Review: The Ordinary Products (What I’m Trying to Finish)

Here’s a list of The Ordinary skin care products I’m trying to finish. I’ve been trying to use them every night. I couldn’t use most of them during the day. The texture of most of these serums are too thick, heavy, and greasy on my skin. I started to get itchy from them too due to the oiliness of the serums. But I’ve been trying to purge these products from my life. But since I’ve been using them consistently, what are my thoughts on them now? Are they any good? Will I try them out again or just drop them from my routine? Keep reading to find out!

The Ordinary Pycnogenol 5%:

I remember when I first purchased this serum. I thought it would work well with my other antioxidants. The product advertised itself to recycle oxidized vitamin c. It’s supposed to help hydrate the skin and improve skin elasticity. Also, scavenge free radicals and so much more. When I was using vitamin c serums, my face was darker than the rest of my body. My facial skin was literally a pumpkin. 🎃 Who knows if the pycnogenol serum did anything to help recycle oxidized vitamin c. The overall formulation of this product is moisturizing, but it’s more on the greasy, heavy side. It didn’t help to rejuvenate my skin or improve skin elasticity. I didn’t notice any changes in my skin. Why did I purchase this again? lol. The bottle of the serum is tiny. It comes in a 0.5 fl. oz (50 mL) glass dropper bottle. It’s cute and all, but it’s not worth it for me. It did nothing for my skin. I’ve been using more than one drop (more than I usually use) to finish it up. Still, it’s taking forever to finish it. It lasts forever. I guess that’s a good thing if you’re interested in this product. I’m on my last bottle and can’t wait to be done with it!

Hylamide Booster Glow:

Before I begin, this product is a self-tanning serum. It contains a raspberry derived alternative instead of self-tanning ingredient DHA to build pigment in the skin. The purpose of this product is to give the skin some radiance, golden glow after 2-3 days of use. I made a mistake of purchasing this product thinking that it would help fade some acne marks and skin discolorations. It’s a self-tanning product, not a product to help fade acne marks or post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation. The last time I used a self-tanning product was when I was a teenager. That was when it was all about having that bronze, glowing tanned skin for me. Since I’ve only used self-tanning products to get a tan, I think I saved my skin from UV damage over the years. Looking back, I’m pretty happy with most of my skin care decisions. haha. I said most, lol.

When I first opened this product, it smelled so bad. I almost vomited. The smell of the product just gives me headaches as I continued to use it. The smell lingers on the skin too. I haven’t used this on my face in months due to it having an awful smell. But also, I didn’t really like the results. The times I used it on my face, I took a few drops and pat the serum into my skin, twice a day. After a few days, I noticed some color in my skin. It really does add some pigment into the skin. Unfortunately, it made my skin extremely yellow (just like the color of the serum). I was expecting a more natural, less-yellowish hue to my skin. More like a light tan, bronze shade that I got from my past tanning products. I didn’t get those results from this product. I stopped using it. It takes some time for the color to fade, so my skin was just bright yellow for a while. I don’t remember how long it lasted, but I could clearly recall how yellow my face was. I’ve always liked the smell of tanning products but this one just stinks. 🤢

The Ordinary 100% Plant-Derived Squalane:

I used to love squalane in products when I first started off with skin care. I was able to use them without clogging my pores. But it seems like pure 100% squalane does a number on my skin. The oil sits on top of my skin and doesn’t absorb as quickly. The product claims that this serum is a fast-absorbing oil-like serum. No, it didn’t absorb fast. It felt heavy and greasy on my skin. It saturates the top layer of my skin and just sits there. It just makes my skin appear more oily. It doesn’t hydrate or moisturize my skin either. Maybe oils are just not for me. This squalane oil serum didn’t work for me. I didn’t like the way it felt on my skin. I’ve been using it on my feet to get rid of it, lol. I can’t use it on my upper body. It sticks to everythinga and (once again) it doesn’t sink into the skin properly.

The Ordinary Amino Acids + B5:

One of The Ordinary products that feels like water. 💧 The purpose of this serum is to add hydration to the skin. The key ingredients are Betaine, Arginine, Panthenol, Sodium PCA, Sodium Lactate, and PCA. It also contains other amino acids, to name a few, Valine, Proline, Isoleucine, Phenylalanine, and Threonine. The product is called ‘Amino Acids’ for a reason. It contains a bunch of amino acids in it. B5 or panthenol is a b vitamin. Panthenol is an ingredient that soothes, moisturizes, and strengthens the skin. I love skin care products with this ingredient. It’s non-irritating and leaves my skin in good condition. But, this serum didn’t live up to my expectations. As I mentioned, the serum feels like I’m applying water to my skin. It didn’t leave my skin feeling hydrated at all. I tried applying it once (didn’t hydrate my skin well) and applying layers of the product to my skin (no hydration or extra hydration, just wasted product). Honestly, I didn’t think this serum did anything special for my skin including something as basic as hydration. It absorbs into the skin quick, but I didn’t see any noticeable improvements in my skin. This serum was a waste of time and money. On my skin, at least.

The Ordinary Retinol 1% in Squalane:

The purpose of this retinol product is to help with uneven skin tone, texture irregularities, signs of aging, and dryness. Bingo. That’s what retinol does for the skin. For me, even though this is advertised as high-strength retinol, I thought it was too gentle on my skin. I wasn’t able to use it for too long due to the other ingredients being incompatible with my skin type. I thought the texture and consistency of the serum was too oily. The first ingredient in this product is squalane. And I know that squalane won’t work on my skin if it’s the first ingredient or base of the serum. It also contains jojoba seed oil and tomato fruit extract. I wish the ingredients were even shorter for my acne-prone skin. This serum ended up breaking me out (not a purge). It clogged my pores, and my skin never improved using it due to the breakouts. I don’t think this is a terrible product. If your skin can handle the other ingredients besides retinol in this product, it could work for you. My skin didn’t like the overall formulation of this retinol product. So, as you can see, I’ve been using it on my body instead.

The Ordinary Resveratrol 3% Ferulic Acid 3%:

So the purpose of this serum is to help with dullness and target the signs of aging. I’m a fan of resveratrol and ferulic acid. And I was madly in love with this antioxidant serum for a while. I kept trying it over and over again. I even tried it on my face again not so long ago. I was hoping that it would work on my skin because it’s an affordable serum and contains resveratrol and ferulic acid. Nope, too bad, my skin rejected this serum. I started breaking out in acne out of nowhere. I didn’t have to use this serum for too long to develop breakouts. I think I’m finally over this serum. I don’t have the urge to use it on my facial skin anymore, lol. I love the active ingredients in it, but the overall formulation of the product is too heavy and greasy for my oily skin. It makes my skin even more greasy and shiny. So I’m glad I have finally detached myself from using it ever again (on my face). I thought about purchasing it for the skin on my body (haha!), but I can’t seem to get over how greasy it is. It’s official. I’m over it. It’s time to move on.

The Ordinary Ascorbic Acid 8% Alpha Arbutin 2%:

Another product that I kept on going back to like the Resveratrol & Ferulic Acid is the Ascorbic Acid & Alpha Arbutin. The purpose of this serum is to even out the skin tone, combat signs of aging and dullness, and it’s also an antioxidant (woohoo vitamin c!!). I was in deep denial when I was using this serum (not the first time, lol). With this serum, I didn’t notice much brightening in my skin. I didn’t notice fading of acne marks or post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation either. My skin actually turned orange. It made my face darker than the rest of my body. I just kept using it because it was affordable and contains vitamin c plus alpha arbutin. I didn’t think it was worth using anymore due to poor results. But also, the serum has a greasy, heavy feel to it (like a bunch of other The Ordinary skin care products). I was using it in combination with the Resveratrol & Ferulic Acid serum, and it was a huge disappointment. I can’t believe I stuck with it for years! This serum isn’t coming back to my routine. Once I’m done with it, it’s done.

The Ordinary Lactic Acid 10% + HA:

I really love lactic acid. It’s one of my favorite aha products. It’s gentle, works to exfoliate the skin, leaves the skin looking glowy and smooth. It’s just amazing. I’ll choose it over glycolic acid any day. It simply works better on my skin with less irritation. So this lactic acid serum is a high-strength exfoliator that works to reveal smoother skin. It’s for uneven skin tone, texture irregularities, and skin dullness. All I needed was a few drops for the whole face, pat it into the skin, and that’s it! It absorbs pretty fast into the skin without leaving any sticky residue and doesn’t feel heavy or greasy on the skin. It’s not like the other The Ordinary serums that I’ve talked about. This one is lightweight and feels decent after application. I’ve used this product on and off over the years. The first time I used it was a mess. My skin was just terrible and nothing was working. Not even this lactic acid serum alone. I stopped using it for a while. I started using it again, and it seemed like it worked better on my skin this time around! I was shocked and excited at the same time. My skin was actually peeling like it’s supposed to when using a chemical exfoliator. Keep in mind that this is the 10% formula. It’s much stronger. If you’re not experienced with lactic acid, The Ordinary has the 5% formula. I haven’t tried the 5% yet. I’ve only used the 10%. I stopped using this product because I went on to use other products to treat my acne like salicylic acid. They seem to work better for my acne than lactic acid. So, in saying that, I would definitely give this serum a try again if it comes to it. That’s if my other acne products stop working. I’m currently using this product up right now because I don’t want to let it expire. It’ll be a waste.

The Ordinary Argireline Solution 10%:

This product is advertised as a ‘non-injective’ solution for dynamic lines. It’s supposed to treat crow’s feet and signs of aging. Some say it’s ‘botox in a bottle’. The star ingredient in this product is Acetyl Hexapeptide-8. I don’t have major dynamic wrinkles, but the product did claim that it’ll help with signs of aging. I have some signs of aging that I could tackle or at least prevent. The serum is a watery liquid and very easy to use. It absorbs into the skin fast and leaves the skin feeling like there’s nothing on the skin. It felt like I was applying water to my skin. As for the results, I didn’t like what it did to my skin. I noticed my skin started to look droopy and saggy. Like, what, what’s going on? I stopped using it immediately, but that was after going through a more than a few bottles. ha! *sigh* My skin bounced back to what it was before using the product. Thank goodness! While using this serum, I would like to mention that my skin didn’t freeze or feel motionless. From my experience with this product, I won’t purchase again. Honestly, I don’t care much about it anymore. Just trying to finish up what I have now (not on my face).

The Ordinary Matrixyl 10% + HA:

With The Ordinary Argireline Solution 10%, I used the Matrixyl 10%. The Ordinary Matrixyl 10% + HA is a skin-firming serum that targets fine lines and signs of aging. This product contains peptides, such as Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-38. I’ve gone through several bottles of this serum too. I’m not sure if it did anything for my skin. In my mind, I was hoping that it did and will. 😁 It’s an affordable product that contains peptides. I stopped using this product on my face. My skin doesn’t like the texture of the serum. It’s a gel that blends into the skin well, but it seems to dry out my facial skin and irritates it to no end. After quitting this serum for months, maybe I should try it again? lol. Not on my face but the skin around my eyes. I have some fine lines that I want to get rid of or at least diminish. Hopefully it’ll help with the ‘signs of aging’ too. Why not? I still have it. I think this is the only serum I’ll make an update on soon! Counting down the days and look forward to a new review on The Ordinary Matrixyl 10% HA!!

I do have more products from The Ordinary that weren’t included on this list like The Ordinary EUK 134 0.1% and The Ordinary Mandelic Acid 10% + HA. They’re on my list to finish up, but I’m feeling a bit overwhelmed with the amount of products I’m using right now. 😮‍💨 I’ll get to them when I can. More reviews coming up soon!

My Acne Journey: 5 MONTHS!!

My 5 months experience! 🙂

Some thoughts that crossed my mind ~

Should I stop using moisturizer? Is Vanicream Daily Moisturizer for Sensitive Skin clogging my pores? Should I take a break from benzoyl peroxide?? Hmmm! So many questions!

So! I didn’t stop using a moisturizer this week. But, I’m going to try to stop using a moisturizer (Vanicream) next week. Why? I feel like it’s slowing down my progress. Possibly clogging my pores. I noticed some sections of my face that keeps on getting re-clogged even after using tret, benzoyl peroxide, and bha. Vanicream feels a little bit sticky and heavy on the skin too. I love the ingredients in the moisturizer and how it helps to heal and protect my skin, but it could be setting me back when it comes to acne. I never used a moisturizer before in the past. It’s not because I don’t like them. It’s because all of them (the ones I have tried, tons!!) ended up breaking me out. I think Vanicream may be one of them. As for benzoyl peroxide, I don’t want to use something as drying as benzoyl peroxide in my routine right now while my skin is without a moisturizer. I’ll have to wait until my skin adjusts to this new routine first before adding it back in. That’s if I need to. I’m still using tret and bha. Both of these products are drying enough for my skin. I’m also going to use both of them without a moisturizer. Let’s see what happens!

I tried some old or previous products too, haha! Oops.

I tried The Ordinary Resveratrol 3% Ferulic Acid 3%, The Ordinary Ascorbic Acid 8% + Alpha Arbutin 2%, and The Ordinary Caffeine Solution 5% + EGCG again. The Resveratrol & Ferulic Acid serum and Ascrobic Acid & Arbutin serum was a mistake, lol. I haven’t used any The Ordinary serums on my face for a while. I was in for a surprise. Well, kinda. I should’ve known. Both of these serums felt extremely greasy on the face. It didn’t sink in my skin at all and left my skin feeling and looking sticky, heavy, and greasy. I woke up the next morning with red, irritated skin and clogged pores. It messed up my skin so quick. Lesson learned once again. I thought I would try it out again and this happens. Now I know once again that these serums simply do not work on my face. Another product I tried again from The Ordinary is the Caffeine Solution & EGCG. This one worked better. I kind of missed it, so I started using it again, lol. I’m only using it at night since it has a drying, tightening effect on the skin around the eyes. Also, it takes time for the serum to absorb into the skin. So far, nothing bad has happened.

My thoughts on some of my sunscreens…

Vanicream Mineral Facial Moisturizer Broad Spectrum SPF 30:

I’m almost done with this sunscreen. It’s a thicker and heavier sunscreen, and it does has the tendency to sit on top of my skin. Ahhh, I love the ceramides in this product. It helps to moisturize, heal, and protect my skin. I haven’t noticed any breakouts from using it daily either or from reapplying. I can reapply this sunscreen without the product pilling. It works great as a moisturizer and contains ingredients that I like. I use it when I’m indoors or when I need my skin to heal from exfoliants or actives. I think it’s much more moisturizing compared to Vanicream Daily Moisturizer for Sensitive Skin too. The Vanicream Mineral SPF 30 is making me have second thoughts about Vanicream Daily Moisturizer for Sensitive Skin. Hmmmm! So I’m still on the fence about this product. It just feels a bit too rich for my skin type. But it could work. I’ll finish the rest of the product and think about it.

Canmake Mermaid Skin Gel UV SPF 50+ PA++++ (Clear):

I tried to use this sunscreen up on my face. I really tried. It’s just too drying on the skin, and I couldn’t stand the dryness any longer. It ruined the moisture levels in my skin. My skin looked cracked, felt super tight, and painful. I tried using it with a heavier product underneath too, and it still didn’t work. I guess I could just use it on my body. I won’t repurchase again. I know I’ve said this many times, but I hate this product. 👎🏻

CeraVe Hydrating Mineral Face Sheer Tint:

A product I grew to love this week is the CeraVe Hydrating Mineral Face Sheer Tint! It’s a tinted mineral sunscreen (SPF 30) that contains niacinamide. I was really shocked and am still shocked that it brightened my skin. I noticed a clearer and brighter complexion after rinsing it off for the day. I’m really, really liking this product. I’m using it as my face makeup product (foundation) too. It doesn’t provide any coverage, but it’s best for my skin to not have anything thick and heavy on it. Also, too many products just causes more acne issues. My skin just looks better after rinsing it off at the end of the day. I’m really enjoying applying this product to my face too. It blends into the skin without leaving a white cast behind. Perfect for sunscreen reapplication.

5 months in and now on to a new week!!

My whole acne journey is right here! Enjoy! 🙂

My Acne Journey: 1 Week In…

My Acne Journey: 2 WEEKS!! 

My Acne Journey: 3 Weeks Results!

My Acne Journey: 4 Weeks Results!

My Acne Journey: 5 WEEKS IN!

My Acne Journey: 6 Weeks Results…

My Acne Journey: 7 Weeks Results

My Acne Journey: 2 MONTHS!! 

My Acne Journey: 2 Months + 1 Week Results!

My Acne Journey: 2 Months + 2 Weeks!

My Acne Journey: 2 Months + 3 Weeks Results!

My Acne Journey: 3 MONTHS!! 😃

My Acne Journey: 3 Months + 1 Week Results

My Acne Journey: 3 Months + 2 Weeks Results

My Acne Journey: 3 Months + 3 Week Results

My Acne Journey: 4 MONTHS!!

My Acne Journey: 4 Months + 1 Week Results.

My Acne Journey: 4.5 Months + Clear Skin!!

My Acne Journey: 4 Months + 3 Weeks! What I’m Doing to Maintain My Clear Skin. 🙂

Update on Benton Fermentation Essence & The Ordinary Matrixyl 10% + HA & Melano CC Vitamin C Essence

It took me a while to stop using these products. I’ve been using them for a while and didn’t want to give them up out of familiarity. But, I think it’s time to pull the plug. Even though I love skin care products, I wondered if any of them are even working on my skin. I feel like I’m just flushing money down the drain sometimes. I decided to stop using these products. Read on to find out why. I stopped using these products the other day too. 👈🏻

Benton Fermentation Essence:

I’ve been using this product for over a year now. I really liked this essence. It’s lightweight, easily absorbed into the skin, and feels silky smooth on the skin. The only thing I really liked about this essence is how it feels on my skin. Other than that, it hasn’t done much for my skin. It contains Galactomyces Ferment Filtrate, Bifida Ferment Lysate, Ceramide NP, Aloe Extract, Betaine, Panthenol, Sodium Hyaluronate, and other skin care ingredients that are good for the skin. The ingredients look very nice, but I didn’t see much of a difference in my skin using it. It didn’t help boost skin’s elasticity and moisture levels (as it claims to do). It gives the the skin lightweight hydration, but that hydration doesn’t last long. Only when applied to the skin. This essence just vanishes into the skin and didn’t improve my skin over time. It just felt like putting expensive water on my face. It actually feels like I’m applying just water to my face. This essence when dispensed, shoots out straight liquid. Make sure to dispense it into the palm or it’ll get everywhere. This was one of my favorite essences for some time, but I didn’t see any good results with continued use. As I mentioned earlier, I just like the way it feels on my skin. But, I don’t think it’s worth it to keep it around for that reason.

The Ordinary Matrixyl 10%:

Here goes another The Ordinary product that I’m removing from my skin care routine! Here are some others that I removed recently:

The Ordinary Argireline Solution 10%  

The Ordinary Ascorbic Acid 8% Alpha Arbutin 2%

The Ordinary Resveratrol 3% Ferulic Acid 3%

Now it’s The Ordinary Matrixyl 10%. So this is a thicker serum. The texture of the serum is gel-like. When applied to the skin, I don’t like how it feels on my skin, but the serum absorbs into the skin pretty well. It doesn’t leave any sticky residue behind once it sinks into the skin. I was able to use it twice a day without any issues like pilling or stickiness. The serum is supposed to help with signs of aging, such as fine lines. It contains Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-38, and Sodium Hyaluronate. This is another skin care product with beneficial skin care ingredients, but from my experience using this product, I didn’t notice any changes in fine lines including other wrinkles (as it claims). I don’t think it did anything for my skin. I’ve gone through several bottles of this serum. I kept using it because I was just hoping for the best. I really liked the ingredients in this serum too. It seems so promising. But, I think it’s time to remove it from my routine and see what happens. I don’t want to keep using a product that does absolutely nothing just because. I just haven’t seen any results using it.

Melano CC Vitamin C Essence:

I was going to keep Melano CC Vitamin C Essence in my routine, but I decided to remove it. This essence did help to brighten the overall complexion of my skin (subtly, nothing major), but it didn’t help with acne marks or post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation. I still noticed acne marks on my face while using this vitamin c essence, and I’ve been using it for years too. It should’ve done something by now, but I have seen zero changes in my acne marks. With the Melano CC Vitamin C Essence, I wasn’t impressed with the overall results. It’s OK. Nothing amazing. What’s great about this product is the packaging. It’s sealed and easy to travel with. I can bring it with me wherever I go easily without spilling the contents. But, since this essence hasn’t done much for my skin over the years, I’m just using it because I have it, and it’s much better compared to other vitamin c serums that I’ve tried in terms of texture. It’s lightweight, oily but not too oily, and absorbs into the skin decently. After seeing very little benefits from this product, I think it’s time to move on from it. It’s time to let go, lol. Instead of keeping the Melano CC Vitamin C Essence around, I decided to swap it out with another vitamin c product. It’s the vitamin c powder. A vitamin c powder contains only one ingredient while the Melano CC Vitamin C Essence has a lot more ingredients (compared to a vitamin c powder). I wanted to keep things simple. Also, vitamin c powder is more affordable too. I’ve been using vitamin c powder, and it’s been working just fine.

For my update on Eucerin Q10 Anti-Wrinkle Face Cream:

Eucerin Q10 Anti-Wrinkle Face Cream & Breakouts

For my acne journey…

My Acne Journey: 1 Week In…

My Acne Journey: 2 WEEKS!! 

My Acne Journey: 3 Weeks Results!

My Acne Journey: 4 Weeks Results!

My Acne Journey: 5 WEEKS IN!

My Acne Journey: 6 Weeks Results…

My Acne Journey: 7 Weeks Results

My Acne Journey: 2 MONTHS!! 

My Acne Journey: 2 Months + 1 Week Results!

My Acne Journey: 2 Months + 2 Weeks!

My Acne Journey: 2 Months + 3 Weeks Results!

My Acne Journey: 3 MONTHS!! 😃

My Acne Journey: 3 Months + 1 Week Results

My Skin is CLEAR! :) What I’m Doing Now.

My skin is officially free from acne! And all thanks to BP! Wow, it worked so fast! 😍 But I haven’t given up on BP after being clear. I’m still using it to treat my acne, but I don’t have to use it too often anymore. I’m aiming for once a week at night or twice a week if my skin gets really oily. I think once a week is more than enough. 🤔 BP really dries the living hell out of my skin. After a day of using BP, my skin looks more dull, uneven, and crusty. The next day, it looks AMAZING!! The dead skin just comes off and my skin looks so fresh, bright, and new! The dryness from BP can be a good thing for my skin sometimes, since my skin gets more oily during the more humid, hot, summer months. ☀️ The weather has been hotter than usual. Along with using BP, I’ve made a few changes to my skin care routine. I know, AGAIN! I just can’t stop making changes. LOL. Since I’m focusing more on skin texture and post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation. I mean, I’ve already gotten my acne under control. Now let’s keep the positive changes rolling! I still have some acne marks that needs to be treated, but I’m not going to purchase any new products to fade them. None of them have worked on my skin anyways. That’ll just be a waste of money. So I decided to re-add some products I removed not so long ago, haha. I know, odd! I didn’t expect this to happen, but I started to miss using these products on my facial skin. They are…

Guess first! lol. Never mind, let’s goooooooooooooo! 🙌🏻

Benton Aloe Propolis Soothing Gel:

All of a sudden I had the urge to use the Benton Aloe Propolis Soothing Gel again. I needed some more moisture in my skin. And I just out of nowhere started using this product again. I think I’m just hooked on it, lol. It feels cooling and soothing on my skin. Gives my skin lightweight, jelly moisture on my oily skin. It’s not the most moisturizing moisturizer, but it provides nice hydration to my skin right now. I’ll use it, but I’m still not sure if I’ll buy another tube of the product. I still have another unopened tube of this product by the way, lol. I’m so addicted to skin care products, hahaha! 😂 My skin is currently loving this aloe soothing gel.

Cos De BAHA MA Peptide Facial Toner:

I really like how this facial toner feels on my skin. It’s another gel-based product. Works perfectly on my oily skin. Just like the Benton Aloe Propolis Soothing Gel, it doesn’t provide much moisture, but I like it for what it is. I like the anti-aging ingredients in this product too. I’m almost out of the product, so I thought I would use it on my facial skin instead. I’m tempted to purchase another bottle since it’s so affordable for the amount of product. But we’ll see. I hope it does wonderous things to my skin for the time being. I’ll just have to wait and see what happens after finishing the bottle.

The Ordinary Resveratrol 3% Ferulic Acid 3%:

I kind of missed that glow that I get from using The Ordinary Ascorbic Acid 8% Alpha Arbutin 2% and The Ordinary Resveratrol 3% Ferulic Acid 3%. I decided to start using The Ordinary Resveratrol 3% Ferulic Acid 3% again. I decided NOT to use the Ascorbic Acid 8% Alpha Arbutin 2%. I wanted to see how my skin is going to react to just using the Resveratrol 3% Ferulic Acid 3% serum. I really like these ingredients and can’t seem to find another product with these ingredients that are affordable. So! Let’s see how it’ll go just using The Ordinary Resveratrol 3% Ferulic Acid 3% alone without the Ascorbic Acid serum! My face hasn’t turned orange yet. Maybe it’s the Ascorbic Acid that’s turning me into an oompa loompa. 🍊

Those are the 3 products I decided to reintroduce back into my skin care routine. I thought I would call it quits for good on these products, but it just felt like it was the right time to use them again. One night I just grabbed these products and used them on my face. The next morning, my skin was super glowy and pretty that I had to continue using them to see what happens. My skin has been looking good since. No problems so far. I haven’t experienced any breakouts from any of them (as of yet). I hope it stays this way. Besides skin care, I’m trying to eat healthy. Trying to get more vegetables into my diet. Drinking more water to keep my body hydrated. Everything has changed so much since the beginning of this year until now. Hope all goes well this summer and the rest of the year!

But there’s something else…

I started using tret again! Well, I still am once a week, but my dose has been increased! I’m using a higher concentration. I was bumped up to 0.1 for acne. 0.05 did absolutely nothing for my acne. I tried 0.1 before, and it was way too strong on my skin during that point in time. But, that was the past, this is now. Let’s give the 0.1 a try and see how my skin reacts. I’ve been using the 0.1 for about 2 days now. And you know what? My skin has been tolerating it pretty well. Much better than it did before. Here’s my 2 day experience using tret! What happened to my skin??

Day 1:

One night, I decided to use my tube of 0.1 tret. I had it. It was just sitting around unused because it was too strong for my skin at one point. Not anymore. I applied it to my skin. The product felt warm and smooth on my skin. It moved across my skin very nicely. I liked the way it felt on my skin. At the same time, I was petrified not knowing what would happen the next morning. When using tret, I used my moisturizing skin care products to prevent my skin from any dryness. There’s another product I started using again when I started using tret too. It’s the Eucerin Q10 Anti-Wrinkle Face Cream. I needed a richer, heavier product to prevent my skin from drying out when on tret. This seemed to be the perfect choice. I took some of the cream and applied it to my face after applying tret and my lightweight moisturizers. Eucerin Q10 Anti-Wrinkle Face Cream was the 4th product that I reintroduced to my skin care routine. 🙂

Day 2:

The next morning (after day 1), my skin felt warm. I can see red splotches on my face. They weren’t that bad. They were just a light pink/red color that eventually faded away. I decided to use tret again on the second night. My skin didn’t feel dry or irritated besides some redness that went away. I’m glad I went forth with the second night. Because the next day, I noticed a lot of peeling on my face. Also, I noticed some random breakouts that healed very fast! Am I purging? Hmmm! My skin looked really good besides my skin peeling off all over my face. I’m pretty excited to remove these dry, dead skin cells from my face! Wow, is tret really working for me this time? Because it seems like it! My skin is responding well. No major irritations besides some redness and skin peeling on the second day. Maybe I just needed to give my skin a break and move on to something stronger. Also, I’ve continued to use Eucerin Q10 Anti-Wrinkle Face Cream in the morning too and at night to prevent my skin from drying out or if there’s any itchiness. My skin hasn’t been itchy while on tret. Some dryness hasn’t been bad either. All is going well. 👍🏻

SO! It looks like I’m back on my tret journey. AGAINNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN!!! hahaha. I’m really excited this time because my skin is actually peeling like when I was using BP. The more dead skin my face sloughs off, the clearer my skin gets. It helps to prevent breakouts from living underneath the surface of the skin. Plus, it’s a bonus that it also helps to improve the quality of my skin. My skin looks really good right now. I’m not sure how long it’s going to take to achieve a near flawless (nothing is perfect!) complexion, but I’m really happy how things are going. I’ll make another update on my tret journey soon! See everyone there! I hope this post was helpful! Have a nice day! 😊

I’m Hooked on The Ordinary. 😲 What I’m Using…

So I’ve been using The Ordinary skin care products for so many years. I recently, well not too recent, but I’ve been adding my leftover The Ordinary skin care products back into my routine. It started off with The Ordinary Matrixyl 10% + HA and The Ordinary Argireline Solution 10%. Next, The Ordinary Amino Acids + B5. Now I’m also using The Ordinary Ascorbic Acid 8% Alpha Arbutin 2%, The Ordinary Resveratrol 3% Ferulic Acid 3%, and The Ordinary Pycnogenol 5%. I have a couple of others that I’m using too. It’s unstoppable at this point. These serums are amazing and are doing wonders for my skin as we speak. I hope what I’m saying won’t backfire, and the products stop working, lol. But, I like what I’m seeing when I use The Ordinary serums. It’s amazing how effective they are for the price. Super, super affordable compared to the higher end stuff I used to use YEARS ago. This is so awesome! Now let’s do a quick recap on these serums and how it’s going for my skin.

The Ordinary Matrixyl 10% + HA:

This is a lightweight serum that comes out in blobs. Don’t be alarmed how it’s not a runny liquid or serum-textured serum. It feels like it’s in between a serum and a gel. It doesn’t feel sticky on the skin. Doesn’t leave any residue on the skin after application. The serum just absorbs into the skin nicely and leaves the skin feeling like there’s nothing on it. I’m nearing a month using this serum, and I can’t believe how well it’s working on my skin. I think it’s doing something because my skin does look a lot better after a few days of using it. It’s supposed to be good for fine line and wrinkles, so I’m going to keep using it for that. I like it so far! No breakouts from it either. Love it!

The Ordinary Argireline Solution 10%:

This is another anti-aging serum that’s supposed to be like botox-in-a-bottle. It’s supposed to help with fine lines and wrinkles too. Using the Argireline Solution 10% in combination with the Matrixyl + HA has been amazing. My skin looked pretty good after using these two together. I noticed a softer, smoother, and more youthful complexion. It took a week or two to see some results with the Argireline Solution 10%. Since I’m nearing a month soon of using this serum, I can see some changes in my skin. It’s another good serum from The Ordinary that feels lightweight and absorbs into the skin well. It doesn’t leave any stickiness behind. It just sinks into the skin and works well with my other skin care products. I’ve had zero issues with this serum so far. Awesome stuff! But is it like botox? I’ve never had botox done before, but I will have to say no just by looking at people who have had botox. It’s a skin care product. I mean, it’s a good alternative that’s not invasive if that’s what you’re looking for. The results won’t be the same as botox, obviously.

The Ordinary Amino Acids + B5:

This is a lightweight, runny, liquid serum. It absorbs into the skin very well. It feels like I’m applying water to my skin. 💦 I guess it hydrates my skin a little bit. Not too much. With this serum, I can’t tell if it has done anything, but it doesn’t hurt to keep it in my routine. It hasn’t clogged my pores at all like I thought it did before. It’s been pretty good using it daily. No harm done. I just hope it does something positive for my skin in the long run. I’ll keep using it for the time being.

The Ordinary Ascorbic Acid 8% Alpha Arbutin 2%:

I thought I would never use The Ordinary Ascorbic Acid 8% Alpha Arbutin 2% ever again. Now here I am using it every single day without any issues. This vitamin c serum with alpha arbutin has not cause my skin to breakout. No irritation. Nothing bad at all. Since it has an oily feel to it, it leaves my skin feeling moisturized and silky. I’m not a huge fan of the serum feeling oily, but it hasn’t done any harm. I’m nearing 2 weeks on using it. So far, everything is going well. I hope everything goes smoothly as I keep using it. I can’t wait to see results! I’m definitely a fan of vitamin c serums. I feel like this might be staple in my routine soon!

The Ordinary Resveratrol 3% Ferulic Acid 3%:

Just like The Ordinary Ascorbic Acid 8% Alpha Arbutin 2%, The Ordinary Resveratrol 3% Ferulic Acid 3% has that oily feel to it too, but it hasn’t done anything bad to my skin. It hasn’t clogged my pores, no irritation, nothing. Everything is going well. With this serum, I just can’t tell if it’s doing anything. I’m just using it because it’s an antioxidant serum with resveratrol and ferulic acid. And ferulic acid and ascorbic acid go very well together. This is something I’ll keep using just because. Let’s go for it!

The Ordinary Pycnogenol 5%:

Here goes to another serum that I can’t tell if it’s doing anything for my skin. It also has a oily feel to it. Hasn’t clogged my pores either. No skin irritations. No redness. All is good! But does it work? Who knows. I have a couple of bottles of The Ordinary Pycnogenol 5% to use up. I’ll continue to use it just because too. I have it, so why not? Let’s see what it can do. If I can ever visually see the effects it has on my skin, lol.

That’s my update on my The Ordinary skin care products/serums! Look forward to a new update on them soon! I’m very excited for the results, since my skin has improved so much since! 🙂