The Ordinary Review
Ingredient-led skincare at transparent prices, for shoppers who read labels.
The Ordinary changed skincare by doing something no major brand had done before: printing the ingredient and its percentage on the front of the bottle, and charging a few dollars for it. Its premise is that shoppers who understand ingredients should not have to pay fifty dollars for a serum that contains a few dollars' worth of active ingredients, and that a brand can be honest about what is inside. The result is a brand that is loved by ingredient-literate shoppers, confusing for beginners, and genuinely disruptive to the industry's pricing.
Brand Overview
The Ordinary was launched in 2016 by DECIEM, a Canadian beauty company founded by Brandon Truaxe, and it was an immediate success. The brand's model was radically simple: single-ingredient or simple-formula serums, named for their active ingredient and its concentration, sold in plain dropper bottles at very low prices. A niacinamide serum for a few dollars, a hyaluronic acid serum for a few dollars, a retinoid for a few dollars. The approach attracted a large and knowledgeable following, particularly online, and it forced the wider industry to be more transparent about ingredients and pricing. DECIEM was acquired by Estée Lauder, which now owns the brand, and The Ordinary has since expanded its range considerably, adding cleansers, moisturizers, sunscreens, and more complex formulations, while keeping its low prices and its ingredient-led naming.
The brand's positioning is distinctive: it is not selling a routine, it is selling ingredients, and it expects the shopper to know what they want. That is both its strength and its weakness. For a shopper who has read about niacinamide or azelaic acid and wants to try it cheaply, The Ordinary is the best place to do so. For a beginner who wants to be told what to buy, it is confusing, because the range offers many similar-sounding products with little guidance on how to combine them. The brand has improved its guidance over time, with regimen guides and a website that explains how to layer products, but it remains a brand that rewards knowledge and punishes guesswork.
Representative Product Lines
Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1%. The brand's best-known product, a serum aimed at pores, oiliness, and blemishes. It is inexpensive, typically around $6–$8 as of November 2026, and it is widely used. It suits oily and combination skin well, though the high concentration can irritate sensitive skin, and a lower-strength niacinamide product may be better for beginners.
Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5. A hydrating serum that is a reasonable, cheap way to add hydration to a routine. It should be applied to damp skin and sealed with a moisturizer, as explained in our skincare routine guide. It is a simple product that does one job, and it does it well for its price.
Retinoids and retinol. The Ordinary offers several retinoids at different strengths, including Granactive Retinoid and a retinol in squalane. These are among the cheapest retinoids available, and they are a reasonable way to start, though beginners should begin with the lowest strength and use it slowly. Retinoids are not suitable during pregnancy, as discussed in our pregnancy-safe skincare guide.
Azelaic Acid Suspension 10%. A treatment for redness, uneven tone, and breakouts, and one of the brand's more useful products for sensitive skin, because azelaic acid is generally well tolerated. It is a reasonable option for people who want a treatment product without a prescription.
Cleansers, moisturizers, and sunscreen. The brand's basic care range has grown, and it now includes a squalane cleanser, a natural moisturizing factors moisturizer, and a mineral sunscreen. These are competent and cheap, though the range is less comprehensive than CeraVe's, and the sunscreen in particular has divided opinion on texture.
Strengths
- Price. Most products typically fall in the range of around $5–$15 as of November 2026, which makes The Ordinary one of the cheapest ways to try any given active ingredient.
- Transparency. The ingredient and its concentration are on the front of the bottle, which makes it easy to know what you are buying and to compare products.
- Ingredient range. The brand offers a wider range of single-ingredient treatments than any other brand at its price, which makes it useful for targeted concerns.
- Education. The brand's website and regimen guides have improved considerably, and they help shoppers combine products more safely than they used to.
Weaknesses
- Confusing for beginners. The range is large, the names are technical, and it is easy to buy the wrong product, or to combine products that should not be combined.
- Texture and elegance. Many products have basic textures, and some, particularly the suspensions and the higher-strength serums, can pill, feel sticky, or be difficult to layer.
- Risk of overuse. Because the products are cheap and the concentrations are high, it is easy to overdo it, using too many actives at once and damaging the skin barrier.
- Limited guidance in store. The brand is sold in stores where staff may not be able to give detailed advice, and the shopper is largely on their own.
Who It Suits, and Who Should Look Elsewhere
The Ordinary suits shoppers who read ingredient lists, who know which active ingredient they want, and who want to try it cheaply. It suits people building a targeted routine around a specific concern, such as oiliness, uneven tone, or fine lines, and people who are comfortable researching products before buying them. It is an excellent brand for a second step in a routine, added to a basic cleanser and moisturizer from a brand such as CeraVe.
It suits less well complete beginners, who should start with a simple routine from CeraVe or La Roche-Posay and add one Ordinary product at a time, and people with sensitive skin, who should be cautious with the higher concentrations and patch test carefully. Anyone who wants a ready-made routine, or who wants to be told what to buy, will be happier with a brand that sells routines rather than ingredients. For how to add actives safely, see our skincare routine guide and our ingredient list guide.
Typical Prices
Most The Ordinary products typically fall in the range of around $5–$15 as of November 2026, with most serums at the lower end of that range and moisturizers and sunscreens toward the higher end. Prices vary by retailer and by country. These are typical ranges, not exact prices, and they should be checked at the retailer before buying.
Editorial Verdict
The Ordinary is the best-value source of active ingredients in skincare, and it is the brand this site recommends most often for a specific, targeted treatment. The right way to use it is to start with a basic routine from another brand, identify one concern, choose one Ordinary product for it, and use it slowly and patiently. The wrong way is to buy five serums at once and use them all together, which is how the brand's reputation for causing irritation was earned. Bought one at a time, with knowledge and patience, it is an excellent brand. Bought impulsively, it is a fast way to damage your skin barrier. For the routine framework that makes it work, see our skincare routine guide.
Glow Ledger is an independent editorial publication and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or connected to The Ordinary, DECIEM, or Estée Lauder. This review is editorial opinion based on publicly available information and general product knowledge, not a laboratory test. Prices are typical ranges as of November 2026.
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About the author
Alex Carter is the founder and editor of Glow Ledger. He researches beauty products by reading ingredient lists, comparing formulations across price ranges, and checking brand claims against published dermatology guidance before writing a word. He accepts no payment from brands for coverage. Read more on the About page.
Editorial note: This review is editorial opinion based on publicly available information and general product knowledge. It is not a laboratory test, and it contains no review scores, star ratings, or invented test results. Prices mentioned are typical ranges as of November 2026 and vary by retailer.