Ordinary? Nah… This Affordable Skincare Is Far From It!

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Hands holding a skincare cream and squeezing some out of the tube

The Ordinary skincare line and my face are a match made in heaven.

Have you ever tried a product that was SO good, you just had to tell everyone about it? Well, that’s me with The Ordinary skincare line and I can’t stop raving about it!

the ordinary skincare sign at ulta

When I found out about The Ordinary I was immediately intrigued. If you’re into skincare in even the slightest way, you’ve probably already heard about this brand. But if you haven’t, here’s all you need to know…

It’s cheap and more importantly – IT WORKS.

We’re talking super-potent serums starting at around $5. While they offer other products like sunscreen, primers, and foundation, my heart belongs to their skincare line.

Me + The Ordinary = True ❤️ 4-Ever.


The Ordinary skincare products

How are The Ordinary products so affordable?

The Ordinary doesn’t waste time or money on marketing, fancy packaging, or filler ingredients. All of their products are produced, lab-tested, packaged and distributed from the same facility. This helps keep costs down so consumers don’t have to pay as much for their products. Yay for all of us!

the ordinary hydrators and oils at ulta

What you get are highly-effective formulas at “how-is-this-company-still-in-business?” prices. 

Each product contains only the bare minimum of ingredients, which exponentially decreases the chance of any adverse reactions. Just 2-4 drops are enough to treat your entire face, so you can easily get a few months of use from each product. It’s also worth noting that this brand is cruelty-free and vegan. Hooray for clean skincare!

You can create an entire skincare routine around their products, or just incorporate one or two into your existing routine to amp up the moisturizers, serums, or makeup products you already use.

Chia seed oil in a bottle sitting on top of chia seeds

These products cause zero irritation and are SO gentle on my face.

I’ve tried multiple versions of Vitamin C and Retinols/Retinoids from this brand, and I experienced no irritation. None. Zilch. Nada. If you’ve ever felt the itching, burning, and peeling of retinol, you know this is HUGE. In fact, I’ve yet to experience any kind of irritation from any of The Ordinary’s super-potent serums starting at around $7, and I’ve tried a lot of them.


Skincare serums on a counter

How does The Ordinary differ from other skincare lines?

The Ordinary creates each of its products with a specific skincare focus, which is why you won’t see nearly as many ingredients listed on the label as other brands.

The only downside to this brand is how overwhelming it can be to figure out what to buy and how to use it since everything sounds so… science-y (lookin’ at you, Ascorbyl Tetraisopalmitate Solution 20% in Vitamin F). But don’t let this deter you! I promise this stuff is magic.

The bonus: The people at Deciem (The Ordinary’s parent company) are there to answer all of your questions and point you in the right direction. You can also check out their Regimen Guide for tips on what to use and when to use it.

the ordinary skincare line at ulta

Ready to check out The Ordinary for yourself?

You can easily find at Ulta, Sephora, or on The Ordinary website,

*Disclaimer: I’m not a Dermatologist, nor am I an expert in skincare. Please talk to your Dermatologist and get their advice on which of these products (if any) might be right for you.


Check out more of our team’s favorite tried and true beauty products!


About the writer:

Cassandra is our Senior Content Manager with over 10 years' experience. She spent the majority of her professional career in Human Resources before starting her blogging journey in 2012.


Join The Discussion

Comments 39

  1. kait

    Iā€™ve been pregnant and/or breastfeeding for the last ~6 years, so I havenā€™t yet tried their retinol products (Iā€™m excited to!!), but I have to recommend the glycolic acid 7% toning solution. When I use it consistently with my evening skincare routine, I notice a huge difference in the texture and brightness of my skin. 10/10 would recommend.

    Iā€™ve tried quite a few of their products, and they have been hit or miss for me. But the toner I will keep buying! And Iā€™m looking forward to trying the retinols.

    • Cece

      I agree 100% with the glycolic acid 7% toning solution. I’ve used it for three weeks and huge huge difference. Highly recommend. I love the glycolic toner as well.

  2. janellevasqueztorres

    Thatā€™s all I use! Affordable and has changed my skin.

  3. Tombeamenderfer

    My daughter uses this brand an swears by it she loves it I have sensitive skin so I wasnā€™t sure if this would be ok to use or not !

  4. Erica

    I love this brand! Niacinamide+zinc is my favorite for pore congestion.

  5. Gege1804

    I just started using their line to correct hyperpigmentation. So far so good as far no irritation, waiting to see the long term effect/benefits.

  6. nita

    Definitely awesome that you guys review products. Skin care is so subjective and can be expensive and overwhelming, so itā€™s nice to know how much people do/donā€™t endorse a popular line. I have a toner and exfoliator from this line and havenā€™t delved into incorporating them yet but will definitely try them out now.

  7. Carrie

    My teen daughter just started using this brand, and we’re already seeing a difference in her skin! So excited for the long term results.

    • Jk

      What product is your teen using?

  8. Susan S.

    My entire skincare regimen is from The Ordinary. My skin has never been better!!!!

  9. Jack

    Shhhh! Donā€™t share the secret of the best and cheapest skincare out there!! Iā€™ve been using it for sometime and i love it.

  10. Taylor

    Iā€™m a makeup artist and stylist and skincare is the most important thing I HIGHLY recommend this brand!

    • A

      Can you please suggest basic products for minimum makeup. Thanks!!

  11. Elaine

    If anyone is interested in checking out this brand but feels overwhelmed. Check out Skincare by Hyram. He has a YouTube and a tiktok. He explains things really well and he is respected by dermatologists. He loves this brand and The Inkey List which is also affordable.

    • ella

      Thanks, Iā€™ll check that out to see how to use some of their other products. I love their rosehip oil and would like to try some other things.

  12. Roci

    Me toošŸ¤£šŸ¤£

  13. youhadmeatyummy

    I wish i tried it before trying eight saints, Iā€™m obsessed and/but itā€™s so expensive…. But itā€™s done so much wonders for my skin and face!

    • Jess

      I was obsessed with 8 Saints but switched to Ordinary and I love it better (and the price)

  14. Kat Mandu

    Yep!

  15. Zara

    Been using many of these products from Ordinary and love all of them! Finally stopped wasting on very expensive products that had lots of chemicals and just didnā€™t work.

  16. laura fuller

    Is this similar to the Inkey List line of skincare also on Sephora and inexpensive?

    • Sandy

      Yes. I believe they have the same parent company. I use both brands. They’re both awesome!

  17. Monique

    ā™„ļøā™„ļøā™„ļø this brand!

  18. A

    Can anyone please suggest serum or cream for sensitive skin & combination skin. With aging wrinkles, dullness & freckles are becoming pretty dominant. Thanks!!

    • maggie

      For aging skin, at night, try either The Buffet or The Buffet with Copper Peptides (I prefer the latter, a lot). It’s an all-in-one serum for wrinkles.

      During the day, I like to use the Ordinary’s Resveratrol + Ferulic Acid serum for antioxidant defense all day long, with their “moisturizing factors” cream on top of it, then sunscreen. TWO DROPS ONLY — this serum will tingle! For clarifying, you can also use one of their Vitamin C products with it. Do not forget to use sunscreen on top if it all. (Keep Vitamin C away from The Buffet though because The Buffet contains peptides that don’t play will with Vit. C). https://www.healthline.com/health/beauty-skin-care/ingredients-that-work-well-together#the-retinol-combo

      I’m 50 and often get mistaken for being 10 years younger. I’ve been diligent about sunscreen use forever — it’s terribly important.

      • A

        Thank you so much!!

    • riss

      I agree. Vitamin C and sunscreen daily, religiously. They work wonders together. Vit C helps with discoloration. Tretinoin (Retin A) is the gold standard for aging skin, but since you have sensitive skin, I would not recommend it. Try the OTC retinol like Roc or Neutrogena. You can use moisturizer on top of it if it’s too drying, until your skin adjusted to your regimen.

      • A

        Thank you!!

  19. TraceyBR

    I use their serums, lotion, and cleanser and love them (and the low prices). My sister is an Esthetician and has their products on her recommendations list.

    • Jennifer (Hip Sidekick)

      Thank you so much! I’m so happy to hear how much you like these products!šŸ„°

  20. Jill

    I use this everyday and I love it

  21. Liddy

    I came across these products on social media. I’m in my 30s and was still battling acne it was embarrassing ans I tried everything but once I used these products my face cleared up and they’re so affordable!

  22. Alikia29

    Favorite cleanser!

  23. AWS

    If anyone has dry skin, their Hyaluronic Acid is amazing! And so affordable! Acid makes is sound harsh but it’s not at all. Put it under your cream, lotion or moisturizer for double effects. Helps skin hold the moisture and plumps skin. I love putting it on the backs of my hands to counteract all the awful hand sanitizer use over the past two years! My daughter and family have seriously sensitive skin and this is so good.

    • Maggie

      You can buy a huge bottle of HA with a pump in the Hyalmide line from Deciem, The Ordinary’s parent company. You can even run it through damp hair to moisturize it!

  24. TiffMeow

    Iā€™ve been using for a few weeks- I was scared of OT products because, my skin started to have more acne than normal. I found out after talking to other on the FB Group that my skin was detoxing. Now, into my third week my skin is looking great! I am amazed how quickly my texture and pigmentation are improving.

  25. Heather Cargill

    I love them! Also if you go to their website you can take a survey to ā€œbuild your skincare routineā€ it will recommend products based on your skin type and issues.

  26. Rebecca

    Is there a way to get this sale from the site in the US? When I try to order, it is just for Canada.

    • Amber (Hip Sidekick)

      Hey there! Are you able to order through the links above? I still find them available in the US that way. Hope that helps! ā¤ļø

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