Head to head
CeraVe Resurfacing Retinol Serum vs The Ordinary Multi-Peptide + HA Serum
Same comparison whichever way you searched it: The Ordinary Multi-Peptide + HA Serum vs CeraVe Resurfacing Retinol Serum.
The bottom lineCeraVe Resurfacing Retinol Serum does more across the board (it leads on barrier repair, brightening / tone, oil-control & blemishes), while The Ordinary Multi-Peptide + HA Serum is the simpler, more pared-back pick.
Reach for CeraVe Resurfacing Retinol Serum if you want the actives; The Ordinary Multi-Peptide + HA Serum if you want fewer ingredients doing less, gently.
The Ordinary Multi-Peptide + HA Serum keeps clear of pregnancy-flagged actives, while CeraVe Resurfacing Retinol Serum carries one that is best paused in pregnancy.
Answer nine questions and the app picks between them for your skin.
Cost per use
€0.11 an applicationabout 150 uses from 30 ml
a usual amount, not a measured dose: 3-5 drops, about 0.2 ml; from €16 as read in September 2026 and a 30 ml pack.
how this is counted
About €0.11 an application, about 150 uses from 30 ml.
- a convention: no trial has measured a serum dose
- Measured or assumed: the rule, and the dose table
€0.14 an applicationabout 150 uses from 30 ml
a usual amount, not a measured dose: 3-5 drops, about 0.2 ml; from €21 as read in September 2026 and a 30 ml pack.
how this is counted
About €0.14 an application, about 150 uses from 30 ml.
- a convention: no trial has measured a serum dose
- Measured or assumed: the rule, and the dose table
Per application, CeraVe Resurfacing Retinol Serum is the cheaper: €0.11 against €0.14.
Which should you pick?
Pick Resurfacing Retinol Serum if
- you are dealing with breakouts and oiliness
- dark spots, dullness or an uneven tone are your focus
- you want the more affordable option
Pick Multi-Peptide + HA Serum if
- plump, lasting hydration is what you want
- you are pregnant or breastfeeding
What each delivers
Side by side
| Resurfacing Retinol Serum | Multi-Peptide + HA Serum | |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Serum | Serum |
| Key actives | Niacinamide, Ceramide 3, Retinol | Glycerin, Crosslinked sodium HA, Hyaluronic acid |
| Texture | A light, fast-absorbing texture that layers cleanly under the rest of your routine, with no greasy film. | A light, fast-absorbing texture that layers cleanly under the rest of your routine, with no greasy film. |
| Fragrance | None detected | None detected |
| Feeds Malassezia | 5 measured / 1 inferred | 2 measured / none inferred |
| Pregnancy | One caution | No flagged actives |
| Ingredients | 33 listed | 51 listed |
| Price | ~€16 | ~€21 |
What's in one but not the other
The two labels share 10 of the 74 ingredients between them. The actives are where they part company.
What each one adds acts on The living epidermis, The stratum corneum for CeraVe Resurfacing Retinol Serum and The stratum corneum, Not established for The Ordinary Multi-Peptide + HA Serum. That is the layer each is understood to act on, not how deep it travels.
Only in CeraVe Resurfacing Retinol Serum
Both
Only in The Ordinary Multi-Peptide + HA Serum
The Ordinary Multi-Peptide + HA Serum is a different bottle only for: glycerin, crosslinked sodium ha, urea, sodium pca, allantoin.
Which keeps longer
a pump and one light-sensitive active: the packaging is doing work here.
where this comes from
The pack form is read off the packshot; the light-sensitive actives are the base's photostability rows, sourced on each glossary page; the period after opening is not read yet. Catalogue checked September 2026.
a dropper bottle and nothing on this label that light breaks; the period after opening not read yet.
The Ordinary Multi-Peptide + HA Serum is the one to keep if you use it slowly: a dropper bottle, nothing on this label that light breaks.
Where each label stops telling you the dose
Ingredients are listed in order of how much is inside, but only down to 1%. Below that the brand may list them in any order it likes, so the bottom of a label is a set, not a ranking. These two stop being a ranking in very different places.
CeraVe Resurfacing Retinol Serum
ordered for its first 36%
- 1Aqua/Water/Eau
- 2Propanediol
- 3Dimethicone
- 4Cetearyl Ethylhexanoate
- 5Niacinamide
- 6Ammonium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate
- 7Dipotassium Glycyrrhizate
- 8Hydrogenated Lecithin
- 9Potassium Phosphate
- 10Ceramide NP
- 11Ceramide AP
- 12Ceramide EOP
- 13Carbomer
- 14Cetearyl Alcohol
- 15Behentrimonium Methosulfate
- 16Dimethiconol
- 17Lecithin
- 18Sodium Citrate
- 19Retinol
- 20Sodium Hyaluronate
- 21Sodium Lauroyl Lactylate
- 22Cholesterol
- 23Phenoxyethanol
- 24Alcohol
- 25Isopropyl Myristate
- 26Caprylyl Glycol
- 27Citric Acid
- 28Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate
- 29Pentylene Glycol
- 30Phytosphingosine
- 31Xanthan Gum
- 32Polysorbate 20
- 33Ethylhexylglycerin
21 of 33 sit below the line, marked by Carbomer. Including what it is sold on: Retinol.
The Ordinary Multi-Peptide + HA Serum
ordered for its first 76%
- 1Aqua (Water)
- 2Glycerin
- 3Lactococcus Ferment Lysate
- 4Acetyl Hexapeptide-8
- 5Pentapeptide-18
- 6Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1
- 7Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7
- 8Palmitoyl Tripeptide-38
- 9Dipeptide Diaminobutyroyl Benzylamide Diacetate
- 10Acetylarginyltryptophyl Diphenylglycine
- 11Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer
- 12Sodium Hyaluronate
- 13Allantoin
- 14Glycine
- 15Alanine
- 16Serine
- 17Valine
- 18Isoleucine
- 19Proline
- 20Threonine
- 21Histidine
- 22Phenylalanine
- 23Arginine
- 24Aspartic Acid
- 25Trehalose
- 26Fructose
- 27Glucose
- 28Maltose
- 29Urea
- 30Sodium PCA
- 31PCA
- 32Sodium Lactate
- 33Citric Acid
- 34Hydroxypropyl Cyclodextrin
- 35Sodium Chloride
- 36Sodium Hydroxide
- 37Butylene Glycol
- 38Pentylene Glycol
- 39Acacia Senegal Gum
- 40Xanthan Gum
- 41Carbomer
- 42Polysorbate 20
- 43PPG-26-Buteth-26
- 44PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil
- 45Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate
- 46Ethoxydiglycol
- 47Sodium Benzoate
- 48Caprylyl Glycol
- 49Ethylhexylglycerin
- 50Phenoxyethanol
- 51Chlorphenesin
12 of 51 sit below the line, marked by Xanthan Gum.
Below the line is not too little to work: ceramides, retinoids and peptides all act far under a percent. It means the position stops carrying information. Where the line falls is inferred from the first ingredient whose whole job is done at a fraction of a percent, so it is a close read of the label rather than a number from the formula sheet.
The molecule doing the work
Better for…
- Dark spots & uneven toneResurfacing Retinol Serum
- Fine lines & firmnessResurfacing Retinol Serum
- Breakouts & congestionResurfacing Retinol Serum
- Dryness & dehydrationMulti-Peptide + HA Serum
- Sensitive, reactive skinMulti-Peptide + HA Serum
Who each suits
- CeraVe Resurfacing Retinol Serum
- dry, combination, oily, sensitive, normal · avoid with breastfeeding, compromised barrier, pregnancy and very sensitive skin
- The Ordinary Multi-Peptide + HA Serum
- dry, sensitive, normal · avoid with very sensitive skin (at high strength)
CeraVe Resurfacing Retinol Serum is the cheaper of the two (~€16 vs ~€21).
Ready to pick one?
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Common questions
Is CeraVe Resurfacing Retinol Serum or The Ordinary Multi-Peptide + HA Serum better for dark spots & uneven tone?
For dark spots & uneven tone, CeraVe Resurfacing Retinol Serum is the stronger pick by our read of the two formulas. CeraVe Resurfacing Retinol Serum does more across the board (it leads on barrier repair, brightening / tone, oil-control & blemishes), while The Ordinary Multi-Peptide + HA Serum is the simpler, more pared-back pick. Reach for CeraVe Resurfacing Retinol Serum if you want the actives; The Ordinary Multi-Peptide + HA Serum if you want fewer ingredients doing less, gently. The Ordinary Multi-Peptide + HA Serum keeps clear of pregnancy-flagged actives, while CeraVe Resurfacing Retinol Serum carries one that is best paused in pregnancy.
Which is cheaper, CeraVe Resurfacing Retinol Serum or The Ordinary Multi-Peptide + HA Serum?
CeraVe Resurfacing Retinol Serum is the cheaper of the two (~€16 vs ~€21).
Can I use CeraVe Resurfacing Retinol Serum and The Ordinary Multi-Peptide + HA Serum together?
They are both serums, so you would normally pick one rather than layer both in the same step. You can keep both and alternate them (morning and night, or on different days) if you like variety, but you do not need two.
What the scene shows
The cross-section at the top of this page is not decoration and not a diagram of the skin in general: it places the molecules these two are sold on at the layer each is understood to act on. CeraVe Resurfacing Retinol Serum is placed by Niacinamide (the living epidermis), Ceramide 3 (the stratum corneum), Retinol (the living epidermis). The Ordinary Multi-Peptide + HA Serum is placed by Glycerin (the stratum corneum), Crosslinked sodium HA (the stratum corneum), Hyaluronic acid (the stratum corneum). A layer is where an ingredient does its work, never how deep it travels, and never a claim about how well it works.
Compare it with…
54 duels are built for this serum, The Ordinary Granactive Retinoid 2% Emulsion and The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5 (Original Formulation) among them: type a name, or pick one below.