Head to head
La Roche-Posay Hyalu B5 Suractivated Serum vs The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5 (Original Formulation)
Same comparison whichever way you searched it: The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5 (Original Formulation) vs La Roche-Posay Hyalu B5 Suractivated Serum.
The bottom lineLa Roche-Posay Hyalu B5 Suractivated Serum does more across the board (it leads on brightening / tone, anti-aging), while The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5 (Original Formulation) is the simpler, more pared-back pick.
Reach for La Roche-Posay Hyalu B5 Suractivated Serum if you want the actives; The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5 (Original Formulation) if you want fewer ingredients doing less, gently.
Answer nine questions and the app picks between them for your skin.
Cost per use
$0.27 an applicationabout 150 uses from 30 ml
a usual amount, not a measured dose: 3-5 drops, about 0.2 ml; from $40 as read in September 2026 and a 30 ml pack.
how this is counted
About $0.27 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
€0.05 an applicationabout 150 uses from 30 ml
a usual amount, not a measured dose: 3-5 drops, about 0.2 ml; from €8 as read in September 2026 and a 30 ml pack.
how this is counted
About €0.05 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, The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5 (Original Formulation) is the cheaper: €0.05 against $0.27.
Which should you pick?
Pick Hyalu B5 Suractivated Serum if
- fine lines and firmness are the goal
- dark spots, dullness or an uneven tone are your focus
- you want more actives working at once
Pick Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5 (Original Formulation) if
- your skin is sensitive or reacts to fragrance
- you want the more affordable option
- you prefer a simpler, more minimal formula
What each delivers
Side by side
| Hyalu B5 Suractivated Serum | Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5 (Original Formulation) | |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Serum | Serum |
| Key actives | Glycerin, Pro-vitamin B5, Hyaluronic acid | Glycerin, Hyaluronic acid 2%, Crosslinked sodium HA |
| 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 | Contains fragrance | None detected |
| Feeds Malassezia | none measured / none inferred | none measured / none inferred |
| Pregnancy | No flagged actives | No flagged actives |
| Ingredients | 32 listed | 17 listed |
| Price | ~$40 | ~€8 |
What's in one but not the other
The two labels share 10 of the 39 ingredients between them. The actives are where they part company.
What each one adds acts on The living epidermis, Not established for La Roche-Posay Hyalu B5 Suractivated Serum and The stratum corneum for The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5 (Original Formulation). That is the layer each is understood to act on, not how deep it travels.
Only in La Roche-Posay Hyalu B5 Suractivated Serum
Only in The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5 (Original Formulation)
The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5 (Original Formulation) is a different bottle only for: crosslinked sodium ha, pentylene glycol.
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.
La Roche-Posay Hyalu B5 Suractivated Serum
ordered for its first 81%
- 1Aqua/Water/Eau
- 2Glycerin
- 3Alcohol Denat
- 4Propylene Glycol
- 5Panthenol
- 6Pentylene Glycol
- 7Dimethicone
- 8PEG-6 Caprylic/Capric Glycerides
- 9Alpinia Galanga Leaf Extract
- 10Calcium Chloride
- 11Glyceryl Isostearate
- 12Madecassoside
- 13PPG-6-Decyltetradeceth-30
- 14Sodium Acetylated Hyaluronate
- 15Sodium Hyaluronate
- 16Algin
- 17Adenosine
- 18Ammonium Polyacryloyldimethyl Taurate
- 19Propanediol
- 20Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
- 21Hydroxyacetophenone
- 22Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
- 23Caprylyl Glycol
- 24Citric Acid
- 25Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate
- 26Acetyl Glucosamine
- 27Xanthan Gum
- 28Butylene Glycol
- 291,2-Hexanediol
- 30Tocopherol
- 31Phenoxyethanol
- 32Parfum/Fragrance
6 of 32 sit below the line, marked by Xanthan Gum.
The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5 (Original Formulation)
ordered for its first 71%
- 1Aqua (Water)
- 2Sodium Hyaluronate
- 3Pentylene Glycol
- 4Propanediol
- 5Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer
- 6Panthenol
- 7Ahnfeltia Concinna Extract
- 8Glycerin
- 9Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate
- 10Citric Acid
- 11Isoceteth-20
- 12Ethoxydiglycol
- 13Ethylhexylglycerin
- 14Hexylene Glycol
- 151,2-Hexanediol
- 16Phenoxyethanol
- 17Caprylyl Glycol
5 of 17 sit below the line, marked by Ethylhexylglycerin.
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 toneHyalu B5 Suractivated Serum
- Fine lines & firmnessHyalu B5 Suractivated Serum
- Dryness & dehydrationEither works
- Sensitive, reactive skinHyaluronic Acid 2% + B5 (Original Formulation)
Who each suits
- La Roche-Posay Hyalu B5 Suractivated Serum
- dry, sensitive, normal
- The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5 (Original Formulation)
- dry, sensitive, normal
The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5 (Original Formulation) is the cheaper of the two (~€8 vs ~$40).
Ready to pick one?
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Common questions
Is La Roche-Posay Hyalu B5 Suractivated Serum or The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5 (Original Formulation) better for dark spots & uneven tone?
For dark spots & uneven tone, La Roche-Posay Hyalu B5 Suractivated Serum is the stronger pick by our read of the two formulas. La Roche-Posay Hyalu B5 Suractivated Serum does more across the board (it leads on brightening / tone, anti-aging), while The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5 (Original Formulation) is the simpler, more pared-back pick. Reach for La Roche-Posay Hyalu B5 Suractivated Serum if you want the actives; The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5 (Original Formulation) if you want fewer ingredients doing less, gently.
Which is cheaper, La Roche-Posay Hyalu B5 Suractivated Serum or The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5 (Original Formulation)?
The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5 (Original Formulation) is the cheaper of the two (~€8 vs ~$40).
Can I use La Roche-Posay Hyalu B5 Suractivated Serum and The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5 (Original Formulation) 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. La Roche-Posay Hyalu B5 Suractivated Serum is placed by Glycerin (the stratum corneum), Pro-vitamin B5 (the stratum corneum), Hyaluronic acid (the stratum corneum). The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5 (Original Formulation) is placed by Glycerin (the stratum corneum), Hyaluronic acid (the stratum corneum), Crosslinked sodium HA (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, Medik8 Liquid Peptides and Torriden DIVE-IN Low Molecular Hyaluronic Acid Serum among them: type a name, or pick one below.