Last week we told you about Niod and The Ordinary but we were still baffled as to how to incorporate the products into our regime. So we went back to Victoria Health and asked its founder, Gill Sinclair, to give us some good practical advice as to how to use the products. She sent us this very helpful guide below, which lists what each product contains plus a few suggested regimes, depending on your skin.
The Ordinary Regime Guide
The Ordinary products are designed to be used either as stand-alone or integrated into an existing skincare regime. The Ordinary, as its name suggests, is just that, ordinary. We are using clinical formulations such as Matrixyl, and delivering them with integrity and honesty in terms of the pricing. The Ordinary is an evolving range and we have much to do, so it will constantly be changing in terms of products and information but in general terms, water formulations should be applied before oil formulations and we recommend using a maximum of three serum formulations in a single regime.
The table below offers a summary on how our formulations can be combined into a regime:
| Format | Regimen Step | Conflicts | Time of Use | |
| Buffet | Water Solution | Before Oils/Creams | – | AM and PM |
| 100% Organic Cold-Pressed Rose Hip Seed Oil | Oil | After Water Solutions | – | Any Time |
| Advanced Retinoid 2% | Emulsion | Before Oils/Creams | – | PM Only |
| Alpha Arbutin 2% + HA | Water Solution | Before Oils/Creams | – | AM and PM |
| Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5 | Water Solution | Before Oils/Creams | – | AM and PM |
| Lactic Acid 10% + HA 2% | Water Solution | Before Oils/Creams | – | Ideally PM |
| Lactic Acid 5% + HA 2% | Water Solution | Before Oils/Creams | – | Ideally PM |
| Matrixyl 10% + HA | Water Solution | Before Oils/Creams | – | AM and PM |
| Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1% | Water Solution | Before Oils/Creams | Vitamin C | AM and/or PM |
| 100% Organic Cold-Pressed Argan Oil | Oil | After Water Solutions | – | Any Time |
| Azelaic Acid Suspension 10% | Suspension | After Water Solutions | – | Ideally PM |
| Vitamin C Suspension 23% + HA Spheres 2% | Suspension | After Water Solutions | Niacinamide | Ideally PM |
| Ascorbyl Glucoside Solution 12% | Water Solution | Before Oils/Creams | – | AM and PM |
| Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate Solution 10% | Emulsion | After Water Solutions | – | AM and PM |
| Ascorbyl Tetraisopalmitate Solution 20% in Vitamin F | Oil Solution | After Water Solutions | – | AM and/or PM |
Below are some examples of regimes:
For General Signs of Age:
Morning: Buffet, Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5
Evening: Buffet, Advanced Retinoid 2%, 100% Organic Cold-Pressed Rose Hip Seed Oil
For Pigmentation:
Morning: Alpha Arbutin 2% + HA, Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1%, Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate Solution 10%;
Evening: Alpha Arbutin 2% + HA, Azelaic Acid Suspension 10%, Advanced Retinoid 2%
For Dehydration:
Morning: Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5, Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate Solution 10%
Evening: Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5, Advanced Retinoid 2%; 100% Organic Cold-Pressed Rose Hip Seed Oil
Note: If using CAIS from NIOD, it is important that CAIS is applied at least 30 seconds before the application of the following products from The Ordinary: Lactic Acid 5%/10% + HA 2%, Vitamin C Suspension 23% + HA Spheres 2%, Azelaic Acid Suspension 10%.
NIOD Guide
NIOD launched in May 2015 with two core products:
Copper Amino Isolate Serum (CAIS) and
Multi-Molecular Hydration Complex (MMHC)
It is recommended that they are both used in any NIOD skincare regime. Other specifically targeted products have now been launched which can used as stand-alones or incorporated into regimes. There is no specific NIOD regime, but most NIOD followers use almost every product, which now includes four masques.
These products can be purchased at www.victoriahealth.com.
