Review some of the skincare products from The Ordinary

Recently, I passed by a pop-up store by Hust.sg at Raffles Exchange and chanced upon the brand The Ordinary. What caught my attention was the chemical names as I researched on the latest anti-ageing ingredients when I took a specialist diploma course in cosmetic science at Singapore Polytechnic a few years ago. But nothing beats trying the serums and testing the efficacy of them.

Before I decided on getting the above 4 products, I knew that I wanted to reduce the look of acne scars on my face but without being overly abrasive, and I wanted to reduce the uneven tone or brighten my skin so that my face will look rejuvenated. I read some reviews from other bloggers, such as

• The Best Products From The Ordinary to Stock Up On, Stat by Byrdie 
• Reviewed: The Best (and Worst) Skincare Products from The Ordinary by TheSkincareEdit
• We Tried Every Product From The Ordinary — Here's What We Thought by Refinery29

The top 4 products which I have chosen are as below. Surprisingly, there aren't that expensive.

1) Ascorbic Acid 8% + Alpha Arbutin 2% (costs SGD 19.50)

• Targets hyperpigmentation, dark spots, uneven tone, signs of age
• A unique combination of two powerful brightening ingredients
• Alpha arbutin is a derivative of hydroquinone and inhibits melanin production

2) Alpha Lipoic Acid 5% (costs SGD 12)

• Targets lackluster skin, signs of age
• A concentrated serum to brighten and to target signs of age
• An enzyme with strong antioxidant activity, sensitive skin will probably find this too harsh.
• Meant to be applied only two or three times a week, at night, so could be a good alternative to daily vitamin C

3) Lactic Acid 10% + HA (costs SGD 12)

• Targets uneven tone, textural irregularities, fine lines
• A high-strength superficial peeling formulation
• Make your skin more sensitive to the sun and could be irritating

My Review: Despite the high concentration of lactic acid, there was no burning sensation. Yet the slight tingling sensation makes you feel that the serum is taking its effect. The smell is distinct but reasonably acceptable. I used it for almost 4 days per week and I could see a remarkable pinkish glow on my skin, seemingly taking its effect as a superficial peeling serum. I made sure I apply moisturizer at night and it seems like the skin absorbs the moisturizer even better. I used to have lots of acne during my 20s, but now at mid-30s, I have mainly scars which I hope to reduce the uneven tone. Well, I don't expect a miracle change but I think over time the overall skin tone will improve with the mild chemical exfoliation. For the low price, I will definitely consider continuing to use it long-term.

Scars from previous acne

Read more from other users: SkincareByMoonlight,  WardropeOxygen, ViewsInPixels, NessiesBeautyBlog,

4) Ascorbyl Glucoside Solution 12% (costs SGD 18)

• Targets dullness, uneven tone, signs of age
• A brightening serum with stabilized Vitamin C derivative
• Ascorbyl glucoside is not as powerful as the gold standard, L-ascorbic acid. It's effective for evening out skin tone, but probably won't help much with collagen synthesis.
• Suit any skin type, especially acne-prone skin