Head to head
Medik8 Liquid Peptides vs The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5 (with Ceramides)
Same comparison whichever way you searched it: The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5 (with Ceramides) vs Medik8 Liquid Peptides.
The bottom lineMedik8 Liquid Peptides and The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5 (with Ceramides) land in much the same place on performance, so value decides it: The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5 (with Ceramides) does the same job for less.
Answer nine questions and the app picks between them for your skin.
The OrdinaryHyaluronic Acid 2% + B5 (with Ceramides)See every ingredient in Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5 (with Ceramides), decodedCost per use
€0.35 an applicationabout 150 uses from 30 ml
a usual amount, not a measured dose: 3-5 drops, about 0.2 ml; from €52 as read in September 2026 and a 30 ml pack.
how this is counted
About €0.35 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
€0.07 an applicationabout 150 uses from 30 ml
a usual amount, not a measured dose: 3-5 drops, about 0.2 ml; from €10 as read in September 2026 and a 30 ml pack.
how this is counted
About €0.07 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 (with Ceramides) is the cheaper: €0.07 against €0.35.
Which should you pick?
Pick Liquid Peptides if
- fine lines and firmness are the goal
Pick Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5 (with Ceramides) if
- you want the more affordable option
What each delivers
Side by side
| Liquid Peptides | Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5 (with Ceramides) | |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Serum | Serum |
| Key actives | Glycerin, Hyaluronic acid, Pro-vitamin B5 | 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 | None detected | None detected |
| Feeds Malassezia | 1 measured / none inferred | 2 measured / none inferred |
| Pregnancy | No flagged actives | No flagged actives |
| Ingredients | 35 listed | 23 listed |
| Price | ~€52 | ~€10 |
What's in one but not the other
The two labels share 9 of the 49 ingredients between them. The actives are where they part company.
What each one adds acts on Not established for Medik8 Liquid Peptides and The stratum corneum for The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5 (with Ceramides). That is the layer each is understood to act on, not how deep it travels.
Only in Medik8 Liquid Peptides
Only in The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5 (with Ceramides)
The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5 (with Ceramides) is a different bottle only for: crosslinked sodium ha, hydrolyzed hyaluronic acid, vitamin e.
Which keeps longer
a dropper bottle and nothing on this label that light breaks; the period after opening not read yet.
a dropper bottle 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 (not printed) is read off the maker's page, never a reseller's. Catalogue checked September 2026.
Medik8 Liquid Peptides 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.
Medik8 Liquid Peptides
ordered for its first 54%
- 1Aqua (Water)
- 2Glycerin
- 3Butylene Glycol
- 4Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7
- 5Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1
- 6Copper Heptapeptide-14 Pantothenate
- 7Heptapeptide-15 Palmitate
- 8Arginine/Lysine Polypeptide
- 9Palmitoyl Tripeptide-38
- 10Carnosine
- 11Acetyl Hexapeptide-8
- 12Pentapeptide-18
- 13Palmitoyl Tripeptide-5
- 14Tetrapeptide-21
- 15Sodium Hyaluronate
- 16Inulin
- 17Alpha-Glucan Oligosaccharide
- 18Lactic Acid/Glycolic Acid Copolymer
- 19Panthenol
- 20Ethylhexylglycerin
- 21Hydroxypropyl Cyclodextrin
- 22Dunaliella Salina (Green Algae) Extract
- 23Polysorbate 20
- 24Caprylyl Glycol
- 25Citric Acid
- 26Glyceryl Caprylate
- 27Pantolactone
- 28Phenylpropanol
- 29Polyvinyl Alcohol
- 30Carbomer
- 31Potassium Sorbate
- 32Sodium Benzoate
- 33Sorbic Acid
- 34Phenoxyethanol
- 35Xanthan Gum
16 of 35 sit below the line, marked by Ethylhexylglycerin.
The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5 (with Ceramides)
ordered for its first 65%
- 1Aqua (Water)
- 2Sodium Hyaluronate
- 3Propanediol
- 4Pentylene Glycol
- 5Hydrolyzed Hyaluronic Acid
- 6Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer
- 7Phospholipids
- 8Sphingolipids
- 9Panthenol
- 10Ahnfeltiopsis Concinna Extract
- 11Glycerin
- 12Polysorbate 20
- 13Citric Acid
- 14Sodium Citrate
- 15p-Anisic Acid
- 16Tocopherol
- 17Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate
- 18Caprylyl Glycol
- 19Ethoxydiglycol
- 20Ethylhexylglycerin
- 21Hexylene Glycol
- 22Phenoxyethanol
- 23Chlorphenesin
8 of 23 sit below the line, marked by Tocopherol.
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…
- Fine lines & firmnessLiquid Peptides
- Dryness & dehydrationEither works
Who each suits
- Medik8 Liquid Peptides
- dry, combination, normal
- The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5 (with Ceramides)
- dry, sensitive, normal · avoid with acne-prone skin and very sensitive skin
The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5 (with Ceramides) is the cheaper of the two (~€10 vs ~€52).
Ready to pick one?
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Common questions
Is Medik8 Liquid Peptides or The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5 (with Ceramides) better for fine lines & firmness?
For fine lines & firmness, Medik8 Liquid Peptides is the stronger pick by our read of the two formulas. Medik8 Liquid Peptides and The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5 (with Ceramides) land in much the same place on performance, so value decides it: The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5 (with Ceramides) does the same job for less.
Which is cheaper, Medik8 Liquid Peptides or The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5 (with Ceramides)?
The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5 (with Ceramides) is the cheaper of the two (~€10 vs ~€52).
Can I use Medik8 Liquid Peptides and The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5 (with Ceramides) 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.
Compare it with…
41 duels are built for this serum, La Roche-Posay Hyalu B5 Suractivated Serum and The Ordinary Multi-Peptide + HA Serum among them: type a name, or pick one below.