27 Excellent Skin-Care Products From The Ordinary

Multi-Peptide Eye Serum

If you're not a big fan of eye cream, this lightweight serum is about to be your new go-to. It's packed with skin-loving peptides to hydrate and have a filling effect on fine lines and wrinkles.

Aloe 2% + NAG 2% Solution

This innovative post-acne serum is ideal for addressing the unique concerns that arise after breakouts: uneven tone and texture along with dryness.

Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1%

This bestseller is the gentlest way to keep acne at bay. In studies, niacinamide has been shown to calm inflammation, enhance the skin barrier, and help control oil production.

Multi-Peptide Lash and Brow Serum

Lash serums usually get close to triple-digit price range, but not this one. "Our lab challenged themselves to rely on the power of peptides to achieve thicker, fuller, and healthier-looking eyebrows and lashes," Ruth Jayme, research and development principal scientist at The Ordinary previously told Refinery29 of the launch. "Two standouts are acetyl tetrapeptide-3 and biotinoyl tripeptide-1, which support increased density and thickness whilst nourishing and protecting lashes and brows." 

Squalane Cleanser

Even if you don't have dry skin, everyone can benefit from a hydrating, gentle cleanser like this one. It also works beautifully to remove makeup as the first step of a double cleanse.

Glycolic Acid 7% Exfoliating Toning Solution

Derms love toners because they can help serums better absorb. This one, which carries a faint yet pleasant smell of peaches, leaves an equally mild tingling sensation after application, thanks to the glycolic acid inside. The vegan solution is also oil-, silicone-, and alcohol-free.

Matrixyl 10% + HA

Use this transparent gel under moisturizer to add a shot of hydration, compliments of hyaluronic acid. Also inside: plenty of peptides, designed to help address fine lines. A little goes a long way, and any more than a few drops can leave skin feeling tacky, so ration your applications accordingly.

Argireline Solution 10%

Some research indicates that the star ingredient in this serum — a proprietary and synthetic peptide — can reduce crow’s feet, though other studies question its safety when used in high quantities or for a long period of time, citing toxicity to fibroblast cells (which help skin with healing and regenerating connective tissue). The brand suggests applying this lightweight serum to other popular Botox hot spots, like the forehead and around and in between eyes, before applying traditional eye cream or moisturizers. The oil-free serum is not only water-based; it’s crystal-clear and odorless… like H2O itself.

Caffeine 5% + EGCG Depuffing Eye Serum

The “but first, coffee” strategy may work wonders for mental fatigue, but when it comes to your eyes, the best caffeine pick-me-up may come from green tea. This liquid-gel serum, which smells faintly of tea leaves, taps epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), the antioxidant-rich micronutrient in green tea, to deliver caffeine to the skin. Hyaluronic acid helps hydrate, while lactic acid helps reduce dark spots without irritation.

Lactic Acid 10% + HA 2%

Lactic acid is an amazing ingredient for oily, acne-prone skin that benefits from regular exfoliation. The star active offers all the benefits of an AHA (reduced inflammation, scarring, and exfoliation) without the tingling. (For extra sensitive types, we recommend the 5% version to start out.)

Salicylic Acid 2% Solution

Salicylic acid is quite the workhorse when it comes to acne prevention: The beta-hydroxy acid not only penetrates down the follicle and into the sebaceous glands, where it helps clear bacteria and oil, but it can also be used as a spot treatment for zits in progress and work as an overall skin smoother. This clear liquid gel goes on smooth and smells a bit like vinegar.

"Buffet" + Copper Peptides 1% Serum

Consider this buffet the furthest thing from Vegas’s most gluttonous offerings — it’s more like a multivitamin for the skin. This gel carries a true smorgasbord of peptides, amino acids, probiotics, and hyaluronic acid complexes, which comprise 25% of the formula’s molecular weight. Just a few drops on each side of our face get the job done, though it left our skin slightly tacky, making it a best bet for p.m. skincare routines.

Natural Moisturizing Factors + HA

This baby is billed as a “surface hydration formula,” so we weren't sure what to expect — maybe a thin lotion or serum? Boy, were we off base. Inside is an ultra-rich cream that rivals in thickness of those found in fancy jars and that cost a hundred times more. We love that it comes in an easy-to-use squeeze tube, that a little goes a long way to hydrate skin, and that the formula plays well under liquid makeup and powder.

AHA 30% + BHA 2% Peeling Solution

This blood-red liquid taps a cocktail of alpha- (glycolic, lactic, tartaric, citric) and beta-hydroxy acids (salicylic acid) along with antioxidants to smooth skin. Pro tip: Don’t apply over zits — it burned like hell when we smoothed it over a few blemishes. That aside, the solution left our skin impossibly soft in just 10 minutes.

100% Plant-Derived Squalane

Hate the feel of facial oils but suffer from dry skin? Squalane may be your new BFF. Okay, so technically squalane is an oil — but this stuff doesn’t feel greasy upon application. It’s also odorless, antibacterial, doesn’t clog pores, and can be used on sensitive skin. What’s more, this version sails through the vegan litmus test: Though squalane can be derived from animals, this plant-sourced version carries Ecocert approval and is USDA-certified as a bio-based product.

100% Organic Cold-Pressed Rose Hip Seed Oil

Like your daily green juice, this facial oil is cold-pressed, organic, and costs about 10 bucks. One major difference? This bottle will last a hell of a lot longer: Just five drops sufficiently hydrated our face and neck before bed.

Vitamin C Suspension 23% + HA Spheres 2%

In powder form, it carries a slightly gritty texture going on, as if a pinch of fine-grain sand somehow found its way into the tube. But the feeling is temporary: a few minutes post-absorption, any leftover texture dissipates.

Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5 Hydrating Serum

If you've been searching for a no-frills hydrating serum that actually works, this is it. In addition to offering instant plumping benefits, skin feels soft and supple within weeks of use.

Marine Hyaluronics

Made with dry skin types in mind, this lightweight serum is a tidal wave of hydration, thanks to ingredients like hyaluronic acid, Hawaiian red algae, Antarctic glycoproteins, and blue-green algae.

Multi-Peptide Serum for Hair Density

The first-ever hair product from The Ordinary was developed to target thinning and loss of fullness. While no product will give you Rapunzel length overnight (or even in months, for that matter), you may notice less breakage and stronger strands with continued use.

High-Spreadability Fluid Primer

For oily skin types, this clear gel primer is a time-saving godsend. It doesn’t feel greasy or heavy going on, and it helped foundation glide onto skin without the use of our trusty makeup sponge. The big win? Instead of spending minutes beating our face with an egg-shaped applicator, we simply smoothed makeup on with our fingers and ran out the door. Hours later, our makeup looked invisible and pill-free — which is exactly how we like it.

High-Adherence Silicone Primer

For those with dry skin, this silicone primer may be your best bet. The gel-cream consistency spreads on silky smooth and does exactly what a basic primer should: Creates a uniform base with added slip for applying makeup.

100% Organic Cold-Pressed Argan Oil

Yes, there are much pricier organic, cold-pressed argan oils on the market. But this one perked up our dull skin just as well as all the others.

Ascorbyl Glucoside Solution 12%

This clear, odorless liquid serum taps a vitamin C derivative to brighten skin. As Dr. Jegasothy points out, “Vitamin C derivatives such as vitamin C esters and different saturated-fat vitamin C derivatives have been found not to penetrate the skin as well as pH-balanced L-ascorbic acid.“ However, what we may lose in potency we gain in cosmetic elegance: This formula’s smooth consistency is not only pleasant to use, but it played well under makeup, too.

Azelaic Acid Suspension 10%

If your skin is on the deeper side of the spectrum and you’re looking to break up spots of hyperpigmentation, according to Dr. Jegasothy, this 10% dose of azelaic acid might just be your best bet. “Dermatologists widely use 10% azelaic acid in prescription creams with fantastic results in darker skin patients,” she says. “Even though these ingredients have not been studied in a head-to-head fashion, it is widely recognized that 10% azelaic acid has clinical benefits that have been FDA-approved as a prescription agent.” This rich cream not only absorbs quickly to a demi-matte finish, but it’s also nearly odor-free.

Retinol Serum 1% in Squalane

Schueller has already praised this formulation for disclosing exactly how much retinol is inside and for being water-free (which helps stabilize the ingredient). We like the way this clear, emollient gel glided onto our skin — which is no stranger to retinoids — without irritation. It took a few minutes for the formula to totally absorb into our skin, so there was no slapping it on right before we hit the pillow, but after a two-minute whirl with our Sonicare and a quick flossing of the teeth, our skin was ready to hit the sheets without mucking them up. (If you're especially sensitive to retinol, The Ordinary also makes a 0.5% Retinol in Squalane formula.)

Granactive Retinoid 2% Emulsion

Count yourself lucky if you can snag a bottle because this stuff is always sold out everywhere. Those new to retinoids may want to start with this formula, which taps retinoid esters instead of retinol to help clear and smooth the skin with lesser irritation. But don’t think that a 2% retinoid solution is twice as strong as one with a 1% retinol: Our bodies have to convert esters into retinol before it can work — and that conversion process reduces the strength of the dose. This pale yellow, milky serum absorbs quickly and is odorless, to boot.