What to Buy from The Ordinary Skincare and Review

What to Buy from The Ordinary

The Ordinary.  If you are a skin junkie like me probably heard a lot about the brand The Ordinary. The Ordinary is a brand under DECIEM umbrella, it is marketed as an effective yet affordable option for skin care. Some would even go to lengths and say it should be called anything but ordinary but with some many products to choose from what should you buy from The Ordinary?

I was really hesitant about posting which product to recommend from The Ordinary. The thing about skin care is that you don’t see the results immediately, which means it is harder to know which skin care products are good and which ones are bad. Some products you won’t see the results until 10 years later or maybe it lied and it won’t work at all. You could be wasting all your money and time without knowing at all.  Yes, I am a little dramatic, but I did take a long time to form my recommendations.

But seriously, it sucks when you waste so much money on skincare and it just doesn’t do anything, it is just so frustrating. With such affordable prices compared to other skin care products, it makes it easier on your wallet while you figure out which products are effective for your skin.

Although the products are affordable, the site for the ordinary is not helpful at all. There are so many scientific names and there isn’t a clear description of what each product does. I don’t know about you, but I definitely had information overload.

With so many recommendations and the affordability of the products, I bought a few Ordinary products. When I say a few, I mean basically half the ordinary line. In this post, I will tell you what to buy from The Ordinary.

What I bought

Advanced Retinoids 2%, Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1%, Ascorbyl Tetraisopalmitate solution 20% in vitamin F (sorry I have not tried this one long enough to know if it is good or not), Azelaic Acid Suspension 10%, Alpha Arbutin 2% + HA, Buffet, Caffeine Solution 5% and 100% Organic cold-pressed Rose Hip seed oil.

My Problems/ skin type

For me, the problem areas had always been hyperpigmentation from acne scars and whiteheads. So I am always looking for brightening products to help fade my hyperpigmentation, and exfoliating products to help exfoliate my forehead where it is prone to stubborn whiteheads.

What I thought

The Ordinary Advanced Retinoids 2% 

If I could only pick one product I would Buy from The Ordinary Advanced Retinoids 2% again. I don’t think  I have ever tried a retinol product on a regular basis. I probably tried it once or twice but I don’t think my skin reacted great to it.

As I mentioned before one of my problem areas has always been my forehead where stubborn whiteheads reside.  My forehead isn’t sensitive at all.  No matter what I do I just couldn’t exfoliate the whiteheads. I tried my Clarisonic, lots of BHA, AHA, I even tried an apparently a very strong mask (NIOD Flavanone mask) and I felt no stinging sensation that everyone talks about.

However, ever since I started using the Advanced Retinoids 2%  my whiteheads dramatically reduced. I also combined it with a bit of Drunk Elephant Glycolic Night serum. Using these two serums definitely reduced a lot with my whiteheads.

I know, I know the packing of this retinol isn’t the greatest. It isn’t airtight so it will oxidize faster. But with this price, I think it’s a great deal. I gotta say one thing though. If you are getting any signs of over-exfoliation, or even little random pimples, STOP EVERYTHING and just moisturize your skin. Grab a hydrating mask and sleeping mask and moisturizer and it will be fine. One of my favorite moisturizer to help over exfoliated skin are Innisfree Green Tea Seed Serum and COSRX Snail Muscin Essence.

Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1% $5.90

I am kind of indifferent to Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1%. I kind of like, but at the same time, I don’t. Overall, I didn’t see a  big difference after using it nor did I see a difference after I stopped using it.  It was a little annoying to use it since I had to alternate days when I don’t use vitamin c, but so far I am indifferent to this product.

Azelaic Acid Suspension 10% $7.90

Probably one of the last things I bought.  I bought this one because I heard that the Vitamin C Suspension 23% + HA spheres 2% pills, that is why I opted for this one instead. It comes in a cream format. It isn’t light and airy like some moisturizer, but I wouldn’t say it heavy. As for brightening, I didn’t see a major difference either but I think when I combined together with Advanced Retinoids 2%, Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1% the number of whiteheads did decrease.

Alpha Arbutin 2% + HA $8.90

This one was an alright product, but I didn’t see any brightening effects. If you have a Japanese toner like Hada Labo there is a high possibility that it already has arbutin.  If you compare the prices, Japanese toners are definitely cheaper than this one from The Ordinary. So if I had to pick I would rather pick up a Japanese toner instead.

Buffet $14.80

This one is the one product I would keep on buying. This serum is a serum packed with anti-aging peptides that stimulate collagen synthesis and skin repair, regulate cell activity, wound repair, tissue remodeling, just basically everything good for anti-aging. I don’t have many deep wrinkles right now, but I do have fine lines around my eyes. I think it is much easier to prevent wrinkles than to get rid of wrinkles. That is why I will be purchasing again and again. It is never too early to start using an anti-aging product.

Caffeine Solution 5% $6.70

A lot of people have been recommending this caffeine solution, to help depuff the eyes. Honestly, I didn’t see that much of a difference but I like to combine it with my butcher’s broom serum to help with my dark circles. I think when I combine it together I see a bigger difference than if I were to use them alone.

100% Organic cold-pressed Rose Hip seed oil $9.90

I like to use this oil when my skin is feeling particularly dry, with some dry patches. You could use this on a daily basis. Rose Hip oil has great benefits to the skin. It helps protects the skin from UV damage, slows down signs of aging, encourages healthy skin production, helps even the skin out and other benefits to help clear up the skin. I would definitely buy from The Ordinary Rosehip oil again.

In Conclusion

There are so many things to pick from, but what I buy from The Ordinary again is the Advanced Retinol 2%, Buffet, RoseHip oil, and Caffeine solution.

What would you recommend from The Ordinary Line?

Michelle

A beauty lover that loves everything about beauty and skincare. She is always on the lookout to find the new “it” product. Whether it is budget friendly or high end, she plans to share with others her beauty adventures and beauty experiences on this blog.