my review of the ordinary
The Ordinary, described as “Clinical Formulations with Integrity” on their website, is a brand that I was intrigued about for awhile. I had seen a lot of Youtube beauty bloggers rave about their products and pricing and so after going on a video bender reviewing a few of their oils, I decided to take the plunge and try some products out for myself. I decided to add this review to the blog because if I figured if I was this curious about the products, chances were that others were too.
Let me preface this review by saying I am not, by any means, a skincare guru. Up until the beginning of this year, I was a wash-your-face-in-the-shower kinda gal, no more, no less. But this New Years I decided I was going to devote a little more time and effort into my face. I turn 25 this year, and I’m not getting any younger. I figured while I probably won’t notice a huge difference now, I might help prevent other things from appearing sooner down the line.
From there I had to figure out what my face actually needed. I would describe my skin as pretty average, albeit a little dry (especially in the Winter). I also get a little oily around the sides of my nose. I have blackheads on my nose and chin, and a little hyper pigmentation on the lower halves of my cheeks. So what in the world did I need? I found The Ordinary’s website a little confusing. The descriptions are very scientific and for someone that had just decided to jump into skincare, I didn’t know what any of it meant. I ended up looking up other reviews and letting more knowledgeable girls teach me about their world. Here were some of my faves:
The Best (And Worst) Skincare Products from The Ordinary from Beauty Editor
In the end, I went with Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1% (supposed to “reduce the appearance of skin blemishes and congestion”), Granactive Retinoid 2% Emulsion (supposed to “reduce the signs of ageing”) and their 100% Cold-Pressed Virgin Marula Oil (supposed to hydrate). My order came to $33 CAD, taxes and shipping included (**all bought with my own money, this post is not sponsored).
First up, I love the Niacinamide. I was actually pleasantly surprised how much of a difference I noticed in my skin. My face looks visibly more even toned and bright. I might even go as far as to say glowy? But maybe that’s just me being hopeful. It also brought down the hyper pigmentation in my cheeks. It has a watery gel like consistency and dries down very quickly. It’s a little tacky but nothing crazy.
I tried the Retinoid twice and had a minor breakout, so I stopped using it. This was when I first got my package and in my excitement, tried all three religiously for a week. For my face to go from basically being neglected to being slathered with products, I don’t blame it for breaking out. I do plan on trying it again, this time easing into it more, and I will report back once I do.
The Marula oil is really lovely. I apply it when I notice my skin getting dry (which is pretty often in Canada in the Winter) and it keeps my face hydrated for what I find to be a long time. It absorbs super quickly and doesn’t feel overly oily or tacky or anything like that. It’s a very watery/light consistency, which I like!
As far as packaging goes, the glass vials feel pretty high end, and the droppers work well. I like the minimal labels. My order arrived a week after I placed it I believe. And you can’t beat the pricing!
Overall, I am super happy with the products I’ve tried so far and will be trying more! I plan on tackling my blackheads next. Let me know if you found this helpful!