Falling in Love with The Ordinary

Before I begin this review, I just want to be clear - I'm no skincare blogger. In fact, for a long time, the extent of my skin care shamefully involved scrapping off my makeup with a baby wipe. Mum life got me bad. However, now I'm in the 30's club my skin has become somewhat of a concern. Which is hilarious as we all know what happens when we age! I have always been fairly lucky with my skin, I have never really suffered with spots - but my face is full of freckles and can be sensitive with the changing seasons. Also, those "fine" lines are starting to become even more prominent.

I have been really interested in The Ordinary products for around 18 months, their price point is so appealing and I had seen so many positive reviews. But there was always something that overwhelmed me - the huge choice. The fact you could mix and match to create your perfect skin care routine with some of skin care's most sought after ingredients were perfect for those skin care whizzes. But for me, I was really confused as to what to order! Many products can't be layered together, some cancel out each other's effectiveness. So I decided to actually sit down, do my research and start out small.


I ordered;

Retinol 0.5% in Squalane 30ml - £4.90

AHA 30% + BHA 2% Peeling Solution 30ml - £6.25

Natural Moisturizing Factors + HA 100ml - £6.75

Retinol 0.5% in Squalane

Retinol is having a moment in the skincare world. It has been studied extensively and has been shown to improve the appearance of the skin by increasing cell turnover, boosting collagen production, and reducing uneven skin tone. The Ordinary offer a few options for retinol lovers and I'm a complete newbie, so again was a little overwhelmed. Retinol can be quite invasive and make your skin irritated, so you need to build up slowly with this product so your skin can get used to it. I have found that I'm using it every other night at the moment and hopefully will be able to use it every night after a few weeks.

My Thoughts

This oil solution takes a while to soak into the skin, but as this is recommended for night time use only, this is not a problem. My skin looks radiant, the only way I can describe it. I'm truly surprise just how effecting this is. I'm looking forward to adding to my evening skincare routine as its become a really relaxing part of the day.

 AHA 30% + BHA 2% Peeling Solution 

This Peeling Solution is an exfoliating peel that should only be used twice a week and on for a maximum of 10 mins. The AHA 30% & BHA 2% exfoliates for a brighter and clearer complexion. Fighting blemishes, reducing pore congestions and fine lines. The comes out bright read and kind of resembles blood, but my god it works. Be careful of placing this too close to the eye area, I got a little on my under eye area and it did get a little sore  and make sure you wear sun screen with this as it can make your skin sensitive.

My Thoughts

I only use this once/twice a week and on the mornings after using this I seem to have an extra bounce in my step because my skin looks AMAZING. As I said I have experience some sensitivity around the eyes, I think I just got too close a couple of times, but other than that my skin has tolerated this product really well. It has made be look more closely at SPF and I'm currently using Piz Buin Ultra Light Face Liquid (factor 30) and I would love to hear what your favourite SPF face cream that I should try. 

Natural Moisturizing Factors + HA

Natural Moisturizing Factors + HA  protects and hydrates the skins outer layer. It is made up of compounds found naturally in the skin, offering immediate and long-lasting relief, this amino acid-packed formula soaks into the skin in the most effective, natural way. I have been using this both am and pm and finds that it really locks in moisture.

My Thoughts

I like that fact this product is more natural and really has a soothing effect after using more harsher products. It has quite a thick consistency but almost immediately soaks into the skin. As with all the above products I have tried a little seems to go a long way too.

Overall I'm really loving my experience with The Ordinary. The price point is so affordable, but the results are what I would expect from high end products. I can definitely see why these products have taken off so much.

I would love to hear what your favourite The Ordinary products and what you think I should be adding to my collection next (I do have my eye on Buffet so I'd particularly like to hear thoughts on this).

K Elizabeth xoxox