It’s time to start looking for cruelty-free alternatives to The Ordinary. You might be thinking:
“Why? They are openly cruelty-free and vegan already!”
Well, this Tuesday, February 23rd, 2021 word came out that cosmetic overlord Estée Lauder would be acquiring Deciem, the parent company behind popular skincare brand The Ordinary.
Estée Lauder has been holding shares to Deciem since 2017 already, but over the span of three years will increase its investment from 29% to 76%, and plans to buy the rest of the company eventually.
This has been heartbreaking news since so many of us loved The Ordinary’s affordable products and minimalistic approach to skincare.
All their formulas are vegan, fragrance-free, and (used to be) cruelty-free.
It’s also speculated that this major change could lead to increased prices and less transparency in ingredient sourcing down the road.
Is The Ordinary no longer cruelty-free?
The Ordinary and Deciem will likely not begin testing on animals per se but are now owned by a company that does test on animals. Meaning by spending money on The Ordinary products, you support animal testing.
Of course, it is up to you how strict you are. Estée Lauder also owns a couple of PETA-certified brands such as Le Labo, Too Faced, and Smashbox.
I personally try to steer clear of any companies that are owned by parent companies that test on animals whenever I can. However, if I can’t find an alternative, I’ve made exceptions in the past.
Also, check out my Guide to Vegan-Friendly Perfumes!
Estée Lauder’s controversies over the years
Estée Lauder has also been tangled up in some serious controversies in the past years, just to name a few:
- Ronald Lauder making over 1.6 million $ in contribution to Pro-Trump campaigns
- Shipping the wrong color foundation to a Korean online customer with a note saying that the product she initially ordered “does not suit Asians.”
- Executive Group President John Demsey posting misogynist memes on Instagram
Deciem’s controversies over the years
Deciem itself also struck a chord with consumers every now and then. Their founder and ex-CEO Brandon Truaxe has been known to post and say… interesting things. Elle magazine actually published a whole timeline of all the Deciem drama of the past years.
Companies with similar concepts to The Ordinary
If you’ve just made the decision to use up your The Ordinary products and buy from somewhere else once you’re finished, you’re in luck!
I’ve found some cruelty-free alternatives for all the most popular The Ordinary products!
The two brands I’ve found are the most similar to The Ordinary’s concept overall are
The Inkey List
and
Revolution Skincare.
Even if some of the products listed below are very similar to The Ordinary products, please keep in mind that most of them are not exact dupes.
I’m just listing skincare products that have similar claims, active ingredients or uses.
Cruelty-Free Alternatives to
The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5
COSRX Hydrium Triple
Hyaluronic Moisture Ampoule
Available at Little Wonderland
Purito Pure Hyaluronic
Acid 90 Serum
Available at Little Wonderland
and Flaconi
Revolution Skincare
Plumping & Hydrating Serum
– 2% Hyaluronic Acid
Available at Revolution Beauty
Cruelty-Free Alternatives to
The Ordinary AHA 30% + BHA 2% Peeling Solution
Revolution Skincare 30% AHA
+ BHA Peeling Solution
Available at Revolution Beauty
Herbivore Prism 20% AHA
+ 5% BHA Exfoliating Glow Facial
Available at Niche Beauty
Cruelty-Free Alternatives to
The Ordinary 100% Organic Cold-Pressed Rose Hip Seed Oil
The Inkey List
Rosehip Oil
Available at Asos
Ooh! Organic Rosehip
Nourishing Face Oil
Available at Flaconi
Pai Rosehip Bioregenerate
Available at Niche Beauty
Cruelty-Free Alternatives to
The Ordinary Glycolic Acid 7% Toning Solution
The Inkey List
Glycolic Acid Toner
Available at Sephora
Revolution Skincare
2.5% Glycolic Acid Toner
Available at Revolution Beauty,
and Look Fantastic
Cruelty-Free Alternatives to
The Ordinary Granactive Retinoid 2% Emulsion
And other The Ordinary Retinol Serums
The Inkey List
Retinol Serum
Available at Sephora
Revolution Skincare
Retinol Serum
Available at Revolution Beauty,
and Look Fantastic
Cruelty-Free Alternatives to
The Ordinary Vitamin C Suspension 23% + HA Spheres 2%
And other The Ordinary VitaminC Serums
The Inkey List
Vitamin C 15% und EGF
Available at Asos
Klairs Freshly Juiced
Vitamin Drop
Available at Little Wonderland
By Wishtrend Pure
Vitamin C 21.5% Advanced Serum
Available at Little Wonderland
Medik8 Super C Ferulic
Available at Lookfantastic
Cruelty-Free Alternatives to
The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1%
The Inkey List
Niacinamide
Available at Sephora
Revolution Skincare
10% Niacinamide + 1 % Zinc
Available at Revolution Beauty,
and Look Fantastic
Cruelty-Free Alternatives to
The Ordinary Buffet (+Copper Peptides)
Dear Klairs Midnight
Blue Youth Activating Drop
Available at Little Wonderland
and Douglas
Purito Centella Green
Level Buffet Serum
Available at Little Wonderland,
and Flaconi
Revolution Skincare
Multi Peptide Serum
Available at Revolution Beauty
Revolution Skincare
10% Matrixyl
Available at Revolution
Revolution Beauty
Copper Peptide Serum
Available at Revolution Skincare
That’s it for now, if I missed some cruelty-free alternatives to The Ordinary that you absolutely love, please let me know in the comment section or on Instagram!
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