Skin Care: How to Create a Skincare Routine with the Ordinary

Skin Care: How to Create a Skincare Routine with the Ordinary

I wanted to share my current skincare routine with you and show you how to create a skincare routine with the Ordinary skincare products. When I first looked at the Ordinary website, I found their instructions to be non-intuitive, so I reached out to my friend Josie, who is a skincare expert, to help me make sense of them. After she got me started, I was able to tailor a skincare routine to suit my skin’s needs.

I wanted to create a skincare routine that would help with my dryness, my sensitivity, my redness from rosacea and be anti-aging. That sounds like I’m asking for a lot, but here’s what I ended up choosing. I’m happy with this skincare routine.

Most of the products mentioned are vegan, so they’re suitable for everyone. The Ordinary is also fragrance free, which is great because fragrance often causes me to break out. Finally, many products are silicone free, too.

The Ordinary Vitamin C is a press sample. Everything else purchased by me.

Don’t miss out on the 4th of July Independence Day Sales!

How to Create a Skincare Routine for the Daytime

I know that it can seem daunting when there are so many steps in a skincare routine. I personally like to have as few steps as possible. I’ve learned the hard way that with my skin issues, I can’t really expect 1 product to do it all for me. However, if you still feel like there are too many steps in this routine, you can always try consolidating them. I think it’s more important to have a routine that you stick with than to have a complicated routine you never follow.

1. Ren Evercalm Gentle Cleansing Milk
The Ren Evercalm cleanser is soothing, minimizes the signs of chronic irritation and sensitivity, and anti-aging. It’s free of fragrance, gluten free and vegan.

2.  The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5 mixed with The Ordinary Vitamin C Suspension 23% + HA Spheres 2%
Originally I used these two products separately, but because the Vitamin C has a bit of a gritty texture, I mix it with the Hyaluronic Acid. The Hyaluronic Acid is excellent at hydrating my dry skin and Vitamin B5 helps to smooth it. It’s vegan and silicone free. The Vitamin C also contains hyaluronic acid on its own. Vitamin C helps to brighten, hydrate and smooth the skin. It reduces fine lines and hyperpigmentation. It’s also silicone free and vegan. After you apply this, you need to wait 5 minutes or so for it to absorb before going onto the next step.

3. The Ordinary Argireline Solution 10%
Argireline is a new product for me. It’s a water-based serum that’s formulated to improve the appearance of fine lines and expression wrinkles around the eyes and forehead. It’s silicone free and vegan. I normally fan my face to help this dry faster and then move on to the next step.

4. The Body Shop Oils Of Life Intensely Revitalizing Gel Cream and Ren Evercalm Global Protection Day Cream
I really love this eye cream and I’m on my second jar. It’s filled with antioxidants for anti-aging, omega 3 omega 6 and oleic acid. But you can use any eye cream that you love and you feel works for you. I put it around my eyes and gently tap it in. Like the Ren Evercalm Cleanser, the Ren Day Cream is extremely soothing. It’s formulated with chamomile and calendula oil to help reduce redness. It also has a ton of antioxidants to help protect the skin. Ren Evercalm Global Protection Day Cream is gluten free and vegan. I wait until both of these are absorbed before I go onto my last step.

5. Paula’s Choice Calm Redness Relief SPF 30 or MDSolarSciences Mineral Creme SPF 50 or Supergoop Everyday SPF 50
I often wear the Paula’s Choice Calm Redness Relief SPF 30 when I’m going to be indoors all day because I sit near a window. It’s a vegan sunscreen (though many other Calm line products are not vegan). I really wish it was SPF 50. The MDSolarSciences Mineral Creme SPF 50 is almost perfect, except it isn’t as moisturizing as I would like, but I fix that by using the Ren Global Day Cream beneath it. It’s packed with antioxidants and vitamin C. It’s gluten free, fragrance free, paraben free and sulfate free. The Supergoop SPF 50 is a chemical sunscreen. It contains oat beta-glucan, which helps to moisturize the skin, especially if you’re going to be outdoors.

This is my 5 step daytime skincare routine. I don’t think it’s too complex, and I do think it makes a tremendous difference in my skin’s appearance. I have less redness and I’m more hydrated. I haven’t had flaky patches on my skin.

How to Create a Skincare Routine for the Nighttime

Real talk time:  if I’m extremely tired, I will just remove my makeup and do step 4 or 5. Step 6 is optional for me during the summer now, since my skin is less dry. I’m trying to determine if Step 5 is optional for me during the summer as well.

1. Ren Evercalm Gentle Cleansing Milk
Remove your makeup and cleanse your skin.

2. The Ordinary Alpha Arbutin 2% + HA or the Ordinary Azelaic Acid Suspension 10%
Alpha Arbutin is used to brighten the skin and fade hyperpigmentation. It’s silicone free and vegan. Azelaic Acid is also for brightening the skin, fading hyperpigmentation, and reducing redness associated with rosacea. It’s oil free and vegan. I alternate between these two products every 3 to 4 days. If you don’t have skin sensitivity like I do, you could probably alternate every day or every other day. If I’m using one of these products, I then wait for 5 minutes before I go on to the next step. If I had to pick just one, I would pick the Azelaic Acid Suspension. And to be honest, I will probably just stick to the Azelaic Acid after I finish the Alpha Arbutin. Not because it’s bad, but because I feel like the Azelaic Acid better addresses my redness from rosacea.

3. The Ordinary Argireline Solution 10%
I’ll gently apply the Argireline Solution to my eyes and forehead. Then I fan my face to help it dry faster.

4. The Body Shop Oils Of Life Intensely Revitalizing Gel Cream and The Ordinary Natural Moisturizing Factors + HA mixed with Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5
Natural Moisturizing Factors + HA has fatty acids, ceramides, and hyaluronic acid to help hydrate the skin. I just add a few drops of hyaluronic acid to it because my skin loves it. It’s silicone free, oil free and vegan. I wait for this to absorb. I’ve been cautiously optimistic about the Natural Moisturizing Factors + HA and have decided to try it as a night time moisturizer on its own for summer, to see if I can get away with skipping steps 5 and 6. I know I can definitely skip step 6 right now.

5. Bee Friendly Moisturizer Cream (possibly optional)
Bee Friendly Moisturizer Cream is heavy enough to help lock in moisture as I sleep. It’s made with extra virgin olive oil, beeswax with pollen and propolis, honey with royal jelly and vitamin E. I love how this feels on my skin. I’ve gone through 2 jars of it so far.

6. The Ordinary 100% Organic Cold-Pressed Rose Hip Seed Oil or Lucy Minerals Ambrosia for Dry Skin Oil (possibly optional)
If I’m really dry, which hasn’t happened for quite some time, I seal everything in with a beauty oil. Rose Hip Seed Oil is a lightweight, non-greasy facial oil that hydrates the skin. It also helps to create a radiant, even skintone. It’s vegan. Ambrosia for dry skin has shea butter oil, avocado oil, cherry kernel oil, rose hip oil, aloe vera extract, jojoba oil, argan oil, camellia oil and rose geranium oil. Both of these do a wonderful job at hydrating the skin.

Other Skin Types

I’ve put together some suggestions on products for other skin types. You don’t need all of these items, but I think this will help to point you in the right direction. As a rule when putting on your skincare, you go from thinnest to thickest – so serums first, oils last. If you’re using a resurfacing treatment, you’ll put that on first and you need to usually wait at least 10 minutes (sometimes 20) before you can move on to your next step. When I’m doing my skincare at night I set a timer on my phone to let me know when my time is up.  I read my kindle to unwind and pass the time.

Acne Prone Skin Products

If you suffer from acne or blemishes I would look at the following products from the Ordinary.

• Salicylic Acid 2% Solution
• Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1%
• Azelaic Acid Suspension 10%
• Retinol 1%
• AHA 30% + BHA 2% Peeling Solution

Oily Skin Products

If you have oily skin I would check out the following products to create a skincare routine. You should still use a lightweight moisturizer even if you have oily skin. Sometimes skin is oily because it’s dehydrated and needs moisture.

• Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1%
• Salicylic Acid 2% Solution
• Natural Moisturizing Factors + HA
• High-Spreadability Fluid Primer

Dry Skin or Sensitive Skin Products

If you have dry, dehydrated or sensitive skin and don’t want to try my exact routine, I would look at these products.

• Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5
• Natural Moisturizing Factors + HA
• 100% Organic Cold-Pressed Rose Hip Seed Oil
• 100% Plant-Derived Squalane

Anti-Aging Skincare Products

If you have older skin, wrinkles, fine lines, etc things that you want to address, I would check out these items.

• Argireline Solution 10%
• Natural Moisturizing Factors + HA
• Buffet
• Glycolic Acid 7% Toning Solution
• Advanced Retinoid 2%
• 100% Plant-Derived Squalane
• 100% Organic Cold-Pressed Rose Hip Seed Oil
• AHA 30% + BHA 2% Peeling Solution

How to Create a Skincare Routine Advice

Now, as I mentioned above, my skincare routine is to reduce my redness from rosacea, hydrate my dry skin, and I also want it to be anti-aging. You may not need to do all of these things for your skin. Most people certainly won’t need to buy the expensive Ren Evercalm Global Protection Day Cream.

If you want to know how to create a skincare routine with only Ordinary skincare brand products, here’s what I recommend. All of these products together will cost you about $44. Check out my cruelty free drugstore skincare brands to find an affordable cleanser and SPF to complete your skincare routine.

• Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5 – $6.80 (can be used in day and nighttime routines)
• Vitamin C Suspension 23% + HA Spheres 2% – $5.80 (for daytime use, you need SPF if you use this)
• Argireline Solution 10% – $7.90  (can be used in day and nighttime routines)
• Azelaic Acid Suspension 10% – $7.90 (for nighttime use, 2 to 3 times a week, not every night)
• Natural Moisturizing Factors + HA – $5.80  (can be used in day and nighttime routines)
• 100% Organic Cold-Pressed Rose Hip Seed Oil – $9.80 (for nighttime use, though some people also recommend a bit on top of foundation if you feel dry)

I hope this helps you with how to create a skincare routine. Have you tried the Ordinary skincare? If you’re using the Ordinary, share your skin type and routine in the comments below!

Check out my Gothic Clothing Guide: how to build a goth wardrobe!

Other Skincare Features You’ll Love

• Quick Skincare Routine for Busy People
• Best Facial Cleansers for Dry Sensitive Skin
• L’Bri Skincare Review
• Overnight Skincare Secrets