I never really took care of my skin before. Whoops, did I say that too loud? *cue beauty police banging down my door*
The lazy truth is- I’ve never really had issues with my skin, so why do anything to it? Why spend time, money, and effort on something that didn’t really seem necessary in young Allison’s eyes? Even as a teenager, I was one of the few thankful ones to have little to no issues with acne, oily skin, blotchiness, etc. I never even bothered with makeup until high school- boy, you can imagine what those pictures look like. As I became an adult however, I began to realize the vastness that is Skin Care in the beauty world. As I started researching, I gobbled up “How-to” skin care routine posts, why this product is better than this other product, what ingredients are in the products and how they effect your skin’s pH levels. It was all very informative yet very confusing for someone like me who isn’t a licensed aesthetician or dermatologist. However, one thing I knew for certain after my research- skin care products can get really pricey. Whether you’re a poor college student like I was, juggling life with no time to worry about your skin, or you just don’t have the extra money to dump into a single $100 teeny night cream that might not even work for your skin. Your skin still matters and needs the love and attention it deserves, girl! But that doesn’t mean you have to spend your last dime on a serum or cream.
This is my little secret I’m so excited to share. My skin care that 1. can fit in just about any budget (yes even you, minimum-wage earning teens and college students), 2. uses plain and simple ingredients, and 3.they work wonders! As a recent college graduate on the hunt to start my teaching career (not to mention the current pandemic resulting joblessness among many of us), I don’t have oodles of money to pour into my skin care products. Nor do I ever really care to throw hundreds of dollars into something like a serum (but that’s just me). I cannot tell you just how excited, albeit skeptical at first, I was to find The Ordinary. A full skin care line that is affordable, with no BS, and with tons of reviews full of applause? How had taken me so long to find this little gem?! I’ll give you the run-down:
What I love about The Ordinary
I started using a few of The Ordinary products a few months ago, even more determined to settle down on a skin care routine that helped me achieve the “glowy” bridal look for my upcoming September wedding. My skin is pretty normal, I’ll get a little acne spot or two every so often but my skin tends to run on the drier side (gee thanks, mild psoriasis). After carefully considering each product, I chose a few with ingredients that seemed like staples in any routine. Aka I discovered that hyaluronic acid (HA) is my new best friend. So, I ordered the No-Brainer Set from Sephora, Ascorbyl Glucoside Solution 12%, Caffeine Solution 5% + EGCG, and the High-Adherence Silicone Primer. My #1 favorite has been the Natural Moisturizing Factors + HA from the No-Brainer Set. Good heavens is this stuff good. I am kinda picky about facial moisturizers, because all too often when ill-informed young Allison tried new ones they always seemed to cause acne. Again, gotta love the teenage years. This moisturizer is creamy and spreads like butter over your skin while not being too heavy and thick. Plus it’s true to its description- no greasy film of oil over your skin=no acne here, girl! You shouldn’t have to compromise having well nourished skin for a moisturizer that causes nasty bumps, and this one fits the bill!
I would 100% recommend these products regardless of your skin type. Oh, did I mention that almost every product is not just under $50, not just $40 or $30, but $20?! Heck yes. A ton of their great products are even under $10. YES, please! While none of their products (exception being Buffet) have fun/cutesy names, I really appreciate that their names are literally what they are. Plain and simple. No BS. Plus, to be completely honest, not knowing how to pronounce some of the ingredient names prompted more research on my end, resulting in me actually understanding what I’m putting on my face (go ahead and try to pronounce Ascorbyl Tetraisopalmitate Solution 20% in Vitamin F. Not easy. At least for me lol).
These serums and the Natural Moisturizing Factors + HA are super easy to incorporate into your skin care routine (or easy to get in a habit of if you are looking to start one!). After washing my face at night, I use 2-3 drop of Buffet, then 2-3 drops of Ascorbyl Glucoside Solution 12%, and finish with 2 drops of Granactive Retinoid 2% Emulsion (mostly around my eye area and above my brow), fully patting/gently rubbing in each serum before applying the next. The last thing I put on at night is my Natural Moisturizing Factors + HA- no matter which serums you choose to use, make sure that your moisturizer comes last. After washing my face in the morning, I use 2-3 drop of Buffet every so often, then 2-3 drops of Ascorbyl Glucoside Solution 12%, and then 1 drop of Caffeine solution 5% + ECGC just around my eye area. The last thing I use in the morning is, yep- my Natural Moisturizing Factors + HA. Super easy and quick! No need to wash anything off, you can go right to sleep or put your makeup right over it in the morning. Easy peasy!
That’s it! While I have some other products on my wish list I’d love to try, I’ll definitely be holding on to my lovely Ordinary products for a long time. Hope you enjoyed and check out The Ordinary! xx Allison
AHA Moments 