Hi guys,
I don’t know what happened recently but my skin is a mess! I can’t think of anything apart from apple cider vinegar messing up the PH balance within my body affecting my skin texture. Apart from that there’s nothing I’ve been doing, eating, applying differently in the past few months. I can only describe my current skin texture as dry AF. It’s like I’m shedding the upper layer of my skin to reveal a (hopefully) new and supple layer of skin…I’m still waiting on that to happen if I’m being honest.
The area around my nose and forehead is particularly dry and patchy, no matter how much moisturiser or oil I’m applying my skin seems to absorb that within a flash, creating those dry patches again. I was getting to a state of complete helplessness…what on earth was I doing wrong? Having spent some £££ on other products, what’s the harm on spending a few £ less and look at cheaper alternatives. Enter the Ordinary...
At the moment skincare and ‘The ordinary / Deciem’ seem to be going hand in hand. I threw out the question on Twitter and overwhelmingly people told me to have a look at the Ordinary. Initially, what put me off were the names. All products sounded highly chemical…which they are but for some reason I associate sciencey’ chemical terms with harmful chemicals. Can you tell that chemistry is my fave?! But a quick google search dispelled all of those fears and in fact made me even more curious. Many of the ingredients are already in some of our fave skin care items so that was a massive plus, what made my eyes slight up even more was the fact that it appeared that let’s take Hyaluronic acid’ for example, - appeared to be sold in its bottle in the purest form. Simply Incredible. I know people who actually inject that stuff into their skin instead of Botox, so it can only be good right?
Anyhoo, I got the following items:
- The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5 30ml (water based)
- The Ordinary 100% Plant-Derived Squalane 30ml (oil based)
- The Ordinary Ascorbyl Tetraisopalmitate Solution 20% in Vitamin F 30ml (oil based)
- The Ordinary Azelaic Acid Suspension 10% 30ml (Suspension)
From the start I felt that the last two in the list were the ones people were raving about the most. – It’s funny how we all base our shopping habits based on suggestions and reviews – oftentimes I find the products people are recommending to be the ones that don't actually work for me the best.
Also before I start, I found it quite tricky to come up with regimen – What do you use first? – What’s the best order? I read up about it and the bottom line is – water based before oil based products! I found their overview on site quite helpful.
First impressions:
- It’s basically a serum – you can use it day or night
- A little goes a long way – 1 ½ drops were enough to apply to my whole face
- Loved the drip function – seemed very professional
- Glass bottle, but robust. I have dropped the bottle numerous times…I’m such a klutz.
Overall:
This is the one product that surprised me the most and even now it’s my fave product out of the 4.
Hyaluronic acid is a massive hydrator, based on the fact that it has the ability to hold vast amounts of moisture. It’s also a powerful anti-ageing chemical, reason why so many people inject it directly into their skin. It reduced the appearance of fine lines and replenishes the skin where it needs some extra support e.g. under the eyes. I didn’t know the effects it had in the skin after doing some research but I felt that as soon as I applied it to my face, the dryness subsided almost immediately. The dry patches on my face were completely gone by week 2. I also found it to be a perfect primer. I can really recommend it to people who have good skin but hate how foundation makes their skin dry – having this serum as an under layer would keep the skin hydrated underneath the layer of foundation.
- Next up is the 100% Plant-Derived Squalane 30ml (oil based)
First impressions:
- Oil based product
- I incorporated that as the second step in my regime and applied it a few minutes after the hyaluronic serum
- Again a little goes a long way – 1 drop covered my whole face
- Glass bottle with drip applicator
Overall:
Personally, I found this to be the second best item of the bunch. I loved how it gave my face a nice dewy/glowy sheen to it. I’m a matte foundation wearer which didn’t help my dry patches – again applying this after the serum created a ‘barrier’ that kept the underlying skin smooth and supple. Though as the day went on, my make up did end up looking shiny. I think I'll use this product on no make up days when I want my skin to have a break from my usual make up routine.
- Next we have the The Ordinary Ascorbyl Tetraisopalmitate Solution 20% in Vitamin F 30ml (oil based)
First impressions:
- Being slightly more expensive than the other products, this must be the One right?
- Lovely consistency, yes it's an oil but applies and penetrates the skin quickly. It doesn't lie on the skin but absorbs in record time.
- I'm falling in love with drip applicators! This is the ONE product from the range where a teensy tiny little goes a very very long way. I'm a fan!
Overall, I actually bought this item as an addition to my collection after reading online that it's the one product to have from the range. I certain don't regret getting it as I like it. I wouldn't necessarily say that I prefer it over the Squalane but it's pretty close.
- The one product that left me scratching my head initially. Do I leave it on, do I wash it off?
- Robust packaging with the product coming tube form.
- Creamy consistency with tiny tiny particles
- Spreads well and evenly over the entire face
- Took me a minute or two to figure out that there were tiny particles in the product, which I'm assuming is the vitamin c. I actually have a little DIY on my blog using vitamin c powder which you can read here, therefore I was accustomed to the granular texture.
- There was no way I could incorporate it it in my day time skin routine. I just felt that makeup wouldn't sit well after. Definite night time product for me!
Overall: Before I even start, this product is actually amazing. You can really see the results the very next day. However, if you have broken skin please don't apply directly because it will sting like a mofo. Again, for everyone at the back - Don't apply this product if you have broken skin, it'll burn a tiny bit. It does state that you may experience some slight tingling as the vitamin c is doing its thing. My skin was that sensitive that I had to wash it off after a few minutes. I then started to use it as a mask, washing it off after 5 minutes. I only felt comfortable to leave it on overnight after 2 weeks of 'masking it'. On one hand you can say it's pretty powerful as again, changes to my skin texture were quite immediate, however because it IS that potent - use it cautiously.
I'm absolutely loving the range and the Hyluronic serum and the Ascorbyl oil are a concrete staple in my skin care routine. You can shop the range directly on The Ordinary and Beauty Bay. Giving you an extra tip here, I actually found the range on Asos and to date apart form the Ordinary website itself, Asos has the most varied range, stocking the majority of products. I'm actually going to try my hand at using their Advanced Retinoid 2% though I'm probably going to wait until my skin is at it's best!
What do you gust think of The Ordinary? Also I'm quite curious to know what people think of The Ordinary's Serum and coverage foundation?
Anne xx
What do you gust think of The Ordinary? Also I'm quite curious to know what people think of The Ordinary's Serum and coverage foundation?
Anne xx
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