Head to head
The Ordinary Caffeine Solution 5% + EGCG Eye 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 The Ordinary Caffeine Solution 5% + EGCG Eye Serum.
The bottom lineThe Ordinary Caffeine Solution 5% + EGCG Eye Serum 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
€0.02 an applicationabout 600 uses from 30 ml
a usual amount, not a measured dose: a grain of rice per eye, about 0.05 ml for both; from €10 as read in September 2026 and a 30 ml pack.
how this is counted
About €0.02 an application, about 600 uses from 30 ml.
- a convention: no trial has measured an eye-cream 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 Caffeine Solution 5% + EGCG Eye Serum is the cheaper: €0.02 against €0.05.
Which should you pick?
Pick Caffeine Solution 5% + EGCG Eye Serum if
- fine lines and firmness are the goal
- you want more actives working at once
Pick Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5 (Original Formulation) if
- you want the more affordable option
- you prefer a simpler, more minimal formula
What each delivers
Side by side
| Caffeine Solution 5% + EGCG Eye Serum | Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5 (Original Formulation) | |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Serum | Serum |
| Key actives | Glycerin, Hyaluronic acid, Lactic 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 | None detected | None detected |
| Feeds Malassezia | none measured / none inferred | none measured / none inferred |
| Pregnancy | No flagged actives | No flagged actives |
| Ingredients | 25 listed | 17 listed |
| Price | ~€10 | ~€8 |
What's in one but not the other
The two labels share 9 of the 33 ingredients between them. The actives are where they part company.
What each one adds acts on The stratum corneum, Not established for The Ordinary Caffeine Solution 5% + EGCG Eye 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 The Ordinary Caffeine Solution 5% + EGCG Eye 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, pro-vitamin b5.
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 Caffeine Solution 5% + EGCG Eye Serum
ordered for its first 56%
- 1Aqua (Water)
- 2Caffeine
- 3Maltodextrin
- 4Glycerin
- 5Propanediol
- 6Epigallocatechin Gallatyl Glucoside
- 7Gallyl Glucoside
- 8Hyaluronic Acid
- 9Oxidized Glutathione
- 10Melanin
- 11Glycine Soja (Soybean) Seed Extract
- 12Pentylene Glycol
- 13Hydroxyethylcellulose
- 14Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6
- 15Xanthan gum
- 16Lactic Acid
- 17Dehydroacetic Acid
- 18Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate
- 19Propyl Gallate
- 20Dimethyl Isosorbide
- 21Benzyl Alcohol
- 221,2-Hexanediol
- 23Ethylhexylglycerin
- 24Phenoxyethanol
- 25Caprylyl Glycol
11 of 25 sit below the line, marked by Xanthan gum. Including what it is sold on: Lactic acid.
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…
- Fine lines & firmnessCaffeine Solution 5% + EGCG Eye Serum
- Dryness & dehydrationEither works
Who each suits
- The Ordinary Caffeine Solution 5% + EGCG Eye Serum
- dry, combination, oily, sensitive, normal · avoid with compromised barrier 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 ~€10).
Ready to pick one?
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Common questions
Is The Ordinary Caffeine Solution 5% + EGCG Eye Serum or The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5 (Original Formulation) better for fine lines & firmness?
For fine lines & firmness, The Ordinary Caffeine Solution 5% + EGCG Eye Serum is the stronger pick by our read of the two formulas. The Ordinary Caffeine Solution 5% + EGCG Eye Serum 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 Caffeine Solution 5% + EGCG Eye 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 ~€10).
Can I use The Ordinary Caffeine Solution 5% + EGCG Eye 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. The Ordinary Caffeine Solution 5% + EGCG Eye Serum is placed by Glycerin (the stratum corneum), Hyaluronic acid (the stratum corneum), Lactic 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, The Ordinary Multi-Peptide + HA Serum and Torriden DIVE-IN Low Molecular Hyaluronic Acid Serum among them: type a name, or pick one below.