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SKIN1004 vs The Ordinary

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

SKIN1004 and The Ordinary are popular skincare brands that offer gentle serums, toners, moisturizers, cleansers, and sunscreens built around key ingredients like centella asiatica, hyaluronic acid, and niacinamide. SKIN1004 suits sensitive and acne-prone skin best with soothing formulations, while the Canadian brand fits dry and dry sensitive skin best through hydrating glycerin and squalane. Both brands differ in their targeted approach, offering specialized solutions for dark spots, aging, and blemishes.

SKIN1004 is a Korean skincare brand founded in 2012 and owned by Goodai Global Inc. since 2024.

mk.co.krpitchbook.comtracxn.comgoodai-global.com

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

glossy.coen.wikipedia.org

This page compares some of the most popular SKIN1004 and The Ordinary products; for every product of both brands, with a fit score for your own skin, use the Lovi app.

Popular SKIN1004 vs The Ordinary products

People Say

SKIN1004The Ordinary
  • Hydration and soothing Mostly MentionedOften Mentioned
    • “calmed my angry skin — SKIN1004 Madagascar Centella Toning Toner”
    • “Gives my dehydrated skin a moisture surge — SKIN1004 Madagascar Centella Watergel Sheet Ampoule Mask”
    • “Eliminated redness on my easily irritated skin — SKIN1004 Madagascar Centella Watergel Sheet Ampoule Mask”
    • “skin feels immediately hydrated — The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5”
  • Lightweight texture Mostly MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “sunk in like a dream — SKIN1004 Madagascar Centella Hyalu-Cica Water-Fit Sun Serum”
    • “Texture is on the thinner side... surprisingly lightweight. — SKIN1004 Madagascar Centella Light Cleansing Oil”
    • “absorbs like water — SKIN1004 Madagascar Centella Toning Toner”
    • “Sinks in immediately — The Ordinary Multi-Peptide + Copper Peptides 1% Serum”
  • Value and pricing Rarely 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%”
    • “huge bottle — SKIN1004 Madagascar Centella Toning Toner”
  • Exfoliation and smoothing Sometimes NotedMostly Mentioned
    • “glass skin effect — The Ordinary Glycolic Acid 7% Toning Solution”
    • “never had any reaction to it with my sensitive skin — The Ordinary Mandelic Acid 10% + HA”
    • “skin feels baby butt smooth — The Ordinary AHA 30% + BHA 2% Peeling Solution”
    • “skin feels super soft — SKIN1004 Zombie Pack”
  • Acne-safe and acne-clearing Rarely NotedOften Mentioned
    • “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”
    • “didn't cause new breakouts — SKIN1004 Hyalu-Cica Moisture Cream”
  • Subtle glow and brightening Rarely NotedSometimes Noted
    • “Dark spots have faded noticeably — The Ordinary Alpha Arbutin 2% + HA”
    • “helped lighten post-acne scars — The Ordinary Azelaic Acid Suspension 10%”
    • “dark scars are clearer within 2 weeks — The Ordinary Mandelic Acid 10% + HA”
    • “skin looks brighter immediately — SKIN1004 Madagascar Centella Tone Brightening Cleansing Gel Foam”
  • Sticky or tacky finish Sometimes NotedSometimes Noted
    • “left my skin medium tacky — SKIN1004 Madagascar Centella Poremizing Light Gel Cream”
    • “Left a slightly greasy feeling — SKIN1004 Madagascar Centella Watergel Sheet Ampoule Mask”
    • “feels tacky in high humidity — SKIN1004 Madagascar Centella Hyalu-Cica Water-Fit Sun Serum”
    • “feels very sticky — The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5”
  • Scent and fragrance issues Sometimes NotedRarely Noted
    • “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”
    • “smells like wet dog — SKIN1004 Zombie Pack”
  • Insufficient moisture Sometimes NotedRarely Noted
    • “Skin felt tight an hour later — The Ordinary Natural Moisturizing Factors + HA”
    • “not enough for dry skin — SKIN1004 Madagascar Centella Poremizing Light Gel Cream”
  • Minor irritation and stinging Rarely NotedSometimes Noted
    • “caused tiny bumps — SKIN1004 Madagascar Centella Toning Toner”
    • “Stung my face — SKIN1004 Madagascar Centella Quick Calming Pad”
    • “subtle sting — SKIN1004 Probio-Cica Bakuchiol Eye Cream”
    • “stings a little but worth it — The Ordinary AHA 30% + BHA 2% Peeling Solution”

SKIN1004 vs The Ordinary routines for dry skin

Buy The Ordinary routine · £90.51 · 97% fitBuy SKIN1004 routine · £52.78 · 86% fitSee multi-brand routine · 99% fit

SKIN1004 vs The Ordinary routines for oily skin

Buy The Ordinary routine · £120.07 · 93% fitBuy SKIN1004 routine · £134.28 · 86% fitSee multi-brand routine · 97% fit

SKIN1004 vs The Ordinary routines for combination skin

Buy The Ordinary routine · £134.25 · 92% fitBuy SKIN1004 routine · £90.21 · 86% fitSee multi-brand routine · 96% fit

Questions and answers

SKIN1004 or The Ordinary: which is better?

Both brands offer great options, but The Ordinary achieves a Superior routine fit across every skin type compared to SKIN1004's High fit level. The Ordinary excels at exfoliation, acne-clearing, and value, while SKIN1004 does better with lightweight hydration and soothing.

What is the difference between SKIN1004 and The Ordinary?

SKIN1004 focuses on soothing and lightweight hydration using ingredients like centella asiatica, whereas The Ordinary offers affordable, targeted treatments for exfoliation, acne, and brightening.

SKIN1004 or The Ordinary for dry skin?

Both brands are a strong fit for dry skin, with The Ordinary rated as Superior and SKIN1004 rated as High for routine fit. The Ordinary features a high-performing selection of moisturizers like Natural Moisturizing Factors + HA and exfoliating treatments tailored for dry skin, while SKIN1004 focuses on hydrating, soothing options featuring ingredients like hyaluronic acid.

Dermatologic Therapy, 2022

SKIN1004 or The Ordinary: which cleanser is better?

Both SKIN1004 and The Ordinary offer great cleansers with high fit levels across multiple skin types. The products on this page help clean the skin effectively while catering to specific needs like soothing or gentle exfoliation.

Which is more affordable, SKIN1004 or The Ordinary?

The Ordinary does better for value and pricing compared to SKIN1004 based on the review themes on this page.

Which brand performs better for hydration and soothing, SKIN1004 or The Ordinary?

SKIN1004 performs better for hydration and soothing. Reviewers mostly mention its hydrating and soothing masks as well as its lightweight and soothing toners and moisturizers.

Which brand is better for exfoliation and smoothing, SKIN1004 or The Ordinary?

The Ordinary does better for exfoliation and smoothing than SKIN1004. Reviewers often praise its texture-smoothing and acne-clearing serums.

Which brand offers better options for brightening and dark spot fading, SKIN1004 or The Ordinary?

The Ordinary offers better options for dark spot fading and brightening, scoring a superior routine fit for skin with dark spots compared to SKIN1004's high fit. Reviewers frequently note The Ordinary for its dark spot fading serums, and niacinamide helps reduce cutaneous pigmentation.

The British Journal of Dermatology, 2002Antioxidants, 2021

SKIN1004 or The Ordinary for oily skin?

For oily skin, The Ordinary has a Superior routine fit, whereas SKIN1004 has a High routine fit. Reviewers note that The Ordinary does better for acne-clearing and exfoliation, while SKIN1004 is praised for lightweight texture and hydration.

SKIN1004 or The Ordinary: which moisturizer is better?

Both SKIN1004 and The Ordinary offer top-rated moisturizers, with The Ordinary providing options like Natural Moisturizing Factors + HA that achieve a Superior routine fit for dry skin. SKIN1004 moisturizers on this page frequently feature Centella asiatica and hyaluronic acid to help soothe and hydrate the skin.

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

SKIN1004 or The Ordinary for sensitive skin?

Both SKIN1004 and The Ordinary show a High routine fit for sensitive skin. SKIN1004 products on this page often provide soothing and lightweight hydration, while The Ordinary offers gentle serums that help smooth texture without fragrance.

SKIN1004 or The Ordinary for acne-prone skin?

Both brands offer products on this page that fit acne-prone skin well, with SKIN1004 achieving a High routine fit and The Ordinary achieving a Superior routine fit. Reviewers note that The Ordinary does better for acne-clearing and exfoliation, while SKIN1004 excels in hydration and soothing.

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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