The Ordinary and Not-so Ordinary Skincare

If you're even remotely into skincare you would have heard of the brand The Ordinary by now! 

They're well recognised for being super affordable and effective products.

If you've read my posts for a while, you will know how much I have loved this brand over the years. Like Christ, I'm even in a Facebook fan group with other skincare fanatics where everyone shares their reviews and recommendations - I think that says it all.

Over the years, The Ordinary has really helped improve my skin and taught me so much about the world of skin/beauty that I didn't even realise I needed to know. I first started to trial the brand back in 2017 and still to this day, I religiously incorporate their products into my skincare routine.

I thought I'd share my thoughts on all the products I currently use/own from The Ordinary and how they have/haven't helped with the appearance of my skin over the years.

The good:

The Ordinary High-Spreadability Primer:

Oh man, I love this primer, this is my 3rd or 4th bottle. I would say stay clear if you have dry skin as this will cling to those areas. I am always looking for a primer that helps keep my foundation from sliding off and this definitely helps with that, as well as give me a flawless 'blurred' effect. I would highly recommend it for oily skin types.

The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1%:

I will keep this short and sweet, as I've written a million posts about this product. It's by far my favourite from The Ordinary and I am even happier that you can buy a 60ml version instead of a 30ml. Niacinamide has been amazing for every problematic area on my face; spots, redness, scarring, and my pores it has done amazingly. I honestly can't tell you enough how much this product has changed my skin for the better. I am dying to get my hands on the powder they have recently launched too - let me know if you've tried it yet.

The Ordinary Alpha Arbutin 2% +HA:

A firm second favourite is the Alpha Arbutin, which I only recently discovered a year ago. This product is amazing for reducing dark spots and hyper-pigmentation. It works well with the Niacinamide, I like to alternate between the two and they both have helped with reducing dark spots 100000%.

The Ordinary Salicylic Acid 2% Masque:

This is the newest product I have from The Ordinary and so far I am really enjoying it. Any sort of clay mask I am interested in trying out. I do occasionally get breakouts and when I do, I tend to reach for this face mask. This helps dry those pesky spots and reduces the appearance of them. I've also noticed this helps quicken the healing process.

The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% +B5:

There isn't a massive amount to say about Hyaluronic Acids, they're essentially a great way to add extra hydration to your skin. I find this helps balance my skin out and stops oils from overproducing. It's definitely a great product for all skin types that has long term benefits.

The not-so-good:

The Ordinary Natural Moisturizing Factors +HA:

Hmm this is technically the only moisturizer The Ordinary has to offer at the moment, and in my opinion, it doesn't make the cut. I didn't get on with the consistency it felt super thick, but not very moisturising. I also found this contributed to breakouts and clogged my pores, it might be better suited for someone with a normal skin type.

The Ordinary High-Adherence Silicone Primer:

You would think a primer that has 'blurring' effects would be great for my oily complexion, but this just did not work for me. I found the silicone texture too greasy even though it's supposed to not be greasy, and it did not work well under my foundation. I found it clumping in areas that meant more work in blending my foundation and hours later my pores would be appearing. So sadly I didn't get on with this primer.

The Ordinary AHA 30% + BHA 2% Peeling Solution:

A controversial one as everyone loves this solution, but for me, it just didn't work. I love the idea of it and the massive benefits it has, but for some reason, my skin just did not get on with it. Usually, if I use a face mask I want to be able to relax, I could not do that with the tingling, itchy feeling this left my skin with. I wouldn't be able to leave it on for the 10-minute max because it felt so uncomfortable. It also left my skin inflamed and irritated once washed off. Maybe my skin is too sensitive to this product or I need to try a new bottle as I have had this one for a while, but overall I didn't enjoy using this.

The Ordinary 'Buffet':

Another controversial review, but to be honest I just don't understand this product. The Buffet is a little bit more expensive in the range. It contains multiple anti-ageing ingredients and is supposed to help with ageing or 'buffet' the skin. Personally, I found this didn't do much, maybe the results take much longer to show, but I've read numerous reviews of people seeing results quite dramatically. So I'm not entirely sure.

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What are some of your favourite Ordinary products??

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