Can anyone help me navigate 'The Ordinary' range?

[orangina]

Hello All... I am in a bit of a skincare rut and thought I would try some products from The Ordinary... but where do I start? I am (ahem) 52 with ok skin, no particular issues, but looking dull and in need of brightening up. Also, more patches of darkness on my skin, so anything that might address those would be great. And the usual sagging etc. Have not gone down the botox/fillers route and am looking for reasonable morning and evening skincare routine that might perk things up a bit.

I was going to take a punt on The Ordinary Skin Care Set as a starting point, but if anyone has any recommendations as to which products etc, advice gratefully received. Don't want to buy something too 'active' to start with and make my skin unhappy....

Thank you!

I sent them a message through their contact page; explained my skin concerns and sent them a photo. They replied with details of the products that they thought would be useful for me and my issues. They also have me tips about in which order they should be applied. I found it really useful.

deciem.com/contact

Thanks FluffyMuppet, I'll try that... if anyone has any must-have recommendations, would still love to hear them!

The moisturiser.

My skin is slightly sensitive and I often break out in spots. The moisturiser hasn't disrupted my skin.

They have a few suggested regimes of the website. I just bought all I needed for one of those. My skin definitely looks plumper and healthier.

Azelaic acid is really good for brightening up the skin and evening it out.I would email them and they will give you a step by step regimen of what products you should use and in what order am and pm.

Do you already use sunscreen? Spf 30 or higher, all day, every day?

I'd start with their lowest % retinol (not a granactive retinoid, a 'normal' retinol).

The 8% ascorbic acid with the alpha arbutin might be good for dark patches. It really should help with brightening... (based on the active ingredients. But I haven't tried it myself.)

I've been using alpha arbutin for dark patches for a few weeks now, I haven't seen a dramatic difference but it might be a gradual change. It's a very gentle product so that's great. I agree that you should contact them with your specific skin concerns, if I hadn't done that I wouldn't have known where to start. Pretty sure they will suggest some kind of retinol

Ive just bought rhewww.lookfantastic.com/the-ordinary-hyaluronic-acid-2-b5-hydration-support-formula-duo/11926078.html?affil=thgppc&kwds=[TrackerID]&thg_ppc_campaign=71700000012122415&adtype=&product_id=&gclsrc=aw.ds&&gclid=Cj0KCQjw9fntBRCGARIsAGjFq5EciiMWoKwbQbqZeGRp3SWX99HOhPcCE_pQpdgjEsChFI0_8iAXNGEaAlmbEALw_wcB

Oops sorry for long link. Went on the reviews !

Their high-spreadability fluid primer is great

I have been using 'the ordinary products' for about 2 yrs now. If you go on Facebook there is a group called The ordinary & deciem chat room. It's a very helpful group and there are lots of help and suggestions on the page.

@dillon16 is right, the group is fantastic and there a lot of knowledgeable people on there.
What are you already using? Cleanser, toner, moisturiser and SPF should be the basics then you can add in serums/actives for your specific needs. The skin care set is definitely a good starting point.
Any new products need to be introduced individually, if after two weeks you don't have a negative reaction, you can introduce something else. It's really tempting to go mad as it's so affordable, especially with the sale, but establishing a routine for your skin takes time and patience. Hope you love your new products