Today’s blog is a product review of The Ordinary’s moisturiser. Its US$12.50 and so cheaper than a food truck lunch in NY.
What’s a moisturiser?
I have written 2 blogs that are pertinent:
What moisturisers do is they RESTORE SKIN BARRIER so that it loses less water (called transepidermal water loss) rather than ADDING water to the skin barrier.
Old school moisturisers contain these ingredients to help do this:
Emollients: Make skin feel soft and smooth by filling in cracks and gaps between skin cells in the visible layer of our skin. Its a temporary effect and the next time you wash your face, the effects gone. E.g. Jojoba oil, propylene glycol, dimethicone
Occlusives: form a protective barrier. E.g. petrolatum (Vaseline), Silicones, Mineral oil
Humectants. A humectant loves water, and it draws water from the lower levels of the epidermis and from the air around your skin. Humectants will hydrogen bond with water and “sit” in the lamellar lipid matrix in the SC. As, humectants draw water from lower levels its invariably coupled with an occlusive in a moisturiser. E.g. Hyaluronic Acid, Glycerin, Urea
A good example is Cetaphil hydrating lotion….
This only has glycerin (a humectant) as the only moisturising ingredient…Let’s not under-estimate the importance of humble glycerin, as it has been implicated in skin barrier repair. Its present in our skin and I bet if you look at 80% of your skincare products, they will have glycerin
How is the Ordinary product different?
Let’s look at the ingredient list
Translating this to lay person speak…
The product is a combination of
- Humectants – great at holding water
- Fatty acids – present in the lipid matrix of the skin, so help with hydration
- Sugars – that are great at holding water
What’s interesting is that the Humectants present here are mainly NATURAL MOISTURISING FACTORS
What’s a Natural Moisturising Factor?
NMF are small compounds that are exclusively found in the Stratum Corneum (the topmost layer of the skin, including the visible layer of the skin).
NMFs are a bunch of compounds and consist primarily of:
- Amino Acids and their derivatives
- Urea
- Hyaluronic Acid
- Sodium PCA
- PCA
- Urea
Such compounds are highly hygroscopic in nature and act as osmotic agents and draw water into the corneocytes (skin cells in the Stratum Corneum) from the environment and lower levels of the skin to ensure that appropriate levels of hydration remain in the top layer.
Is it any good?
I will be honest with you, I really really like this product.
- its easy to apply
- light texture but not runny or watert
- instantly hydrating: skin looks radiant and supple
- unfragranced
- non-tacky in feel
Its also a very very clever product because the strategy it uses to keep skin hydrated is to use ingredients that are mainly ONLY present in the top layer – its an innovative product for sure.
Would I buy this Ordinary product again?
For US$ 12.50, I would absolutely buy this product again.
Would it replace my existing moisturiser with this Ordinary product?
No. Modern moisturisers contain a whole bunch of ingredients that this completely lacks (e.g.) ceramides, cholesterol, vitamins, actives…so no.
BUT for US$ 12.50 its a nice to have product for those days when you feel the need for extra hydration.
How about the Triethanolamine in this Ordinary product?
In the US, the Cosmetic Ingredient Review looked at triethanolamine in 2013 and concluded its safe to use given the limited dermal penetration of the compound. Provided triethanolamine is not combined with N-nitroso compounds, as Nitrosamines can be formed. (Nitrosamines are carcinogenic or cancer causing).
Honestly, I have never seen triethanolamine combined with N-nitroso compounds. Its a risk that exists on paper as far as I am concerned, with respect to this product.
Sources and uses
Safety Assessment of Triethanolamine and Triethanolamine-Containing Ingredients as Used in Cosmetics International Journal of Toxicology 32 (Supplement 1) 595-835 2013