There are very few brands that have revolutionized the way that we shop for skin care products the way that The Ordinary has. Before this brand burst into the skin care scene, it was very difficult to find affordable, high-quality products. Even with all of the innovation done to drug store brands, there were still few affordable options that could rival the luxury serums and moisturizers offered.
That is why the buzz for The Ordinary products refuses to die down. The Ordinary takes a clinical, science-based approach to skin care and they specialize in single-ingredient driven products that deliver targeted results. The best part of all this? Nothing cost more than $20. In fact, most of their products are priced less than $10. This is thanks to The Ordinary’s transparency resulting in their prices not being significantly marked up.
I will admit, it can be a bit intimidating trying to shop their website and find the products that work for you. With the names of many of their products referring to the skin-care ingredient and not the result, everything sounds like it has been named from something out of a medical textbook. This means that consumers are sometimes left trying to figure out what ascorbyl tetraisopalmitate (a vitamin C derivative) or epigallocatechin gallatyl glucoside (an anti-inflammatory compound in green tea) does. That’s where I come in.
I have been shopping with The Ordinary for a long time and have loved every single one of their products. I have found that there were some products that were less than what I expected, but then there were others that have found a permanent spot in my skin-care routine. These are my honest reviews of The Ordinary products that are worth your money.
The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5
If you have been on Tik-Tok or Instagram, I am sure that this product has graced your feed more than a few times. According to the internet, and these social media platforms, you need more that just a lotion to get properly moisturized skin. For true, deep moisture, you are supposed to use a serum or acid that can penetrate deeper than your standard lotions. Enter this baby, hyaluronic acid, which I was so excited to use when I first received it in the mail. I have been using this product for about a month now, and I don’t know that I have detected much of a difference in texture of my skin, but I have benefited from some serious glow from this product. It leaves my face feeling dewy, but not oily. I have even been in love with the finish that this leaves on my skin that I have skipped makeup altogether, and that isn’t just because of quarantine. If that doesn’t sell you, then this will. The product cost less than $10!
The Ordinary AHA 30% + BHA 2% Peeling Solution
When I first received this product and used it, my dad thought that I had turned into some sort of vampire groopy because it does look like you are doing an at-home blood facial, but the results are Instagrammable. The mix of the two ingredients, AHA and BHA, work to deeply exfoliate your skin and clear up congestion, dead skin, and hyperpigmentation. After my first use, I could already feel and see a difference in my skin, if that brightness I am sporting is any indication. Additionally, there is almost no irritation, but there may be a slight tingling sensation among the first time you use this product. Beware though, do not use this product if you have any open skin from popping a pimple or maybe receiving a scrape or cut. You will regret using it at that moment because it will feel like that part of your face is on fire, I know from experience. It is best to just skip it until your face heals itself up.
The Ordinary Glycolic Acid 7% Toning Solution
I have always been told that you need to have a toner in your skin care routine, but the thought of putting something on my face that was labeled as a “direct acid” was a bit disturbing. In reality, however, chemical exfoliants are much gentler and better than physical exfoliants, like your face scrubs or loofahs. This glycolic acid visibly resurfaced my skin, and it’s pretty gentle- though you should not use this product more than every other night. Plus, it is extremely affordable and lasts forever!
The Ordinary Vitamin C Suspension 23% + HA Spheres 2%
I am a sucker for anything Vitamin C related, and the only complaint I could have about this product is that it doesn’t come in a bigger bottle. I had been on the hunt for a Vitamin C product that is strong, but not irritating for my skin, and this formula is just that. It is perfect for anyone’s prebedtime ritual, it’s only $5; plus, you can mix it with your favorite serums to help reduce its somewhat gritty texture. If you are looking for something to help fight wrinkles and even out your skin tone, this one is a great bet.
The Ordinary Natural Moisturizing Factors + HA
I don’t know about you, but it always seems during the Spring months my skin becomes dry, flaky, and generally unphotographable- which is not ideal when you are wanting to take some cute pictures with friends. This time around I came across The Ordinary’s Natural Moisturizing Factors + HA. I applied about a peas sized amount once every day after washing my face. The moisturizer comes out with a sunscreen- like consistency, but it blends with your skin in seconds. After using this product for a week, I noticed that my cheeks were plump and flake-free, probable because this product contains Hyaluronic Acid, which helps skin cells retain moisture. With such noticeable results for a low-maintenance moisturizer, I am counting on this for the rest of winter.
- Drama
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The drama is REAL, people. It happens all the time whether you see it or not. If you’re in an all girls group or a mixed group, it happens. Being in an all girls group for my four years in show choir and being on the student board, I knew it all. Girls are girls, so of course there was some bickering and “unfair” situations going on. I never whitnessed full on fist fights or saw girls scream at each other, but there was stuff going on behind the scenes.
- Breaking Out Into Song
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We did not break out in song as disappointing as that may be. Usually, we only sang the songs that we were given to by our director. The only person who would occationally break out into song was my director. He seemed to know every song on the piano whether he knew the words or not. We would sometimes sing along with him too or call out the name of the song he was singing. It may sound boring that we didn’t sing randomly, but it was still a ton of fun.
- Learning the Dances
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It took a lot of time and a lot of practice to learn a dance. The student dance captions took a lot of time to even come up with the dance itself. When it came to competition material, we started learning the dances months before we even started to compete. We would have up to nine hour rehearsals and weekend rehearsals. There were times that I was at school from 7:30 am for classes until 9:30 or even 10 that night. Some dance moves would take up to thirty minutes to learn, if they were hard enough.
- Choreographers are a Necissity!!!
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Students can’t come up with the dances all of the time. There are fall, Christmas, winter and spring concerts; the dance captains can’t come up with all of it. The director can’t be the choreographer either if you think about it. They have so much to do already just being the director, imagine having to choreograph shows too! It’s a lot of work to choreograph a competition show, which is up to five songs. Directors can’t function a show choir group alone!
- It Is Competitive
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As it is shown in the show, it is competitive. There are state competitions and regional competitions, they are crazy competitive. Groups come out for blood and they will do anything they can to win. Some states are more competitive than others and some competitive states include: Indiana, Ohio, Illinois, and Iowa. You have gone through blood, sweat and tears to get to that competition and you want to win! If you don’t win, you work just as hard at rehearsals and try again at the next competition. You use that loss as motivation to push forward and kick butt.
Show choir is fun and will be something that will have forever changed my life as it did to the people in Glee. My director, like Mr. Schue, impacted my life and is an amazing person. He, as well, cared a lot about his students and did anything he could to help you. There were things I loved, but there was the fairshare of things that I wish would have been different while I was in the group. Even though there were some times that I wanted to quit, I pushed through and I’m so glad that I did. I have made life long friendships that I will forever cherish and I will for sure be making trips back home to watch their performances. If you’re still in high school and your school has a glee club, I absolutely recommend doing it. It will, without a doubt, change your life.