All photos by Emily Tatum
Oh, the culture of skincare. Face masks, face creams, essences and spot treatments galore. It has gone from a part of life to a way of life. With this increase of interest, comes more products, and with more products, comes more confusion.
You walk into Target and head to the skincare aisle and you’re overwhelmed with the branding and packaging of things. Whichever product has the most colorful or eye-catching packaging is the product that is going to be picked up first. It doesn’t matter which one is the most effective, it just matters which one is the prettiest.
A beauty company that has been recently gaining increased attention for breaking the status quo is Deciem. Their motto is “the abnormal beauty company,” and this proves true the second you look at their site. The graphics are sleek and minimal with the focal point being their product.
Instead of the packaging sticking out, the ingredients stick out. It’s a refreshing new tactic that hasn’t been seen until now in the beauty industry. There’s no ingredient searching, no intense research to try and get down to the truth because they tell you the truth. In fact, most of the product’s names are simply what the product consists of.
Within Deciem are multiple skincare brands, my personal favorite being The Ordinary. The honesty within the brand feels friendly—the prices even friendlier. A good portion of serums, retinoids and direct acids are sold for under $10. It’s an effective product that is realistically priced for the average college student.
As of recently, The Ordinary has been receiving an increased amount of attention as a part of beauty mogul and celebrity Kim Kardashian’s beauty routine. Recently on her app, she delves into her skin care products, naming the retinoid serum from The Ordinary as a staple of her routine. Labeled as the “Granactive Retinoid 2% Emulsion,” this serum is under $10 and is a retinoid active (a vitamin A derivative) that helps reduce wrinkles.
A slew of awards from other reputable sources has also been given to The Ordinary’s products, from being the winner of Cosmopolitan’s 2017 UK Beauty Awards to the Top 25 award winner for Into the Gloss, Glossier founder Emily Weiss’ beauty blog.
A couple of my favorite products are listed below.
- Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5 ($6.80)
This product is one of my absolute favorites. It’s a skin serum that contains hyaluronic acid, which can attract up to 1,000 times its weight in water. The molecular size of hyaluronic acid is what determines how effective it will be, so The Ordinary uses three different sizes of molecules to penetrate the skin. To use, you simply put it on before your moisturizer and it helps to retain the moisture and keep skin feeling plump.
2. Azelaic Acid Suspension 10% ($7.90)
Labeled as a multifunctioning brightening formula, this product contains azelaic acid, which is produced naturally by yeast that lives on normal skin. It evens the texture of the skin, brightens the skin and reduces the visibility of blemishes. The product itself has a very high concentration of 10 percent azelaic acid, yet is still very gentle on the skin. To use, you apply morning or night before any serums or moisturizers.
Have you tried Deciem products? Comment below and share with me your favorites.