The Ordinary Skincare

I don’t have any posts about skincare or makeup on my website right now, but I am obsessed with both. Having clear skin is made up of several factors like genetics, health, and the products you are using. It’s not as simple as just washing your face. I am writing an opinion piece about the brand Glossier that I will put on my website as soon as it’s done 🙂 Anyways here is my complete review of the brand The Ordinary.

What is it?

When researching about skincare and what makes a good routine I stumbled upon The Ordinary. It is a brand that focuses on formulation of products instead of their packaging. The brand that owns The Ordinary is DECIEM, and this company is different then what I usually see. They make it a priority to make skincare affordable. I bought nine products from this brand, and am so excited to try them. I want these products to reduce scarring, hyperpigmentation, acne, and texture. Skin is not all the same so it’s extremely hard to recommend what really works. But if you have combination skin, acne, and years of scarring I will give you a jumping off point for your own skin. Here are my thoughts.

Routine

I started a skincare routine at age 13 and since then I have rethought each of the products I use. In every routine there are three main things: Cleanser, Moisturizer, and sunscreen. This is just a base for your routine not the only things there are. For those just starting I would recommend these three things to better understand your skin. I would also research brands, ingredients, steps, price, this all plays a role. When researching this brand, I realized how important the steps are in a routine. These products can be dangerous so using them correctly is a must. The only hard part is the names.
Compared to Glossier, this brand is hardly user friendly. But if you put in the work of figuring out the products, you will find some great results.
I have used these for 4 weeks now and can say that these products do work. They leave my skin feeling healthy, dewy, and reduced swelling. My skin has never looked better.

Extra Products

They have a cleanser but I wasn’t impressed with the consistency I saw in videos, reviews, or by internet digging. It was more for drier skin, as the cleanser was like a balm. I’ve seen these for melting makeup and in some cleansers but decided against it. I just couldn’t see myself benefiting from anything other than CeraVe, which had been in my Ulta cart for a few months. You can buy The Ordinary on Ulta, Sephora, or their website. The second thing I looked into was their foundation, a few steps ahead of skincare. But I had heard great things about this product and $6 foundation is worth it. I really like this, but because I bought online, the shade match was a little yellow. I still like the way it set down into a not too shiny, not too matte middle ground that felt like my skin. Medium coverage, I will definitely have to get this in the right shade.

Onto Masks

Then there is the peeling solution I have been hearing so much about. The AHA 30% + BHA 2% Peeling Solution is a little intimidating but if you know how to use it it will be a game changer for your skin. It is dangerous and has caused red pigmentation so make sure you have watched videos and done a patch test the day before. The ingredients are powerful so the first time I used it I left it on for 8 minutes. The second time 9 and the third time 10. But no more than 10 and once a week. It smelled very strong to me and looks a little like blood. Although like all their products, it was not irritating and easy to work onto my skin. This was one of my favorites because of how it reduced inflammation immediately after use.
The second mask I tried was the Salicylic Acid 2% Masque, because I didn’t get the cleanser with the same ingredient. This ingredient, Salicylic Acid, is great for acne and I was super pleased with the mask itself. I know I will use it up quick! It is black and dries down like a clay mask. It feels super light and impossible not to use again.

Serums

They have a lot of products! Even if you have the same skin as me, there are other things I could have tried from the brand. But my skincare routine doesn’t need to be more complicated than it already is. Before serums let’s talk moisturizer. Their Natural Moisturizing Factors + HA is a great product. I think this one of my favorites along with the peeling solution. It comes larger which is good because I know I will use it everyday. It is unscented, yay! The texture is soft, but still is thick enough to hydrate the skin. I find most moisturizers too thin or too thick, this is perfect for me. It literally makes my skin glow, I mean what more can you ask for?

The Azelaic Acid Suspension is known for helping scarring and acne while being non irritating. My hopes were high, and I didn’t feel disappointed. I’m not sure what helped my skin so much, but I owe part of my thanks to this. It smells pretty weird and is very small, but that didn’t stop it from working. The texture isn’t like moisturizer which I was expecting and the product smells a little like clay. But that being said, sometimes products achieve results without smelling good or feeling hydrating.

As an exfoliator, I was going to buy the Glycolic Acid 7% Toning Solution. I didn’t after hearing how strong it is, but wonder if I should have just gone for it. What worried me is that my skin is sensitive, an acid this strong scared me off slightly. Instead I went for the Lactic Acid 10% + HA 2%. The color threw me off, it is actually pinkish coral not yellow like it shows up in some photos. I use it two times a week or three just depending on my skin that week. I could have clear skin one day and then when I wake up I have three breakouts, so it really is a week by week. I don’t use this everyday because it still is strong. In contrast, it feels watery compared to the other serums. You can really feel it soak into the skin.

Next two are their Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5 and Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1%. Both have normal enough ingredients that you can find in other skincare. But that I think are vital for my routine. Especially the Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1% from the Ordinary is the best on the market. The Hyaluronic Acid is thicker and I always dampen my face before using it whereas the Niacinamide doesn’t need prep. Just washing your face with cleanser and then patting dry.

My Morning/ Nighttime Routine

Morning Skincare

• CeraVe cleanser
• Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1%
• Azelaic Acid Suspension
• Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5
• Moisturizing Factors + HA

Nighttime Skincare

• CeraVe cleanser
• Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1%
• Lactic Acid 10% + HA 2%
• Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5
• Azelaic Acid Suspension
• Moisturizing Factors + HA

Every Week or Two

• AHA 30% + BHA 2% Peeling Solution- I use this every week to two weeks, it’s really your preference but not twice a week. This stuff is strong so be careful. Wash your face only with a gentle cleanser, a little goes a long way, and avoid the eyes.
• Salicylic Acid 2% Masque- I use this every few weeks, it isn’t a product that I would use every week because of the amount of product and the price. When I use it I don’t use the peeling solution and vice versa.