I am absolutely loving the ordinary skincare range, but when I first took a look at the whole range I was so confused and I really didn't know where to start!
So I did a little research into the ingredients and what they are and do, so I could then make an informed decision as to which products would work best in my skincare regime.
I mentioned in my previous post, I purchased the vitamin c 23%+HA, Retinol 1%, and the Natural Moisturising Factors. My skin is absolutely loving these products. But after a little research I made the decision to switch the Retinol out in favour of the Azelaic acid. Simply because I wanted to focus more on my redness and breakouts and Azelaic acid is much gentler to use on sensitive skin.
Looking at The Ordinary's whole range, it can be more than a little confusing and very tempting to try all their products as they are so affordably priced!
However that's not recommended as several of the products are actually very similar ingredients or derivatives. So will either cancel each other out or essentially do the same job!
It may seem like you need a degree in science to understand which product is for which skin concern but once you realise that they are just their science names and you translate into their 'normal names' its fairly simple. For example Magnesium ascorbyl phosphate is a derivative of vitamin C
So, if you wanted to add some Vitamin C to your regime, then you actually have several choices:
The obvious and highly concentrated one is the Vitamin C 23% + HA
Then the derivatives are:
Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate and Ascorbyl Tetraisopalmitate Solution 20% in Vitamin F
There's really no point to using all these products at same time as they are all very similar derivatives of Vitamin C. Perhaps try one form, see how that works out and if you don't like it try another form.
Another tip, don't use Niacinamide at the same time as Vitamin C. This is because the niacinamide which is vitamin B3 affects the integrity and effectiveness of the vitamin C. Use one in the morning and one at night or even alternate days.
The Vitamin C 23% has the vitamin c suspended in hyularonic acid spheres to ensure it remains stable and actually reaches your skin. As you apply it can feel grainy, these are the vitamin c's which break-up and get to work on your skin. If you don't like the grainy feel, switch to another form of vitamin c or try adding a few drops of their hyaluronic acid + B5 serum. This helps to dilute the grains of vitamin c.
Don't use a Retinol with an acid eg Glycolic or salicylic or Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) at the same time. This is because they do similar jobs but also in order to work effectively Retinol needs to be at a higher PH level, whereas the acid needs a lower PH level. Adding them at the same time means that neither will work as effectively as they would on their own, they kind of cancel each other out as neither are at their optimum PH. For example: Use Glycolic acid in the AM then use the Retinol in the PM.
Save the 'light sensitive' ingredients for the night-time. This means that it will work much more efficiently. Light can degrade the ingredients but also makes your skin more sensitive to the sun. So you will find you burn much quicker. So best to use at night and remember to use sunscreen in the day time. Examples of these types of products are Retinol, AHA's, Lactic acid and Glycolic acid, Salicylic acid too.
Don't use AHA's with Glycolic Acid or Lactic Acid because they essentially do the same thing. They break down the dead skin cells and chemically exfoliate. Using two types of acid will harm and possibly irritate your skin by over exfoliating.
Facial oils go on last. This is because they have a heavier molecule and products find it difficult to penetrate. Putting the lighter ingredients first allows them to penetrate and enter the skins layers. As the oils take longer to soak in they are more effective applied at night where they have longer to get to work.
Hope this mini guide to The Ordinary helps you when building your own personal regime. I think The Ordinary really is a skincare game-changer. It offers high quality ingredients at affordable prices, which makes it possible to build your own skincare routines based on your own personal skin issues. And great results to boot!!
Have fun and take care xoxo
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