For a modestly priced cruelty-free face cream, start with The Ordinary Natural Moisturizing Factors + HA. Its 30 ml tube costs less both upfront and per milliliter than the BYOMA bottle compared here. Choose BYOMA Moisturising Gel Cream if a gel cream in a pump is the format you prefer.
Both have cruelty-free evidence and vegan claims. That makes price and the actual formula more useful deciding factors than another logo comparison.
The two starting picks
| Moisturizer | Size | Checked price | Cost per 100 ml | Best reason to compare it |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Ordinary Natural Moisturizing Factors + HA | 30 ml | $6.70 | $22.33 | A smaller first purchase and lower unit price |
| BYOMA Moisturising Gel Cream | 50 ml | $14.99 | $29.98 | A gel cream in a pump |
These US prices were checked October 28, 2026, before tax and shipping. The Ordinary price is for the 30 ml tube, not its larger size. Confirm the selected size and current offer before ordering.
We have compared published formulas and prices. We haven't wear-tested absorption, finish or how either layers under makeup, so those don't receive invented performance scores.
Why The Ordinary is our budget starting point
The $6.70 tube costs $8.29 less than the BYOMA pump. It also costs less for the same amount of product at these sizes, although the tube itself holds less.
That makes it a sensible first purchase for someone who wants a basic cream and is comfortable with a squeeze tube. The HA in the name refers to hyaluronic acid, alongside other moisturizing ingredients in the formula. It is one detail to read, not an overall quality grade.
The packaging is also part of the decision. A tube may fit the way you travel or keep products beside the sink. A preference for a pump is a perfectly reasonable reason to compare BYOMA instead; neither format proves that its cream performs better.
When BYOMA is worth the higher price
BYOMA includes niacinamide and green tea alongside its ceramide, cholesterol and fatty-acid complex. The brand describes the formula as fragrance-free, lightweight and fast absorbing.
We would consider it for someone who wants a gel cream and likes dispensing from a pump. Those are specific reasons to pay more. The brand's absorption description is not a result from our own testing, and it doesn't guarantee a particular finish under your sunscreen or foundation.
A third option if you want shea butter or jojoba oil
Klairs Midnight Blue Calming Cream includes shea butter, jojoba oil, ceramide NP and sodium hyaluronate. Dear, Klairs has a positive cruelty-free record and describes its products as vegan.
That is a useful alternative formula to investigate, especially if those ingredients are features you already seek. The brand calls it a light gel cream, so don't assume that shea butter turns it into a thick balm.
The compared Klairs size is 60 g by weight. The other two products use milliliters, which measure volume. Treating 60 g as exactly 60 ml would make the unit-price comparison falsely precise.
Our Korean-skincare guide gives the current product context and other options. We haven't tested Klairs against these two creams, so its ingredient list is a reason to compare it rather than a claim of superior comfort.
Choose around the problem with your current cream
Start with your skin type and what you dislike about your current cream. Dry skin may lead you toward a richer texture; oily skin may make a gel more appealing. Neither label can choose for you. A moisturizing cream still has to fit your preferences about scent, finish, price and packaging.
| What you want to change | What to compare first |
|---|---|
| Your current cream feels too heavy | Gel or cream format and the complete formula |
| You avoid added fragrance | The exact version's fragrance claim and ingredient list |
| You want to spend less on a first purchase | The delivered price of a small size |
| You dislike opening a jar | A pump or tube format |
| You need it under makeup | How a small first purchase behaves with your existing products |
More highlighted ingredients don't automatically make a better cream. Niacinamide, green tea, ceramides and hyaluronic acid can appear in quite different formulas. Compare the product as a whole instead of counting ingredient names on the front.
An anti-aging claim also doesn't make a plain moisturizer equivalent to a retinoid or another treatment. If a clinician recommended a specific product for a condition, preserve that treatment requirement when considering a switch.
Sun protection needs its own check
Neither of the two table picks is being recommended as sunscreen. Replacing a moisturizer that contains SPF with a plain cream removes that protection step.
Use our sunscreen guide if that is part of the job you need to replace. Compare the protection label and any needed water resistance alongside the animal-testing evidence.
What earned these brands a place here
The records address whether products or ingredients are tested on animals. The current approvals for BYOMA and The Ordinary cover ingredients, finished products, suppliers and outside parties. Vegan claims come from the product or brand policies.
Ownership is different: BYOMA is in Bansk Group's portfolio, while The Ordinary belongs to The Estée Lauder Companies through DECIEM. Their linked reviews explain that context, including The Ordinary's certification discrepancy.
Vanicream if you want a simpler ingredient list
Vanicream Daily Facial Moisturizer offers another route: squalane, glycerin, hyaluronic acid and five ceramides, without botanical extracts or essential oils. Its maker positions it for sensitive skin. That gives you a concrete formula to compare if the plant extracts in BYOMA or Klairs are ingredients you prefer to avoid.
This is the Daily Facial Moisturizer, not Vanicream's separate SPF 30 product. It has no sunscreen role. The maker also says its tube and cap are not currently recyclable; the outer box is. That detail matters more than assuming all simple-looking packaging has the same disposal options.
Our Vanicream review gives a positive verdict based on published manufacturer answers about suppliers and product testing. It does not present those answers as independent certification.
Choose The Ordinary for the smaller, cheaper cream purchase; BYOMA for its gel formula and pump; Klairs for the shea-butter and jojoba option; or compare Vanicream when avoiding botanical extracts is the priority. The differences are specific enough to narrow the shelf without pretending one cream suits everyone.
Sources
BYOMA. Moisturising Gel Cream. https://byoma.com/products/moisturizing-gel-cream. Accessed on October 28, 2026.
The Ordinary. Natural Moisturizing Factors + HA. https://theordinary.com/en-us/natural-moisturizing-factors-ha-moisturizer-100435.html. Accessed on October 28, 2026.
PETA. Brand record. https://crueltyfree.peta.org/company/byoma/. Accessed on October 28, 2026.
PETA. Brand record. https://crueltyfree.peta.org/company/the-ordinary/. Accessed on October 28, 2026.
Dear, Klairs. Midnight Blue Calming Cream. https://www.klairs.com/products/midnight-blue-calming-cream. Accessed on October 29, 2026.
PETA. Dear, Klairs brand record. https://crueltyfree.peta.org/company/dear-klairs/. Accessed on October 29, 2026.
Dear, Klairs. Brand facts. https://www.klairs.com/blogs/klairs-skin-school/about-dear-klairs-brand-facts. Accessed on October 29, 2026.
Vanicream. Daily Facial Moisturizer. https://www.vanicream.com/product/vanicream-daily-facial-moisturizer. Accessed on October 29, 2026.
