Head to head
The Ordinary Azelaic Acid Suspension 10% 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 The Ordinary Azelaic Acid Suspension 10%.
The bottom lineThe Ordinary Azelaic Acid Suspension 10% and The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5 (Original Formulation) land in much the same place on performance, so value decides it: The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5 (Original Formulation) does the same job for less.
Answer nine questions and the app picks between them for your skin.
Cost per use
€0.15 an applicationabout 150 uses from 30 ml
a usual amount, not a measured dose: 3-5 drops, about 0.2 ml; from €23 as read in September 2026 and a 30 ml pack.
how this is counted
About €0.15 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 €0.15.
Which should you pick?
Pick Azelaic Acid Suspension 10% if
- you are dealing with breakouts and oiliness
- dark spots, dullness or an uneven tone are your focus
- you prefer a simpler, more minimal formula
Pick Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5 (Original Formulation) if
- plump, lasting hydration is what you want
- you want the more affordable option
- your breakouts are the fungal kind (Malassezia): nothing on its label was measured to feed the yeast
What each delivers
Side by side
| Azelaic Acid Suspension 10% | Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5 (Original Formulation) | |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Serum | Serum |
| Key actives | Azelaic Acid, Isohexadecane, Vitamin E | 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 | none measured / none inferred |
| Pregnancy | No flagged actives | No flagged actives |
| Ingredients | 17 listed | 17 listed |
| Price | ~€23 | ~€8 |
What's in one but not the other
The two labels share 5 of the 29 ingredients between them. The actives are where they part company.
What each one adds acts on The living epidermis, The stratum corneum for The Ordinary Azelaic Acid Suspension 10% 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 The Ordinary Azelaic Acid Suspension 10%
Both
nothing
Only in The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5 (Original Formulation)
The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5 (Original Formulation) is a different bottle only for: glycerin, hyaluronic acid, crosslinked sodium ha, pro-vitamin b5, pentylene glycol. They share nothing.
Which keeps longer
a tube 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.
a dropper bottle and nothing on this label that light breaks; the period after opening not read yet.
The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5 (Original Formulation) 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.
The Ordinary Azelaic Acid Suspension 10%
ordered for its first 53%
- 1Aqua (Water)
- 2Isodecyl Neopentanoate
- 3Dimethicone
- 4Azelaic Acid
- 5Dimethicone/Bis-Isobutyl PPG-20 Crosspolymer
- 6Dimethyl Isosorbide
- 7Hydroxyethyl Acrylate/Sodium Acryloyldimethyl Taurate Copolymer
- 8Polysilicone-11
- 9Isohexadecane
- 10Tocopherol
- 11Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate
- 12Isoceteth-20
- 13Polysorbate 60
- 14Triethanolamine
- 15Ethoxydiglycol
- 16Phenoxyethanol
- 17Chlorphenesin
8 of 17 sit below the line, marked by Tocopherol.
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 toneAzelaic Acid Suspension 10%
- Breakouts & congestionAzelaic Acid Suspension 10%
- Dryness & dehydrationHyaluronic Acid 2% + B5 (Original Formulation)
Who each suits
- The Ordinary Azelaic Acid Suspension 10%
- combination, oily, normal · avoid with acne-prone skin, very dry skin (needing an occlusive) and very sensitive skin
- 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 ~€23).
Ready to pick one?
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Common questions
Is The Ordinary Azelaic Acid Suspension 10% or The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5 (Original Formulation) better for dark spots & uneven tone?
For dark spots & uneven tone, The Ordinary Azelaic Acid Suspension 10% is the stronger pick by our read of the two formulas. The Ordinary Azelaic Acid Suspension 10% and The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5 (Original Formulation) land in much the same place on performance, so value decides it: The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5 (Original Formulation) does the same job for less.
Which is cheaper, The Ordinary Azelaic Acid Suspension 10% 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 ~€23).
Can I use The Ordinary Azelaic Acid Suspension 10% 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. The Ordinary Azelaic Acid Suspension 10% is placed by Azelaic Acid (the living epidermis), Isohexadecane (the stratum corneum), Vitamin E (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, Celimax The Vita A Retinal Shot Tightening Booster and Torriden DIVE-IN Low Molecular Hyaluronic Acid Serum among them: type a name, or pick one below.