Sunday Riley Good Genes All-In-One Lactic Acid Treatment vs. The Ordinary Lactic Acid 10% + HA 2%
Katie says: ABSOLUTELY SHOCKING! Something everyone should have in their skincare routine is a good lactic acid. Smooth flawless skin is what everyone deserves. No more do we have to pay $105 for a small portion of Sunday Rileys Good Genes!!! For just $7 ( with tax) I believe you can get the same smooth skin from The Ordinary. I thought The Ordinary not only worked as fast and as well as any high-end lactic acid, but it also has hyaluronic acid in it as well, your exfoliant and moisturizer all in one, for a drug store price. I would highly suggest this for anyone who is sick of paying those high prices! Also when you use these acids remember your sunscreen as well! Buy The Ordinary
Sunday Riley Luna Retinol Sleeping Night Oil vs. The Ordinary Granactive Retinoid 2% Emulsion
Jennie says: Both of these products are amazing! Both of them made my skin look radiant and feel really soft the next morning. Over the course of 6 weeks, I noticed overall improved texture and skin fullness with both products. With Sunday Riley, I noticed a significant improvement in pore size (some improvement with The Ordinary as well) and reduction in skin redness, which I noticed in a matter of days. My clogged pores/bumps seemed to improve and my minor acne scars and sun spots look diminished! I have minimal fine lines and wrinkles so I also tested the products on my husband who has more fine lines and deeper wrinkles.
We didn’t notice much improvement on his deeper wrinkles, but some of the fine lines did seem to improve. He says he feels like the Ordinary has better and faster skin absorption. Something interesting I noticed with Sleeping Night Oil is although it contains Blue Tansy and German Chamomile (deep blue-green oils), this formula also has added synthetic dyes. The dye stained my face for 30 seconds then appeared to go away as it absorbed. Both products are next-generation Retinol/Retinoid oils* and did not cause skin irritation (compared to when I used my prescription Tretinoin in the past). For being under $10/1 oz, The Ordinary Granactive Retinoid 2% Emulsion is a GREAT alternative for Sunday Riley’s Luna Sleeping Night Oil, which runs at a hefty $105/1 oz.
*Scientific side note: Sunday Riley contains Trans-Retinol Ester, which they describe as next-generation retinol because it has the strength of a retinoid, minus the irritation of retinol. The Ordinary contains Granactive Retinoid which is a next-generation retinoid active that claims to be significantly better than most other non-prescription retinoids. In general, retinoids work faster than retinols due to how they are converted and processed in the skin. Buy The Ordinary
Sunday Riley C.E.O Vitamin C Rich Hydration Cream vs. The Inkey List Vitamin C Brightening Cream
Kayla says: The Inkey List says they are cruelty-free, but is yet to be certified. Sunday Riley is cruelty-free according to Ethical Elephant. PRICE: Sunday Riley C.E.O Vitamin C Rich Hydration Cream is $22 for .5 oz or $65 for 1.7 oz while The Inkey List Vitamin C Brightening Cream is $10 for 1 oz.
SIMILARITIES: Both products are marketed for all skin types and to help reduce the appearance of hyperpigmentation, dullness, fine lines and wrinkles. Both have Vitamin C in their formulas just different types. Sunday Riley is THD ascorbate based while The Inkey List has L-Ascorbic Acid.
DIFFERENCES: Sunday Riley comes in a screw-top jar and The Inkey List comes in a squeeze tube. Sunday Riley smells heavily of oranges. I think it smells nice but it felt like a lot to be putting on my face. Inkey List does not have much of a smell at all. A little goes a long way with Sunday Riley. The first time I used it, I felt like it sat on my face and took forever to absorb (great if you like to lather up, not if you want products to dry between layering). Sunday Riley is a light moisturizing cream while The Inkey List is much more rich in texture and absorbed nicely on the skin. The Inkey List markets this as a serum but it is definitely more of a cream consistency. The Inkey List warns that you may feel a slight tingle when using the product but I did not experience this. They also recommend mixing with a Hyaluronic Acid to help with moisture and to use a moisturizer afterward as it is not as moisturizing on its own like Sunday Riley is.
FINAL THOUGHTS: Despite these products being different as far as ingredients they promise the same results. I preferred The Inkey List for several reasons it has minimal clean ingredients, no scent, and the more sanitary packaging compared to a jar. *Brandefy note - The Inkey List is marketed as ‘Clean at Sephora’ and Sunday Riley is NOT. We think the Inkey List is a great inexpensive, clean alternative to Sunday Riley if looking for a simple Vitamin C. If you are a die-hard Sunday Riley fan, you will be missing key ingredients like Squalane, Tocopherol (Vitamin E) and Hyaluronic Acid which is all great for anti-aging. Buy The Inkey List
Sunday Riley ICE Ceramide Moisturizing Cream vs. CeraVe Skin Renewing Night Cream
Sunday Riley ICE Ceramide Cream is $65 for 1.7 oz and CeraVe Night Cream is $14 for 1.7 oz. Both of these products have a blend of ceramides are good for helping the skin retain moisture. They also both contain forms of hyaluronic acid to hydrate. Additionally, they both have Vitamin E (a great anti-inflammatory). Testers were too blown away by the delightful smell and light texture of the Sunday Riley to consider switching to CeraVe. They thought CeraVe was much thicker and one tester worried it would cause her to break out. We felt CeraVe was fine - no real smell and just a thick consistency if you like products to sit on your skin a little longer, but testers would not recommend switching to CeraVe if you are a die-hard Sunday Riley fan.
