The Ordinary | Routine for mature skin

As I get older and more wrinkles and  ‘laughter lines’ have started to appear, I’ve been getting more and more interested in suitable products for my skin. I’ve always had good skin, rarely suffering with major blemishes, but overexposure to the sun in my teens with no SPF have left dark spots on my face. Over the years I heard great things about The Ordinary. With rave reviews and more than affordable prices, I’ve been keen to give their products a go for a while. What was putting me off? The “technical” jargon of what to use and what for. Words like hyaludronic acid, linoeleic acid, peptides, etc are a bit alien to me, and even with the help of Google I had no idea whether they would  be the right products for me, or what to use what specific product for.

But did you know you can email The Ordinary with your specific skincare requirements and they’d email you back with suggested skincare regime? I didn’t until a friend said she had done just that, and got a tailored routine back from them. I emailed them a couple of weeks ago to see if they could suggest some products and a skincare routine. My main concerns are prevention of lines and wrinkles, and  my skin’s pigmentation.

Here is the routine they suggested for me – this is a general guide according to the information I provided them with. I’m planning on using this routine for a couple of months, and then I will report back to let you know how I get on with it and what the results are.

See their suggested regime for mature skin below. 

The Ordinary suggests using no more than 3 serum formulations in a single routine for optimal skin penetration. They also suggest the following order of product application:

-Water based solutions

-Oil formulations

-Cream suspension formulas

My AM suggested routine

– The Ordinary “Buffet” – A multi-technology peptide serum that targets various visible signs of ageing at once

– The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5 – A multi-depth hydration serum that contains 3 hyaluronic acid complexes at multiple molecular weights and Vitamin B5

– The Ordinary Alpha Arbutin 2% + HA  -A concentrated serum with purified alpha arbutin. Alpha Arbutin reduces the looks of dark spots and hyperpigmentation

– The Ordinary Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate 10%  – A brightening and hydrating cream formula with stabilized Vitamin C derivative to visibly target uneven tone, dullness and signs of ageing

–The Ordinary Mineral UV Filters SPF15 or 30 with Antioxidants

My PM suggested Routine

– The Ordinary “Buffet” – A multi-technology peptide serum that targets various visible signs of ageing at once

– The Ordinary Hyaludronic Acid 2%  + B5  – A multi-depth hydration serum that contains 3 hyaluronic acid complexes at multiple molecular weights and Vitamin B5

–Retinol 0.2% in Squalane or The Ordinary Granactive Retinol 2% in Squalane  – Moderate  strength water – free retinol / retinol solutions that target multiple signs of ageing

–The Ordinary 100% Organic Cold Pressed Rose Hip Seed Oil – A daily support oil for healthy hydrated skin, targets signs of photo-ageing and several other skin conditions

It  goes without saying that anyone wanting to avoid lines or premature ageing needs to avoid unprotected solar exposure. I now regret all those years when I was younger, and wanted to tan quickly without realising the impact on my skin. I’m now super careful and try to wear an 50 SPF cream throughout. I still enjoy sitting in the sun, but I’m just much more careful nowadays..

I know this skin care routine will not be a quick solution and these products won’t erase my lines – wouldn’t that be great! – but hopefully they will help prevent ageing and educate me on the best products to use as my skin matures. Again, I’ll let you know in a couple of months how I get on and what I think of The Ordinary products.

The recommended routine – bar a couple of products I didn’t purchase as I already have something similar – comes to about £40 which it’s the same cost as a high end beauty product.

Have you tried The Ordinary products?

You can read here my follow up post to see how I got on with The Ordinary products.