Ah, The Ordinary. We all have that shelfie lineup of little dropper bottles that completely changed our skincare game. Their straightforward, science-first approach made potent ingredients like hyaluronic acid and retinol accessible to everyone, proving that effective skincare doesn't have to cost a fortune.
But if you love their no-nonsense vibe and are looking to expand your routine, you're in the right place. Here are 18 amazing brands that deliver powerful, ingredient-focused formulas just like The Ordinary.
Often seen as The Ordinary’s closest competitor, The Inkey List delivers single-ingredient focused skincare at incredibly low prices. Their mission is to simplify skincare, offering straightforward solutions with transparent labeling. Think of them as your friendly skincare guide - their packaging even tells you exactly where each product fits into your routine.
If you love The Ordinary's price point but want a slightly more user-friendly experience, The Inkey List is a must-try. Their curated lineup means less confusion and more effective results. Popular products include their Hyaluronic Acid Serum and budget-friendly Retinol.
Shop now at theinkeylist.com
If you're ready to graduate to more complex, research-backed formulas, Paula's Choice is your next stop. They are famous for their powerhouse exfoliants, like the 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant, and offer targeted treatments for everything from acne to aging. Expect a higher price point than The Ordinary, generally in the $20-$40 range, but for that, you get sophisticated, fragrance-free formulas built on decades of clinical testing.
While The Ordinary gives you the individual ingredients to build your own routine, Paula’s Choice offers multi-ingredient products designed for maximum synergy and efficacy, especially for sensitive or reactive skin.
Shop now at paulaschoice.com
While The Ordinary masters active treatments, CeraVe focuses on building a strong, healthy skin barrier - the foundation of all good skin. This dermatologist-loved brand is all about gentle, effective essentials packed with ceramides and hyaluronic acid. Their cleansers and moisturizers are iconic for a reason, providing amazing hydration at a drugstore price point of around $10-$20.
If harsh actives have left your skin feeling compromised, CeraVe is the perfect brand to bring it back to a happy, balanced state. They're less about targeted treatments and more about nurturing your skin's core health.
Shop now at cerave.com
For those who want The Ordinary's effectiveness with a splash of fun, Glow Recipe is a dream come true. This brand combines potent actives with yummy, fruit-forward extracts in vibrant, shelfie-worthy packaging. Their Watermelon Glow Niacinamide Dew Drops is a cult favorite for its instant radiance boost.
Priced around $20-$50, it’s more of a sensorial experience than The Ordinary. You still get visible results from ingredients like AHAs and BHAs, but with the added bonus of amazing textures and lovely, light scents.
Shop now at glowrecipe.com
If your love for effective ingredients is matched by your passion for clean and natural formulas, The Detox Market is the place for you. This retailer curates the best in green beauty, and their own skincare line mirrors The Ordinary’s focus on results-driven actives. The key difference is a strict emphasis on non-toxic, organic, and sustainable ingredients.
The Detox Market is ideal for those who want that same level of transparency and high-potency serums but with a conscious, plant-based approach.
Shop now at thedetoxmarket.com
Good Molecules is another direct competitor to The Ordinary, offering effective, science-backed skincare without the markup. With most products under $20, the brand prioritizes ingredient transparency, listing percentages and concentrations right on the bottle. Their formulas focus on trusted actives like niacinamide, retinol, and vitamin C.
Their approach is almost identical to The Ordinary’s, from the minimalist packaging to the low prices. It’s a fantastic line for anyone wanting to build an effective routine on a tight budget.
Shop now at goodmolecules.com
Versed makes clean, result-driven skincare simple and accessible. You can find them at Target, and their products (priced around $12-$30) take the confusion out of skincare with clear names and purpose-driven formulas. They use trusted actives like retinol and glycolic acid but often in gentler, creamier formulas than some of The Ordinary's potent serums.
Versed shares a commitment to clean ingredients and affordability but wraps it in more colorful, modern branding. It hits the sweet spot between clinical effectiveness and shelf appeal.
Shop now at versedskin.com
Naturium balances potent, clinically effective ingredients with elegant textures, making your routine feel a bit more luxurious without the high-end cost ($15-$30). Known for beloved products like their Niacinamide Serum 12% Plus Zinc 2% and Vitamin C Complex Serum, the brand champions efficacy and ingredient transparency.
Think of Naturium as the slightly chicer, more sophisticated alternative to The Ordinary. You get the same focus on active ingredients but in more cosmetically elegant formulas that layer beautifully under makeup.
Shop now at naturium.com
Instanatural offers powerful, plant-based skincare designed to deliver visible improvements. With most products under $20, they utilize actives you know from The Ordinary - like Vitamin C, Retinol, and Hyaluronic Acid - but source them from natural origins. They are a great choice if you're looking for clean formulas that don’t compromise on potency.
Like The Ordinary, they provide straightforward solutions for common skin concerns, but with a special focus on leveraging the best that nature has to offer.
Shop now at instanatural.com
If you love the science of The Ordinary's parent company, Deciem, then you need to meet its high-tech older sibling, NIOD. Standing for "Non-Invasive Options in Dermal Science," NIOD uses cutting-edge, next-generation technologies to deliver serious results. The science is more complex, and so is the price point ($30-$100), but the innovation is unmatched.
NIOD is The Ordinary for the serious skincare nerd who wants to go beyond "good" ingredients and experience breakthrough formulations. Consider their Copper Amino Isolate Serum 3 1:1 an investment in your skin's future.
Shop now at niod.com
Don't sleep on this drugstore gem! While Vaseline might be famous for its petroleum jelly, the Clinical Care line is fantastic for seriously dry, compromised, or sensitive skin. It’s less about potent actives and more about intense hydration and barrier repair, often at a price point well under $15.
It's The Ordinary-adjacent in its focus on simple, effective solutions for a specific problem. When your skin is screaming for moisture and nothing else works, this line is an underrated hero.
Shop now at vaseline.com
Biossance elegantly merges clinical efficacy with clean, sustainable beauty. Their hero ingredient is squalane, a highly moisturizing molecule derived from sugarcane. They pair it with well-known actives like Lactic Acid and Vitamin C to create formulas that hydrate *and* treat. Pricing is more premium, around $30-$50 per product.
Compared to The Ordinary, Biossance offers a plusher, more luxurious experience with a heavy emphasis on sustainability. It’s perfect if you're looking for "clean clinical" skincare.
Shop now at biossance.com
Youth to the People taps into the power of superfoods and pairs them with clinical-grade actives. Their cult-favorite Superfood Cleanser gives you a daily dose of greens, while their Mandelic Acid + Superfood Unity Exfoliant delivers potent results. This brand feels like an LA wellness juice bar for your face.
Youth to the People shares The Ordinary's interest in effective actives, but with a focus on whole-plant extracts and antioxidant benefits. Sitting in the $30-$60 range, it serves a wellness-focused customer who wants clean ingredients and results.
Shop now at youthtothepeople.com
Known for insanely affordable makeup, e.l.f. has also made a splash with its skincare line, E.l.f. Skin. Offering effective products like the Holy Hydration! collection and ingredient-driven serums starting at under $15, they are directly competing in The Ordinary’s price category. They make trying new things fun and accessible, from jelly cleansers to peeling exfoliants.
E.l.f. Skin delivers the same affordability and ingredient focus as The Ordinary but wrapped in a more playful, Gen-Z friendly package.
Shop now at elfcosmetics.com
Stratia is an indie, science-first brand beloved by the online skincare community. It was founded by a beauty blogger with a background in chemistry who wanted to create truly effective, research-backed products. Its hero product, Liquid Gold, is a legendary ceramide-rich moisturizer for healing a damaged skin barrier.
If you've played with The Ordinary's single actives and possibly overdone it, Stratia is the perfect brand to restore your skin's health. With products mostly in the $15-$30 range, it offers thoughtfully crafted formulas that focus on skin health over trends.
Shop now at stratiaskin.com
A star in the K-beauty world, Klairs is dedicated to creating simple, highly effective skincare for sensitive skin. They focus on calming and essential ingredients. Their beloved Supple Preparation Unscented Toner is a favorite for hydration, while their Freshly Juiced Vitamin Drop is a great, gentle brightening serum.
Klairs offers the ingredient transparency of The Ordinary at a similar price point ($15-$30) but channels it through a Korean skincare philosophy - meaning gentler formulas that support the skin barrier over time.
Shop now at klairscosmetics.com
While The Body Shop is a massive brand, its Vitamin C collection operates much like a standalone routine focused on a single hero ingredient. For around $20-$40, you can get potent brighteners, glow-boosting moisturizers, and skin-smoothing serums designed to give you that lit-from-within look. It’s perfect for tackling dullness and uneven skin tone.
This line channels The Ordinary’s focus on targeting a specific issue with a star ingredient, but with an emphasis on antioxidant-rich, nature-inspired formulas.
Shop now at thebodyshop.com
Another K-beauty giant, Cosrx is praised for its minimalist yet highly effective formulas. The brand shines with targeted treatments for acne-prone and sensitive skin, featuring unique ingredients like snail mucin alongside classic workhorses like BHA and centella. Their price point ($10-$30) makes their products extremely accessible.
Cosrx is the perfect alternative for The Ordinary fans who want gentle-yet-powerful K-beauty solutions for concerns like inflammation, acne, and clogged pores. Their BHA Blackhead Power Liquid is an absolute game-changer.
Shop now at cosrx.com
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