9 Brands like The Ordinary That Your Skin Will Love

The Ordinary has become one of the best skincare brands out there in a short period of time because it’s affordable, effective, and reliable. But most other skincare brands available are much pricier when compared to The Ordinary’s budget-friendly price tags. Let’s look at other brands like The Ordinary that are affordable and highly effective!

P.S. Shop my favorite products here!

Here are some other skincare articles you’ll LOVE:

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• Drunk Elephant: Why You Shouldn’t Buy and Dupes
• 10 DIY Skincare Hacks You Should NEVER Ever Try

Brands Like The Ordinary

The Inkey List

The Inkey List is another brand that is compared to The Ordinary A LOT and with good reason. This brand is basically the UK version of The Ordinary – that’s how similar they are!

All their products are UNDER $15 which is really, really affordable in the skincare world.

Infact, The Inkey List is even carried in Sephora now, which is a huge deal because Sephora is pretty pricey.

They focus a lot on their ingredients, with heavy research to back up their formulas – which is great for customers because it means that customers get skincare that has been researched and proven to be effective.

If you’re looking for brands like The Ordinary, you HAVE to try out The Inkey List.

2 Products to Try From The Inkey List

The Inkey List Q10 Face Serum – $12.77

This face serum is great to hydrate and protect your skin. It also helps reduce the look of fine lines and wrinkles.

I know you might be worried about using face serums because you think they’ll clog your pores and break you out, but this face serum protects against damage from the environment.

The Inkey List Niacinamide – $13.76

This niacinamide is a great addition to your skincare. Niacinamide helps build cells in your skin and protects it from environmental damage. It’s also really great for acne prone skin! It will also improve your skin texture and reduce the appearance of pores.

And to be honest, I like this niacinamide product from The Inkey List much more than The Ordinary’s. It’s less sticky and tacky and applies more smoothly.

Cerave

If you’re looking for brands like The Ordinary, then you MUST try Cerave. Cerave is a cult classic in the skincare world and it’s easy to see why.

The brand is very intentional in it’s products, packed with great ingredients for your skin at a super accessible price point. All of Cerave’s products are also fragrance-free, which is great because fragrances can be irritating.

I also tend to trust Cerave’s products more because they are so heavily researched and formulated with dermatologists.

Plus, Cerave has an awesome range of products, so there’s always alternatives available for different skin types and situations.

Cerave is often compared to Cetaphil, a rival skincare brand. If you’re trying to choose between Cerave and Cetaphil, then Cerave definitely wins because of their better ingredients and range.

2 Products to Try from Cerave

Cerave SE Smoothing Cleanser with Salicylic Acid – $9.87 (on sale!)

This cleanser is a Cerave holy grail product. It’s a gentle exfoliator with Cerave’s essential ceramides and hyalruonic acid to keep your skin hydrated and plump. Definitely check this product out!

Cerave Moisturizing Cream – $16.08

When it comes to moisturizers, Cerave is simple yet packed with great ingredients, and affordable! It’s rich, creamy, and feels a lot more luxe for it’s price point. This moisturizer is one of the products Cerave is most known for, and I can totally see why. Get it here on Amazon.

Good Molecules

I have mentioned this brand previously in this article about why you should stop using Drunk Elephant and I am so excited to about the brand in a bit more detail.

When looking for brands like The Ordinary, the two aspects of any brand must be that it’s affordable and that it’s effective. And Good Molecules is just that! At super budget-friendly prices, one might be a bit suspicious on if the products even work, but trust me, these work!

Good Molecules is vegan and don’t test their products on animals which is a big WIN. The products are heavily researched and backed by science, and their products are as low in price as $6! Their products are ingredient-focused, which makes them highly effective. Plus, without the retail markup that most skincare brands implement, it’s hard to beat the prices of Good Molecules.

The only downside about this brand is that the product range is pretty limited, which sucks considering how awesome their products are. Other than that, Good Molecules is eerily comparable to The Ordinary.

2 Products to Try from Good Molecules

Good Molecules Instant Cleansing Balm – $15

This cleansing balm is comparable to Clinique’s Take the Day Off Cleansing balm at a fraction of the price!

Good Molecules Caffeine Energizing Eye Patches (30 pairs!) – $30.00

If you like eye products, then you’ll love these eye patches! They remind me of The Ordinary’s caffeine eye serum, except they are in patch form. If you have dark under eye circles, these patches will help to brighten and hydrate your under eye. They also really, really help with puffiness under the eye.

Not to mention the packaging is adorable and so much cheaper than some luxury skincare brands that charge an arm and a leg for a pack of 3 eye patches.

VERSED Skincare

Another favorite! Versed Skincare claims to be the cleanest skincare brand in the market and we can totally see why: it’s vegan and cruelty-free, has no artificial fragrances, no sulfates, no parabens, and no silicones (among a boat-load of other things). Plus, none of their products is more than $21.99!

You can buy Versed online and in-stores at Target.

What’s really convenient is that they have an Ingredient Glossary that breaks down all the ingredients they use.

This brand is so refreshing and shows that you don’t need good skincare to be crazy expensive.

2 Products to Try by VERSED Skincare

VERSED Silk Slip Conditioning Lip Oil – $15.98

This is a fan favorite from VERSED! They also come in many different shades, so you’ll definitely find a color you like. If you want a lip product that moisturizes and is long-lasting, you will love this! They also absrob really nicely into your lips, so it doesn’t feel like you have oil slipping and slopping all over your mouth.

VERSED Hyaluronic Acid Serum – $19.44

This hyaluronic serum is the ultimate moisturizing serum. It hydrates the surface of your skin and its deeper layers. It also feels very lightweight and thin on the skin, which is really refreshing, because I don’t know about you but The Ordinary’s hyaluronic serum is a bit too sticky for me.

This is a great alternative to The Ordinary’s hyaluronic serum!

Krave Beauty

This is a vegan and cruelty-free skincare brand started by Youtuber Liah Yoo, and it is AMAZING. The brand focuses largely on science-based research with thoroughly tested and researched formulas – which means that every ingredient in every product is there for a specific reason and serves a particular purpose.

Thought this isn’t related to their skincare products, I think it’s incredible that the brand focuses so much on ethics and social and environmental responsibility.

The brand is also quite affordable, considering the quality of the products. Yes, it’s not as cheap as The Ordinary but it is comparable in terms of the science-based products and the incredible active ingredients used in both brands.

If you’re looking for brands like The Ordinary, though Krave Beauty may not be exactly the same, it is a great option that I would highly recommend.

2 Products to Try From Krave Beauty

Krave Beauty Kale-lalu-yAHA Exfoliator – $25

This exfoliant has glycolic acid which dissolves the smallest skin cells on your face to give you glowy, healthy looking skin.

You just need the tiniest amount and it will leave your face so glowy and refreshed looking, it crazy! It’s also gentle and non-irritating which is pretty rare in exfoliants.

Highly recommend this one!

Krave Beauty Great Barrier Relief – $28

If this product isn’t in your skincare routine already, it needs to be! This product is meant to reduce sensitivity of the skin and restore your skin to it’s best self after all the things your skin has to go through on a daily basis, from over cleansing to pollution.

It’s unique, innovative, and very effective. I guarantee that when you use this product, you will see a noticeable difference in your skin. It will make your skin healthier, more supple, and more hydrated.

Definitely try this product out, if not for anything else, but to see how different and unique it is. I’ve never seen a restorative skincare product like this before, especially at this low a price point.

COSRX

This Korean skincare brand is taking over! With simple ingredients, this brand is perfect if you have sensitive. Their products focus on actives – the ingredients that are scientifically proven to be beneficial for your skin – so you know you’re getting no-nonsense products.

The brand especially is great for acne-prone skin types.

Plus, though the brand is definitely not as cheap as The Ordinary, you can find amazing quality products under $30.

If you want to try Korean skincare, COSRX is an excellent choice!

2 Products to Try From COSRX

COSRX Acne Pimple Master Patch – $8.80 (for 3 packs of 24!)

These pimp patches are one of COSRX’s most popular products. Meant to minimize the look and feel of pimples, the brand is probably most closely associated with this product.

I know so many people who swear by these patches, so they’re definitely worth the try!

COSRX AHA 7 Whitehead Power Liquid – $14

This Glycolic acid power liquid exfoliates the skin and makes your skin look more even-toned and radiant.

If you’re using it in the morning as a part of your AM skincare routine, make sure to wear sunscreen afterwards to protect your skin. This is especially important if your skin is sensitive.

Dear Klairs

This vegan and cruelty-free skincare brand is, like most of the other brands mentioned above, spending less money on PR and marketing, and more into research to create simple yet effective products.

The brand explicitly says its for people with sensitive skin, so if you have sensitive skin, definitely give this brand a look.

And it’s affordable! Check out these popular products from the brands.

2 Products to Try from Dear Klairs

Dear Klairs Freshly Juiced Vitamin E Mask – $23.99

This mask has niacinamide and vitamin E for antioxidation and brightening! What’s extra special about this vitamin E mask is that there’s no artificial coloring or fragrances in it, or any silicones and ethanol.

You can also use it as a sleeping mask or a daily moisturizer.

Dear Klairs Freshly Juiced Vitamin Drop – $22

The ingredients in this vitamin C serum are safe and non-irritant, and have kinda become a cult classic in the beauty community.

The percentage of vitamin C in this serum is only 5%, which makes it great for all skin types, and especially if your skin is sensitive.

If you want your skin to be brighter, more even, and reduce the appearance of dark spots, I would highly recommend this Dear Klairs vitamin C serum!

Naturium

When this brand was first launched, earlier this year, there was a lot of controversy surrounding it, because of some questionable things it’s co-founder, Susan Yara, did.

But regardless of that, the brand is good and there’s no denying it.

This clean brand – with no parabens, sulfates, mineral oils, and fragrances – has 100% plant-based formulas AND each product is for $25 or less!

All products are scientifically tested and dermatologist tested to ensure effectiveness.

This natural and affordable skincare brand is definitely comparable to higher end skin brands but with much lower price tags.

2 Products to Try From Naturium

Naturium Retinol Complex Serum – $20

This retinol serum smooths fine lines and wrinkles, improves skin elasticity, and makes improves your skin texture. The way the product is formulated, you get the benefits of a retinol without all the usual problems and irritations.

Naturium Quadruple Hyaluronic Acid Serum 5% – $16

HYDRATION, HYDRATION, HYDRATION! This serum gives you maximum moisture and makes your skin plump and juicy. This serum is great for dry, sensitive, and acne-prone skin.

You can use this morning and night.

Simple

This brand focuses on simple solutions for sensitive skin. There’s a heavy focus on ‘natural’ ingredients and formulas.

Personally, I find the whole ‘natural’ gimmick a bit irritating because natural doesn’t mean GOOD. Dirt and soil are natural, but you wouldn’t put that on your face, would you? Chemicals can be great for your skin, and brands like The Ordinary have proved that.

So, you can imagine how suspicious I was about Simple skincare. But, I was pleasantly surprised at how much I liked them.

The brand is also super, super affordable!

NOTE: the same brand may have different ingredients in different countries so definitely read the ingredients because the ingredients in the US may not be the same as the ingredients in the UK. Simple has different ingredients in the same products in different countries.

2 Products to Try From Simple

Simple Kind to Skin Replenish Rich Moisturizer – $4.29

This is a good basic moisturizer – PERFECT for sensitive skin.

When my acne was really bad, I needed to reset my skin and start fresh with a basic, simple (see what I did there?) moisturizer after all the fancy skincare I was using and this was great for that.

Simple Skin Quench, Sleeping Cream – $4.95

This sleeping cream is a great, basic moisturizer. Since it’s a sleeping cream, it is thicker, and great for dry skin.

In general, if you’re just getting started in skincare or want something very basic but effective, then you will love Simple’s products.

I hope this list introduced you to some awesome affordable and effective brands like The Ordinary.

Check out these articles on Drunk Elephant Dupes and the 4 Best Ingredients for Acne!