Build Your Ultimate Skincare Routine With The Ordinary
Curate your ultimate skincare wardrobe with our guide to picking the perfect serum-moisturiser-cleanser combo
The days when we thought that a pot of cold cream and a splash of toner constituted a full skincare regime are long gone, but just as we were getting to grips with adding a serum into the mix along came The Ordinary to shake up the world of skincare even more (in the best possible way).
Touted as one of the biggest game-changers in the beauty arena, the innovative brand is now also one of the most popular thanks to its no-frills products which are broken down into key ingredients. Its ‘clinical formulations with integrity’ strapline resonates with its legions of fans (236k on Instagram and counting). No marketing gimmicks, no spiel, just effective, honest, derm-approved ingredients that do what they say on the bottles.
That said, thanks to a dizzying array of intriguing-sounding products to choose from (case in point Alpha Arbutin 2% + HA), becoming your own skincare mixologist may seem a little daunting. Fear not, though – our guide will take you through the three simple steps to follow to create your anything but ordinary skincare routine. You can thank us later.
What are your skin concerns?The first step in matching you with your ultimate skincare sidekicks is identifying your main complexion bugbear. Once you’ve identified your primary concern you can think about tackling the rest – the key is to keep things as simple as possible so as not to overwhelm your skin. Whether it’s those niggly frown lines that linger beyond your Zoom call, errant spots sabotaging your good skin day goals or pesky pigmentation that makes concealing a clock-stopping challenge, there is a routine tailored to your specific needs.
Beauty editor’s styling tip: “Remember that this is just a starting point. Once you become au fait with the different ingredients and what they do you can start to become more adventurous, for example switching up serums between seasons or as your complexion needs change over time.”
Select your preferred productsNow that you’ve identified your main complexion concerns it’s time to select the appropriate products. Concerned with signs of ageing but new to retinol for example? You may want to start out with the Granactive Retinoid 2% in Squaline to ease your skin in rather than going straight for the anti-ageing big guns such as Retinol 1% in Squaline which contains pure retinol and can be irritating for novices.
Also think about texture formulations. Are you more of a lightweight cream girl? A ‘heavy serum’ buff perhaps? Or do you prefer an oil?
Our suits-everyone selections:
You can browse all products in The Ordinary’s range below:
Building your regime: dos and don’tsKnowledge is power when it comes to getting the most from your skincare and while scientific-sounding names and percentages may sound complex, The Ordinary have made navigating your way around them easy with some helpful pointers along the way in terms of perfect pairings and avoiding conflicts.
Their top skincare commandments:
- Don’t use more than 3 serum formulations in a single routine (AM or PM) for optimal skin delivery.
- When applying your products, go from the thinnest to thickest texture, starting with water-based solutions, then anhydrous (oil/water-free), before moving on to oils, then suspensions, creams and sunscreens. If you’re using more than a single product of the same texture, apply the one targeted to your main skin concern first.
- Some products may conflict with one another which may have a negative effect on the effectiveness of the products, while some combinations of ingredients also have the potential to ‘overload’ the skin, so these should be used in separate routines. This can be done by separating the products into an AM and PM regime or using on alternating evenings.
Testing, testing….We’ve all been confronted with an irate epidermis at some point in our skincare history, and the familiar redness, itching or irritation is usually a strong indication that our skin is expressing its displeasure. Worried about how your skin might react to a new addition? If in doubt, patch it.
Patch tests are an easy way to help predict whether you will have a negative initial reaction to a new product and The Ordinary have outlined some methods for conducting your own patch test based on the type of product you opt for.LEAVE-ON AND RINSE-OFF PRODUCTS
- Apply a small amount of the product onto a clean area of skin on the upper forearm.
- Keep the area dry.
- After 24 hours rinse the area.
- If any redness, burning, itching, blistering or irritation is observed at any time throughout the test, do not use the product.
MASKS AND PEELING SOLUTIONS
- Apply a small amount of the product onto a clean area of skin on the upper forearm.
- Leave on for the recommended length of time before rinsing.
- If any redness, burning, itching, blistering or irritation is observed within 24 hours of the patch test, do not use the product.
Get personalReady to start curating your very own routine? Get inspired with these sample skin routines using some of our favourite recommended products.
