I always have some kind of Deciem product in my skincare arsenal. They have such a wide variety and large selection of products sometimes it can be a little daunting where to start. Deciem is the parent company over brands like NIOD, Hylamide most famously The Ordinary. I started this piece with the idea of giving you the top seven from Deciem but I found it too hard to make that small of a list because they quite literally have so many good products. I’ve dabbled a bit in a few of their smaller lines like Chemistry Brand and Hylamide but I really think the gold is in NIOD & The Ordinary. *I have now updated this post from two years ago to reflect current thoughts.
The Ordinary took the world by storm when it launched because it advertised great skincare ingredients at extremely affordable prices. The Ordinary has a huge range of products and it can be a little overwhelming where to start. Natural Moisturizing Factors + HA is my most repurchased product. I use it everyday, it’s my go to moisturizer for my daughter. I also use it as a hand cream and it’s great to soothe any dry areas around your nose. You get a 100ml tube for $7.70 which is really good. Natural Moisturizing Factors (NMF) are compounds that are naturally found in your skin. They are things like amino acids, fatty acids, triglycerides, urea, ceramides, phospholipids, saccharides, hyaluronic acid & lactic acid is one as well. They help keep your skin barrier intact. What I love about this cream is that it hydrates and replenishes the skin without being heavy or greasy. Review HERE. The Squalane Cleanser is a fun product. It’s a gel oil balm that’s super smooth and glossy. Think thick gel cream but blended with oil (squalane in this case which is light). It removes all makeup and SPF with ease then emulsifies and rinses clean. It’s fragrance free like all Deciem products so great for sensitive skin. Apply this to dry skin on makeup then add water and rinse. Easy and cheap. I did talk about it HERE.
Everyone loves an acid toner & the Glycolic Acid 7% Toning Solution is a value. It has just high enough of a glycolic acid percentage to be effective while not being too high it’s harsh. This comes in a huge 240ml bottle for $8.70. Can’t beat that. This acid toner also has rose flower water, aloe, propanediol, glycerin, ginseng & Tasmanian Pepperberry (reduces irritation). For the price there is no better acid toner on the market. Review HERE. While I do refer a more refined multi-acid blend now, for the under $10 range this is it. If you want an acid product that is a high concentration and meant for that quick effective occasional treatment go for their AHA 30% + BHA 2% Peeling Solution. This is a quick 10 minute treatment mask. This has a potent blend of exfoliating alpha hydroxy acids glycolic, lactic, tartaric and citric with salicylic acid to help unglue those pores. This is a very potent and effective peel and best of all it’s only $7.20 for 30ml. Review HERE. Remember to keep this at once a week and follow directions. No overuse and you’ll be better off. **Update–See bottom of page.
The Ordinary has a lot of cheap single oil products. I tend to prefer a blended oil so my favorite from the line is the “B” Oil. It’s hard to believe this is only $9.20 for a 30ml bottle because it’s really good. The texture feels like a more expensive oil. “B” Oil has micro-algae mixed with squalane, marula, argan, baobab, pataua, brazil nut, inca inchi, rosehip and borage oils. They also threw in antioxidant powerhouse tomato fruit extract which is packed with lycopenes. If you want to get into oils this one is well worth looking at. Review HERE. If you want to depuff you puffy eyes you can’t beat the Caffeine Solution 5% + EGCG. This thin gel hydrates while the caffeine helps reduce puffiness. The large 30ml bottle will last you forever as you only need a tiny bit. Best of all the bottle costs only $6.70. Review HERE.
“Buffet” was one of my first purchases from The Ordinary. This is your anti-aging peptide serum. This serum has six potent peptides in the form of Matrixyl™ 3000, Matrixyl™ synthe’6™, SYN™-AKE, Relistase peptide complex & ARGIRELOX™. This is a hydrating serum with probiotics, multiple hydrators & amino acids. These are the same peptides in high end ($100+) anti-aging serums at a steal (30ml is only $14.80). Easily an item you should try one day if you like peptides. Review HERE. Later there was a better take on “Buffet” by adding it with copper tri-peptides. Hence “Buffet” + Copper Peptides 1% was born. Think hydrating serum, all the anti-aging peptides of “Buffet” with the healing power of copper tri-peptides. It’s the most expensive The Ordinary product at $28.90 but it’s a great addition to any skincare routine and if you’re into peptides and want more affordable options (peptides aren’t cheap) this is for you.
I’m not a huge fan of The Ordinary’s Vitamin C products that have been launched so far as I don’t like their textures. However the Ascorbic Acid 8% +Alpha Arbutin 2% really surprised me. I love the brightening and collagen building effects of the gold standard ascorbic acid. This serum has a nice slippery hydrating texture that’s not sticky. The 8% level is perfect for most people as it won’t be as harsh as a higher 15-20% concentration. Combined with brightening alpha arbutin this makes a nice product and I saw results in two weeks. At $10 for 30ml it’s a good deal. Review HERE. I figured I should throw in my favorite retinoid product from The Ordinary. The Granactive Retinoid 2% Emulsion is my favorite. This uses newer generation retinoid Hydroxypinacolone Retinoate (HPR) instead of traditional retinol. I absolutely love this retinoid as it’s effective without the harsh side effects of retinol. I’m a firm believer that if you are able to use a more gentle retinol consistently you’ll get better effects than if you use a strong one weekly because the side effects are too bad. This has a nice light milky serum texture as well, so no annoying thick cream base like too many retinols. This is a medium strength treatment so it should suit a wide variety of people. This is the same retinoid used in Sunday Riley Luna, Zelens, Pestle & Mortar, Votary and Mad Hippie to name a few. HPR is taking the world by storm for good reason. Review HERE.
Marine Hyaluronics is a newer hydrating product combining an almost water light texture with hyaluronic acid free. It contains exopolysaccharides from skin-friendly marine bacteria, Hawaiian red algae, glycoproteins, algae and amino acids. It has a funky smell at times but if you’re looking for hydration with a non-HA way it’s actually quite good, especially for $6.80 a bottle. Amino Acids + B5 is also a newer type of hydrating serum that’s hyaluronic acid free. It uses amino acids and amino acid derivatives to mimic the composition of the skin’s own natural moisturizing factors. It also contains D-Panthenol a provitamin of B5. It’s not-greasy and has a truly unique kind of liquid texture that’s not the usual slippery sort. If you’re looking for hyaluronic free hydrating serums these are fun to try. Review HERE.
While The Ordinary makes great cheaper products it’s the NIOD range that is the hidden gem of Deciem. The NIOD line is more high tech and the textures are phenomenal in comparison to most The Ordinary products. There are four items from NIOD that are worth the splurge. RE: PIGMENT is your hyperpigmentation fighting serum. It’s got a thin fluid texture so it’s easy to layer and apply. The technology can be a little confusing when you read the online description (as with most NIOD descriptions). This serum noticeably helped my melasma and sun damage spots. Very few things have actually made a dent in my melasma. If you have stubborn pigmentation this one is worth a try. I would start with the 15ml smaller size for $39 and see if it works for you. Due to the fluid texture a bottle lasts forever as you only need a touch. You can also spot treat with this serum. Review HERE. Survival 0 has become a more recent favorite for it’s well done antioxidant formulation. It’s a creamy yet light serum with non-vitamin C antioxidants. It has prebiotics, algae, tomato carotenoids (a favorite of mine), Pycnogenol & superoxide dismutase. If you’re looking for a fun, unique antioxidant serum that’s not vitamin C based you should try this one. Review HERE.
Multi-Molecular Hyaluronic Complex is one of my favorite hydrating serums of all time. It’s got a super lightweight fluid texture that’s so easy to layer. It’s not sticky or too heavy like some hyaluronic acid serums. MMHC uses 15 hyaluronic complexes to hydrate the skin. It’s the most advanced, unique hyaluronic acid serum that I’ve come across. It’s got a perfect texture and it works. Buy the full size 30ml bottle for $60 it’s worth it. Review HERE. Fractionated Eye Contour Concentrate is the multi-purpose eye serum for tackling lines, dark circles, puffiness, elasticity and texture. This also has a very fluid texture so it sinks in quickly. You can layer a hydrating cream over if you need more moisture. I’m very skeptical of eye serums as most don’t do anything for my dark circles (genetics and lack of sleep). FECC is one of the only eye serums that has actually made some difference in my dark circles. It does also help with lines, skin texture and tone. It’s one of the most impressive eye serums I’ve tried and worth the $68 for 15ml. It’ll last forever because you only need a drop each eye. Review HERE.
Lastly is CAIS or Copper Amino Isolate Serum. Copper tri-peptides are a pro-collagen and pro-repair compound. This serum has an intense blue hue and water like texture. Copper tri-peptides are involved in improving skin health. One impressive part is its ability to help speed up wound healing. That means this serum is great for acne or breakouts. It will help the active ones heal faster with less damage and it can even help new ones from coming as often. This was a lifesaver when I went through my monthly hormonal acne phase. When I used this consistently I noticed my breakouts were less severe, if at all, and the spots healed faster. Less breakouts was well worth the splurge. Now I mainly use it for the pro-collagen and pro-skin health effects. Review HERE. Recently they launched CAIS 3 where you no longer have to mix bottles. It comes stabilized on its own. Copper Amino Isolate Lipid 1% has become an internet sensation. It’s a gel oil product with all the benefits of copper tri-peptide plus it’s more soothing. Used as a last step like a moisturizer which is the recommended way, however those of you who are dry like me cannot use it as a moisturizer. So I layer it. It’s usually sold out because of its cult following. Review HERE.
Modulating Glucosides is a more recent love of mine. It’s also one of the most recent additions to the brand. Think creamy serum that really soothing and anti-inflammatory. If you have sensitive skin this is for you. It combines, lipids, a soothing peptide, soothing plant extracts and tasmanian pepperberry which repeats itself throughout their products. Grab a seperate pump while you’re grabbing this. It’s thicker. If you have any kind of need for barrier repair or help with sensitivity this is worth a try. I quite enjoy layering it. Review HERE. In the same aspect of being gentle on the skin Non-Acid Acid Precursor 15% is a gel cream serum that helps exfoliate but without acids. Again if you’re sensitive this is a product you most definitely need to try. It uses probiotic bacteria, amino isolates, an oligopeptide and exopolysaccharide. Don’t ask me how it actually works but it does gently and with no irritation smooth and exfoliate the skin. Absolutely revolutionary. Review HERE. If you have sensitive skin try these two for sure.
Overall I could have taken out some items I don’t use anymore (acids), but they’re still here as they’re good products worth looking into, especially if you’re just getting into the brand. I tend to not really like their vitamin C and acid products. I prefer ascorbic acid and while I like the ethylated versions they have an oil base isn’t my favorite texture. I prefer acid blends not singles and so I tend to not reach for their acids anymore. I have heard the salicylic acid products they have are fantastic for the price, I just don’t use salicylic acid anymore so they’re not on the list.
*While I do receive PR now from the brand, I have bought quite a few products myself