Review: The Ordinary skincare changed my routine forever. This is how.
The Ordinary skincare range has quite seriously changed my life. If you’ve been here for a while, you’ll know I absolutely swore by three skincare products for the longest time — my facial cleansing bar, coconut oil and sunscreen. That was literally all I used. It’s been three years since I said that and, my oh my, how things have changed.
Until about three years ago, I didn’t think anything in my skincare regimen needed to change. I had a cleanser, I used coconut oil as a moisturiser at night and sunscreen in the morning and my skin felt great. But, at 31, I my skin didn’t look great. It was starting to dull, I could see more fine lines than ever before, I suddenly had blemishes, and I’d look at my skin in the elevator (albeit under harsh lights) when leaving work at the end of the day and…gasp. And sure, collagen production does decrease after your mid-20s and your skin does to start to look a touch dull, but I just didn’t believe I had to resign myself to this new life with dull skin.
By sheer coincidence, I had been listening to a financial podcast called She’s On The Money while commuting to work each morning. The girls from Adore Beauty were guests on the podcast and they were talking about how much they love facial serums, a brand called The Ordinary, and something called ‘retinol’. It was my understanding that expensive eye creams, for example, were a bit of a hoax and did next to nothing for under-eye shadows or bags. Prior to listening to the podcast that morning, I tarred all facial serums with that same brush.
Well. I was wrong.
One of the girls said she had her skin mapped/scanned before and after using serums with retinol. Her skin had marked improvements post-retinol. Turns out, serums can actually penetrate your skin and change the speed at which your skin ages. I had seen The Ordinary products in a few stores but I had no idea what they were or why anyone would get them. When I got home from work that day, I bought three brand-spanking-new bottles and never looked back.
(Note: The links throughout this post are for readers in Australia and New Zealand. Scroll to the end for an international option :)
What is The Ordinary and why is it so cheap?
The Ordinary is a hair and skincare brand which does not spend money on fancy packaging or marketing. Each product is highly-concentrated, which means there’s no filler — the ingredients you see on the front of the bottle is what you get. This means they can afford to sell each product for about $10 - $15. The same products from other brands can cost between $70 and about $250. The company has made quality skincare products that are very affordable.
My favourite products by the ordinary
Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5: A natural substance found in your skin, eyes, and joints. When used topically, it rehydrates the skin, increases its capacity to retain water and reduces the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.
I LOVE hyaluronic acid. It’s the first product I grab after rinsing my face. My skin has never felt so smooth and hydrated.
Niacinimide 10% + Zinc 1%: Also known as Vitamin B3, niacinimide reduces the size of pores over time, improves epidermal barrier function, decreases skin hyperpigmentation, moisturises, and generally brightens skin. It feels very similar to hyaluronic acid on your skin — super hydrating. I use this every day.
Vitamin C: Helps slow early skin aging, prevents sun damage, and improve the appearance of wrinkles, dark spots, and acne. It has inflammatory agents, soothes skin and reduces puffiness — basically, it gives you a nice glow.
I was using The Ordinary Vitamin C cream with silicone, but I really didn’t like it. It kind of burned when I put it on my face, and apparently that’s normal, but I really hated it. The silicone also meant my makeup didn’t sit right on my face. I am currently using another Vitamin C serum, but I recently found out it’s not vegan so I’m not going to promote it. However, I do recommend you use a good Vitamin C serum — it makes a really big difference to your overall complexion.
Lactic Acid 10% + HA 2%: Increases cell turnover and helps eliminate accumulated dead skin cells on the top layer of skin — kind of like microdermabrasion, but to a lesser extent. This leaves your skin feeling super smooth, brightens your complexion, and it can thicken the skin — smoothing out wrinkles, and reducing blemishes over time.
Granactive Retinoid 2% Emulsion: A really powerful ingredient derived from vitamin A, which increases collagen production and reduces wrinkles over time. It also stimulates the production of new blood vessels in the skin, which improves skin tone and fades age spots.
It’s touted as a miracle product, and it very well could be, but I only use a 2% concentration every second day. You can definitely go overboard with retinoid — too much and it can burn you. It also makes your skin more sensitive to the sun, which is why I use it at night.
If you’re wondering why I use retinoid, not retinol: Basically, retinoid is more powerful — it’s the pharmacy-grade solution, whereas retinol is a product of retinoid. It’s a watered-down version.
Resveratrol 3% + Ferulic Acid 3%: A natural antioxidant which occurs naturally in the skin of some fruits, like grapes and olives, and dark chocolate. It boosts antioxidant levels so your skin can repair and defend itself, improves skin firmness, and reduces the appearance of wrinkles. It also calms any irritation and is really good for sensitive skin.
I use this with retinoid because it helps the product penetrate deeper into my skin.
Moroccan Argan Oil: Rich in Vitamin E, super moisturizing, hydrating, can prevent sun damage, and reduces the appearance of fine lines. I may not use coconut oil anymore, but I still love using oils on my skin.
morning skincare routine
When you start using serums, the thing to remember is what products you can and can’t mix. I use Vitamin C in the morning and retinoid at night because they can cause irritation when their powers are combined. Lactic acid and retinoid can be used in the same routine…but can also cause irritation. It depends on your skin. Given that you should really only be putting about three serums on your face per session, I like to alternate them.
Step 1:
After rinsing my face in the shower, I’ll dry my skin about 90% and immediately put a few drops of hyaluronic acid on my face. Enough to cover it completely. I do this because hyaluronic acid is attracted to water, so it grabs the moisture on your face and pulls it into your skin. It works just fine if your face is completely dry, but I feel as though it does more if my face is a little damp. After putting the acid on, it dries really quickly.
Step 2:
When that’s all dry, I’ll do exactly the same thing with niacinimide — coat my face in it and wait a few seconds until it’s dry.
Step 3:
I follow niacinimide up with a few drops of Vitamin C — just enough for a thin coat on my face. It’s a powerful ingredient and too much can be damaging, and can make your skin quite sensitive to the sun. I use it in the morning and follow it up with sunscreen (my fav at the moment is Ultra Violette) and primer with an SPF filter.
Evening skincare routine
Step 1:
I remove my makeup using ASAP Daily Facial Cleanser. I like this one because it removes makeup pretty easily, it doesn’t leave my skin feeling tight and dry, and I never have breakouts with it.
Step 2:
Like the morning, I’ll coat my face in hyaluronic acid when my skin in about 90% dry.
Step 3:
I alternate products in this step every second day.
On day one, I’ll follow hyaluronic acid with lactic acid. Just enough for a thin layer on my face is enough to leave it silky-smooth.
On day two, I’ll use just enough retinoid to coat my skin. It may be a miracle product, but you can definitely go overboard with it. Once that’s dry, I go in with resveratrol. It’s quite thick and oily so I don’t use too much. I’ll then wait at least 30 mins until it sinks into my skin before using moisturiser.
Step 4:
If I’ve used lactic acid, I’ll moisturize with argan oil. It’s quite thick so there’s no need to use too much — you don’t really want a pile of oil on your face and clog your pores. Your skin will feel silky-smooth the following morning.
If I’ve used retinoid, I’ll moisturise with ASAP Advanced Hydrating Moisturiser. It smells like orange peels, leaves my skin feeling hydrated and is supposed to heal sun-damaged skin and reduce fine lines.
That’s it!
I’ve come a long way from only using coconut oil and, while I still do believe it’s a great moisturiser, it wasn’t doing anything for my skin except moisturising it. Why stop at one benefit when you can boost collagen production and repair your skin from the inside out?
I’m not going to have the skin of a 20-year-old again, but since starting this new skin regime I have noticed my skin is brighter, I have fewer blemishes and fine lines, and my skin feels amazing.