Make Up Review

Best The Ordinary Products: How To Use Them For Stunning Skin

by Mohammad Ali Ayaz on Jan 09, 2024

The ordinary regimen is formed by different types of skincare products, there are a huge variety.

In this section, you can find tips to build up your regimen based on the best the Ordinary products.

Basically, ordinary products include different categories and classifications as for example:

Hydrators & Oils, Retinols & Retinoids, Antioxidants, Acids, Vitamin C, Peptides, Cleanser

We are going to walk through each of these classifications so you can understand the basics of each.

Hydrators

Hydrators can be serums, and products that are different from oils.

After cleansing, use their moisturizer alone or after serums and oils, for an extra boost.

Many of their serums, as for example HA and Marine Hyaluronics, are very hydrating.

Take a look at the following table for examples of Hydrators:

best the ordinary products	Skin Type	Key Ingredients	Benefits	How often to use
Natural Moisturizing Factors + HA	All Skin Types	multiple AA, ceramides, HA	Protects and hydrates skin	Daily AM / PM
The Ordinary Marine Hyaluronics	Hydration for normal to oily complexion with super light texture	Marine Hyaluronics, exopolysaccharide, Hawaiian red algae, Glycoproteins	Hold water onto skin with a super light texture / Retains skin moisture	Daily AM / PM before creams
The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5	ordinary hyaluronic acid is good Especially for Dry to Very Dry Skin	low-, medium- and high-molecular weight HA, Vitamin B5	ordinary hyaluronic acid provides Deep hydration / boost hydration/ protects your skin	Daily AM / PM before creams
The Ordinary AA + B5	Dehydrated Skin	AA and AA derivatives, D-Panthenol	non-greasy hydration	Daily AM / PM before creams

Source: TheOrdinary

Oils

There are quite a few oils for all skins and hair as well. From dry to sensitive skin you may find something suitable.

They are all 100% organic, cold-pressed, vegan and natural, and here are options if you are allergic as well.

How To Use Ordinary Oils?

You can normally apply the oils after water-based treatments and the frequency depends on the oil you choose.

Here’s the comparison table, with this and other essential information about the ordinary oils:

Oil	Key Ingredients	Skin Type	Benefits	How To Use
Rose Hip Seed Oi (organic cold pressed rose hip seed)l	linoleic acid, linolenic acid, and pro-vitamin A	rose hip seed oil is good for All Skin Types	Anti-ageing, fade spots, Calms sensitive irritated skin / soothes skin	Use Hip Seed Oil Daily, Evening time, after water-based treatments
Moroccan Argan Oil	fatty acids, vitamins, phenols, may contain traces of nuts	Hair and Skin / Dried skin	Hydration, flaking reduction / soothes skin	Daily or every time you need
Borage Seed Oil	gamma-linolenic acid (GLA), linoleic, oleic, stearic and palmitic acids	Dry and / or Irritated Skin	soothes , calms your skin,	Daily or every time you need, after water-based treatments
Virgin Marula Oil	rich in antioxidants, oleic acid, linoleic acid, procyanidin, catechins and flavanoids	Hair and Skin / Dry Skin / Dehydrated Skin	Hydration, even skin, protects your skin barrier	AM or PM after water based lightweight serum formulations
“B” Oil with rosehip seed oil	squalane + oils of marula, argan, baobab, pataua, brazil nut, inca inchi, rosehip seed oil and borage	All Skins/ 100 organic cold pressed	boost hydration, Calms the skin, promotes skin overall health, soothes irritated and stressed skin	AM or PM after serums
Virgin Sea-Buckthorn Fruit Oil	palmitoleic acid (Omega 7), fatty acids, antioxidants tocopherol (Vitamin E),	All Skin Types / 100 organic cold pressed	Highly Hydrating, protect the skin from free radical damage / anti-ageing	Use in the evening after application of water-based treatments / mix a few drops with other products
Virgin Chia Seed Oil	essential fatty acid, linoleic, oleic, stearic, palmitic acids, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants	Hair and skin / All Skin Types / 100 organic cold pressed	hydrating / soothes the skin	AM or PM after water based serums

Source: The Ordinary website

Exfoliators

Exfoliating is cool because they remove dead skin cells, and leave your skin smooth, brighter and remove wrinkles and boost collagen production.

But to actually enjoy the good results, you have to make sure you are not overdoing it.

If you use too much chemical exfoliator, your skin may break out and get overy dry. So, exfoliate with moderation.

And start slow, this way your skin can get used with the active ingredients of the formulas.

For your face, I like exfoliating once a week, but I have friends that are pretty happy doing this twice a week.

Well, to be honest, I try to do it once a week, but sometimes I forget, so I should be pushing myself to do it at least once a week.

The ordinary has six exfoliating products so far by the date of this article ( I’ll keep it updated in case changes occur).

It is important that you pick just one exfoliator, as using them all will make you upset your skin, especially if you have sensitive skin.

For the exfoliators, it is probably better to use one that is correspondent to your skin.

Down below we have a quick table to help you identify it:

The Ordinary AHA 30% + BHA 2% Peeling Solution	The Ordinary Salicylic Acid 2% Solution	The Ordinary Lactic A. 5% + HA 2% (£5.50) & Lactic A.10% + HA 2%	The Ordinary Mandelic Acid 10% + HA	The Ordinary 7% Toning Solution
exfoliates dead skin cells /Best For Professionals / contains alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) that promotes an even skin /boost collagen production	salicylic acid exfoliates dead skin cells / For Oily And Acne-Prone Skin / soothes acne scars	For Sensitive Skin /dull skin	For Sensitive / Acne-Prone Skin / soothes acne scars	For Dried Skin

Facial Serums For a Serious Glow

Facial Serums are a little bit polemic. Some people love it, some people just say they are worthless.

Some people use them alone, or apply them before the facial moisturizer.

If you ask my humble opinion, as a user, until the moment I’m writing this article, I prefer to use them alone.

Why?

Firstly because I like to make it simple, I believe that for my skin the less is really more.

My skin doesn’t respond too well to the quantity of products, so I like to stick with the minimum.

Serums That Are Good For Dryness

Product	Benefits
100% Plant-Derived Squalane	Extremely hydrating / Prevent loss of skin hydration / Softens and smooth dried skin / Can be used on hair and skin
Argireline Solution 10%	Improves appearance of lines around the eyes and the forehead / Hydrating
Marine Hyaluronics	Super Light weights hydration serum / Normal to dry skin / soothes and brightens skin / protects your skin barrier / won’t clog pores
Alpha Arbutin 2% + HA	Treats dark spots and hyperpigmentation
Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5	Provides intense, long-lasting moisture, smoother skin
Amino Acids + B5	Hydrating and anti-irritating
100% Plant-Derived Hemi-Squalane	Hydrating / Can be used on hair and skin

The ordinary skin care Anti Ageing Serums

Serums For Sensitive, Oily & Acne Prone Skin & Blemishes

Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1% lightweight serum

For Acne & Persistent Blemishes

Uneven Skin Tone Serums

The Ordinary Oxidants

Before we jump to The Ordinary Oxidants, let’s recap some of the key benefits we can get from them.

What are antioxidants and how do they help your skin?

Antioxidants are substances that help protect skin from pollution and possible unprotected sun exposure (UV rays).

When used daily, antioxidants can help reduce sun spots, restore skin and minimize aging signs.

They also help to prevent skin damage caused by pollution and uv rays also known as free radicals.

Generally speaking, consistent use of oxidants can help with:

Now that we are done with our quick recap, let’s finally talk about the ordinary antioxidants!

The ordinary oxidants will be your ally in fighting damage caused by free radicals and premature aging.

Down below we have a couple of products on the oxidants comparison table:

Product	Benefits	How To Use	Avoid Using With
Pycnogenol 5% Serum	Skin Hydration / Skin Elasticity	Apply alone / after water-based serums / before oils or heavier creams.	Copper Peptides (Ordinary Buffet + Copper Pep. / NIOD CAIS / NIOD CAIL
EUK 134 Antioxidant Support	Redness Improvement	Apply alone / after water-based serums / before oils or heavier creams.	strong highly acids (Ex. suspensions of Ascorbic Acid)

Retinol 0.2% in Squalane	Low strength	Low irritation	Do not use with: other retinoids including retinol or retinoic acid / Direct acids / Pure Vitamin C / Copper Pep.
0.5% Retinol in Squalane	Mild strength	High irritation
1% Retinol in Squalane	High strength	Very high irritation

NOTE: Retinol can cause skin irritations and peeling. If you have never used it before, start with a lower level. Also, consult a dermatologist for personalised doctor support.

They can also leave your skin more sensitive, for this reason, always use SPF protections and limit sun exposure, during this process.

The Ordinary states that retinoids are a more advanced non irritative alternative to retinol.

They actually recommend you to use The ordinary retinoids as a more advanced formula.

Ordinary Retinoids Comparison

Down below we have three ordinary retinoids, two of them moderated strength and one with high strength.

To the contrary of Retinol, Retinoids don’t cause irritation and as I mentioned, the ordinary site recommends using them.

2% in Squalane Granactive Retinoid	Moderate Strength / No irritation	Do not use with: retinoids including retinol or retinoic acid / Direct acids / Pure Vitamin C / Cop. Peptides
2% Emulsion Granactive Retinoid	Moderate Strength / No irritation
5% in Squalane Granactive Retinoid	High Strength / No to low irritation

The Ordinary Acids

Acids are welcome to skincare routines and can treat tons of concerns such as acne, signs of aging, some scars, and uneven skin.

They help your skin get renewed by replacing old cells with new ones.

The ordinary has quite a few acids and a good advice is to be careful and do not combine acids at the same time.

This is because some acids cannot be mixed together in the same routine so use it with caution.

Note: Always check professional advice while planning to adopt such advanced skin care. Always double check with The Ordinary Website what products should not be mixed together in the same routine!

TIP: Remember to use SPF protections and limit sun exposure, during this process!

WARNING: DO NOT MIX Vitamin C, Retinoids & Direct Acids In the same routine

Mandelic Acid	Treats skin dullness / Improves texture / Evens skin
AHA 30% Peeling Solution	Treats skin dullness / Improves skin
Ordinary Lactic Acid 10%	Treats skin dullness / Improves skin/ Evens skin / Anti-ageing
Salicylic Acid	Treats Blemishes
Glycolic Acid	Glycolic Acid Treats skin dullness / Improves skin / Evens skin / with aloe vera and ginseng and amino acids.
Salicylic A. Masque	Treats Blemishes
Lactic A. 5%	Treats skin dullness / Improves skin / Evens skin / Anti-ageing
Alpha Lipoic	Treats skin dullness / rejuvenating
ordinary azelaic acid suspension	ordinary azelaic acid suspension Treats skin dullness / Improves skin / Evens skin

The Ordinary Vitamin C

It is an oxidant, but we talk about it separately because the ordinary offers quite a few vitamin c options.

It is great for brightening skin, has rejuvenating properties (given the collagen) and softens dark spots.

Down below we have a comparison table

Vitamin C	Benefits	Conflicts
Suspension 23% + HA Spheres 2%	Evens Skin / Rejuvenating	EUK 134, Retinoids, Peptides, Ordinary Niacinamide, Direct Acids
Suspension 30% in Silicone	Evens Skin / Rejuvenating	EUK 134, Retinoids, Peptides, Ordinary Niacinamide, Direct Acids
100% L-Ascorbic Acid Powder	Evens Skin / prevent wrinkles and lines	EUK 134, Retinoids, Peptides, Ordinary Niacinamide, Direct Acids
Ascorbic Acid 8% + Alpha Arbutin 2%	Treats hyperpigmentation and spots / prevent wrinkles and lines	EUK 134, Retinoids, Peptides, Ordinary Niacinamide, Direct Acids
Ascorbyl Glucoside Solution 12%	Evens Skin / prevent wrinkles and lines / treats dullness	Niacinamide powder
Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate 10%	Evens Skin / prevent wrinkles and fine lines / treats dullness	Niacinamide powder
Ascorbyl Tetraisopalmitate Solution 20% in Vitamin F	Evens Skin / anti fine lines / treats dullness	Niacinamide powder
Ethylated Ascorbic Acid 15% Solution	Even Skin tone / rejuvenating	EUK, Ordinary Niacinamide, Peptides

The Ordinary Peptides

Peptides are great for your anti-wrinkles skin care routine, improve skin texture and are very hydrating.

You can ideally use peptides when you start noticing signs of aging, but if you want to use it as a preventive, it is best to consult a dermatologist to check if this is really needed.

Down below we bring to you a table with a list of the ordinary peptides products:

Product	Benefits
The Ordinary Buffet	Anti-lines, Hydrating, Nourishing,
The Ordinary Buffet + CP	Anti-lines skin repairing
The Ordinary Argireline 10%	Anti-lines also know as a serum botox
The Ordinary Matrixyl 10% +HA	Firming, Anti-lines, Hydrating

The ordinary Peptides Conflicts

You need to pay attention while combining some skin care products, in order to avoid conflicts.

There are some products that shouldn’t be mixed in the same routine and down below we give a list for your reference.

NOTE: I can’t stress enough how crucial it is to consult a dermatologist before mixing formulas in the same routine and adopting a more advanced skincare. What one person uses, may not indicate your own use. It is important to read online for personal education, but the final verdict should be given by a doctor!

Peptides	Conflicts
Copper Peptides	Strong AntioxidantsDirect AcidsRetinol/RetinoidVitamin C
ArgirelineMatrixylBuffet	Vitamin CDirect Acids

Best Serums For Dry Skin

Below you can find other Serums that are great to treat dryness that you can add to your Ordinary Routine.

Product	benefits
100% Plant-Derived Squalane	Prevent the loss of skin hydration / Softens and smooth dried skin / Can be used on hair and skin / improves hair density
Argireline Solution 10%	Reduces fine lines around the eyes and the forehead / Hydrating
Marine Hyaluronics	Lightweight hydration serum / soothes and brightens the skin /won’t clog pores
Alpha Arbutin 2% + HA	Treats spots and hyperpigmentation
Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5	Ordinary hyaluronic acid Provides intense, long-lasting moisture
AA + B5	Hydrating and anti-irritating
100% Plant-Derived Hemi-Squalane	Hydrating / good for hair and skin

best the ordinary products: Anti Aging Serums

You have a variety of anti-wrinkle serums that you can add to the ordinary skincare regimen, as listed below.

Best The Ordinary Products: How To Use Them For Stunning Skin

Hydrators

Oils

How To Use Ordinary Oils?

Exfoliators

Facial Serums For a Serious Glow

Serums That Are Good For Dryness

The ordinary skin care Anti Ageing Serums

Serums For Sensitive, Oily & Acne Prone Skin & Blemishes

For Acne & Persistent Blemishes

Uneven Skin Tone Serums

The Ordinary Oxidants

Ordinary Retinols & Retinoids

How to use Them?

Retinol Comparison

Ordinary Retinoids Comparison

The Ordinary Acids

The Ordinary Vitamin C

The Ordinary Peptides

The ordinary Peptides Conflicts

Best Serums For Dry Skin

best the ordinary products: Anti Aging Serums

Anti Ageing Serums List

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