The Ordinary product help please!

[Maydayredalert]

Please can anyone help a beauty dunce?

I have the buffet (meh, not fussed), azelaic acid (don't like) and magnesium hydrator (love this) but I'm never sure what order to use them. Obvs I don't use them all together, and have a different brand cleanser and toner.

Are there any other ordinary products I should look at? My skin is normal with the occasional breakout.

They did nothing good for my face. Enlarged pores were not a great result. I'm having way better results with jojoba oil. Cheaper too.

They’re a rubbish brand.

If you want a budget brand that is effective then try

www.sr-skincare.com/

You can message your concerns and she’ll give you great advice.

Oh I love the ordinary, it’s revolutionised my skin!

I havent tried Buffet, but swear by the Niacinamide.
I have v greasy skin and the salicylic acid really helps with break outs.

Also found the azelaic acid useless, didn’t like the texture either.
I enjoy using the oils as a nighttime moisturiser, though I don’t know how effective they are. They feel nice, my favourite is the rosehip oil.

Thank you ThursdayLastWeek. I'll have a look at those.

Thank you also to the other posters but my question is specifically about the ordinary, thank you. I'm not interested in looking at other brands at the moment

I have some of the same products and to be honest, I also find some of them a bit naff. Howevet, you can use the buffet and magnesium at the same time, simply apply buffet first, leave to sink in and then apply a small amount of map to follow. Then apply spf.

Don't use the acid at the same time as map. I actually emailed the ordinary with similar queries and they were extremely quick and helpful with their replies.

I don’t like buffet much either but I do love TO generally. Their rosehip oil is fab, I use it for all sorts (currently on a fresh tattoo), and I like the AHA/BHA peel liquid they do (that looks like blood - Sorry, can’t remember the name). I’ve just ordered a bunch more of their products so I’ll see how they go.

I also love the niacinimide, it's great for regulating oil but also protects skin from all the pollutants and other nasties in the air. I can use the hyaluronic acid without needing any other creams for dryness and their toner is really good too. When you ask about the order to use them, if you mean the order to put them on your face go thin serums, then thicker serums, thin creams, then thicker creams and then anything oil based last. If you mean mixing products, PM the deciem social media pages as they are very good for putting a personalised routine together for you and can advise on which products cant be used together.

I love the ordinary and it all really depends on your skin type, your age and what you want to improve!

I tried buffet and didn't think much of it either. I have dry skin and I'm in my 40's. I use hyaluronic acid, matrix (I find this much better than buffet) and amino acids morning and night. My lines are less and my skin in more hydrated and balanced. I've also bought their toner which is brilliant for correcting pigmentation and scaring. I use this on an evening and it's made a big difference.

For skin brightening look at their vit c range and take note of the reviews and irritation advice. Retinoids are good for long term prevention but you will not see a dramatic improvement. I also use their squalene oil, I tried the marula oil but it was too heavy. The moisturisers are no better than anyone else's and the foundations do not have good reviews.

Personally I'd say pick a retinoid, vit c and a peptide serum for anti aging. The acid toner is fab if you need pigmentation help.

Oh and the order is pretty simple. Toner, serums, creams, oils. I use the lighter serums first and then the gel type serums. Let them soak in for a few minutes then add your cream based products. Take note of counter indications. Not all products can be used together and not everything should be used daily. Retinoids are particularly tricky and should only be pm, not everyday.

Ordinary Matryxil and Pyconogenol and the B oil are good but guiess everyones skin is different, so what suits one may not suit another

I didn’t rate;

Buffet with copper. Using it up on my neck.
The 30% peel.
Hyaluronic acid.
Alpha Arbuutin
Salicylic acid.

I have re-purchased;
Nicanamide
Caffeine eye serum.
Vit c powder for hyperpigmentation.

I LOVE The Ordinary products! I work at a company called Beauty Bay, so have spent a lot of the last year trying different skin care brands and routines and honestly keep going back to The O.

Couple of products I love (I have normal skin, open pores, occasional cyclic breakouts on my chin, fine lines) -

• Hyaluronic Acid - is a fantastic hydrator that keeps the skin plump. Best used after Buffet, as the peptides in Buffet encourage hydrators, moisturiser and other active ingredients to work better.
• Glycolic Acid toner - this is quite a strong AHA, which clears dead skin cells and helps reduce the appearance of fine lines. I generally only use this once or twice a week, at night. You'll wake up in the morning with very bright looking skin!
• Granactive Retinoid 2% - if you want to try retinols to combat aging skin, this one's a good place to start. Again, use at night, a couple of times a week - not on the same days as AHA or Vit C.

With regards to the order, there are a couple of rules of thumb -

• Never use AHAs (exfoliating acids/peels) at the same time as retinols, peptides or Vitamin Cs (that's your magnesium hydrator).
• After cleansing, use peptides first (Buffet), then any other water based serums, then heavier cream. You're fine to use Buffet, followed by your Magnesium hydrator. I use Azelaic Acid on spot scars on my chin, after moisturiser.
• Intense ingredients like AHAs, retinols and Vit C should be introduced to your routine gradually. I always start with once a week, then build up to a maximum of every couple of days.
• Any of the above ingredients are best used at night, as they either make your skin hypersensitive to UV, or UV can reduce effectiveness. Always use an SPF the next day if you've done an intense treatment.
• For an intense treatment, use these on their own. For a lighter touch, follow with moisturiser.

Also, here's a great article written by one of the girls I work with, she knows the lot! www.beautybay.com/edited/everything-about-the-ordinary/

Hope this all helps! As you can tell, I'm quite passionate about skincare, but must stress, this is all my personal opinion and recommendations - not me "working" 😊

Thank you for all that information regarding The Ordinary products, it all makes sense now.

@mrsbobsy that’s super helpful! I’ve recently purchased and started using the nicanamide, buffet and hyaluronic acid and I apply them in that order - does that sound right or should buffet go first?

@candlewithhair They're all fine to use together. Generally speaking I'd always use my Buffet first, followed by HA, then anything else. But it's up to you! Experiment the other way round and see how it goes. The only thing to avoid with Niacinamide is Vitamin C.

I have always had difficult skin. I've always taken care of if, but left to its own resources it it would be dry, dehydrated, flaky... the Ordinary products have been great for me, it's trial and error, you need to find what works for you, and of course do read their guidance on what can be used together etc.

It would be much easier to help you with recommendations if you described your age and skin concerns. They might have something to do with why you’re not loving the products you have, etc.... The other thing you can do is contact The Ordinary directly and ask for a recommended skin routine based on your skin concerns. They’re pretty good with that as well.