Ask anyone in beauty, and they’ll all agree that coming across any kind of affordable skincare that actually works is the equivalent of stumbling across gold dust. It makes sense, therefore, that The Ordinary is just about one of the most-talked-about brands in beauty. Offering up seriously effective products for prices that might at first seem too good to be true, there really is no wonder that everyone wants a slice of The Ordinary pie.
It is because of the brand’s overwhelming popularity (and overwhelmingly great products) that beauty buffs have grown used to shortages. In fact, at any one time, you can almost guarantee that at least one product in the brand’s offering is out of stock nationwide (maybe even globally). And if you ask me, besides the fact that it offers up no-fuss, scientifically led products with seriously impressive ingredient lists for less than a tenner, the thing that makes The Ordinary so special is that, with no big-money marketing campaigns, its power has remained a bit of a secret among beauty fans.
Well, until that little bottle of red stuff took over TikTok, that is. You see, although The Ordinary is readily available from some of our most-loved retailers, when you take a step outside of the beauty bubble for a minute (it’s hard, I know, but hear me out), actually not that many people know too much about its products and what they have to offer. Which, I must admit, can be a little bit risky when the majority contain super-potent actives.
And that’s where TikTok comes into the picture. Anyone who has ever tried to shop The Ordinary will know that decoding the high-tech beauty lingo to try and establish exactly what a product is, what it should be used for and how to apply it isn’t easy. To put it lightly, I think it’s fair to assume that the main thing responsible for The Ordinary’s success is word of mouth and social media reviews. And while I am by no means a TikTok whizz (I literally only downloaded the app today, and, quite frankly, I’m overwhelmed), I must admit if you’re after genuinely useful, bite-size beauty reviews, it’s definitely the place to be. Still not convinced? Let me demonstrate.
The above video (which has garnered 4.4 million views) shows how TikTok user @kaelynwhitee uses The Ordinary AHA 30% + BHA 2% Peeling Solution (£6) to manage her breakouts. And the results can’t be disputed. While before photos showcase acneic breakouts, the afters show off a visibly clearer, glowing complexion. In fact, people have been so sold on the results that the brand has seen a 60% surge in orders across the whole site, and rumour has it, the brand has sold a whopping 100,000 bottles as a result. As a knock-on effect, TikTokers far and wide are now showing off their own skin transformations with The Ordinary’s Peeling Solution.
Now, I might not know a huge amount about TikTok, but I do know a thing or two about beauty, and I can safely say that the praise for Peeling Solution is by no means unfounded. Containing a powerful concoction of glycolic, lactic, tartaric, citric and salicylic acids, The Ordinary AHA 30% + BHA 2% Peeling Solution is without a doubt one of the most efficacious exfoliators on the market. While the AHAs (alpha hydroxy acids) work to improve texture and skin radiance tenfold, salicylic acid works to unclog pores and slough away at dead skin cells to reduce breakouts. This stuff is so good at what it claims to do that my sensitive skin simply can’t hack its greatness. (In fact, it’s so powerful that I highly recommend a patch test first.)
So if you’re seriously missing your salon skin treatments and itching for that little bit extra that your current skincare line-up just can’t deliver, this £6 product could be the answer. But please, don’t take my word for it. There are thousands of people on TikTok ready and waiting to tell you the same thing.
