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The Ordinary vs Allies of Skin

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

The Ordinary and Allies of Skin are skincare brands offering serums, moisturizers, cleansers, toners, and eye products built around key ingredients like hyaluronic acid, glycerin, squalane, and niacinamide. The Canadian brand features formulations that fit dry skin and dry sensitive skin best, while the second brand provides nourishing and clarifying treatments that suit dry skin and acne-prone skin. Both brands differ in their product ranges and target concerns, offering specific items for acne-prone skin, dark spots, and mature skin.

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 The Ordinary and Allies of Skin products; for every product of both brands, with a fit score for your own skin, use the Lovi app.

Popular The Ordinary vs Allies of Skin products

People Say

The OrdinaryAllies of Skin
  • Skin Texture Improvement and 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 looks smoother and brighter — The Ordinary Azelaic Acid Suspension 10%”
    • “Woke up looking well-rested — Allies of Skin Retinal & Peptides Repair Night Cream”
  • Hydration and Plumping Sometimes NotedMostly Mentioned
    • “nourished and hydrated — Allies of Skin Peptides & Omegas Firming Eye Cream”
    • “more like a spray serum — Allies of Skin Molecular Saviour Probiotics Treatment Mist”
    • “Skin feels hydrated — Allies of Skin Copper Tripeptide & Ectoin Advanced Repair Serum”
    • “skin feels immediately hydrated — The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5”
  • 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 and Non-Irritating Formulation 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”
    • “Best retinol for sensitive skin — Allies of Skin Retinal & Peptides Repair Night Cream”
    • “feels super soothing, doesn't trigger redness — Allies of Skin Tranexamic & Arbutin Advanced Brightening Serum”
  • Acne Clearing and Blemish Reduction 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”
    • “Dramatic impact on acne — Allies of Skin Retinal & Peptides Repair Night Cream”
  • Lightweight Absorption and Texture Sometimes NotedOften Mentioned
    • “sinks easily into damp skin — Allies of Skin Tranexamic & Arbutin Advanced Brightening Serum”
    • “Absorbs instantly without sticky feeling — Allies of Skin Peptides & Antioxidants Firming Daily Treatment”
    • “Sinks in immediately — The Ordinary Multi-Peptide + Copper Peptides 1% Serum”
  • High Price Point Rarely NotedMostly Mentioned
    • “Expensive for Ordinary — The Ordinary Multi-Peptide + Copper Peptides 1% Serum”
    • “Pricey — Allies of Skin Copper Tripeptide & Ectoin Advanced Repair Serum”
  • Sticky and Tacky Finish Often MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “didn't like how sticky face feels — Allies of Skin Molecular Saviour Probiotics Treatment Mist”
    • “feels very sticky — The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5”
  • Stinging and Skin Irritation Often MentionedSometimes Noted
    • “Slightly irritating... when I first started — Allies of Skin Copper Tripeptide & Ectoin Advanced Repair Serum”
    • “rashes popped up on my neck — Allies of Skin Tranexamic & Arbutin Advanced Brightening Serum”
    • “stings my eyes — Allies of Skin Peptides & Omegas Firming Eye Cream”
    • “stings a little but worth it — The Ordinary AHA 30% + BHA 2% Peeling Solution”
  • 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”
    • “Didn't do anything special — The Ordinary Alpha Arbutin 2% + HA”
    • “still not impressed with the results — Allies of Skin Tranexamic & Arbutin Advanced Brightening Serum”

The Ordinary vs Allies of Skin routines for dry skin

Buy Allies of Skin routine · £137.36 · 98% fitBuy The Ordinary routine · £90.51 · 97% fitSee multi-brand routine · 99% fit

The Ordinary vs Allies of Skin routines for oily skin

Buy The Ordinary routine · £120.07 · 93% fitBuy Allies of Skin routine · £276.71 · 93% fitSee multi-brand routine · 97% fit

The Ordinary vs Allies of Skin routines for combination skin

Buy Allies of Skin routine · £254.43 · 94% fitBuy The Ordinary routine · £134.25 · 92% fitSee multi-brand routine · 96% fit

Questions and answers

The Ordinary or Allies of Skin: which is better?

Both brands are great, with The Ordinary delivering better value, texture-smoothing, and acne-clearing results for the products on this page, while Allies of Skin stands out for its hydrating, plumping, and calming moisturizers. Both brands share a Superior routine fit across all skin types.

What is the difference between The Ordinary and Allies of Skin?

The Ordinary focuses on affordable, value-driven serums that help smooth texture and clear acne, whereas Allies of Skin offers pricier, soothing moisturizers known for hydration and plumping. Both brands offer products on this page with fragrance-free formulas.

The Ordinary or Allies of Skin for dry skin?

For dry skin, both The Ordinary and Allies of Skin are a Superior fit on Lovi. The Ordinary products on this page often help with skin texture improvement, while Allies of Skin tends to provide better hydration and plumping benefits.

Dermatologic Therapy, 2022

The Ordinary or Allies of Skin: which moisturizer is better?

Both The Ordinary and Allies of Skin provide moisturizers that deliver superior routine fit for dry skin. The Ordinary features affordable options formulated with ingredients like natural moisturizing factors and hyaluronic acid, while Allies of Skin offers advanced treatments focusing on peptides, antioxidants, and probiotics.

Dermatologic Therapy, 2022

Which is more affordable, The Ordinary or Allies of Skin?

The Ordinary is more affordable, as reviewers often mention its great value and pricing, whereas Allies of Skin has a high price point.

Which brand has better texture-smoothing serums, The Ordinary or Allies of Skin?

The Ordinary does better for skin texture improvement and smoothing among the products on this page.

Do products from The Ordinary and Allies of Skin contain fragrance?

Every product on this page from both The Ordinary and Allies of Skin lists no fragrance in its ingredients.

Which brand performs better for hydration and plumping?

Allies of Skin performs better for hydration and plumping among the products on this page.

Dermatologic Therapy, 2022

The Ordinary or Allies of Skin for oily skin?

Both The Ordinary and Allies of Skin provide an equal Superior routine fit level for oily skin. The Ordinary offers great value and acne-clearing serums on the products on this page, while Allies of Skin provides lightweight absorption and texture.

The Ordinary or Allies of Skin for sensitive skin?

Both The Ordinary and Allies of Skin achieve a Superior routine fit for sensitive skin on this page, but they differ significantly in value and user feedback. The Ordinary offers affordable products with widely praised gentle formulations, whereas Allies of Skin tends to have a higher price point alongside reports of initial irritation.

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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