Best and Worst of The Ordinary (Part 1)

The Ordinary have a LOT of products - here are the best and worst of the direct acids, retinoids, vitamin C, niacinamide, cleansers, moisturisers and sunscreens (in my opinion).

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Lab Muffin Beauty Science is a channel by me, Michelle - I'm a chemistry PhD and beauty lover, here to explain how beauty products work, debunk myths, and help you make smarter decisions about your skincare, hair and makeup!

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[mimib]

As Dr. Davin Lim said, the Ordinary absolutely revolutionized skincare. It made amazing ingredients available to the entire world and inspired other brands to do that same. And it gives really good instructions on usage. Even if you don't like the brand's products itself, every skincare user should be grateful to them. Or else we'd be stuck shilling out $80 for a niacinamide serum, lol.

[gkim]

5:30 Acid Exfoliants
5:43 Lactic Acid 10% + HA
6:37 Glycolic Acid 7% Toning Solution
7:55 AHA 30% + BHA 2% Peeling Solution

9:46 Retinoids
10:09 Retinol 0.5% in Squalane
12:05 Granactive Retinoid 2% Emulsion

12:00 Vitamin C
13:03 100% L-Ascorbic Acid Powder
14:24 Vitamin C Suspension 23% + HA Spheres 2%
15:43 Ascorbyl Tetraisopalmitate Solution 20% in Vitamin F

16:05 Niacinamide (Vitamin B3)
16:40 100% Niacinamide Powder
17:15 Niacinamide 10% + Zinc

18:07 Cleanser, Moisturiser, Sunscreen
18:13 Cold-Pressed Plant Oils (100% Cold Pressed Virgin Marula Oil, 100% Organic Cold Pressed Rose Hip Seed Oil)
19:25 100% Plant-Derived Squalane
20:17 Squalane Cleanser
21:08 Mineral UV Filters SPF 30 with Antioxidants
21:35 Natural Moisturizing Factors + HA

22:37 Azelaic Acid
22:41 Azelaic Acid Suspension 10%

[semirelatablesarah]

Id love to see more “best and worst” videos about the ordinary, the inkey list, geek & gorgeous and facetheory!! ☺️

[rockymtnrachael]

Girl I've been suffering every night putting that vitamin c suspension straight on my face not knowing I needed to mix it with something. It burns so badly. Thank you.

[sjblack]

“Like being a kid in a candy store.” She did it, she broke down my obsession with skincare in a single sentence. Would love to see more on this, thanks Michelle! 💕

[MrJdh]

I haven't tried the AHA+BHA mask, however I think its unfair to judge it as a 'bad' or the 'worst' product solely on the grounds that people use it wrongly, or overuse it. All of your points about using it correctly, and about it being suitable for experienced users of chemical exfoliants are mentioned on the website, and presumably on the product itself. The fact that people use it incorrectly is not a fault of the product.

[tundebenyovszky]

Could you make a video about alternatives for the “worst” Ordinary products? 🙏🏻

[janjickamixy]

I was using Glycolic toner for about 6 months and hated it, it broke my skin barrier couple of times. So I decided to switch to the red peel solution, despite having a sensitive skin which clogs quickly. I followed instructions on a bottle to a T, once a week, no more than 10 minutes. Works magic! Instructions are on the package for a reason, people...

[thebeesknees]

Azelaic azid from the ordinary completely obliterates my cystic acne. If i have a cyst in the morning, it has disappeared at the end of the day. Holy grail stuff

[poisonbiscuits]

I would love a video on Inkey List! I want to try their products but don't really know which ones are worth it

[TimaHypenoodles]

I love this video! I didn’t know that The Ordinary doesn’t do stability testing and the retinol products aren’t worth it. I’m glad I learned something new :) my favorite product from The Ordinary is the Buffet

[martying]

OMG, you really hit home when you talked about following the instructions for the Vit C 23%! I consider myself fairly educated in terms of skincare and acid use and my skin is also quite used to stronger actives, but I couldn't get around the fact that the VitC 23% felt so gritty and sometimes stinged a little! I never thought about mixing it with other serums because it wasn't written anywhere. Your explaination was eye-opening, thank you!

[hazelinthewoods]

I love the ordinary but I’m one of those people who adhere to all the warnings and directions. I definitely don’t think we need to see laws instituted bc people decide to not perform a patch test, follow directions, or listen to the warnings. I’ve had a lot of success with improving my skin and reducing my rosacea with the ordinary products. Something that I’ve never been able to do before bc of the cost of top shelf brands but also bc, let’s face it, top shelf brands aren’t always trustworthy. Look at mario bedescu and the vitamin c serum. You canNOT find the percentage anywhere on the box or website, which seems very fishy to me.

[hotlikesauce]

the Ordinary truly is a hit or miss line for me. their rose hip seed oil works astronomically well for me, and out of the 7+ repurchases, 2 of them were oxidized upon purchase so idk if it’s a warehouse issue or not sourcing from the same supplier every time. their ascorbic acid 8%+ alpha arbutin 2% serum literally never sank into my facial skin, superrrr thick & greasy. their multi-peptide serum for HAIR however, is surprisingly effective!!

[leonorpiller]

I the retinol in squalane! Just love it so much, has done wonders for my skin!

[tbell]

Lab Muffin is my favorite of all cosmetic vloggers. I appreciate the (dry) detailed science based information presented in a (very enjoyable) sarcastic and slightly comedic format. Michelle, your personality makes learning about skin care fun.

[ANGslave]

Yes, please continue through the line. Many times I've learned unexpected information and concepts regardless of the featured topic or product.

[eafafeayd]

would love to hear more from you about the ordinary!! thanks for the video!

[emkn]

I watched a random video a couple of years ago and fell down the skincare rabbit hole. I was determined not to spend a lot when I didn’t know what I was doing so the Ordinary was my savior and it changed my skin so much for the better. I’ve always had problematic, oily skin, and never knew how to take care of it. Lots of videos and products later I’m still a huge fan, I use their products everyday. The 30% solution blew my mind, I couldn’t believe how smooth my skin was. If used once a week or every two weeks it’s a gem. I also like their salicylic acid masque and the NMF moisturizer works great for me. I’ll never have tiny pores or a totally even skin tone but I don’t have constant breakouts anymore and I have much better “skintuition” and for that I’m so grateful 🙌

More please!

PS - Side benefit, the skin on my hands that was always rash prone and patchy is much better for all the products that have been used too!

[xjingify]

Absolutely love this! Would like to see videos focusing on the best and worst of certain products (e.g. best sunscreens/retinoids) across different brands, as well as what makes them good or bad so we will be able to choose better