The Ordinary states it values integrity, providing skincare that works without the enormous markup seen on the majority of brands. This seems like quite a high bar to live up to, but after having read through just about every page in their website, I can see how they're planning to achieve this. Each product description clearly states what is in the bottle and how exactly those ingredients will help you, along with how to use it. I was quite excited as I could quickly see a number of ingredients (such as retinols and hyaluronic acid) in relatively high concentrations which aren't usually available in cheaper skincare ranges.
SO. I may have gone a tiny bit overboard and ordered a lot of their products. Oops.
My skin has always been my biggest 'problem'. Growing up, I had fairly resistant acne which refused to budge. Although the spots were never as terrible as some poor peoples', every one I had left a nasty little scar. Nowadays, it has mostly cleared up, but I definitely am prone to outbreaks and I really dislike all those little scars. Therefore, I'm very much hoping that these concentrated products from The Ordinary could work towards resurfacing my skin without stripping it of all its moisture, whilst combating those mid-twenties signs of aging to boot. (God. Mid-twenties. I feel old!)
I've worked out a new regime just using these products and am keen to see if they live up to the hype. The plan is to report back here in about a months time and see whether I can see a difference. But firstly, what did I buy and what do they supposedly do?
AHA 30% + BHA 2% Peeling Solution: A twice-weekly mask which aims to exfoliate the skin, de-congest pores and fight blemishes.
Salicylic Acid 2% Solution: Salicylic acid is found in many spot-fighting treatments as it can sink into pores and exfoliates them from the inside. This is just a slightly more concentrated solution to do just that.
Retinol 1% in Squalane: Now, retinol is a vitamin A derivative which has been proven to boost collagen production and increase cell turnover. It's quite often found in acne creams to try and force your skin to regenerate and can also be found in very low quantities (more like 0.2%) in commercial skincare. Therefore, this product really excited me, although I am aware it may initially irritate my skin.
Alpha Lipoic Acid 5%: A high concentrate of ALA which is known for evening out skin tone. It's an antioxidant which is easily absorbed by the skin and can help combat signs of aging and help with the appearance of scar tissue.
Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5: Hyaluronic acid attracts up to 1,000 times it weight in water which makes it an excellent hydrator.
100% Plant-Derived Squalane: Squalane is another hydrator which can also be used on your hair to protect from heat. Importantly for me, it's not greasy unlike other oils!
Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1%: This is another one for blemishes and congestion and pops up quite a few times as a bit of a 'miracle cure' for spots. I actually went back and ordered this after my original delivery as it came up so much in skincare reviews of the brand. So, I'm very hopeful it will do what it says on the tin!
Below, you can see my skin now, first thing in the morning. I have no skin products on bar a little fake tan - please excuse the scraped back hair and awkward face expressions! (You can tell my dedication to this trial as I'm posting such unflattering photos on the internet!) To summarise, I have large pores on my nose, scaring on my cheeks, along with a scattering of spots.
I plan on using these above products every day - the morning and evening for some, others I will spread out throughout the week as directed.
Hopefully in a month's time I'll take some more photos and we'll be able to see an improvement! I will also let you know the routine I ended up settling on.
Have you used these products before? If so, which were your favourites? (Did you actually hate them?) Or have you found something that does the job better? Let me know in the comments!
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