The Ordinary skincare review Part 1

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I finally got around to buying some new skincare products, so here’s my initial The Ordinary skincare review. It includes particular serums and one of their oils.

On paper this brand is technically right up my street because it has:

• A) high concentrations of active ingredients
• B) ingredients that are, for the best part, well known for being likely to have a positive effect (usually backed up with large studies and in many case clinical trials)
• C) relatively simple formulations (less likely to cause allergic reactions, simply because there are fewer ingredients)
• D) packaging that’s likely to keep the ingredients stable and bacteria-free (no jars, etc)
• E) very, very CHEAP (let’s face it, some skincare prices from certain other brands are ridiculous or frankly outrageous for what you actually get)
• F) no overblown claims of ‘miracle’ products

I often wish I could add one or two more proven ingredients into my routine here and there without throwing everything including the kitchen sink into it, and that’s why The Ordinary skincare especially appealed to me.

How I see The Ordinary skincare

It’s kind of generic-priced toiletries, a bit like how cheap it is to buy own brand paracetamol compared with a fancy big name brand. Paracetamol is paracetamol, retinol is retinol. You get the picture.

Please note though, I only like cheap if it actually works. If it doesn’t work then it’s a waste of your time and your hard-earned cash.

I’ll pay extra for something that works well if there’s nothing similar available with a lower price tag. I care not a jot for trendy brands or fancy packaging – and don’t proudly keep my skincare on the bathroom windowsill anyway (most things like serums and moisturisers belong in a cool, dark cupboard or drawer in a different room so the ingredients don’t degrade).

Why I’m so careful about skincare products

Okay, so what took me so long to get around to buying some items from The Ordinary skincare brand? Honestly, it was a combination of two things. Firstly, I wanted to use some other products up before starting, because they worked and because I don’t like waste. Secondly, I have incredibly reactive skin.

A quick note about my skin. It’s very sensitive. The skin on my face and body has a very exaggerated response to even the lightest touch or pressure, leading to redness, flares and wheals. My face and neck are usually the worst affected so I treat them very gently, avoiding scrubs, drying forms of alcohol, and fragrance.

Testing The Ordinary properly for these reviews

I decided to try three of their products on separate parts of my face and body for a month, and to patch test them very, very carefully – using my own untreated skin as a control.

The problem I’ve had with all the other reviews I’ve read is that people who’ve tried The Ordinary products have put them all over their faces. If they’ve reported a good reaction it might be in spite of the product (for example the product is ineffective but something else in their routine has worked, or they are influenced by advertising), and if they have a negative reaction it might also be nothing to do with the product (for example a hormonal breakout, or dry skin that was about to surface anyway).

Many reviews have only been carried out for a week, and some people have then said it didn’t work. These previous reviews have been pretty useless for me – many highly effective skincare ingredients affect the skin slowly and will often take between one to three months of diligent usage to give you a result.

So there you have it, I had to do my own patch tests. Here we go. This is a preliminary review after a few days of use, and I’ll do a proper roundup after a whole month of diligent applications. [Edited to add: the one month roundup is here]

The Ordinary skincare initial review

The three products I chose from The Ordinary were:

• The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1%, ‘High-Strength Vitamin and Mineral Blemish Formula’ – £5.00 for 30ml or £9.00 for 60ml
• The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5, ‘A Hydration Support Formula’ – £7.90 for 30ml or £13.75 for 60ml
• The Ordinary 100% Organic Cold-Pressed Rose Hip Seed Oil, ‘Daily Support Formula for All Skin Types’ – £9.70 for 30ml

It was *very* tempting to buy up the whole shop because the prices are so amazingly low, but I knew I would probably do myself a mischief if I started adding too many new things into my routine all at once.

The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1% initial review

Studies suggest that both niacinamide and zinc (the relatively gentle zinc PCA form is used in this preparation) help to support breakout-prone skin, although most studies used 5% solutions of niacinamide. The two main ingredients also have various anti-ageing properties, including refining the size of pores and reducing the action of harmful enzymes.

It’s contained in clean, streamlined packaging with a large dropper bottle, and it’s a water-based serum. The serum is slightly gloopy and it dries fairly quickly so I had to work fairly fast to create a thin, even layer of product. You don’t want to use too much of it in one go, as it could easily pill up if/when you want to apply other skincare or makeup over the top.

I only applied this to the right hand side of my face, avoiding neck, lips and eye area. I used the smallest amount I could comfortably manage without dragging on my skin, and applied it twice a day (under SPF moisturiser in the morning, and moisturising gel in the evening).

Niacinamide tip for beginners

One thing to look out for with niacinamide is a flushing or burning sensation in your skin when you apply it. A percentage of the population are unable to tolerate the ingredient and it’s the classic sign of intolerance to it, so look out for that if you’re trying niacinamide for the first time. Fortunately I was okay, and continued using it.

During the second day I started to get a bit of dryness on the lower half of my face, but it was on both sides of the face so the untreated area was dry too – it wasn’t caused by the niacinamide. I put on some light moisturiser and it was much better by the next day. If I hadn’t patch tested, I would probably – incorrectly – have blamed the product.

Nope, so far, so good. As it can help remodel the pores, I was expecting to wait for at least a month before any visible changes happened because that’s not a surface-only process and your skin takes a few weeks to turn over its cells.

Then I woke up on day six and touched both sides of my forehead. The untreated left side was very oily, and the treated right side now felt closer to a normal skin type. I looked in the mirror and there was a definite visible difference. My skin feels a bit better behaved now. The right side of my nose is slightly improved too, and my chin appears unchanged but it’s also the least problematic part of my T-zone.

An obvious effect in less than one week

Well, I certainly wasn’t expecting that after six days.

Now, I’m not suggesting that it’s a miracle potion and you should all rush out and buy some, but it’s a promising start so far, isn’t it? We’re all different, and your mileage may vary with products that initially appear to be working for me.

The best thing for me to do right now is hold back a bit and reserve further judgement until the skin’s had time to turn over – I’ll come back after the full month is up and write a fuller review, looking at a range of skin health indicators.

Find The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1% serum at:

• Boots
• Sephora UK
• Beauty Bay

The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5 preliminary review

This is another water-based, slightly goopy serum containing different weights of hyaluronic acid, plus B5, both of which are able to attract water to the skin to help with hydration. Some of the hyaluronic acid molecules may also be able to get deeper into the skin and create a longer-term skin-restoring and antioxidant effect, theoretically speaking.

I bought this mainly to use as a simple, non-greasy hydrating moisturiser. While my skin is combination, it does get dehydrated quite easily, so this was a possible way to hydrate without clogging pores and causing other irritations.

The test areas were the left side of the neck, and the left under-eye area. I chose to leave the corresponding skin on the opposite side untreated with this serum, or any other new products.

It’s a product that applies easily and smoothly, and I found it sinks in quickly without stinging. There’s an immediate hydrating effect which I found soothing, and a little cosmetic skin plumping too which helps to reduce fine lines.

Less sensitivity within 5 days…

I thought the effect was going to be confined the surface of the skin, and that it would go away when I washed the product off. Then, on day five of twice-daily testing, I noticed that the skin on my neck was a bit sensitive and rash-y – but only on the untreated side.

I don’t want to speak too soon, but this hyaluronic acid serum seems to be helping my reactive skin to calm down. The treated under-eye area also seems a bit less puffy in the mornings when I wake up.

There’s much more of a soothing effect than I was expecting. I’ll do a fuller report at the end of the month in case there’s a deeper or more cumulative effect.

Mind you, for a £7.90 product I’m more than happy so far, even if there are no further changes. If you like the 30ml size, there’s also a 60ml version that works out cheaper per ml.

Find The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5 at:

• Cult Beauty
• Boots
• Sephora UK

The Ordinary 100% Organic Cold-Pressed Rose Hip Seed Oil early review

It’s a pure cold pressed rosehip oil, which allegedly means it has more vitamins etc in it. It sells for £9.70 for a 30ml bottle, and is identical to designer-y cult products that go for, say £20+ for a 20ml bottle, or £15.00 for a 23ml bottle.

It’s a light moisturising oil, so I bought it for occasional patches of dry skin. It’s allegedly good for spot-prone skin and drier skin, but not everyone gets on with it so this was more of an experiment.

I’m currently testing this on the back of my left hand and around the cuticles, just to see whether it causes a bad reaction. It’s easy enough to use, very light and it hasn’t caused any problems so far.

No big results so far, waiting a little longer

It takes a couple of minutes to sink in, and has a light, fruity natural smell to it. It’s agreeable enough, but it’s too soon to tell whether it’s having any obvious effect yet. At some point in the next few weeks I’m going to be a bit braver and try patch testing on my face with it. However, I won’t do that until the month is up with the other new products.

I’m concluding my initial report here, and will be back in a few weeks for the full review. [EDITED TO ADD: Full and final review here]

Find The Ordinary 100% Organic Cold-Pressed Rose Hip Seed Oil at:

• Cult Beauty
• Sephora UK
• Beauty Bay

Enjoyed reading this? You may also like:

• The Ordinary Skincare Review: One month on
• What I bought in The Ordinary’s Slowvember sale
• Why I’m cancelling my Beauty Pie membership
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Best places to buy The Ordinary’s full range

You can find out a whole lot more and buy these products direct from The Ordinary at their main company website. The range in 2023 now includes many additional serums, moisturisers, sunscreens, facial cleansers, haircare and more. They also give free advice about skin concerns and routines.

Other places to buy that may be more convenient for you:

• Cult Beauty – regular discounts, often the most generous
• Boots – earn & get money off with reward points
• Sephora UK – back in the UK & full of bargain beauty brands
• Look Fantastic – reliable retailer
• Beauty Bay – bundle deals, 3-for-2s and more

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Have you tried any products from The Ordinary yet? Look out for their strong formulations and prices from only £4.00 to £28.75.