinct paths to balanced skin.

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

glossy.coen.wikipedia.org

Some By Mi is a Korean skincare brand founded in 2016 and owned by JKL Partners since 2021.

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

Popular The Ordinary vs Some By Mi products

People Say

The OrdinarySome By Mi
  • Acne clearing and spot treatment 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%”
    • “Reduces pimples — Some By Mi AHA-BHA-PHA 30 Days Miracle Toner”
    • “cleared my cystic acne — Some By Mi AHA-BHA-PHA 30 Days Miracle Acne Clear Foam”
  • Skin texture smoothing 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 became smoother — Some By Mi AHA-BHA-PHA 30 Days Miracle Toner”
    • “Skin feels baby soft — Some By Mi Retinol Intense Reactivating Serum”
  • Great value and pricing Mostly MentionedNot 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%”
  • Gentle on sensitive skin Sometimes NotedOften Mentioned
    • “Leaves my face feeling soft and not tight at all. — The Ordinary Squalane Cleanser”
    • “Finally a cleanser that doesn't sting my face. — The Ordinary Squalane Cleanser”
    • “Zero irritation or redness — Some By Mi Retinol Intense Reactivating Serum”
    • “doesn't strip dry my skin — Some By Mi Super Matcha Pore Clean Clay Mask”
  • Lightweight absorption Sometimes NotedOften Mentioned
    • “absorbs quickly — Some By Mi Yuja Niacin Brightening Moisture Gel Cream”
    • “absorbs quickly — Some By Mi Snail Truecica Miracle Repair Serum”
    • “absorbs instantly — Some By Mi Yuja Niacin Anti Blemish Serum”
    • “Sinks in immediately — The Ordinary Multi-Peptide + Copper Peptides 1% Serum”
  • Hydration and plumping Sometimes NotedOften Mentioned
    • “Lasts 100 hours as claimed — Some By Mi Beta Panthenol Repair Cream”
    • “Absorbs quickly — Some By Mi Galactomyces Pure Vitamin C Glow Serum”
    • “Leaves a nice glow — Some By Mi Retinol Intense Reactivating Serum”
    • “skin feels immediately hydrated — The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5”
  • Unpleasant scent and fragrance Rarely NotedOften Mentioned
    • “Smells like vinegar — The Ordinary Multi-Peptide + Copper Peptides 1% Serum”
    • “smell is unbearable — The Ordinary Azelaic Acid Suspension 10%”
    • “has a slight chemical smell — The Ordinary Mandelic Acid 10% + HA”
    • “overwhelming citrus fragrance — Some By Mi V10 Hyal Air Fit Sunscreen”
  • Breakouts and purging Sometimes NotedSometimes 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”
    • “Zits appeared initially — Some By Mi AHA-BHA-PHA 30 Days Miracle Toner”
  • Stinging and irritation Sometimes NotedSometimes 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%”
    • “stings my eyes — Some By Mi V10 Hyal Air Fit Sunscreen”
    • “burned my skin — Some By Mi AHA BHA PHA 30 Days Miracle Serum”

The Ordinary vs Some By Mi routines for dry skin

Buy The Ordinary routine · S$164.78 · 92% fitBuy Some By Mi routine · S$102.62 · 91% fitSee multi-brand routine · 99% fit

The Ordinary vs Some By Mi routines for oily skin

Buy The Ordinary routine · S$393.06 · 89% fitBuy Some By Mi routine · S$135.66 · 86% fitSee multi-brand routine · 96% fit

The Ordinary vs Some By Mi routines for combination skin

Buy The Ordinary routine · S$289.36 · 88% fitBuy Some By Mi routine · S$135.66 · 87% fitSee multi-brand routine · 97% fit

Questions and answers

The Ordinary or Some By Mi: which is better?

Both The Ordinary and Some By Mi are great choices, with The Ordinary providing better value and Some By Mi offering lighter absorption. Lovi rates both brands as having a High fit for combination skin and acne-prone skin.

What is the difference between The Ordinary and Some By Mi?

Both brands offer great products on this page, but The Ordinary provides better pricing value and Lovi fit for mature skin, while Some By Mi excels in hydration and lightweight absorption. Niacinamide helps reduce skin pigmentation, and hyaluronic acid improves skin quality and signs of aging.

The British Journal of Dermatology, 2002Antioxidants, 2021

The Ordinary or Some By Mi for dry skin?

Both The Ordinary and Some By Mi fit dry skin well, offering a superior routine level for this skin type. The Ordinary features key hydrating ingredients like hyaluronic acid across its products, while Some By Mi helps deliver moisture through options like the Yuja Niacin Brightening Moisture Gel Cream.

Dermatologic Therapy, 2022

The Ordinary or Some By Mi: which cleanser is better?

Both The Ordinary and Some By Mi offer cleansers that fit oily skin well, with Lovi fit levels of High across several cleansing products on this page. Some By Mi cleanser options are often noted by reviewers for deep pore cleansing, while The Ordinary products on this page provide great value.

Which is more affordable, The Ordinary or Some By Mi?

The Ordinary is more affordable on the products on this page. Reviewers note that it offers great value and pricing.

Which brand is gentler on sensitive skin, The Ordinary or Some By Mi?

Some By Mi has a Superior fit level for sensitive skin, whereas Lovi rates The Ordinary at a High fit level for sensitive skin.

The Ordinary or Some By Mi for oily skin?

Both The Ordinary and Some By Mi fit oily skin well, with a High Lovi fit level for the products on this page. Some By Mi may offer lighter absorption, while The Ordinary tends to provide greater value and pricing.

The Ordinary or Some By Mi: which moisturizer is better?

Both The Ordinary and Some By Mi offer moisturizers with a high or superior Lovi fit for dry skin, such as The Ordinary's Natural Moisturizing Factors + HA and Some By Mi's Beta Panthenol Repair Cream. The Ordinary provides greater value and pricing, while Some By Mi tends to offer better hydration and plumping benefits.

The Ordinary or Some By Mi for sensitive skin?

For sensitive skin, both brands offer good options, though Lovi rates Some By Mi as having a Superior routine fit compared to The Ordinary's High fit. The products on this page for both brands contain no fragrance.

The Ordinary or Some By Mi for acne-prone skin?

Both brands offer an equal fit level for acne-prone skin, as Lovi rates both The Ordinary and Some By Mi as High for this skin type.

The Ordinary or Some By Mi for skin with dark spots?

For skin with dark spots, Some By Mi fits better than The Ordinary. Lovi rates Some By Mi as Superior for dark spots, and its reviewers often mention complexion brightening. Niacinamide helps reduce skin pigmentation.

The British Journal of Dermatology, 2002Antioxidants, 2021

The Ordinary or Some By Mi for mature skin?

The Ordinary is a better fit for mature skin, achieving a Superior routine fit compared to Some By Mi's High fit 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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