Side-by-side comparison

The Ordinary Amino Acids + B5 vs The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5

Both are serums. They share a 70% active-ingredient overlap, so the real decision is about price, texture and the supporting ingredients. Here's the side-by-side.

70%Active overlap
The Ordinary
Amino Acids + B5
SerumBudgetMorning or evening
DehydrationSensitivityDryness

A hydrating serum of skin-identical amino acids with provitamin B5 for comfort and surface hydration. A gentle, fragrance-free hydrator that supports a healthy-feeling barrier; pairs well under richer creams.

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The Ordinary
Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5
SerumBudgetMorning or evening
DrynessDamaged Barrier

A water-based humectant serum combining three molecular weights of hyaluronic acid with a crosspolymer and panthenol. Surface and deeper-layer hydration in one step. Apply to damp skin and seal with moisturiser — on bare dry skin, HA can pull water outward and make things worse.

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The verdict

Which should you choose?

Both sit in the Budget tier, so cost isn't the deciding factor here — choose on texture, finish and the supporting ingredients. The The Ordinary leans toward Dehydration, Sensitivity. The The Ordinary leans toward Damaged Barrier.

The overlap

What they share

At 70% active overlap, these are the ingredients doing comparable work in both formulas:

Panthenol
The formulation

Ingredient stacks, side by side

The Ordinary — top of the list

  • Aqua~50–80%
  • Glycerin~5–25%
  • Panthenol~3–10%
  • Arginine~2–6%
  • Serine~1.5–4%

The Ordinary — top of the list

  • Aqua (Water)~50–80%
  • Sodium Hyaluro…~5–25%
  • Sodium Hyaluro…~3–10%
  • Hyaluronic Acid2%
  • Panthenol~1.5–4%
  • Pentylene Glycol~1–2%
  • Propanediol~1–2%

● marks ingredients that appear near the top of both lists. Percentages are positional estimates from INCI order, not disclosed doses.

At a glance

The specs

The OrdinaryThe Ordinary
CategorySerumSerum
Price tierBudgetBudget
Best forDehydration, Sensitivity, DrynessDryness, Damaged Barrier
Usage notesMorning or eveningMorning or evening
Active overlap70% — Panthenol
Questions

Common questions

Is the The Ordinary Amino Acids + B5 or the The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5 better?
Neither is clearly better — they overlap 70% on active ingredients and sit in the same price tier. The difference comes down to texture, finish and the supporting ingredients, so the right choice depends on your skin type and preferences.
What's the difference between the The Ordinary Amino Acids + B5 and the The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5?
Both are serums that share Panthenol. Where they differ: the The Ordinary targets Dehydration, Sensitivity; the The Ordinary targets Damaged Barrier.
Are the The Ordinary Amino Acids + B5 and The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5 dupes for each other?
They share 70% active-ingredient overlap based on published INCI lists, so one can stand in for the other on the actives that matter — chiefly Panthenol. A dupe matches the hero actives, not the full sensory experience, so expect differences in texture, fragrance and exact concentrations.
Can I use the The Ordinary Amino Acids + B5 and The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5 together?
They both fill the serum slot in a routine, so you'd normally pick one rather than layer both. If you want to use both, treat one as your daytime option and the other for evening, and patch-test when introducing anything new.
Keep comparing

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The Inkey List Hyaluronic Acid Serum vs The Ordinary Amino Acids + B5
70% overlapThe Ordinary Amino Acids + B5 vs Torriden DIVE-IN Low Molecular Hyaluronic Acid Serum
66% overlapThe Inkey List Hyaluronic Acid Serum vs The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5
99% overlapLa Roche-Posay Hyalu B5 Hyaluronic Acid Serum vs The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5
85% overlapThe Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5 vs Torriden DIVE-IN Low Molecular Hyaluronic Acid Serum
85% overlapThe Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5 vs Vichy Minéral 89 Hyaluronic Acid Booster
77% overlap

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