REVIEW and brand introduction - the Ordinary products

The Ordinary is a brand under the DECIEM or The Abnormal Beauty Company umbrella. They have several skincare brands under them and some enjoy the cult status among the skincare lovers and geeks, most notably NIOD and Hylamide. The Ordinary, I  guess, is their budget brand. It is very, very reasonably priced and no nonsense brand aimed at people that actually care and know a bit about science behind skincare. 

The brand itself states on the site:
"The Ordinary is an evolving collection of treatments offering familiar, effective clinical technologies positioned to raise pricing and communication integrity in skincare. The brand was created to celebrate integrity in its most humble and true form. Its offering is pioneering, not in the familiar technologies it uses, but in its honesty and integrity. The Ordinary is born to disallow commodity to be disguised as ingenuity. The Ordinary is "Clinical formulations with integrity". 
The Ordinary exists to communicate with integrity and bring to market effective, more familiar technologies at honourable prices."

All DECIEM products, across all brands including The Ordinary, are free of parabens, sulphates, mineral oil, methylchloroisothiazolinone, methylisothiazolinone, animal oils, benzalkonium chloride, coal tar dyes, formaldehyde, mercury, oxybenzone. If you have questions about any ingredient that we use, please reach out to us and our lab will provide a response. DECIEM does not test on animals and does not pay others to do so. 

The Ordinary basically gives you an opportunity to use an effective and smart skincare that utilizes great active ingredients and latest technology without breaking the bank. 

Now if you are wondering what kind of company DECIEM is let me quote a few things they say about themselves which are right on the money. 

"We're a humble and happy umbrella of good beauty brands. We're founded on the principle of doing everything others don't do and we are changing the world of beauty based on this principle.
Everything we do is of exceptional quality. Today, quality is no longer defined by merely price points or distribution channels. Quality today means being authentic, being different, being functional, being beautiful and being sensibly priced, even to the wealthy. And we respect these principles. We choose to serve the educated, the curious and the intelligent who appreciate our dedication to this very genuine definition of quality."

Basicly a company that caters to skincare geeks, a rapidly growing category of consumers.

I have dipped my toe in the sea of products that the Ordinary offers and I have to say I like the things I tried so far, and those are:

Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1%

Niacinamide (Vitamin B3) is indicated to reduce the appearance of skin blemishes and congestion. A high 10% concentration of this vitamin is supported in the formula by zinc salt of pyrrolidone carboxylic acid to balance visible aspects of sebum activity. 

pH 5.50-6.50

Ingredients

Aqua (Water), Niacinamide, Pentylene Glycol, Zinc PCA, Tamarindus Indica Seed Gum, Xanthan Gum, Isoceteth-20, Ethoxydiglycol, Phenoxyethanol, Chlorphenesin.

Price 5.90 EUR (No, really. I am not joking that is the price.)

The product comes in a seethrough, milky, 30ml bottle with a pipette. Pipette works very well in dispensing the right amount of product. The product itself is a slightly milky gelatinous liquid that spreads easily on the skin. I find the best way to apply it (especially if you layer products) is to wait until the product you applied before completely dries on your skin and then also wait for this product to completely dry before layering a different one. When applied in such a way there was no pilling and it played well with all other products. 

As you can see this product is marketed as the sebum controlling product and it does that marvelously.  I've been using this both night and day and my t-zone is so well behaved that it is a miracle. Even with the sudden rise of temperature my T-zone remains balanced and not oily. However the star ingredient of this product niacinamide, a very stable ingredient,  offers so much more than sebum control which it achieves by improving epidermal barrier performance which also results in reduced redness and blotchiness of the skin.

Honestly, this is the first time I see a company claim less of what their product can do instead of making wild claims.

 The thing is, niacinamide is also a very effective skin-restoring ingredient that offers multiple benefits. Like the ability to visibly improve the appearance of enlarged pores, it also boosts collagen production and therefore improves fine lines, it protects skin from infrared heat of the sun, basically protecting the skin from the heat. And if you suffer from hyperpigmentation (dysfunctional tanning as I like to call it, you basically get blotchy pigmentation on skin instead of an even tan) including niacinamide in a routine is a must. What niacinamide does is, it slows down the transfer of melanin to the skin epidermis thus preventing tanning and hyperpigmentation. 

Of all those benefits, sebum control and improved appearance of enlarged pores I have witnessed within the first month of using this product. As the summer is fast approaching I am looking forward to see how this product might help me prevent and fight my constant battle with hyperpigmentation.  

Niacinamide in combination with zinc (which is the formula in question) is used to treat inflammatory skin conditions (eg. acne, rosacea) as I don't suffer from any of those I cannot comment on its effectiveness in that area. 

I love this product and I never want to be without it. I have purchased a backup bottle already. 

Caffeine Solution 5% + EGCG

Formula that is supposed to reduce the appearance of eye contour pigmentation and of puffiness.

This light-textured formula contains an extremely high 5% concentration of caffeine, supplemented with highly-purified Epigallocatechin Gallatyl Glucoside (EGCG) from green tea leaves. Independent studies have shown that topical use of each of caffeine and EGCG can help reduce looks of puffiness and of dark circles in the eye contour. Additional studies have shown that caffeine can also reduce the appearance of cellulite. 

pH 4.50 - 5.00

Notes: 

1. Hollowness in the eye contour as a result of structure of sub-dermal tissues like fat and bone can result in visible shadows under the eyes. This shadow, which is not to be mistaken for dark circles, cannot be addressed with topical skincare including this formula. 

2. Fat deposits under the eye contour can create permanent puffiness in this area. This type of deposit cannot be improved with topical skincare, including this formula. 

3. Supplied in UV-protective packaging as EGCG is sensitive to light.

Ingredients

Aqua (Water), Caffeine, Propanediol, Maltodextrin, Glycerin, Epigallocatechin Gallatyl Glucoside, Gallyl Glucoside, Hyaluronic Acid, Oxidized Glutathione, Glycine Soja (Soybean) Seed Extract, Polypodium Vulgare Rhizome Extract, Cetraria Islandica Thallus Extract, Sphagnum Magellanicum Extract, Urea, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6, Xanthan gum, Lactic Acid, Citric Acid, Dehydroacetic Acid, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Propyl Gallate, Dimethyl Isosorbide, Ethoxydiglycol, Benzyl Alcohol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Phenoxyethanol, Caprylyl Glycol.

Price 6.70 EUR

The product comes in a dark brown 30ml bottle with a pipette. Pipette works well in dispensing the right amount of product as you need only one drop for both eyes. The product itself is an amber colored formula with a gel like texture that spreads easily and feels moisturizing. Considering how little you need for both eyes this will last a very long time. I like to use this after Arigreline solution and before Hylamide SubQ Eyes Advance Serum or an eye cream of choice. Concealer goes smoothly and does not crease any worse with all these products under it. Formula feels pleasantly cooling under the eyes and sinks in completely under a minute. 

My eyes are rarely puffy but I have dark circles. Also with the switch to summer time I have been missing my hour of sleep badly and I think this helped in making me look less haunted and exhausted. It does not abolish the dark circles completely but it helps in making me look more awake and less run down. Now it's effectiveness was even more evident with puffiness. After working for 15 hours in full eye makeup I woke up with puffy eyes and this really helped in reducing the puffiness immediately upon application.  

Formula contains caffeine which as an antioxidant fights the future signs of ageing, it is also a diuretic (makes skin temporarily appear smoother), and it is a vasoconstrictor (it may reduce puffiness and dark circles by narrowing blood vessels). It also contains EGCG,  a physiologically active polyphenol of green tea.

I will continue to use this as I enjoy the application and the results. I like it, it did not blow me away as the Niacinamide one but I like it just fine. 

Argireline Solution 10%

Lightweight Serum with 10% Argireline Peptide Complex

Arigreline is a trademark owned by Barcelona-based Lipotec. It is a proprietary solution of Acetyl Hexapeptide-3. Controlled studies have shown that Argireline improves the appearance of facial areas prone to developing dynamic folds, including around the eyes and in the forehead area. 

Ingredients

Aqua (Water), Propanediol, Acetyl Hexapeptide-8, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Gellan Gum, Sodium Chloride, Isoceteth-20, Ethoxydiglycol, Potassium Sorbate, Phenoxyethanol, Chlorphenesin.

Price 7.20 EUR

So what is Arigreline and how does it work?

Firstly you need to know what happens when you frown.

A super lipid (called a vesicle) releases a neurotransmitter to the synapses, sending a signal for the muscle to move. Three proteins, called the SNARE complex, are essential for the final stages of this process (called exocytosis).

And this is when Arigreline  comes to play.

Lipotec discovered that acetyl hexapeptide / Arigreline mimics one of the proteins in the SNARE complex and as a result can destabilize it. Even a slightly destabilized SNARE won’t work. No SNARE equals no muscle movement. No frowning equals no wrinkles. Lipotec does not claim that Argireline works in any other way, such as boosting collagen or repairing skin but claims that simply ensnaring SNARE is enough to have an impact on wrinkles. There is an independent study published  in the International Journal of Cosmetic Science that says that a 10% concentration of Argireline reduced wrinkles by 30% over 30 days. 

 source: www.truthinageing.com

Well this was very sciency and if you got this you deserve a cookie.

Basically it stops your muscles from contracting and forming a frown. I have a tendency to frown due to strong sunlight even when wearing sunglasses, so only visible wrinkles I have are on my forehead. I have been using this for several weeks but not sure I see the difference. But looking at how Arigreline works  it seems to me that this is more of a prevention product than fix what is already there one. 

The product comes in a seethrough, milky, 30ml bottle with a pipette. Consistency of the formula is like water.  Really, it is just like water.  Because it is so watery it is a bit hard to use as you cannot avoid it spilling a bit. I use it immediately after my toner and watery essence step. I put some on my forehead and around the eyes. It sinks in immediately.

I am not sure how I feel about this product just yet. We are in getting to know each other phase. 

So this was my first look into the Ordinary and their products but it will not be a last one for sure, I have already purchased their Advanced Retinoid 2% but I need to use up my Peter Thomas Roth Retinol Fusion PM first before I give this one a go.  So expect to read more about this brand in the future. All products can be ordered via their site http://deciem.com/ and their customer service is superb.

Note: all text in italics is a direct quote or taken from the DECIEM site.