half a year ago, i never heard of the ordinary. then suddenly i saw these white boxes and lots of glass bottle with dropper on it. then everybody starts to rave about the ordinary. so i did my homework and found out that the ordinary is a branch brand from deciem. they made lots of skincare products and all of them are affordable. i bet you'd already known how it's possible. they stripped the ingredients back to basic, so you can expect short ingredients list. the main ingredient and a few stabilizer or added ingredients for more benefit. so of course i had to try it. because it's mainly about acids and vitamin c, i decided to give myself another shot at AHA. this time i'm buying their lactic acid 5%, retinoid serum (the granactive version one) and their vitamin c, of course. i had tried the famous melano cc but i couldn't see why people rave about it, so i decided to gave the ordinary one a try. they have several forms of vitamin c serum, and i had hard time choosing which one is best for me. luckily since i didn't jump in the first time, i got the chance to read other people's review. after reading extensively, i decided to get their ascorbyl glucoside 12% serum.
this is the description from their website: vitamin c is an effective antioxidant, brightens the skin tone and reduces signs of ageing. in its pure form, vitamin c is unstable in water. ascorbyl glucoside is a water-soluble derivative of vitamin c. it is much more stable in water but it is less potent than direct L-ascorbic acid. being more compatible with water allows for a very pleasant serum texture. it is considered a gold standard of vitamin c derivatives due to its high stability and comfortable use. but it's impossible to achieve extremely high L-ascorbic acid potency with this solution. aside from general benefits of pure vitamin C, ascorbyl glucoside has been shown to offer specific skin brightening benefits.
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| the box |
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| description in english and france |
the packaging: it comes in a white box, there's description and ingredients list on the side of the box. inside of it, you can find the dark glass bottle with dropper on it. the dark glass is expected since vitamin c is known to get oxidized easily. again, the label on the bottle is also white, very simple. it really suits the name, the ordinary. the serum is 30 ml, which is the usual size for a serum. the dropper makes it easier to get the product out, but when it's running out, i don't think the dropper can get until the last drop.
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| the glass bottle |
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| the dropper |
the scent: this is the least acidic/fruity-scented vitamin c serum that i've ever tried. definitely very subtle so you don't have to worry about the scent. but if you're asking me, i think it smells artificial, like some chemical stuff.
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| the serum inside the dropper |
the product: the serum is oil-based serum, so it's on the thick side of serum. it's cloudy white inside the dropper. i usually put one drop on each area, my forehead, my nose, my cheeks, and then my chin before spreading it all over my face. since this is oil based, shininess and a bit greasiness are expected.
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| the serum on my hand |
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| after spreading it |
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| after being absorbed |
the result: at first, i thought it will be too oily for me. too greasy. it seems stay on top of my skin for a long time. but i persisted. i keep using it and then i notice that my skin absorbs it faster. a little bit faster. i don't notice any brightness, and it also doesn't seem to help with my PIH. now, at this point i also think that this serum is overrated. but i keep using it. and then one night i notice that my cheeks is bouncier. in these pictures below, you can see that it helps fade my acne scars, but not as good as naruko essence.
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| front side: notice the acne scar on my right cheek that comes in week 2 then fades in week 3 |
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| right side: again, notice the fading of my acne scar during week 2-3 |
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| left side: again, noticeable acne scar fading |
the first thing that i have to mention is that i've been using this serum for almost 3 months and it's still in the same condition as when i received it the first time. i didn't store it in the fridge and it still works fine. it doesn't change color or smell so i think it's still safe to use it. although it doesn't work wonder on my PIH or my overall complexion (not that i mind, since i'm pale enough already), but i like how it makes my skin bouncier, more plump. it also works well to fade my acne scar, but not as good as my previous naruko essence. at first, i didn't think it will work well under any cream, but after using it every night i can declare that it works well under my usual cream. both will make me glow the entire night and the next morning i will be glowing and my skin is well hydrated and plump, and bouncy. i will definitely get this serum again if the online shops here didn't sell it with higher price than usual. i will wait for my brother again to get this.
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