Hence the name, trust me…there are nothing ordinary about THE ORDINARY.

Who doesn’t love high-quality skin care products at super affordable prices? Luckily, it’s quite easy for me to get this brand from local online stores.

It can be confusing to build a skincare routine from this Canada-born brand, because they are basically more active ingredient-driven products. If you’re not familiar with ingredients’ names, make sure you research a lot before purchasing. If I can have my way, I’d collect all of their minimalist dropper bottles, because they will look darn good on my vanity. But of course, I googled a lot before each of my purchase (just to be safe, because I do have sensitive skin with fungal acne problem).

Here are my current top 3 favorites:

1. AHA 30% + BHA 2% Peeling Solution: I used to do peeling once a month at my dermatologist’s clinic. But it was so bloody expensive, I decided to do it myself at home (once a week). Warning you: this burned, especially if you are not used to any acids exfoliation. Tip: start with a low percentage of AHA & BHA first, before jumping in to this high percentage of acid cocktails.
2. 100% Plant-Derived Squalane: 100% love! I used to hate facial oils, but this truly stands out from the oil crowd. I thought it’s going to smell fishy, but this is plant-sourced version. Odorless, anti-bacterial, won’t clog pores and best of all, can be used on sensitive (fungal acne) skin. Totally a winner, I use this every night as the final step of my skincare routine.
3. Azelaic Acid Suspension 10%: if only I know about this ingredient earlier in my teenager’s days. Azelaic Acid is an antioxidant that is naturally produced by yeast living on healthy skin. Now that I have fungal acne problem, I was quite hesitant to use this at the first place, because why feed yeast with yeast, right? Apparently, according to Simple Skin Care Science, Azelaic Acid is an effective treatment for fungal acne. This really helped my clogged pores a lot.

Next on my list:

• Glycolic Acid 7% Toning Solution
• Caffeine Solution 5% +EGCG
• Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1%
• Lactic Acid 10% + HA

PHOTOS: SHINTA ROSVITA