The Ordinary reviews and discussion

4.5

93% of reviewers would recommend to a friend

Reviews mention

  • Effective acne-clearing serums
  • Hydrating, lightweight hyaluronic serum
  • Powerful exfoliating acid treatments
  • Minimalist, reliable packaging
  • Occasional sticky serum textures
  • Harsh actives for sensitive skin
  • Pilling under makeup occurs
  • Inconsistent retinol performance

The Ordinary earns strong reviews as effective, ingredient-forward skincare that improves texture, hydration, acne, and clarity—standouts include Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1%, Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5, Glycolic Acid 7% Toning Solution, AHA 30% + BHA 2% Peeling Solution, and Squalane Cleanser—while minimalist packaging appeals. Reviews also flag downsides: some formulas feel sticky or pill, actives can be harsh or confusing to layer, certain products (retinols, vitamin C, hair care) underperform for some, and a few report irritation or breakouts.

AI summary based on Thingtesting reviews

2,522 reviews and posts

  • Sometimes their product isn't the nicest feeling to use. (Vitamin C was a bit grainy, and the peeling solution was pretty painful to use).

  • My favorite product is the niacinamide serum which does such a good job of calming my skin and keeping it in check. Totally worth trying and definitely worth the money!!

  • I work in dermatology as a MA and I can say that I recommend these products to everyone. They are well tested with clinical results. The price is really fair for what you get.

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    Best low price dermatology recommended products that actually work

  • I’ve been using The Ordinary for years now! They’re an extremely affordable skincare brand and great for beginner building. I use the Glycolic Acid Toner, Retinol Serum 1% in my nightly routines and have noticed a significant change to my skin texture and wrinkles!

  • This product line is perfect for the beginner skincare addict. You can reach out to customer service to come up with a routine. It's inexpensive so you can try many different product types,

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    Reach out to customer service to come up with a routine for you.

    Experience
  • I use to The Ordinary a lot back when I first got into skincare so it’s great for beginners. I realized I prefer more put together formulations but the brand is great when you’re looking for simple more targeted products. I always keep their Copper Peptides in my stash since it’s a very affordable copper peptides compared to their more expensive NIOD version. They’ve also come out with some new products that I highly recommend everyone checkout. Great brand for those wanting to dip their toes in skincare since it’s literally the most affordable brand on the market.

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    I think they’re doing a great job currently of coming out with some innovative and simple products. Keep doing what you’re doing!

  • Half of my skincare mini fridge is The Ordinary. I started by using the Natural Moisturizing Factors + HA and it's easily one of my favorite moisturizers. I now use that plus the Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1% and the Glycolic Acid 7%Toning Solution daily.

  • The Ordinary offers a great range of products for some of the most affordable prices on the market. Some standout products from them are the niacinamide and zinc serum or the hyaluronic acid serum.

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    Typically each product only contains one or two active ingredients, meaning you’ll probably need to layer multiple products in your routine. Given the wide variety of products and that you’ll probably be using multiple, it can be a little confusing which pair together and what order to use them in.

  • I’m a huge fan of The Ordinary and cannot recommend their products more highly. I was initially skeptical of the quality because of the price (isn’t self-care supposed to be debilitatingly expensive?!?) but finally gave in to my friends urging and tried a few products. Now I’m a lifelong stan — such great quality, impressive results, and clean, sleek packaging. Love love love.

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    The formulations can be a bit confusing to differentiate from one another, but once you find the right combo for your needs you’re good to go.

  • Their stuff is AMAZING quality, good price for what you get

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    Love this brand

  • I do enjoy using the products but so far I haven’t discovered a product that I would repurchase. I have recently purchased the The Ordinary Caffeine Solution 5% + EGCG 30ml (which is enjoyable to apply, but tends to get a bit more ‘sticky’ while drying), and I have had the The Ordinary AHA 30% en BHA 2% Peeling Solution and the Glycolic Acid 7% Toning Solution for a while now and both are kind of the same story. Enjoyable to use but not necessarily game changers for me. Although I might try to use the toning solution as a deodorant as some have suggested/tipped.

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    Price-quality wise I think the products are definitely worth it, although for me personally I haven’t noticed much difference whilst using the products.

  • I like that this company has affordable versions of skin care products, but sometimes the ingredients lists make me wonder how helpful they actually are for your skin. The hyalauronic acid serum tends to pill on my skin, but I am a fan of their multi peptide “Buffet” serum.

  • The products are affordable but less effective than I would like. I would rather pay a bit more for a better quality product.

  • When I turned 35 I promised to myself to start taking care of my skin to keep it youthful. I had heard about The Ordinary products and decided to give them a try. I turned 41 this last January and am still using The Ordinary products! I love the pricing- very affordable- and IT WORKS!

    Feedback

    Finding my perfect regimen is a bit confusing still even after using the products for 6 years- the quizzes always seem to give me conflicting results so I have been just trusting my gut, and for the most part its been working out for me, but I would think that better guides on how to create a good skin regimen would be benefical

  • I really love their caffeine serum for the eyes, and i’ve tried a bunch of other products. Really amazing prices.

  • I absolutely love this brand. they’re cruelty free, inexpensive and effective. This is the only brand that has balanced out my skin as i have combination and very sensitive skin. I never have to worry about not being able to afford these products either because they ensure they’re products are accessible.

  • Really good value for the price! Can’t really share bad comments considering how much I paid for the products. Love the fact that they are a lot of different products to choose from. Would recommend for a minimalist skincare routine.