My Introduction to The Ordinary Skincare

The Ordinary Skincare are absolutely everywhere right now, and it’d be pretty difficult to not know who they are if you watch YouTube and read blogs. The Ordinary are one of the companies under the DECIEM umbrella alongside NIOD, Hylamide, Fountain and more. The Ordinary is said to be ‘an evolving collection of treatments offering familiar, effective clinical technologies positioned to raise pricing and communication integrity in skincare’.

I have heard some amazing things about their products so I was delighted when I was offered the chance to try some of the products but I have to be honest, I was a little overwhelmed as they have quite an extensive range and everything sounds very scientific.

I did some searching online to see which The Ordinary Skincare products would be best suited for my skin and I opted for four of their products in total but seeing as they’re all so affordable you could go crazy without breaking the bank. In the UK you can purchase The Ordinary Skincare on their website or through Victoria Health and the products are all packaged in very clinical, ‘ordinary’ packaging which I really like as it makes me feel like a scientist whilst applying my skincare; weird I know. If you’re unsure where to begin with The Ordinary Skincare, they have a very helpful guide to show you more information on the products and what time of the day to use them.

The Ordinary High-Adherence Silicone Primer £3.90

I chose this particular product as it’s one I’ve read the most on and I really do love trying new primers. The primer uses advanced adaptive silicones to act as a matte, hydrating, blurring primer for makeup that looks higher in definition and adheres for longer and can also be used alone as a non-greasy hydrator that reduces the looks of pores and of imperfections.

The High-Adherence Silicone Primer is packaged within a plastic tube, and the primer itself has a white thick consistency which massages into the skin easily and leaves my skin feeling very smooth. Due to the silicone within the primer, it does feel ever so slightly slimey but no way near as slimey as say Benefit POREfessional, as it feels a lot lighter and really does feel like an hydrating lotion than a suffocating slimey primer.

The primer really does a fantastic job at blurring my pores and I hate to keep comparing it POREfessional but it’s the most well known silicone primer so it’s hard not to make comparisons, but this primer blurs my skin considerably more than POREfessional does and it feels more like skincare than makeup due to the ingredients. My foundation applies beautifully over the top as it makes my skin a very smooth canvas and helps to almost flatten my dry patches so they don’t stick to my foundation as much as they usually do.

What really sold me on this primer is that it didn’t make my foundation look good for the first hour.. it make my skin look good all day long, with my skin looking the closest to ‘airbrushed’ that I’m ever going to get without Photoshop. I can’t quite fathom that this little gem is only £3.90 for 30ml, but trust me – you need this primer. I honestly don’t think there’s anything even half as good as this primer under the £20 price tag, and I’d recommend reading EmmyWritesAbout review too as she has a different skin type to mine

The Ordinary High-Spreadability Fluid Primer £5.50

This primer is from the ‘new generation’ of primers with a lightweight serum-like formula that increases the spreadability of subsequent complexion makeup to help avoid the unnatural and uneven accumulation of pigments especially around the eyes and on dry skin. The formula also acts as a light, non-oily surface hydrator for a natural dewy look. I don’t think I’ve ever read a product description which excited me as much as this as it described my main concerns.

I hate primers which make my skin tacky so my foundation and/or concealer doesn’t apply very nicely and even more so I hate it when product clings to my dry patches as it looks horrible and makes me very self conscious.

The Ordinary High-Spreadability Fluid Primer is packaged within a frosted glass bottle with a pipette style applicator which I dispense onto the back of my hand and then apply to my face as my very last skincare step before applying my makeup. Can we just stop for a moment to look at the photo above and the amazing blurring effects it’s done to the back of my hand?!

It doesn’t even make any claims to blur the skin but it has filled in the tiny crevices in the skin on the back of my hand which I guess is why it stops making clinging, and settling within dry skin patches. This is another silicone based primer but it doesn’t feel like a silicone primer going on, it almost applies like a water as it’s so incredibly lightweight but it’s very silky and softening on the skin and it’s without a doubt the best primer I’ve used for dry patches.

The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% +B5 £5.90

Hyaluronic Acid is such a buzz product within the skincare industry as it can attract up to 1,000 times its weight in water. The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5 combines low-, medium- and high-molecular weight HA, as well as a next-generation HA cross-polymer at a combined concentration of 2% for multi-depth hydration in an oil-free formula. This system is supported with the addition of Vitamin B5 which also enhances surface hydration.

This formula uses three forms of HA with varying molecular weights, as well as an HA cross-polymer, to offer multi-depth hydration and visible plumping without drawing water out of the skin solely to improve temporary surface hydration. To use the product, The Ordinary recommend applying a few drops both morning and night before any other creams.

Seeing as I have super dry skin, I feel like I am the perfect candidate for trying this product and I’ve only ever used hyaluronic acid infused lotions and creams before. The serum has a slightly runny consistency so when I dispense it onto the back of my hand, I have to be careful as it’s runny.

I don’t know if it’s because my skin is so incredibly dry, but I find I need to use a whole pipette of the serum per application as my skin just drinks it up but I do apply it to my face and neck but you may get away with using less. It doesn’t have a scent whatsoever and it applies quite easily into the skin but it does leave a slight tackiness behind but once I’ve applied my creams of choice, I can no longer feel it.

I think this might be my favourite product from the four as it’s made such a noticeable difference to my skin. It has made me look so much healthier, my skin is more plump and my dehydration lines are barely visible as well as my dry patches being very minimal.

I particularly like using this after I’ve tweezed my brows as my skin always stings afterwards and becomes super dry the following day but this is so gentle and prevents any dryness, and I’ve had an awful cold over the last few weeks and I’ve not had any dryness around my nose which is quite remarkable. I wish I didn’t have to use as much as I do as I don’t think it’ll last for very long, but it’s only £5.90 so I have absolutely no problem repurchasing it monthly if I have to.

The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1% £5

The last The Ordinary Skincare product – The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1% is indicated to reduce the appearance of skin blemishes and congestion. A high 10% concentration of this vitamin is supported in the formula by zinc salt of pyrrolidone carboxylic acid to balance visible aspects of sebum activity.

After reading the website, I’m not sure if this was the best product for my skin type as they say “While Niacinamide and Zinc PCA reduce the look of blemishes and balance visible sebum activity, neither is a treatment for acne. For persistent acne-related conditions, we recommend the use of Benzoyl Peroxide and/or Retinoic Acid.” but I knew I had to try it as I’m always plagued by breakouts and I’m up for trying anything.

The product has a thick serum-like consistency which feels a little slimey and sticky when wet, but as soon as it’s absorbed into the skin, it doesn’t feel sticky at all which I’m really pleased about. I apply to my blemish prone areas and my T-Zone over the top of the Hyaluronic Acid as Niacinamide has a tendency to dry the skin out. I do feel a very slight ‘tingle’ once applied to under the skin blemishes but it doesn’t sting or burn like some treatments can; this one is very mild indeed.

One point I must mention is that you have to ensure you fully blend the product into the skin otherwise it leaves a white residue on the surface which I was slightly taken aback by when I looked in the mirror after an over zealous application. Since using this within my routine, I would say that the healing time of my blemishes has been cut down as they come and go a lot quicker and I’ve noticed less blackheads around my nose too. I also feel like my pores look a little less noticeable too which is a benefit I didn’t anticipate, but one I very much appreciate and now wouldn’t be without.

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