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Product Comparison

Here's our complete breakdown comparing the ingredients, attributes, and more of Obagi Professional-C Serum 20% versus The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5 .

Last updated on February 16, 2024. Published on March 07, 2021

Overview

What they are

These products are both fungal acne (malassezia) safe and reef safe . They have a total of 4 ingredients in common

Cool Features

They both contain hyaluronic acid

Suited For

They're both likely to be good for dry skin and brightening skin

Free From

They both do not contain any common allergens, oils, parabens, silicones or sulfates

We independently verify ingredients, and our claims are backed by peer-reviewed research. Spot a product that need an update? Let us know.

Serum American Brand United States
Facial Treatment Canadian Brand Canada

Serum

Serums are highly concentrated with ingredients to provide skin with benefits. They should be used after cleansing and before moisturizing.

Facial Treatment

Facial treatments are specially designed to treat a skin concern. Acne treatments and anti-aging products are common examples of facial treatments.

Price

Shop

Buy Professional-C Serum 20%

Starts at $139.00
Shop

Buy Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5

Starts at $8.90

Ingredient Info

Click any item below to learn more and view relevant ingredients.
alcohol-free
silicon-free
fragrance-free
sulfate-free
paraben-free
oil-free
fungal-acne safe
reef-safe
eu-allergen-free
vegan
cruelty-free
alcohol-free
silicon-free
fragrance-free
sulfate-free
paraben-free
oil-free
fungal-acne safe
reef-safe
eu-allergen-free
vegan
cruelty-free

At a glance

Click on any of the items below to learn more

Notable Ingredients

Vitamin C (2)
Hyaluronic Acid

Benefits

Hydrating
Redness Reducing (2)
Skin Texture (2)
Anti-Aging (2)
Dark Spots (2)
Scar Healing (2)
Brightening (2)

Concerns

Drying
May Worsen Oily Skin
Irritating
Rosacea (2)
Eczema (3)

Benefits

Hydrating
Reduces Irritation
Brightening

Concerns

Irritating
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Ingredients Side-by-side

Ingredients that are highlighted in purple are present in both products.

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Ingredients Explained

These ingredients are found in both products.

Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.

1
What it does: Skin Conditioning, Solvent
Community Rating: Loved

Water. It's the most common cosmetic ingredient of all. You'll usually see it at the top of ingredient lists, meaning that it makes up the largest part of the product.

So why is it so popular? Water most often acts as a solvent - this means that it helps dissolve other ingredients into the formulation.

You'll also recognize water as that liquid we all need to stay alive. Talk about multi-purpose! If you see this, drink a glass of water. Stay hydrated!

Learn more about Water

Obagi Professional-C Serum 20% contains this as ingredient number 2.

The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5 contains this as ingredient number 1.

2
What it does: Humectant, Solvent
Community Rating: Mixed

Ethoxydiglycol is a synthetic solvent.

Solvents are used to keep ingredients together in a product. They can help dissolve ingredients to stable bases or help evenly distribute ingredients throughout the product.

Ethoxydiglycol also helps deliver other key ingredients into the skin.

Learn more about Ethoxydiglycol

Obagi Professional-C Serum 20% contains this as ingredient number 6.

The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5 contains this as ingredient number 12.

3
What it does: Preservative
Community Rating: Very Disliked

Phenoxyethanol is a preservative that has germicide, antimicrobial, and aromatic properties. Studies show that phenoxyethanol can prevent germ and microbial growth. By itself, it has a scent that is similar to that of a rose.

It's often used in formulations along with Caprylyl Glycol to preserve the shelf life of products.

Obagi Professional-C Serum 20% contains this as ingredient number 7.

The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5 contains this as ingredient number 16.

4
What it does: Humectant, Skin Conditioning
Community Rating: Loved

Sodium Hyaluronate is hyaluronic acid's salt form. It is commonly derived from the sodium salt of hyaluronic acid.

Like hyaluronic acid, it is great at holding water and acts as a humectant. This makes it a great skin hydrating ingredient.

Sodium Hyaluronate is naturally occurring in our bodies and is mostly found in eye fluid and joints.

These are some other common types of Hyaluronic Acid:

Learn more about Sodium Hyaluronate

Obagi Professional-C Serum 20% contains this as ingredient number 9.

The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5 contains this as ingredient number 2.

Here's what our community thinks of the ingredients in these two products.

42% are loved or liked
8% have mixed ratings
33% are disliked or very disliked
17% have no rating yet
47% are loved or liked
29% have mixed ratings
24% are disliked or very disliked
0% have no rating yet

Usage

Here's some more info on how this product is used by our community.

When to use

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Reviews

Here's what our community thinks

Obagi Professional-C Serum 20% 12 ingredients

Professional-C Serum 20% hasn't been rated yet.
Rate it now

The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5 17 ingredients

4.3 /5
from 3 ratings

Alternatives

Our Dupe Finder has found 50 potential alternatives that have similar ingredients to Obagi Professional-C Serum 20%.

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We haven't detected any alternatives for The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5.

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