This The Ordinary review is the need-to-know for choosing the best The Ordinary products for your exact and special skin type.
There is for most people not reading this (!) one humungous, gigantic sized hurdle to buying skincare that works – it’s expensive.
Want a cutting edge antioxidant serum? It’s >£100.
Looking for a spot fighting salicylic acid toner? Be prepared to sacrifice a posh dinner out.
Ready for anti-ageing solutions packed with actives? Brace yourself for a price tag double take.
Once upon a time, skincare with tried and tested actives would drain your bank balance before breakfast.
And now, Canadian founded beauty company called DECIEM are saying no more. We want you to have your cake and eat it.
Welcome – The Ordinary.
Clinical formulations with integrity. Aka active skincare ingredients in concentrations that work at prices that wow – pretty much everything is under a tenner. With a range of 40 products and even more launches in the works, your only problem is understanding which great products are a perfect fit for your skin type.
This The Ordinary review has your answers… come learn all my friend.
The Ordinary Review
It’s Monday night and you’re scrolling through Pinterest when a The Ordinary pin takes your fancy. Yes! I meant to get me some of this, let’s do it. You click, land on your first product and see a price tag of £4.20 for a 2%, yes 2% salicylic acid toner. Amazing. Tempted to add 2 to your basket, you add just 1 knowing there are a whole 9 more sections of purse-friendly effective skincare treats to browse.
You grab a retinoid, add in 2 different facial oils, take the NMF moisturiser, the Marine Hyaluronics and what the heck, the ascorbyl glucoside solution 12% too.
Done. They all sound fabulous… but wait… how do you use them? Are they perfect for your skin type? What do they do?
Visit The Ordinary unprepared and you’re going to be walking away with a basket full of product, no idea how to make a The Ordinary skincare regimen and solutions that aren’t a good balance of active ingredients.
But not you my friend, because you’re here Googling for The Ordinary reviews trying to learn the best The Ordinary products for your very special skin.
Here’s what to do now, scroll down to find the right The Ordinary review section for your skin type, we have The Ordinary for;
- Acne prone skin
- Oily/combination skin
- Age concerned/First signs of ageing skin
- Mature skin
- Sensitive skin
- Dry skin
- Dull, dehydrated skin
Go forth to The Ordinary savvydom my friend. And psst – if you’re still finding yourself stuck in The Ordinary overwhelm (which is completely normal by the way), then get your butt on Extraordinary Skin With The Ordinary – here I’m sharing my secret step by step method which you can use to get started on the path to makeupless skin you love. In less time than it takes to bake chocolate chip cookies 😉 Click here to learn more.
Whichever option you choose, I’ll see you there.
Where to buy The Ordinary Skincare: Direct at The Ordinary/DECIEM website here.
The Ordinary Review of Skincare for Acne Prone Skin
You have acne prone skin but use the right The Ordinary products and you could soon be waving it goodbye. Fighting acne is about stopping acne causing bacteria from breeding in your pores. Don’t worry, you’re not dirty, all skin types have bacteria and all skin types have a little amount of acne causing bacteria. It’s normal, natural and A-OK.
Acne and spots can spring when oily dead skin plugs in your pores make a tasty dinner for propionibacterium acnes – the acne causing bacteria.
To fight it, choose these best The Ordinary products for acne prone skin;
- Salicylic Acid 2% Solution
- Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1%
- Alpha Arbutin 2% + HA
- 100% Organic Cold-Pressed Rose Hip Seed Oil
And in review, here’s why;
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- Salicylic Acid – dissolves in oil and can help clean aka exfoliate oily dead skin plugs in your pores
- Niacinamide – helps reduce sebum production/pigmentation caused by acne scars, acts as an anti-inflammatory
- Zinc – reduces sebum production and helps your skin heal
- Rose Hip Seed Oil – contains linoleic acid which acne prone skin is deficient in, studies show replacing it helps reduce acne
- Alpha Arbutin – naturally brightens skin to help stop acne scarring and hyperpigmentation
The Ordinary Review for Oily/Combination Skin
Skin an oil slick by midday? Then you my friend need The Ordinary review for oily, combination skin. Your skin type is A) making too much skin oil aka sebum and B) Making too much of the wrong kind of skin oil. The more it makes, the more it needs to make. Your skin just isn’t getting the right stuff. It’s like a T-shirt factory making lingerie.
Help fix oily/combination skin with these best The Ordinary Products;
Psst – these are in order of necessity.
- Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1%
- 100% Organic Cold-Pressed Rose Hip Seed Oil
- Natural Moisturizing Factors + HA
Here’s why;
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- Niacinamide + Zinc – both help reduce sebum production while also improving your skin health
- Rosehip oil – is a dry oil which can help balance and thin your skin’s oil production
- Natural Moisturizing Factors – identical to what your skin uses to keep hydrated, will help balance skin
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All 3 of these best The Ordinary products are fine to be used and mixed into the same AM or PM regimen routines. To layer them up properly start with Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1% follow with Natural Moisturizing Factors + HA and end with the 100% Organic Cold-Pressed Rose Hip Seed Oil. Sorted.
The Ordinary Skincare for First Signs of Ageing
Fine lines and wrinkles are not your fate my friend, there are a lot of active skincare ingredients which can help delay, rewind, protect and reverse. The important part is making sure you’re using them in concentrations which are effective.
Imagine having one strawberry for breakfast, one spoonful of soup for lunch and a falafel ball for dinner. They all taste delish, they all have greatness but not enough greatness to pack you full of healthy energy. It’s the same for your skin, 0.1% of an anti-ageing skincare ingredient is great but it’s not great enough.
These serums are all best The Ordinary products for the first signs of ageing;
Psst – they also all have potent concentrations.
Why they work;
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- Retinoid aka vitamin A – vitamin A is what dermatologists and doctors prescribe for anti-ageing, it’s clinically proven to help your skin resist and get rid of wrinkles
- Ascorbyl glucoside aka vitamin C – helps skin build collagen to give your skin volume
- Resveratrol + Ferulic acid – very effective antioxidants to make sure your skin resists ageing

The Ordinary Review for Mature Skin
Even if you take the greatest care of your skin aka you use sunscreen 365 days a year, ageing changes happen. Collagen levels i.e. what makes your skin resist wrinkles naturally go down and your skin naturally gets drier. But… this doesn’t mean they’re not reversible. Use the right skincare products and you can help give back to your skin what it needs most.
These are the exact best The Ordinary products for mature skin;
- Granactive Retinoid 5% in Squalane
- Vitamin C Suspension 23% + HA Spheres 2% mixed with Marine Hyaluronics to make it less gritty (see note below)
- EUK 134 0.1%
- “Buffet”
- Glycolic Acid 7% Toning Solution
- 100% Plant-Derived Squalane
Here’s why;
- Retinoid aka vitamin A – it’s the proven anti-ageing ingredient every mature skincare regimen needs, it helps treat fine lines, wrinkles and loss of skin volume
- Vitamin C – your skin needs it to make healthy collagen, helps give back volume and brightness to your skin
- EUK 134 – a potent self-regenerating antioxidant to resist skin stress and ageing
- “Buffet“ aka peptides like Matrixyl – studies show it can reduce the appearance of wrinkles
- Glycolic acid – helps build collagen, helps refresh slowed exfoliation rates in mature skin for a brighter, fresher complexion
- Squalane – naturally found in skin, helps lock hydration in, helps condition and moisturise
NOTE: Read any review about The Ordinary’s Vitamin C Suspension 23% + HA Spheres 2% and you’ll hear the word gritty. Vitamin C as L-ascorbic acid is a great anti-ageing ingredient, but it’s also very unstable in water. Which means making formulas with it is tricky. Skincare companies can A) mix vitamin C with water and accept that some of it’s going to go off before you use it or B) make water free formulas like in The Ordinary’s Vitamin C Suspension 23% + HA Spheres 2% – it’s not going to go off before you use it, but there is a gritty sacrifice.
Thankfully you can help compensate for it by mixing The Ordinary’s Vitamin C Suspension 23% + HA Spheres 2% with a water based serum like The Ordinary’s Marine Hyaluronics. You’re basically adding back water and because you’re doing it just before using it, your vitamin C isn’t going off.
Best The Ordinary Skincare for Sensitive Skin
Your sensitive skin’s like a house in winter with all its windows open. Normally skin only uses its front door, meaning it gets to choose the ingredients it lets in. Sensitive skin doesn’t. Sensitive skin lets in too much and stresses about it even more.
Having sensitive skin however, doesn’t mean you can’t use skincare with active ingredients. It only means you have to make sure it’s the right skincare. Products which are kind to skin, which help build up your skin’s barrier aka close all the windows, which protect it and hydrate it.
These are the best The Ordinary skincare products for sensitive skin;
- Azelaic Acid Suspension 10%
- Marine Hyaluronics
- Natural Moisturizing Factors + HA
- EUK 134 0.1%
- 100% Plant-Derived Squalane
This is why;
- Azelaic acid – the ingredient used to treat rosacea, it’s an anti-inflammatory, it calms, soothes, helps reduce redness and brightens skin
- Marine Hyaluronics – helps hydrate and plump your skin by magnetising water to itself
- Vitamin B5 – helps boost your skin’s metabolism
- Natural moisturizing factors – conditions, protects and nourishes your skin barrier – exactly what your sensitive skin type needs
- EUK 134 – helps reduce redness and as a self-regenerating antioxidant protects your sensitive skin against environmental stressors and DNA damage
- Squalane – your skin naturally makes it, it’ll help protect you against irritants while also locking in hydration
NOTE: The Ordinary’s EUK 134 0.1% formula is a brown colour, don’t worry, it’s not gone off – that’s just the colour of the active ingredient.
The Ordinary Skincare Review for Dry Skin
You, my friend, have dry skin because your skin lacks oil and because your skin lacks oil it has a reduced barrier function. Skin works like this – on the bottom layers there’s lots of water and on the top layers there’s lots of oil. Water and oil don’t naturally mix, which… and here comes the magic, means that the water in your skin can’t escape.
Your skin, however, is different.
Your skin has too little oils and too little barrier function. Water is evaporating from your skin too quickly. Adding more water won’t help, reforming your skin’s natural barrier will. And to help you do it…
Here’s the best The Ordinary products for dry skin;
- Natural Moisturizing Factors + HA
- 100% Plant-Derived Squalane
- 100% Organic Cold-Pressed Moroccan Argan Oil
- EUK 134 0.1%
This is why;
- Natural moisturizing factors – this is what your skin uses to make its barrier function, it’s perfect to help repair yours
- Squalane – an oil your skin makes to help make smooth, soft, hydrated and conditioned skin
- Argan oil – helps reduce the appearance of flaky skin, protects and conditions
- EUK 134 – a self-regenerating antioxidant to help protect your skin’s barrier function while also helping reduce redness caused by your current skin dryness
The Ordinary Review for Dull, Dehydrated Skin
Dull, dehydrated skin is extremely frustrating. You don’t have acne, you don’t have eczema, you don’t have a big clinically recognised skin condition, yet your skin is still annoyingly not right. Fear not my friend, dull, dehydrated skin can be kicked. It is a thing and it can be treated.
Dehydrated skin is different from dry skin because it’s a temporary skin condition. Dry skin is a lack of skin oils and skin barrier function. Dehydrated skin is just a temporary loss of hydration. When it happens your skin will look dull, older and uneven.
Here’s the best The Ordinary products to help fix dull, dehydrated skin;
This is why;
- Marine Hyaluronics – teeny-tiny moisture magnets which attract, lock and hold water into your dehydrated skin
- Vitamin B5 – attracts water into your skin while also speeding skin metabolism to help skin appear rejuvenated
- Natural moisturizing factors – full of ingredients which help water stay in your skin, softens, hydrates, soothes and comforts
- Alpha lipoic acid – a powerful antioxidant helping to protect your skin, brighten your skin and tone your skin (be sure to see the how-to-use note below)
Note: The Ordinary’s Alpha lipoic acid is in a powerful concentration, it doesn’t need to be used every day aka it definitely shouldn’t be used every day. A few drops 2 or maximum 3 times a week at night is all that’s needed for great results.
And there you have it my friend, the best The Ordinary products for your very special skin type. Which products are you definitely investing in? Have questions about how to add them into your skincare regimen? Come ask them to me in the comments below…

Cheryl Woodman is a scientist, skin health expert & award-winning skincare formulator who’s more friend next door than bow tie wearing professor. Through her 1-2-1 services and video courses she’s here helping you get healthier, happier skin you feel comfortable, confident and like the freakin’ awesomesauce you are in. Select the option which best describes your skin health here to see and hear the amazing transformations you could be getting.