Mad Hippie vs The Ordinary (The Definitive Guide)

We're positive you've seen Mad Hippie and The Ordinary on the shelves at your local drugstore before. But which one should you choose?

We’ve picked a few of the most popular best-sellers from each brand, and we’ll be comparing them in detail to help you decide which is best for you and your skin.

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Mad Hippie vs The Ordinary

In the past decade or so, myriad skincare ingredients have entered the mainstream and been deemed as must-haves. Think: hyaluronic acid, niacinamide, or salicylic acid.

However, there are some select ingredients that are tried and true and have remained relevant throughout every trend cycle. Two such ingredients? Vitamin C and Vitamin A.

But why should you (still) incorporate these gems into your routine? Well, we’ll delve into that more plus give you some recommendations from Mad Hippie and The Ordinary.

So, let’s see which brand reigns supreme.

Mad Hippie’s Vitamin C Serum is an award-winning tonic that harnesses the power of antioxidants to reveal your best skin ever. Other components that deserve honorable mention include Vitamin E, ferulic acid, hyaluronic acid, konjac root, chamomile extract, and clary sage. This cocktail of superstar ingredients works to reverse signs of aging, protect skin from sun damage (in addition to SPF, of course!), promote collagen production, and brighten the skin.

Further, Mad Hippie’s Vitamin A Serum is two times more bioavailable than retinol—in addition to the muscle of phytoceramide, sodium hyaluronate, oat beta glucan, and aloe vera—making it the perfect potion for reducing the appearance of sun damage (i.e., sunspots, wrinkles) and evening skin tone. What’s more is that as opposed to retinol, which needs a considerable amount of time to be effective, this serum is already activated.

These beloved serums both have a 4.5-star rating and dozens of positive reviews to support their case. Lastly, for a 30ml bottle of Mad Hippie’s Vitamin C Serum, it’ll cost you $33.99, and their Vitamin A Serum is $32.99 for the same size.

The Ordinary, on the other hand, has a plethora of options when it comes to Vitamin C and Vitamin A serums. Below, we’ve broken down the highlights on each product.

The Ordinary Vitamin C

• Vitamin C Suspension 23% + HA Spheres 2% - Reduces visible signs of aging; brightens skin tone; antioxidant support.
  • Strength: Very high.
  • Texture: Grainy.
  • 3.9 stars.
• Vitamin C Suspension 30% in Silicone - Reduces visible signs of aging; brightens skin tone; antioxidant support.
  • Strength: Very high.
  • Texture: Creamy.
  • 3.9 stars.
• 100% L-Absorbic Acid Powder - Reduces visible signs of aging; brightens skin tone; antioxidant support.
  • Strength: Very high.
  • Texture: Powder.
  • 4.5 stars.
• Absorbic Acid 8% + Alpha Arbutin 2% - Brightens skin tone, antioxidant support.
  • Strength: Moderate.
  • Texture: Serum.
  • 4 stars.
• Ascorbyl Glucoside Solution 12% - Brightens skin tone, antioxidant support.
  • Strength: Low.
  • Texture: Serum.
  • 4.2 stars.
• Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate 10% - Brightens skin tone, antioxidant support.
  • Strength: Low.
  • Texture: Smooth lotion.
  • 4.1 stars.
• Ascorbyl Tetraisopalmitate Solution 20% in Vitamin F - Brightens skin tone, antioxidant support.
  • Strength: Low.
  • Texture: Light oil.
  • 3.8 stars.
• Ethylated Ascorbic Acid 15% Solution - Brightens skin tone, antioxidant support.
  • Strength: Low.
  • Texture: Oil-like serum.
  • 4.1 stars.

The Ordinary Vitamin A

• Granactive Retinoid 2% Emulsion - Corrects uneven skin tone, textural irregularities, and signs of aging.
  • Strength: Mild.
  • Texture: Emulsion.
  • 4.5 stars.
• Retinol 1% in Squalene - Corrects uneven skin tone, textural irregularities, and signs of aging, dryness.
  • Strength: Very high.
  • Texture: Serum.
  • 4.1 stars.
• Granactive Retinoid 5% in Squalene - Corrects uneven skin tone, textural irregularities, and signs of aging.
  • Strength: High.
  • Texture: Serum.
  • 4.2 stars.
• Retinol 0.5% in Squalene - Corrects uneven skin tone, textural irregularities, and signs of aging, dryness.
  • Strength: Moderate.
  • Texture: Serum.
  • 3.9 stars.
• Retinol 0.2% in Squalene - Corrects uneven skin tone, textural irregularities, and signs of aging, dryness.
  • Strength: Mild.
  • Texture: Serum.
  • 4.4 stars.
• Granactive Retinoid 2% in Squalene - Corrects uneven skin tone, textural irregularities, and signs of aging.
  • Strength: Moderate.
  • Texture: Serum.
  • 4.1 stars.

We get it—this is a lot of information to process. Moreover, it’s also not so easy to say which brand is best, considering the number of items The Ordinary has versus that of Mad Hippie. But we can at least look at it this way: Mad Hippie’s two serums appear to have higher ratings than most of The Ordinary’s—but The Ordinary is much cheaper. (You get what you pay for, I guess.) We also think it’s worth taking a closer look at how both brands approach ethics, sustainability, and philanthropy.

Mad Hippie is both cruelty-free and vegan—hooray! Even better, they’re heavily involved in humanitarian causes. Mad Hippie has partnered with Save the Elephants, Whole Planet Foundation, Oceana, and Natural Resources Defense Council to preservation of the planet and those who inhabit it. For every web sale the make, they donate $1 to conservation. Reusable packing and bioresin sugarcane tubes are at the forefront of their sustainable packaging efforts, as well as their partnership with Terracycle.

The Ordinary is also cruelty-free and vegan. Regarding eco-friendly initiatives, they also claim to be working towards 85-100% of their packaging being recyclable, refillable, reusable, or recycled by 2025. Currently, their shopping bags are made from 100% recyclable, recycled paper and printed with eco-friendly ink. Otherwise, we couldn’t dig up anything about their philanthropic efforts.

While The Ordinary certainly has more variety than Mad Hippie, the latter appears to be ahead of the game when it comes to business ethics and quality. Sounds like money well spent to us!