The Ordinary - Making sense of it all

I try to avoid fads .. and when the Ordinary Buzz started, I had a quick glance at their product offerings and thought ... woooawww... bye! I felt overwhelmed and gave up even before I started . I’m guessing many of you have done the same lol. The thing about this brand however is .. you can’t ignore it! It’s everywhere and it’s getting rave reviews. Problem is, for a lot of people, trawling through their offerings, understanding each product and tailoring it to their individual needs, can be an arduous task. Becky on the other hand, would do the work!!! So, the Becky in me took a whole week out doing just that .. the work .. so you don’t have to. I went through their website and visited their quaint store in Shoreditch London. unfortunately they were running low on stock, but the lady at the store was SUPER MEGA helpful and even for a beauty geek like myself, I learnt so much. Thats a key lesson here ladies, whilst blogs and reviews are great for perspective .. nothing beats feeling, touching and sampling products yourself and asking as many questions as possible. I asked a gazillion questions and got a gazillions answers and some .. Now what to buy? 🤷🏽‍♀️... Its great knowing what all the products are tailored towards and how they can be combined for optimum effect .. but it’s important to keep things Simple and to prioritise. Its impossible to solve all your skin products in one haul .. not only could this play havoc on the natural balance of your skin, but it certainly would alter your bank balance. I’m not a fan of Bank breaking hauls, so this guide below is designed to help you make the right choices for YOUR skin type. If you don’t know what your skin type is, (don’t scoff.. I always thought I had oily skin till I had a dermatologist do a professional analysis) please visit your dermatologist or aesthetician before you embark on any treatment plan which consists of as many active ingredients as this brand does. Also, it is important to note that just as you are unique and individual, so is your skin. One size does not fit all .. Same way you can’t assume a size 8 pair of jeans in one store would fit as well as a size 8 in the store next door, you cannot assume that since you’ve used for example a retinol before, the retinol range in The Ordinary would be perfectly okay for you. You NEED to try it out first. And you need to watch your skin closely for any reactions and do a patch test. This is so key. What I’ve done below is to break down the products that can be incorporated with your normal routine, dependent on your skin type. This list is not exhaustive and I’m by no means suggesting you buy every single one of them. The aim of this list is to give guidance and help narrow down your choices, and tailor your purchases more effectively. Continue to use your regular cleansers and eye creams .. and please do not forget SPF. It’s also important to mention again at this point that, one size does not fit all, when making choices, you still need to read up on the products themselves and decide on the specifics of what to buy. Breaking it down into skin type just makes the task a lot less daunting for you 😊. Oily/Acne Prone Skin For people with acne prone skin their main concern is balancing their skins oil production, calm inflammation and breakouts, minimising and reducing scaring and reducing future breakouts. A combination of the products below would help address all these issues whilst ensuring skin stays hydrated. As is often the case, products aimed at acne prone skin can be somewhat stripping, so it’s important to ensure you replace and rebalance. I recently spoke to a client who used products rich in glycolic and salicylic acid, when I asked her what moisturiser or serum she used after her wash and tone. she said none !!! Mortifying lol Morning: * Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5 * Niacinamide 10% + Zinc PCA 1% * EUK 134 0.1% Evening: * Glycolic Acid 7% Toning Solution * Salicylic Acid 2% solution for spot treatment * Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5 * Niacinamide 10% * Zinc 1% Dry/Dehydrated Skin When making product choices for this skin type, foremost on your mind should be keeping your skin hydrated and moisturised. Morning: * Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5 * Natural Moisturizing Factors + HA Evening: * Glycolic Acid 7% Toning Solution * Lactic Acid 5% + HA * Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5 * Granactive Retinoid 5% in Squalane * Natural Moisturizing Factors + HA Hyperpigmented Skin/ Acne scars For this skin type, as I said in my last post here pigmentation issues requires consistency and patience. You need to put in the work and not expect overnight results. Your focus should be on improving revealing a more even, brighter skin tone over time. Morning: * Alpha Arbutin 2% + HA * Niacinamide 10% + Zinc PCA 1% * Ascorbyl Glucoside Solution 12% * Azelaic Acid Suspension 10% * Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate 10% Evening: * Resveratrol 3% + Ferulic Acid * Alpha Arbuthnot 2% + HA * Azeliac Acid Suspension 10% * Vitamin C Suspension 30% in Silicone * 100% Organic Cold-Pressed Rosehip Seed Oil. * AHA 30% + BHA 2% Peeling Solution * Lactic Acid 10% + HA Combination Skin If you have combination skin, your main priority would be maintaining the production of oil, balancing it with your skins need for moisture and hydration. Morning: * Glycolic Acid 7% Toning Solution * Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5 * Niacinamide 10% + Zinc PCA 1% * Azelaic Acid Suspension 10% Evening: * Glycolic Acid 7% Toning Solution * Niacinamide 10% + Zinc PCA 1% * Granactive Retinoid 2% Emulsion (on alternate nights to the Toning Solution) * 100% Plant-Derived Squalane

If you still find this all a bit confusing, then click HERE for an awesome article by beauty blogger Michelle Villette, as she gives an unbiased breakdown of her best and worst products from the Ordinary range.

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