Make Up Review

Revolution Skin- Review and How it Compares to the Ordinary

by Mohammad Ali Ayaz on Jan 04, 2024

A look at the new Revolution Skin skincare line and how it compares to The Ordinary skincare

Table of contents

Revolution Skin vs The Ordinary, dupe? pinnacle graphicRevolution (which used to be called Makeup Revolution but has had a recent rebrand) is known for it’s looky likey versions of other products. They have their own versions of the Too Faced Chocolate palette, Tarte Shape Tape Concealer, Cover Fx Custom Enhancer Drops. Ever watchful of current trends Revolution knows how to appeal to the consumer by producing pocket friendly versions of popular products. I personally use several of their products myself- the Conceal and Define Full Coverage Concealer is excellent, Soph X palette is a great bargain. They do fun beauty products, and I often head to the Revolution counter in Superdrug if I’m in need of a pick me up.

This time Revolution have taken on the mighty The Ordinary and duped several of their sciency skincare serums. The range is called Revolution Skin and is comprised of 12 serums and one cream. They’re housed in The Ordinary alike dropper bottles, with the addition of a bit more colour to the labelling here and there. The full line up goes like this-

  1. Superfruit Extract Antioxidant Rich Serum and Primer
  2. Skin Nourishing CBD Oil
  3. Targeted Undereye Serum 5% Caffeine + Hyaluronic Acid
  4. Rosehip Seed Oil Gold Elixir
  5. Blemish and Pore Refining Serum 10% Niacinamide + 1% Zinc
  6. Lightweight Hydrating Gel Cream
  7. Skin Plumping and Hydrating Solution 2% Hyaluronic Acid
  8. Gentle Night Peeling Serum Quinoa Night Peel
  9. Multi Targeting and Firming Multi Peptide Serum
  10. Mild Skin Exfoliator 5% Lactic Acid + Hyaluronic Acid
  11. Wrinkle and Fine Line Reducing Serum 10% Matrixyl
  12. Skin Conditioning EGF Serum
  13. Fine Line Correcting 0.2% Retinol Serum

I’ll go through each one, examine the ingredients and packaging etc and see how each Revolution Skin serum compares with The Ordinary counterpart, are they worth buying? Are they really The Ordinary dupes at all?

Revolution Skin- Review and How it Compares to the Ordinary

Skincare basically boils down to ingredients in packaging. I’m not going to buy the entire Revolution Skin range to check them all out, that would be excessive. Ive bought a couple of bits, purely so I can check out the textures. Some of the Revolution Skin products have no The Ordinary counterparts, I’ll go through those too because I’m bloody minded.

Revolution Skin vs The Ordinary, dupe? 4 clear glass dropper bottles

Revolution Skin Targeted Under Eye Serum 5% Caffeine + Hyaluronic Acid Vs The Ordinary Caffeine 5%  + ECGC

Caffeine is meant to reduce under eye puffiness. Some people swear by it, some people don’t find it does anything at all. If underage puffiness is an issue for you Caffeine is worth a try.

The comparison-

Revolution Skin Caffeine

The Ordinary Caffeine

The Ordinary’s version of the under eye depuffer comes with an added EGCG, so may have extra powers. And it’s 20 pence cheaper, which you could spend on something like a piece of paper or something.

Revolution Wrinkle and Fine Line Reducing Serum 10% Matrixyl Vs The Ordinary Matrixyl 10% + HA

The Matrixyl in this serum refers to a couple of peptides that may help reverse signs of aging. The peptides that make up Matrixyl are like messengers that tell the skin cells to firm up. They’re small enough to through to cells they need to get to and there are studies to say they might just work. You might find Matrixyl in other anti ageing skin creams and serums but in unknown quantities. A 10 % serum is a good strength and a safe bet for results. 

Revolution Skin Matrixyl

The Ordinary Matrixyl

The two serums are pretty similar in terms of ingredients, The Ordinary has hydrating Sodium Hyaluronate to boot. The Ordinary Matrixyl is 40 pence cheaper. Revolution Skin’s Matrixyl is a reasonable replacement for TO, if for some reason you can’t get your hands on the Deciem version or if you’re looking for a replacement.

Revolution Skin Reship Seed Oil Gold Elixir Vs The Ordinary 100% Organic Cold Pressed Rosehip Seed Oil

Rosehip seed oil is full of fatty acids and vitamins. It’s got lots of vitamin A, making it like nature’s retinol. Lot’s of people report it helps with acne scarring and skin tone. Rosehip has a natural brown colour and a slightly fishy scent.

Revolution Skin Rosehip

The Ordinary Roseship

Don’t buy the Revolution’s Roseship, for Christ’s sake. It’s an abomination. You don’t want to put citrus peel on your face. Don’t let anyone say you should. It has some different moisturising oils, but it’s not pure Roseship by any means. The colloidal gold is for prettiness I guess, rather than any skincare benefit.

Revolution Skin Blemish and Pore Refining Niacinamide 10% + Zinc PCA Serum Vs The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc PCA

Niacinamide also known as Vitamin B5 is a fantastic allrounder. It could be of benefit to all skin types. Niacinamide is hydrating, anti ageing, anti inflammatory, regulates oil, reduces acne aaaand helps with pigmentation. You’ll love it. 10 % is quite strong, some people find it makes their acne worse, it might be a good idea to mix it with something else when you start using it.

Revolution Skin vs The Ordinary, dupe?- two dropper bottles

Revolution Skin Niacinamide

The Ordinary Niacinamide

The Revolution Skin version of Niacinamide is really very similar. This is one of the products I bought to suss the whole thing out.

I have to say the formula feels very similar. The Revolution version is slightly thinner in texture, same sort of colourless odourless gel though.

The Ordinary version is a pound cheaper and has the added benefit of an antioxidant added in the form of Tamarind. 

Revolution Skin vs The Ordinary, dupe?- two clear blobs

Revolution Skin Plumping and Hydrating 2% Hyaluronic Acid Serum Vs The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% +Vitamin B5

Hyaluronic Acid is the skin’s own plumping molecule. It attracts 1,000 times it’s own weight in water. It is what fillers are made of, usually. When smeared onto the skin it’s unlikely that any of the HA will be absorbed, the particles are too big. It simply serves to draw water to the skin’s surface and keep it hydrated.

I’m not that fussed on The Ordinary’s HA. I find it sticky, and I have other products that do a better job of keeping my skin hydrated- like Marine Hyaluronics by TO.

Revolution Skin Hyaluronic Acid

The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid

Again The Ordinary seems to have little bonus ingredients for that added touch. There’s only ten pence difference in the price. I’m not going to buy the Revolution’s HA just to see the texture difference but going by the ingredients, I bet they’re really similar.

Revolution Skin Mild Exfoliator 5% Lactic Acid plus Hyaluronic Acid Vs The Ordinary Lactic Acid 5% + HA

This is the other Revolution Skin product I splashed out on. Like Niacinamide, Lactic Acid is one of my all time faves. It’s gently exfoliating so can help with texture, acne and blocked pores. Lactic Acid is naturally found in our own skin, so it’s well tolerated. It also draws moisture into the skin and has hydrating properties. A 5% Lactic Acid is the perfect exfoliator for sensitive and dry skin types.

This is one of those skincare products you really need to use sunscreen alongside, as it increases your sensitivity to the sun.

Revolution Skin Vs The Ordinary- Dupes? 2 dropper bottles containing light pink liquid

Revolution Skin Lactic Acid 5%

 The Ordinary Lactic Acid 5%

The Revolution and Ordinary versions of Lactic Acid 5% are really similar. The active ingredients are the same. They both have the addition of Hyaluronic Acid and Tasmanian Pepperberry. They look the same- the Pepperberry gives the same light apricot colour. They smell similar. 

I have the old version of The Ordinary’s Lactic Acid, apparently it’s become runnier of late because of a formula change. The texture of the Revolution’s Lactic is a light runny gel.

It’s a proper dupe, the only difference is 50p in The Ordinary’s favour.

Revolution Skin Vs The Ordinary- 2 blobs of clear gell- v similar

Revolution Skin Fine Line Correcting Retinol 0.2% Serum vs The Ordinary Retinol 0.2% in Squalane

Everyone needs a retinoid in their life. Retinol and other Retinoids have the power to reverse signs of ageing and just improve the look of skin in general. They can be a bit tricky when you first start out- causing peeling and dryness. 

 You have to use a good sunscreen on a daily basis if you use Retinol, as they make you more sensitive to UV damage.

Revolution Skin Retinol

The Ordinary Retinol

I would definitely always recommend The Ordinary’s Retinol over Revolution Skin’s. It’s superior in every way. TO’s has better ingredients. The packaging is better. Revolution skin’s Retinol is going to go off pretty quickly in that clear bottle. It contains coconut oil which is known to block pores and cause acne. Deciem also does stronger versions of Retinol so you can build up in strength.

Revolution Skin Multi Targeting and Firming Multi Peptide Serum Vs The Ordinary Buffet

These serums are based on peptides. Peptides are small molecules that signal to the skin to do something, or stop doing something. A multi peptide serum is a good addition to a skincare regimen to prevent ageing. Peptides won’t give instantaneous dramatic results but used long term they can help prevent visible ageing.

Revolution Skin Multi Peptide Serum

The Ordinary Buffet

Deciem’s Multi Peptide serum has many more beneficial ingredients than the Revolution one. There isn’t anything bad in the Revolution version, but there just isn’t as much good stuff and there are fewer peptides. The Deciem one is £2.70 more expensive, but you get more for your money.

The Revolution “Buffet” doesn’t contain Castor Oil , some users of the Ordinary Buffet complained of “Buffet Beard”, possibly because of the Castor Oil, but I feel any hair growth is more likely to be because of the peptides themselves.

Revolution Skin Vs The Ordinary- Two clear dropper bottles

 

Revolution Skin- The Rest of The Line

 

Revolution Skin Superfruit Extract Antioxidant Rich Serum

Revolution Skin Skin Nourishing CBD Oil

Revolution Skin Lightweight Hydrating Gel Cream

Revolution Skin Gentle Quinoa Night Peeling Serum

Revolution Skin Conditioning EGF Serum

Revolution Skin Vs The Ordinary- Conclusion

Most of The Ordinary products that Revolution Skin has duped have superior ingredients. The Lactic Acid serum is really similar, there’s nothing to choose between them. 

Both brands are cruelty free, vegan and paraben free.

I wouldn’t recommend getting the Revolution Roseship because there are some irritating ingredients. Or the Retinol, because it’s not UV protected and Revolution have put Coconut Oil in it.

The Revolution packaging is a bit prettier, with it’s rose gold details. The main benefit of Revolution Skin is it’s availability. If you can get it easily in stores across Britain, that’s definitely one up on The Ordinary.

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