When it comes to The Ordinary brand, this is what I would call, the basic, foundation brand from Deciem. This means you get products with a more simple, yet effective, combination of ingredients ( in comparison to products from other Deciem skincare brands, and the evident, price difference among them). This is also the brand you should start with if you’re a beginner when it comes to skincare education. By this, I mean learning about ingredients, what something does for the skin when to use it, etc., pretty much knowing what you’re actually putting onto your skin. In that sense, this will be a slightly different review compared to my regular ones, since you’ll be able to learn some basics about certain skincare ingredients. So, without further adieu, let’s get started! 😉
My first review in the Deciem series is The Ordinary -“ Hyaluronic acid 2 % + B 5 “ serum. As usual, the review is divided into several sections :
Packaging
The 30 ml of serum, comes in a muted glass bottle with a dropper. It’s packaged in a mat white cardboard box with the instructions in English & french. I’m always scared when I order products in glass bottles since they could break during transport, but in this case, don’t fear, you get a product packed in very good quality glass packaging, especially compared to its pretty low price. The design is very clean and minimalistic, very “medicine” style, which I actually really like. This product, like the rest from Deciem, is made in Canada, with a shelf life of 12 months after opening.
About the product & the ingredients
This is an alcohol-free serum where the two main ingredients are hyaluronic acid ( in a concentration of 2%) and vitamin B5. Now, I’ll explain what these two are and what they actually do, as simple as possible. 😉
Ok, so, hyaluronic acid is very popular in the skincare industry as we all know. Reasons? A great anti-aging ingredient that hydrates the skin beats those free radicals, you name it. Hyaluronic acid binds to water (1000 times its own weight), so it locks in the moisture, giving the skin back its plumpness while reducing the appearance of wrinkles at the same time.
When you look at it, it’s actually a large sugar, that in its plain form, can’t do a thing. You ask, why? The molecule is just too big, so it can’t penetrate the skin, just sits on top. Because of this, skincare companies use a hyaluronic salt called sodium hyaluronate and a more complex form, sodium hyaluronate crosspolymer (it’s like a little bundle of those sodium hyaluronates). Because they are smaller, these molecules can actually penetrate the skin and start their hydrating magic on our skin cells ( they’re actually even more powerful in water retaining & moisturizing than plain hyaluronic acid).
Now, hyaluronic acid itself is not unknown to us. It’s in our joints, eyes, connective tissue, but mostly our skin. We all have it. The thing is that, as we age, we produce it less and less, and the levels of this acid in our skin start to drop (that’s the bummer of getting old 😑).
So, what happens with your skin, when you use a serum with hyaluronic acid? Think of your skin as a deflated beach mat, all shriveled up. When you start using a serum rich in humectants, it’s like you’re starting to inflate it, bringing back its nice, firm shape.
Next up is Vitamin B 5, a.k.a – Panthothenic acid. You probably used it a lot of times, you just know its other, more common form – Panthenol (an alcohol form that turns into this acid/vitamin after it penetrates the skin). Vitamin B is also present in our skin, hair, nails, and even plants. Again, Vitamin B5 is also a powerful humectant (fancy for – retains moisture) like hyaluronic acid, widely used mainly to moisturize, soothe and heal, irritated, problematic or damaged skin. Works by the same principles as hyaluronic acid, which makes them the perfect combo in a skincare product.
Now for the ingredients list :
Note: This way you can see if the product has any ingredients to which you’re allergic.
Application & impressions
This serum is meant to be used morning and/or evening, before your cream of choice (I use it before my cream and SPF in the mornings and before my vitamin C cream at night). I think this is a great product for your morning routine since it’s very lightweight and pretty fluid. At first, it’s a little bit sticky as you apply it, but that goes away as you massage it into the skin. There’s also no fragrance, so it’s perfect for people who are sensitive to perfume. Little goes a long way, and the skin absorbs it like a sponge – literally in a matter of seconds !. It really helped with my dehydrated skin this winter, especially my scaly areas.
They used hyaluronic acid that’s not of animal origin and since Deciem also doesn’t test on animals, the serum is cruelty-free & vegan friendly.
All of their products are actually free from paraben, mineral oil, sulfates, animal oils, mercury, methylchloroisothiazolinone, methylisothiazolinone, benzalkonium chloride, coal-tar dyes, formaldehyde, and oxybenzone ( Jesus, writing some of these down was a pain 🙄 ).
All in all, I see it as a good +1 product, that ” something”, that gives an extra kick to your skincare routine when it comes to hydration, especially during winter.
Do I recommend?
Absolutely! It helped my dehydrated combo skin during these winter days, it’s great for people who have very sensitive skin and suits pretty much All skin types, whether it’s dry, normal, combo, or oily. We all need good hydration. When it comes to the price, it’s very affordable ( 6,80 € /843 rsd), so you won’t feel it on your budget. So, from me, you get a 👍 to try it!
x
BelgradePixie
En mi blog, pueden preguntarme sobre los productos tambien en español, en la sección de comentarios – Voy a responder con mucho gusto ! 😊