Hey Hey everyone!!
Welcome back! Hope everyone is staying safe & managing to stay sane during this crazy time!
As promised I’m back to have a natter about The Ordinary products that I have been trying out. I’ve always wanted to try them out, but to be honest never really thought they would do much especially as they are so affordable!! I know, I know expensive doesn’t always mean its going to work better but I never really thought they would make a difference. Plus have the word “acid” in these products freaked me out so much, I was always worried I would damage my skin which I was not down for!
But I decided to take the plunge & ordered a few bits from their website & try them out during lock down, just in case it all went wrong. I’m very, very relived to say so far so good & I am loving their products.
Why These Products?
So why did I select these products out of The Ordinary’s huge range? Basically I was doing research on dark marks & hyperpigmentation again and came across some reviews of a bundle on Beauty Bay which included the Glycolic Acid 7% Toning Solution, Azelaic Acid Suspension 10% & Alpha Arbutin 2% + HA. The last in this very scientific sounding list is a serum specifically designed to target dark marks & hyperpigmentation so I had to give that a go.
Initially I wasn’t going to get the peeling solution, because I was a little freaked out by the sound & look of it! But when I got to checkout I needed another £5.50 & this was about £6 so I thought why the hell not lets go for it haha! I’ve put a little list below of each product & what it can do, I’m no expert by any means! I did research on each product before deciding if I should try it or not, so it’s just a brief breakdown for each one. But feel free to check out The Ordinary website for more in depth info on each product & check out the rest of their range, I will definitely be trying out more of their range because it’s all super affordable.
- Glycolic Acid 7% Toning Solution – This is a AHA acid that exfoliates the outermost dead layer of your skin to leave your skin with an amazing glow!
- Azelaic Acid Suspension 10% – Azelaic Acid is a natural acid found in grains like wheat or barley, it has anti-inflammatory properties which helps with fighting acne. It can also help with preventing future outbreaks by cleaning bacteria from your pores.
- Alpha Arbutin 2% + HA – Alpha Arbutin is derived from plants & is a safe brightening ingredient that helps with fading scars & hyperpigmentation. Hyaluronic Acid (HA) clarifies & brightens the complexion while helping repair damage. The mixture of these ingredients leaves your skin feeling fresh, vibrant & amazingly soft!!
- AHA 30% + BHA 2% Peeling Solution – Alpha Hydroxy Acids (AHA) are natural acids found in foods & are usually found in anti ageing products as they help reduce wrinkles, fine lines & dark spots as well as improving skin elasticity. Beta Hydroxy Acids (BHA) get into the deeper layers of your skin to remove dead skin & excess sebum. – This is a chemical exfoliator so if you have sensitive skin you might want to give this a miss & stick to a traditional exfoliating scrub.
How Are The Products Then?!
I started using the products about a week ago and I can see a very slight difference in the appearance of my skin, but there is a huge difference in how my skin feels already which I didn’t expect. I would usually expect to feel a change in my skin after at least a couple of weeks of using a products, but I could really feel a difference in my skin after just a few days of using these products which is incredible! After a week using the products my skin is feeling incredibly soft and alot smoother! I feel like some of my dark marks have actually faded a little but not sure if that’s just me being over excited! I’m taking pictures every week so I’ll be sure to post my progress over the weeks.
I have to be completely honest & say that I have stopped using the Azelaic Acid because it was make me breakout, which I didn’t really appreciate. I’ve done a little more research on that & found that it seems to be a common side effect, but it’s advised that you stick with it and the breakouts will clear up. So I might re-introduce this to my routine as see how I get on.
At the moment I’m using the Toning Solution & Alpha Arbutin Serum daily, you can use these both morning & night, but at the moment I am mainly using it in evening & occasionally I’ll use it in the morning, along with the Peeling Solution once a week. I’ve always wanted to try a chemical peel but to be honest I’m too scared to try it, I’ve watched videos galore on them and some of the results look amazing but I just haven’t got the guts to do it yet. The day that I use the Peeling Solution I don’t use The Ordinary Toner, just because I think it will be too much for my skin. I did a patch test for the peeling solution before I smothered my face in it to be on the safe side & thought maybe this could be a nice compromise with a gentler chemical being used….we shall see! Once I’ve removed the mask after 10 minutes (do not leave it on longer than this – I don’t personally know what happens if you do but I don’t want to find out the hard way!) I follow up with the Serum and then some SPF to protect my skin.
If you do decide to try the peeling solution only use this once or twice a week as it is a chemical exfoliator, you don’t want to over use it and damage your skin & please don’t forget to do a patch test on your skin a few days before first!
Texture, Smell, Sensations??
If you’re anything like me then you’ll want to know how products feel to the touch, smell & what kind of sensation you feel on your skin so I’ve done a little round up of that for ya.
- Glycolic Acid 7% Toning Solution – Like most toners its a water like consistency, it doesn’t have a very strong smell. It’s a very faint sweet smell that I pick up on & I don’t find it chemically at all, when you put this on for the first time you might feel a bit of a tingling sensation, after a couple of uses you get used to it.
- Azelaic Acid Suspension 10% – This has a creamy consistency, it doesn’t really have any smell. It smells like a normal cream to me. It goes onto your skin white but as you rub this into your skin it feel like the consistency gets thicker & goes clear. Once it’s clear it dried pretty much straight away & leaves you skin with a very matte & smooth feeling.
- Alpha Arbutin 2% + HA – This is a clear serum so has a thick consistency – a bit like runny jelly. There is definitely more of a chemical smell with this one compared to the others but it’s not awful. A little goes a long way with this one, as once you start rubbing it into your skin it spreads really well. It has almost a cooling sensation on your skin at first and then as it starts to dry it goes a bit tacky
- AHA 30% + BHA 2% Peeling Solution – This is the scary looking blood red solution in the pictures! I promise it looks worse than it is, it’s a little thicker that the Alpha Arbutin Serum, but it’ll still run when you put it onto your face. It has quite a nice sweet smell to it which I was a surprised by. The 1st time I used this there was a little bit of a stinging sensation but not painful at all!! I think I might of had a spot that was open or something because I used it again and didn’t have that sensation again. Once I rinsed it off it left my skin feeling really smooth, it felt a tiny, tiny bit dry but I follow this up with the AA Serum & the a moisturiser to hydrate my skin again. Don’t forget to always use SPF protect after as your skin will be very sensitive to sunlight after use.
So that’s my take on The Ordinary products a week into using them. I’ll be sure to update everyone on how they are after a couple more weeks. I definitely think the products are worth giving a go, especially as the price is so reasonable – I still cant get over that to be honest! Today was the 2nd time using the Peeling Solution so I’ll be sure to put in a nice little photo of my face covered in the red stuff! I’ll be trying out bentonite clay on my hair again soon so I’ll do a little post about that as well.
Hope this was somewhat helpful to you guys!
Have you been trying out different skin care products during lock down or sticking to your usual tried & tested routine, let me know in the comments section & see you on the next one!
UPDATE…..Just a quick message to say I’ve put up an update on these products after 3 weeks, check it out here 🙂
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