The Ordinary - Product Overview

It's hard to believe that The Ordinary skincare (one of Deciem's brands) has only been around for just one year. They have totally revolutionised the way that people can access skincare products - that were, generally, previously in the domain of specialist skincare clinics and aestheticians or out of the affordable price range for many skincare enthusiasts. I've personally never seen any other brand, in such a short amount of time, grab the international beauty market so tightly by the balls till everyone had no choice but to take notice!

I'd never been aware before, personally, of any brand that seemed constantly to have at least one of it's products on a waiting list. In particular, when the Ordinary released it's 'Colours' range earlier in the year, the waiting list quickly reached 50,000 (and don't quote me on this, but pretty sure I heard that it rose to 250,000).

But for me, it's the price point that mostly attracts me to The Ordinary. Very few of their products cost over £10 - and so it is a very affordable way to try out clinical skincare products without being scared off by the price and at such a low price, you have little to lose if the products aren't for you or your skin after all.

 High-Adherence Silicone Primer

£3.90 30ml

 

Let's start with the first Ordinary product I ever bought. Earlier in the year I was searching for a good primer. I first heard of The Ordinary through Wayne Goss, who was really raving about the best primer he'd ever used - being this one. He talked about waiting lists for this product and how absolutely everyone in the beauty industry was raving about it. Because I was a couple of months late to the party (as usual!!) I didn't have to wait for this one. I'd been using the Porefessional by Benefit and I quite liked the velvety texture that a silicone primer gives - I feel that it's a good layer for foundation to sit on and not show pores up so much.

A lot of people really don't like silicone in their products as it can cause them to break-out but luckily, I'm not one of those people.

To be honest, with all the hype, I really expected this to be a wonder product and felt slightly dismayed that it wasn't. It certainly wasn't as silicone-velvet textured as the Porefessional and if anything, was slightly greasy on my skin.

Nowadays, I don't tend to use a separate primer since my Biore UV Aqua Rich Watery Essence Sun Screen (50 spf) is the best primer I've ever used. But I still have this one as a back-up.

 

 

Alpha Lipoic Acid 5%

£5.90 30ml

 

At the same time I ordered the primer, I also decided to tentatively step into the world of active acids. I read through all the literature on the website and opted for Alpha Lipoic Acid. This seems to be one of the most under-represented and under-rated of The Ordinary actives on social media. And looking back, I'm not entirely sure why I chose this above any of the others. ALA is an anti-oxidant which works to reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, refine enlarged pores, brighten up the skin tone and also acts as an anti-inflammatory, reducing the appearance of blotchy skin. So actually, it was a good place to start!

ALA is a clear, slightly viscous serum which sinks in and settles well on your skin. However, when I first received this, I did my usual rush-straight-in and slathered it all over my face the first evening I got it. And by god - it burned!!

It didn't just tingle - this was a full-on raging heat that my acid-virgin skin could barely tolerate. I went bright red and hot and only then did I look up any reviews and advice on how to use this acid *rolls-eyes*.

I wasn't alone with this reaction. Over the next few weeks, I took to mixing this with foundation once a week until the burn turned into a bearable tingle. Several months later, I still only use this one evening a week, but it's no longer an intolerable sensation.
Ingredients
ALA has just two listed ingredients - Propanediol , which acts as humectant, emollient, skin penetration enhancer and solvent. Boosts preservative efficacy, improves skin moisturization and is 100% natural. And Thioctic Acid which is an anti-oxidant.
So, has it worked?
In the few months that I've been using this, I've also been using several other actives and have pretty much over-hauled my skincare routine to suit my skin. So I can't say that this product alone has given me any noticeable results in the appearance of my skin. My skin has undeniably gotten better over the past few months, but with the exception of a couple of products, I think that it's a combination of the different products I use, so unfortunately, it's hard to separate what this product has done overall. I say unfortunately, because that's going to be my response for most of The Ordinary products that I'm featuring here. I'd love to have a more definitive answer about the efficacy of each product, but I think it's a case of the products working together which give the end result.

 

 

Colours Full Coverage Foundation with SPF 15

£5.90 30ml

This time I was present when this range was released (back in March of this year) and signed up for the full coverage foundation (in shade 2.0YG - Light medium) as soon as it appeared. I think I was on the wait list for almost three months till it was my turn to receive mine. I was very happy with my choice of shade that I picked (I really find it almost impossible to pick a foundation shade without matching in real life) and overall, pretty happy with this foundation. However, I did get slightly oily throughout the day and thought the foundation's formula was to blame. Fast forward a couple of months and this is wearing so much better now - in that time, my choice of skincare products are all coming together to make me less oily through the day, and foundations that I'd previously considered a bit oily are now working great. On the flip-side, other foundations are proving a bit too matte now that my skin has normalised a bit.

Below is the range of shades offered in the Colours range (courtesy of Victoria-Health)

 

It's a reasonable range of colours, but as you can see, as with most foundation ranges, there are still far too few of the darker colours.

 

So many products! What to buy next? What do the products actually do? Will they benefit me? When and how do I use them?

Luckily, Arly, from the blog 'Detailed Oriented Beauty' has written a definitive review about The Ordinary products and it was this article which helped me to decide which products to try next. Also, see her latest article - The Ordinary - How to Create a Skincare Routine.  This article goes a long way to help you know what to use and when - and more importantly, which products not to mix together or use in the same routine.

 

 

Advanced Retinoid 2% £8.00 for 30ml

 

There are so many retinol products in the market with varying strengths and in different types of products it's really hard for someone who is just starting out with a more serious approach to skincare to know which one to choose and use. But if you are serious about your skincare routine, and in particular, anti-aging products, then retinol is one of the must-use ingredients.

 

Retinoids are chemically related to Vitamin A, not only help with the signs of anti-aging but also help with acne-related issues and hyper-pigmentation too - so it's easy to see why they play such an important role in skincare.

 

Retinoids aid in the normalization of hyperkeratinization, which means they help your skin slough off (or desquamate) dead skin cells at a more normal rate so the dead skin cells don't bind together and clog your pores. {Source}

 

See here for an article detailing the different types of retinoids, from weakest to strongest, and some of the products they can be found in.

 

After getting a bit more comfortable with the Alpha Lipoic Acid, I thought it was time to dip my toe (or actually, my face) into a retinoid product. I was initially nervous though as retinoid can be a skin irritant. I thought I'd start with the Advanced Retinoid 2% as it's less irritating than The Ordinary's Retinol 1%.

 

So did it hurt?

Surprisingly (and happily) no - it didn't! I actually didn't even have to ease into this by mixing it with my moisturiser. This creamy off-white lotion, for me anyway, was completely non-irritating. I opted to use it just once a week at first to see if I suffered from any dryness or break-outs, and when neither of these happened, I have stepped it up to 2-3 times a week.

 

And does it work?

Ahh right - that question is not as easy to answer. As with the Alpha Lipoic Acid, I can't give a definitive answer. Personally, I wish that I had more to show for prolonged use but I can't say I've noticed a dramatic difference to my skin. Again, all I can say is that I feel it's working alongside other products to maintain skin that I'm more happy with, but sadly, there's no dramatic difference in the past few months of use.

 

 

Buffet £12.70 for 30ml

 

At the same time as buying the Advanced Retinoid I also bought the Buffet serum as I was worried about potential irritation from using the retinoid and Buffet was recommended by Arly (at Detailed Oriented Beauty) as a serum to use next in the routine after applying the Advanced Retinoid.

Buffet is so-named as it is just like a buffet of lovely grub at an all-you-can-eat restaurant, but with an array of ingredients rather than edibles.

 It contains:

Matrixyl 3,000 peptide complex with palmitoyl-pentapeptide 35

Matrixyl Synthe'6 peptide complex with palmitoyl tripeptide-38

Syn-Ake peptide complex with dipeptide diaminobutyroyl benzylamide diacetate

Relistase peptide complex with acetylarginyltryptophyl diphenylglycine

Argirelox peptide complex with acetyl hexapeptide-8, pentapeptide-18

Probiotic complex with lactococcus lactis lysate

A base of 11 skin-friendly amino acids and multiple hyaluronic acid complexes 

Please don't ask me to detail exactly what all these fantastic-sounding properties do - other than that together they tackle all the signs of ageing - just like a Power Ranger Megazord.
For me, Buffet is an easy-to-use, soothing and hydrating serum which can fit into a morning or evening routine after cleansing and toning and before moisturisers, creams or sunscreen.
Remember the general rule of thumb for where to place a product in your routine is from lightest to heaviest/thinnest to thickest in consistency. In the evening, I would use this after an acid treatment and in the morning, I would fit it in after cleansing and before moisturising.
As with many serums - the only results I can see/feel is that my skin can feel more supple, look brighter and is more hydrated. If you have oily skin, sometimes adding more layers may seem like you are just building up to oiliness later in the day - but that's definitely not the case. If anything, the serums can help control and reduce sebum production. Also, in the morning, if you get the mix right, they can help lay a good base for your make-up. It's interesting to see how different foundations wear differently depending on your morning routine.

 

 

Caffeine Solution 5% + EGCG £5.80 for 30ml

 

I'm always on the look out for the holy grail of eye creams (or gels or serums) and so I thought I'd try the Caffeine Solution 5% + EGCG. However, I wish that Arly had written her article (see above for link) about how to create a skincare routine before I'd purchased this. It's only after reading that article that I realised that the Caffeine Solution targets dark circles and puffy eyes ( I should have paid attention when buying). This is not my main area of concern - I'd rather be targeting fine lines and eyelids that are starting to get a little crepe-y.

Caffeine can reduce the appearance of dark circles in the eye contour area and also relieve puffiness together with the inclusion of the ingredient of EGCG (Epigallocatechin Gallatyl Glucoside).

 

However, this is a really nice lightweight serum which is soothing on the eye area and without irritation. I enjoyed using it at first but to be honest, I haven't really noticed any results. After reading Arly's article, the next  Ordinary product I want to try for my eye area will be the Argireline Solution 10% , also referred to as 'botox in a bottle' for it's ability to prevent the formation of expression wrinkles by inhibiting muscle movement!

 



 

Glycolic Acid Toning Solution 7%  £6.80 for 240ml.



This was another wait-list item when word got around that it was a great dupe for Pixi Glow Tonic. I'd previously been using the Pixi Glow Tonic, but was really getting through it at a rate of knots and this is obviously a cheaper alternative. I much prefer this type of chemical exfoliation rather than physical exfoliation. However, I was surprised at just how much this stuff stings. In the few months I've been using it, the stinging hasn't lessened - and woe betide you if you have any sore spots on your face - it stings so badly!

With the Pixi Glow Tonic, I had no problems using it both in the morning and evening routines (although on hindsight, that was too much!). With this, you are advised to use it no more than once a day, and not to use it when using retinoids.

Because of the high sting factor, I usually reach for this no more than three times a week, so this bottle is going to last me ages (unless I find an alternative product I prefer in the meantime).

 

AHA 30% + BHA 2% Peeling Solution  -£6.30 for 30ml

 

I actually ordered this after I ordered the Glycolic Acid Toning Solution but because of the wait-list for the GATS, I got my hands on this first. If I had already tried the GATS then I might have been a bit more reluctant to try this. As it was, I was fairly nervous about this product as it is notorious for it's strong 'tingle' upon application.

This blood red solution is to be applied thinly and worn as a mask, for absolutely no longer than ten minutes. Online, it's a bit of a thing with people reporting how long they could bear wearing it for, so with my prior experience of the Alpha Lipoic Acid, I didn't think I was going to be in the 'keeping it on for the whole ten minutes' gang.

AHA (alpha hydroxyl acids) and BHA (beta hydroxyl acids) are more exfoliating acids. AHA contains Glycolic, Lactic, Tartaric and Citric acids which resurface the topmost surface of the skin to help brighten and even skin tone.  While BHA is Salicylic acid and this helps to unclog pores, which is why it's a great acid for people who are prone to blemishes.

 

To my surprise, I didn't find the tingle too bad at all (I still think the GATS tingles so much more than this). I do find that my face is quite red after use, but that's only to be expected with such a strong chemical exfoliation. I intended to use this once per week, but I've gone down to once a fortnight as I do find that my skin (particularly on the tops of my cheeks) are quite dry the next day and often take a couple of days to calm down. Several products that I own exfoliate in some way or another and I'm worried about over-doing it.

 

 

Niacinamide 10% + Zinc PCA 1% - £5.00 for 30ml

 

I initially bought a bottle of this for my mother as she had recently returned from a prolonged stay abroad and had some sun spots that she wanted to deal with. In my limited skincare knowledge, I knew that Vitamin C is great for hyper-pigmentation, but I think her sensitive skin would have problems with that, so I thought Niacinamide (which is also recommended for hyper-pigmentation) would suit her better.

Fast forward a couple of weeks till I saw my Mum again and I couldn't believe what I saw! Considering she's 72, she had no make-up on and had been feeling particularly unwell, her skin just looked fabulous - radiant and glowing and really healthy. The Niacinamide was the only thing different that she had been using.

I immediately ordered myself a bottle!

This has very quickly become one of my most favourite products. I have been wearing it, without fail, every morning and it certainly gives you an instant glow and brighter skin tone.

It's such a lovely, slightly viscous serum, which sinks in quickly and is great for layering with other products.

This is the only Ordinary product which I feel shows instantaneous results.

 

 

 

EUK 134 0.1% - £6.90 for 30ml

 

When the Victoria-Health (where I buy all of my Ordinary products from) newsletter announced that The Ordinary were releasing some new products, I'm slightly embarrassed to say that I ordered them immediately without understanding what it was I was buying!

I'm still not entirely clear what EUK 134 does - but I like it!

 

I'll leave it to the product description to explain what it is - see if you can make head or tail of it!

 

"EUK 134 is a mimetic of superoxide dismutase and catalse, forming an exceptionally rare self-regenerating molecule that scavenges superoxide free radicals, eliminates hydrogen peroxide and converts reactive oxygen species into water and oxygen. While it has been around for many years, very few products on the market do use this truly superb antioxidant which can regenerate itself to offer round-the-clock antioxidant support. The only issue with EUK 134 is that it must not be used immediately with strong acids such as suspensions of Ascorbic Acid. Strong acids will completely destroy EUK 134 which is based on manganese.

The low price of this formula does not reflect EUK 134's extremely high potency. EUK 134 is by far one of the strongest antioxidants available. While EUK 134 itself is very costly, the suggested concentration in any formula is below 0.05% and most formulas do not use this maximum suggestion. This formula uses EUK 134 at an extremely high 0.1% concentration and we do not believe any product on the market today uses a higher concentration than this amount. This formula does not contain any water, silicones, oils or alcohol. Water can impair the stability of any antioxidant."

 

 

 

 

This is a gorgeous amber slightly viscous liquid that has a light dry oil feel. It's meant to be slightly warming on application but I haven't really noticed this.

What I have noticed, after using for just a few weeks, is that after applying this and when all my make-up is applied my face can feel as if it's moist and slightly cool. This has led to me on various occasions touching my face to see if I actually feel damp. It's the oddest sensation. And then a few hours later, my skin feels tauter (as it might if I had worn something that dried my skin up a bit). I can't work out if this is good or bad!

 

 

 

Resveratrol 3% + Ferulic Acid 3% - £5.50 for 30ml

 

This was released at the same time as the EUK 134 and I snapped this up as well.

Again, it's another antioxidant formula. And again, I didn't know what the hell it was meant for!

Apparently, it works well with Vitamin C. So I use the EUK 134 in the morning and the Resveratrol in the evening (when I use Vitamin C).

I've been using it for the same amount of time as the EUK 134 but I really don't have anything to say about it - either positive or negative.

Like the EUK 134 it has a light, dry-oil texture, so it pretty much feels like another serum. I have seen no results at all. Despite saying this about other products, yet knowing/feeling that they are working as part of a team - I just don't get that feeling with the Resveratrol. I'll continue to use it (just in case) but I'm not feeling much about this - it's just rather 'meh!'.

 

 

Final thoughts

Apart from the Niacinamide, there are no stand-out skin heroes here amongst these products. Yet I know that I will continue to work my way through The Ordinary products. I already have a shopping-list for another 3 or 4 products that I intend to buy next month (I do limit my shopping, you know!). And that sounds like a pretty odd statement to make - kind of like 'I love them but I'm not in love with them'. But together they do make for a pretty cohesive skin care collection. I certainly appreciate that because of the price I am able to afford to try them without feeling like I've wasted my money. I think it's easy to have really high expectations with certain skin care products (particularly the higher-end ranges) and you can often feel (perhaps unfairly) really disappointed when you don't wake up with skin as clear as a baby's bottom. Do we all expect far too much from these products based on the company's claims and advertising and the pressure of social media?

I personally need to remember that I'm 46 years old. It took 46 years for my skin to reach this state and although I may be able to stave off further signs of aging, and maybe even slightly reduce some of those signs - you can never turn back time completely - whatever claims are made.

I'm happy to enjoy playing around with my skincare and getting those short-lived moments when I fist bump while looking in the mirror. Yes, I'll take those moments.