Photo By Thandiwe-Kesi Robins

Hi! If you’re new here my name is Thandi and I’m one of the co-founders of Skinterest. And at Skinterest, we are all in when it comes to our skin. So much so, that we’ve developed an app to support your skin health journey with the power of technology. Be sure to sign up and pre-order our app to get exclusive access to blogs, products, discounts and much more.

Alright, so story time!

A friend of mine introduced me to products from The Ordinary. After seeing her skin and doing my research, I went online and bought a bunch of products that I thought would work for my skin. Needless to say, I have yet to be disappointed with the products that I’ve tried. Here are three products that I’ve used to completion, and if you can’t tell by the photo – those bottles are empty.

When I bought these products, my biggest skin goal was evening out my skin tone and adding moisture to my skin. After cleansing my skin, I applied these serums to damp skin to help my skin absorb them better. The dropper application was seamless, I never had too much product in my hands, and the serum wasn’t too thick and actually felt refreshing. I really looked forward to washing my face just to apply these serums.

The vital information to know here is that I didn’t use these serums by themselves. In fact, I would often use the Alpha Arbutin 2% and Hyaluronic Acid serum in tandem with the Niacinimide 10% + Zinc serum. And sometimes with the “Buffet” serum, if I chose to not incorporate Vitamin C into my skincare routine. This is probably why I finished these products so quickly.

To learn more about what these products do, read more below:

Alpha Arbutin 2% + HA ($8.90)

The Ordinary describes this product as a “concentrated serum with 2% Purified Alpha Arbutin and Hyaluronic Acid”. If you’ve been keeping up with our previous blogs, you would know that at Skinterest, we love Hyaluronic Acid for its moisturizing properties. But what is Alph Arbutin? And why did I buy a product that had this specific ingredient? Alpha Arbutin is often used to improve the appearance of hyperpigmentation, freckles, etc. If you didn’t know, Arbutin is actually a derivative of hydroquinone. Hydroquinone is a topical skin-bleaching agent that is often used to treat hyperpigmentation due to its ability to come between tyrosine and the production of melanin. (If you want to know how this is possible, comment below, and I will share the science behind this).

Ingredients: Aqua (Water), Alpha-Arbutin, Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6, Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate, Propanediol, PPG-26-Buteth-26, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Lactic Acid, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Ethoxydiglycol, Phenoxyethanol, Chlorphenesin.

Niacinimide 10% + Zinc ($5.90)

The Ordinary describes this product as a “high-strength vitamin and mineral blemish formula”. Niacinimide promotes a healthy skin barrier, and because it has anti-inflammatory properties, many people use it to help manage acne. Although, I don’t really have acne flare-ups. So, why am I using this? If you remember my last blog post, the skin on my body will have psoriasis or eczema flare-ups from time to time, but my scalp tends to not let me catch a break. My scalp psoriasis will sometimes migrate further down to my forehead, or eczema around my nose will flare up. And while this isn’t a magical solution, this does help me to keep my flare-ups under control. I’m happy that The Ordinary paired the Niacinimide with Zinc because it encourages collagen production and also has anti-inflammatory properties.

Ingredients: Aqua (Water), Niacinamide, Pentylene Glycol, Zinc PCA, Dimethyl Isosorbide, Tamarindus Indica Seed Gum, Xanthan gum, Isoceteth-20, Ethoxydiglycol, Phenoxyethanol, Chlorphenesin.

“Buffet” ($14.90)

The Ordinary describes this product as a “multi-technology peptide serum”. I’ll be honest, I just really really like this product. My skin feels so hydrated whenever I use this product. And a testament to how much I like this product is that on the days when I felt too lazy to carry through with my skin routine. I never skipped this product. It’s good if you’re looking to reduce the dryness in your skin or reduce the appearance of fine lines, AND it’s supposed to improve skin health and is anti-aging. If there’s anything that you should get from this line of products – get this!

Ingredients: Aqua (Water), Glycerin, Lactococcus Ferment Lysate, Acetyl Hexapeptide-8, Pentapeptide-18, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-38, Dipeptide Diaminobutyroyl Benzylamide Diacetate, Acetylarginyltryptophyl Diphenylglycine, Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer, Sodium Hyaluronate, Allantoin, Glycine, Alanine, Serine, Valine, Isoleucine, Proline, Threonine, Histidine, Phenylalanine, Arginine, Aspartic Acid, Trehalose, Fructose, Glucose, Maltose, Urea, Sodium PCA, PCA, Sodium Lactate, Citric Acid, Hydroxypropyl Cyclodextrin, Sodium Chloride, Sodium Hydroxide, Butylene Glycol, Pentylene Glycol, Acacia Senegal Gum, Xanthan Gum, Carbomer, Polysorbate 20, PPG-26-Buteth-26, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Ethoxydiglycol, Sodium Benzoate, Caprylyl Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Phenoxyethanol, Chlorphenesin.

Would I purchase again?

Yes, I would and have purchased these products again. They 100% worked for my skin. The added bonus here is that this brand doesn’t test on animals and is free of parabens, sulphates, mineral oil, methylchloroisothiazolinone, methylisothiazolinone, animal oils, coal tar dyes, formaldehyde, mercury, oxybenzone.

Talk to you soon.

XOXO, Thandi

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