Deciem Ordinary

Skincare has always been an area of the beauty arena that I struggle with.  I’ve suffered with eczema all my life and my skin can be quite reactive when it chooses to be.  I’m also quite disillusioned with it. I’ve tried a fair few products and over time I’ve realised you have to take the claims of skincare with a pinch of salt.  Well, not so much a pinch, more a flipping vat in some cases.

Two key things I’ve learnt are:-

1. My pores ain’t going nowhere.  I have enlarged, noticeable pores over my cheeks, RIGHT where they recommend you put your pretty little “pop” of blusher.   These delightful little holes mean I never achieve that truly flawless look as there is always a noticeable texture to my skin.  It is a gathering place for cakey makeup, and anything with a bit of shimmer just sits terribly.  As my skin is also dry, I tend to find my cheeks are completely unforgiving with a lot of foundations (especially thicker, high coverage formulas), often resulting in a cakey /cracked / craters of the moon style situation.  
2.  I am never going to have THAT skin.  You know the type I mean.  The fresh, clear, smooth skin that some girls are just blessed with.  The ones who tell you that drinking water and eating avocadoes is their secret and it’s not, they lie, it’s genes. My skin is dry, it’s rough, it’s bumpy, and when I put foundation on it tends to crack, it separates, it settles.  I’ve never had a fresh flawless face and I’ve resigned myself to the fact that it won’t ever happen.

So. This skincare post comes with a disclaimer.  None of these products gave me THAT skin.  There are no holy grail, visage transforming, wonder products listed below.  They are just products that kept my skin clear of spots, clear of reaction, clear of flakiness / dry patches and let my makeup apply decently.  They just made my skin good. 

Deciem Ordinary
A quick 4-1-1 on Deciem "The Ordinary".  Deciem have become big news in the skincare industry recently, dropping iconic products like Nanoblur, Hydraluron, Hand Chemistry...
I use Hydraluron and Hylamide serum/eye cream and I’m a massive fan of them.  However the products are P-RICEY.  So the guy who owns the brand released “The Ordinary”; a range of products which use key ingredients and nothing else.  No fillers, no fancy butters and herbs, just the key ingredient that is supposed to “work” for a certain skin complaint.  And they are so affordable.  Which in the skincare industry is a niche that needed filling in my opinion.

The products I have tried are:

Hyaluronic Acid 2% +B5
100% Organic Cold-Pressed Rose Hip Seed oil
Buffet
Advanced Retinoid 2%
Natural Moisturising Factors HA

The names are so random to anyone who doesn't carry a PhD in Chemistry - so much so I had to keep checking the bottles to get the right title for this post.  It all adds to the legitimacy of the products but it does also make it a bit of a nightmare in navigation. 

Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5

I’ve read a lot of reviews on this product, comparing it to serums that are hyaluronic acid based.  I’ve historically used both Hydraluron and Vichy’s hydrating serum, and I don’t agree with a lot of the grievances that you can feel the “cheapness” of the Ordinary product.  In my opinion it is the same clear, slightly gloopy liquid that all of the others are.  It does have a bit more stickiness to it, but seeing as I’m after moisture for my skin, I actually enjoy its texture.  I also feel a little goes a lot longer way.  I used to squeeze a small amount of Hydraluron out and I felt like it didn’t spread brilliantly.  In comparison, I feel the Ordinary product has more slip and slide to it.  I put a similar “bulb” of product on my fingers and I feel it covers my face much better.  I don’t feel like my forehead is missing out on the party like I do with Hydraluron.  It’s definitely a “wetter” product but I like that.

 
100% Organic Cold-Pressed Rose Hip Seed oil 

This has been my favourite of the products I’ve tried.  Previous to this, I used the Pai Rosehip oil.  I liked it but I found it to be very thick (and very orange).  Similar to my experience with Hydraluron, I felt the first place I rubbed the Pai oil got a lot more of it than the last place I rubbed it.  The Ordinary one in comparison feels lighter and runnier.  It’s a much more comfortable oil.  When I dropper it onto my fingers it is a bit of a race against time to get it on my face before it dribbles all over the place, but once I’m rubbing it onto my face, I find it spreads around much easier.  I also quite like putting a bit on my beauty blender and patting it over my foundation if it’s particularly thick or drying.  I tried that with the Pai product, but it didn’t sink in quite as well. 

Buffet

I’ll be honest, I bought this because on the Deciem website it recommends it in the routine for dry and dehydrated skin.  What it does….I’m not quite sure about.  I put it on after cleansing and toning (and retinol) and before serums and moisturiser.  It has a similar consistency to the hyaluronic acid but slightly lighter and less sticky.  It glides on beautifully, and whilst I don’t understand why I’m using it, I do enjoy using it.  The regime of Buffet, Hyaluronic Acid, then Rosehip oil leaves my skin feeling so plump and comfortable.  Caroline Hirons raves about May Lindstrom’s The Youth Dew (which, FYI, is so expensive it will make your bank balance pack up and go on the run)  and in her “Do you Need It” section, she recommends using Deciem’s Buffet and Rosehip oil as an affordable alternative.  The Youth Dew is a hydrating serum so I guess it falls into that general category.  But either way, I like it on my face!

Advanced Retinoid 2%

I am early on in my journey into retinol.  Hitting 30 last year brought with it a minor panic regarding wrinkles, cellulite, failing to hit life goals and whether my boobs were getting saggy.  As a result I started looking into anti aging skincare (and wearing sports bras to bed) and amongst the sea of brutally honest dermatologists telling me my skin was on its way down (literally, drooping off my face), retinol appeared to emerge as a product to be getting involved in.  But people talk about burning.  And peeling.  And redness.  And I'm thinking geez man, I've spent the last 30 years trying to stop my damn skin peeling off and now I'm going to buy something that makes it happen, and it is going to cost me a bomb!?  Fabulous.
So I forayed into retinol on tip toes, eyes closed, and scared.  I first bought La Roche Posay's Redermic R.  My face didn't burn, or peel, or go red although I did get a tad lazy at rubbing it in one night and woke up with a legitimate sunburn type patch on my cheek - but that was user error than product.  The Ordinary retinol product, in comparison, sounded way more harsh than the LRP, and I was scared to use it.  The consistency is a milky type liquid and I dribble out about a 1cm line of product on my finger, and I can honestly say I do enjoy this product a lot!  It has never burnt my skin or made it sore, and I do feel it has possibly smoothed it out a bit.  The results aren't drastic, hell despite my whining at the start of this world's longest paragraph, I don't really have many wrinkles so there isn't much to go off results wise.  However I am hoping I'm starting a bit of an insurance policy on my skin and helping it for the future.  I think I'll have to up the ante in the future but for now I find this product to be a really useable, gentle, effective introduction to the world of retinol.  It's 2% as well, which is reasonably high for retinol concentration (I think...don't quote me on that)

 Natural Moisturising Factors HA

This is a basic moisturiser.  There is really not an abundance to say about it as it is one bland little product.  But my my, how in love I am with this.  Prior to using this,I had been a devoted user of The Body Shop's hemp face protector.  I bought it in bulk, and I had been loyal to it for years.  But recently they sold out, and the girl in the store wasn't sure they'd be restocking.  I was pumping her for information a bit like some crazed coffee addict who had just been told all the coffee beans in the world had died - she seemed a bit scared.  She mumbled something about have I tried their Vitamin E range (which, FYI, I have and I reacted to) and I left before I embarrassed myself (further).  This story has a happy ending as the product came back into stock but it did make me think I'd better start the hunt for an alternative!  This moisturiser by Deciem doesn't claim to be anything more than just a moisturiser.  But if you're using all their acids and lactics and vitamin C and stuff then really all you need is "just a moisturiser."
It has a lovely consistency where it isn't greasy or too thick but has just enough substance to it to still feel delightful on a tight, dry face.  It smells vaguely like eczema cream, but that's fine with me (I don't think it is unpleasant, just a tad chemical rather than perfumed) and I just love to apply it.  I feel it spreads easily, it sinks in nicely without disappearing too much; makeup applies well over it.  It feels soothing and calming and blankets the skin without feeling like it sits on the skin.  It is basic but that is its beauty in my opinion.  Having had to spend way more on fragrance free, gentle, eczema friendly creams over the years, it's nice to have a budget alternative.  It has got the vibe of a sensitive skin cream but doesn't come with the overinflated sensitive skin price tag.