Skincare Comparison

Here's our complete breakdown comparing the ingredients, attributes, and more of The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5 versus CeraVe Hydrating Hyaluronic Acid Face Serum .

    that both contain aha and hyaluronic acid.
  • they both do not contain any common allergens, oils or parabens.
  • they're both likely to be good for sensitive skin and reducing pores.
  • they are reef safe.
  • these products have a total of 8 ingredients in common.
Facial Treatment Canadian Brand Canada
Serum Canadian Brand Canada

Facial Treatment

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

Serum

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

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

AHA
Hyaluronic Acid

Benefits

Reduces Irritation
Reduces Large Pores

Concerns

Drying
Irritating (2)

Notable Ingredients

AHA
Ceramides (3)
Hyaluronic Acid

Benefits

Redness Reducing (3)
Reduces Irritation
Reduces Large Pores
Anti-Aging (3)

Concerns

Drying
Acne Trigger (2)
Irritating

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's there to help 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!

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

CeraVe Hydrating Hyaluronic Acid Face Serum contains this as ingredient number 1.

Learn more about Water
2
What it does: Humectant, Skin Conditioning
Community Rating: Liked

Sodium Hyaluronate is hyaluronic acid's salt form.

Sodium Hyaluronate is great at holding water and acts as a humectant. It plays a role in hydrating and soothing skin.

It is naturally occurring in our bodies and is mostly found in eye fluid and joints; it is commonly derived from sodium salt of hyaluronic acid.

These are some other common types of Hyaluronic Acid:

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

CeraVe Hydrating Hyaluronic Acid Face Serum contains this as ingredient number 7.

Learn more about Sodium Hyaluronate
3
What it does: Skin Conditioning
Community Rating: Loved

Panthenol (also referred to as pro-vitamin B5) is a common ingredient that helps hydrate and soothe the skin.

Panthenol is a humectant, meaning that it helps the skin attract and retain moisture. It's also known to have anti-inflammatory abilities. This means that it's great for sensitive, irritation-prone skin.

The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5 contains this as ingredient number 6.

CeraVe Hydrating Hyaluronic Acid Face Serum contains this as ingredient number 8.

Learn more about Panthenol
4
What it does: Humectant, Skin Conditioning, Skin Protecting, Solvent
Community Rating: Loved

Glycerin is already naturally found in your skin and helps moisturize and protect your skin. A study from 2016 found glycerin to be more effective as a humectant than AHAs and hyaluronic acid.

Glycerin is a humectant, helping the skin retain moisture by pulling moisture to your skin. The low molecular weight of glycerin allows it to pull moisture into the deeper layers of your skin. Having moisturized skin helps improve the skin barrier. Your skin barrier protects against skin irritants and bacteria.

Glycerin has also been found to have antimicrobial and antiviral properties. Due to these properties, glycerin is often used in wound and burn treatments.

In cosmetics, glycerin is usually derived from plants such as soybean or palm. However, animal sources include tallow. It is organic, colorless, odorless, and non-toxic.

Glycerin is the name for this ingredient in American English while British English uses Glycerol/Glycerine.

The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5 contains this as ingredient number 8.

CeraVe Hydrating Hyaluronic Acid Face Serum contains this as ingredient number 2.

Learn more about Glycerin
5
What it does: Masking
Community Rating: Mixed

Citric Acid is an AHA derived from citrus fruits (think oranges, lemons, and limes!). A small amount is used in formulas to adjust the pH of products. In higher concentrations, it can exfoliate skin.

As an AHA, Citric Acid removes the top layer of skin cells from the newer layer of skin underneath. This helps skin to remove dark spots and look more even.

Read more about some other popular AHA's here:

The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5 contains this as ingredient number 10.

CeraVe Hydrating Hyaluronic Acid Face Serum contains this as ingredient number 22.

Learn more about Citric Acid
6
What it does: Skin Conditioning
Community Rating: Mixed

Ethylhexylglycerin (we can't pronounce this either) is commonly used as a preservative and skin softener. It is derived from glyceryl.

You might see Ethylhexylglycerin often paired with other preservatives such as phenoxyethanol. Ethylhexylglycerin has been found to increase the effectiveness of these other preservatives.

The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5 contains this as ingredient number 13.

CeraVe Hydrating Hyaluronic Acid Face Serum contains this as ingredient number 25.

Learn more about Ethylhexylglycerin
7
What it does: Preservative
Community Rating: 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.

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

CeraVe Hydrating Hyaluronic Acid Face Serum contains this as ingredient number 18.

Learn more about Phenoxyethanol
8
What it does: Emollient, Skin Conditioning
Community Rating: Liked

Caprylyl Glycol is a humectant, meaning it retains and preserves moisture. It is a common ingredient in many products, especially those designed to hydrate skin. The primary benefits are retaining moisture, skin softening, and promoting a healthy skin barrier.

Though Caprylyl Glycol is an alcohol derived from fatty acids, it is not the kind that can dry out skin.

This ingredient is also used as a preservative to extend the life of products.

The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5 contains this as ingredient number 17.

CeraVe Hydrating Hyaluronic Acid Face Serum contains this as ingredient number 21.

Learn more about Caprylyl Glycol

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

47% are loved or liked
18% have mixed ratings
12% are disliked or very disliked
24% have no rating yet
36% are loved or liked
16% have mixed ratings
36% are disliked or very disliked
12% 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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Ratings

Here's what our community thinks

The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5 17 ingredients

3.8 /5
Honestly No Difference

my face felt sticky and not hydrated at all after using it. its ok

from kawaiidesuwu_683
There's Better Out There!

i like the ordinary. most of their products are wonderful and, impressively, effective. especially for being on the cheaper side. however, their hyaluronic acid serum isn't as impressive. i want to say I'm in love with this one, but i barely saw any results. as i incorporated this serum into my routine, my skin felt a lot smoother like a baby's bum. i would use it daily morning and night. i'd apply 2-3 drops on my face and then mix it along with my moisturizer for boosted results. i like h...

from ocsytosin
Brightened + Softened My Face!

this is THE product that i always keep on hand. it makes my face look so much more alive and bright when i use it. i also think it helps with softening my face. i haven't had any adverse effects!

from junowo

CeraVe Hydrating Hyaluronic Acid Face Serum 25 ingredients

Hydrating Hyaluronic Acid Face Serum hasn't been rated yet.
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