Sorry to start the millionth thread on this....but....

[WestwardHo1]

I'm wondering about the Ordinary's bewildering range of serums.

I've got to nearly 48 and my skin has always been my good feature. I work outside so there are some fine lines and wrinkles but I've always had a nice glow and fresh look. Just lately, my skin has really dulled as the perimenopause has hit with a vengeance, and I seem to have 8000 new lines around my eyes after being ill around Christmas and new year.

I'm really going easy on the make up at the moment (have to because of an eye issue), and I cleanse religiously. I am these days very careful about sunscreen, sadly was less so in my 20s and 30s, hence those lines. I know that nothing will take them away, but what should I be doing to try and get that fresh glow back?

The reason I mention the Ordinary is that I'm on a budget. From what I read it seems I need stuff with retinol and hyaluronic acid. Can anyone suggest a good starting point from their products available, and how I build them into my normal cleansing and moisturising routine? I don't want to spend HOURS on ir. For information, my skin is quite fair and can be a bit dry but there are no major issues. Thank you wise style and beauty women!

This looks like the place to start
theordinary.com/en-gb/regimen-builder

Ah thank you

Just wondering if anyone has any personal recommendations.

I'll have a look.

Though the page is 404!

Never mind I'll have a search.

Matrixyl or buffet in the morning under moisturiser and retinol in the evening is a good start

theordinary.com/en-gb/regimen-builder.html

Nope, that didn't work either 🤦‍♀️

The ordinary was really good value but prices have really increased (not sure why)and I've started to look at other ranges.

I like azalea acid but dermological does a stronger version at a better price.

Suggest you look at Husk and Seed products. Their natural oils and balms have been fantastic for my menopausal skin. They smell awesome and you are supporting a small British business run by women.

There's a lot in The Ordinary's range that is good and much that is a bit meh. As with anything, your skin might not enjoy it ( mine didn't and I also work outside and have fairly resistant, non tricky skin. ) I'm afraid trial and error is the only way forward.

I think their singular acids like Lactic/ Mandelic etc are good but I wouldn't give their cleansers house space, personally.

At your ( and my) age, you need the following as basic:

A retinol ( whether that is a subscription like Dermatica or an off the shelf one.)

A Vitamin C serum with a concentration of no less than 10-15% (This is where I would say not to bother with the L- Ascorbic powder from The Ordinary which is just grim to mix up and apply. )

A good spf/moisturiser

I also add in a glycolic toner and a couple of different serums for when my skin needs extra treatment for various concerns ( mine is extra moisture).

Skincare is such a confusing area as there is no one definitive answer ( just look at the ' which lipbalm is the best?' threads to see a thousand women claiming they have the One True Answer )k

Hyaluronic Acid for hydration. Can be used am and pm. Buffet as mentioned by PP has hyaluronic acid plus other emollients. I think it's been renamed recently.

An entry grade retinol for fine lines. One of TO's Granactive Retinols should do the trick. (Granactive is gentler on the skin to begin with and GRs are a "weaker" form- Nadine Baggott has a great retinols explained video on YT)

A vitamin C in the morning. TO do several- I've only tried the utterly foul gritty one 😂 so can't recommend one (but I love the N7 one)

Don't immediately start with vit C and retinol- build up gradually a couple of times a week. I've been using retinol for about 3 years now, first a granactive, then a higher strength and am now using Tret but I still don't use it every day.

Other than the above, cleanse and moisturise and SPF. Job done.

And what @LadyOfTheCanyon says!

Also be wary of the fact that if you email the Ordinary they'll recommend you 5-6 different products. Most of which you could find in one bottle in a generic serum. (almost all hydrating serums are hyaluronic acid based for example)

One of the people I follow on YouTube, who specialises in skincare reckons it's better to buy a slightly more expensive combination serum as using the single ingredient ones make it far too easy to put together a combination that doesn't work as ingredient can negate each other or can stress your skin.

Thanks for the suggestions. I will have a look.

Oh it gave me quite a start to read "at your age" I can tell you. In my head I'm 22. Where has the time gone?

Very good point. Most hyaluronic serums need to be put on a damp face in order for them to 'suck the moisture in' and so are better as part of a combination serum as they will already be stabilised.

I spent about three months not knowing this and wondering why my skin felt so incredibly dry and tight after using a so called moisturising serum!

I use the Hyralonic acid morning and night. Then alternate between retinol and vit c at night.
You must use sunscreen everyday when using retinol and vit c.

After there any hyaluronic acid/vit C combined serums or are they not a thing? If so does anyone have any recommendations?

I’ve tried a few of their products and I didn’t rate the retinol or Vit C ones I tried, but I do like their Hyaluronic acid (the drops - I add a drop to normal moisturiser - and the Natural Moisturising Factors + HA). I also like the Rose Hip Seed Oil (I use under night moisturiser).

Or is that the combined serum you were talking about, @PAFMO ?

Try a company like skin and me as they are medical grade. It's about £25 per month but o think they have trial offers

I use skin and me at night. Vitamin C I get from geek and glow. I use it every morning and noticed a huge difference in about a month.

Retinol/tret take months and months to show an improvement but it’s worth in in my opinion.

It’s geek and gorgeous. Not geek and glow.

The Vit C serum is call C-glow and I got myself confused 😂

I like some of their products. Others are a bit meh. I use the matrixyl in the morning and a vitamin C in the morning under moisturiser. There are a few vit C options, find one you like - I use one in a bottle, the ones in tubes didn’t suit my skin. At night I sometimes use their rose hip seed oil. The plain Natural Moisturister they do is also nice. I don’t like the argireline - basically the consistency of water, and no use.

I used to use so many products and layer them. The ordinary was my go to because they're cheap and have all the right ingredients but I've now scaled back and I use skin+me in the evening and vitamin c serum and SPF in the morning. I use Garnier vitamin C with SPf 25 and BB cream with SPF 50 on top. My skin+me is for fine lines it contains Tretinoin, Niacinamide and Azelaic acid. The Garnier stuff costs about £7 and lasts a couple of months and quite often they're on offer or 3for2. Skin+Me is £24.99 per month but I find even if I use it everyday I get about 3 extra days and I usually use it 5-6 days out of 7. It's really easy to change the date of the delivery of skin and me to delay payment and delivery, I usually have to every month or extend it to 5 for 6 weeks so I don't end up with a stock pile! If you share a code and get others to sign up you get £10 off the following month and that person gets there first and 5th doser free just pay £3.50 p&p. So I have saved a bit that way too. This is the link if you want to try, you can cancel straightaway if you don't like it. I really rate them ive been using it for over 2 years.

www.skinandme.com/?promocode=LAURENS5YP3

Thank you that's really useful 😊