The Ordinary is a popular vegan beauty brand that offers a wide range of high-quality skin products for affordable prices. While PCOS-induced acne and problematic skin are typically caused by hormonal fluctuations and need to be treated from within, using appropriate skincare products is equally important.
You can find more information about how to address the root cause of PCOS acne and heal your skin in my previous article ‘PCOS Acne Explained & How To Treat It Naturally’. You can also find my all-time favorite skincare products here ‘The Best Skincare Products For PCOS & Hormonal Acne‘ .
In this article, however, I’ll give you tips on my 6 favorite products from The Ordinary that made the biggest difference to my skin and that I still keep in my skincare routine till this day (I used to suffer from severe hormonal acne for many years).
About The Ordinary
✓ affordable
✓ effective
✓ non-toxic
✓ vegan
✓ cruelty-free
✓ sustainable
One of the great things about The Ordinary is that their skincare selection consists of basic single-ingredient products that you can tailor to your skin’s unique needs. While this makes their products particularly effective, it also requires a little bit of knowledge about such ingredients and their proper use.
If you’re not familiar with the ingredients and all of The Ordinary products seem a bit confusing to you, don’t worry as I’m here to break it down for you. Here are my top 6 products from The Ordinary for acne-prone skin and PCOS.
Best The Ordinary products for PCOS acne:
- Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1%
- AHA 30% + BHA 2% Peel Solution
- Salicylic acid 2% Solution
- Glycolic Acid 7% Toning Solution
- Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5
- Granactive Retinoid 5% in Squalene
1. Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1%
Best for: acne/acne scars – oily skin
If you suffer from active acne, oily skin and discoloration, this is probably one of the best serums to use from The Ordinary. Niacinamide and zinc are two powerful ingredients that have been shown to improve skin quality in multiple ways.
Niacinamide is a form of vitamin B3 that appears to be particularly great for brightening skin and reducing redness when applied topically. Zinc is another powerful ingredient that helps control sebum (oil) production and prevent further breakouts.
While I absolutely love this serum and it works for my acne-prone skin great, you should be aware that there are also many people that can’t tolerate it at all. For this reason, I highly recommend introducing this product to your skin slowly and using only small amounts (1-3 drops). Use it before a moisturizer and avoid combining it with other skincare products containing pure vitamin C.
Check out the price on Amazon HERE.
2. AHA 30% + BHA 2% Peel Solution
Best for: fungal acne/acne scars – texture
Exfoliating can be a bit tricky if you suffer from problematic skin as physical peels (scrubs/peelings) can be quite harsh for the skin and actually make your acne worse. However, it is an important step to keep in your skincare routine as exfoliating can help remove dead skin cells, even out skin tone and improve skin texture.
Chemical peels (acids – AHA/BHA) may therefore be a better option for someone with sensitive and acne-prone skin. That being said, even chemical peels can be irritating when used in the wrong way or too frequently. I highly recommend starting with chemical peels slowly (1-2x/week).
The Ordinary AHA 30% + BHA 2 % peel solution is a form of highly concentrated chemical peel that contains a combination of some of the most powerful chemical exfoliants (Glycolic Acid, Salicylic Acid, Lactic Acid, Tartaric Acid). It is only meant to be used as a 10-minute mask after cleansing but you can start with even shorter periods.
This is probably my favorite product to get rid of acne scars, discoloration and fungal acne (little white bumps) but please beware that it can a bit too aggressive for active acne and open wounds (it really stings when applied on broken skin). Always patch test and don’t overuse it.
Check out the price on Amazon HERE.
3. Salicylic acid 2% Solution
Best for: oily skin/acne – texture
Salicylic acid is a type of powerful BHA (beta-hydroxy acid) that is used as a chemical exfoliant for the skin. It helps unclog pores, reduce inflammation and remove any oils, dead cells and bacteria that could result in breakouts. Since it’s oil-soluble, it gets really deep into your pores and does its job.
While salicylic acid can be an amazing ingredient for anyone suffering from acne, blemishes and oily skin, it is also relatively poorly tolerated by many individuals. I personally found that using too much salicylic acid (or too often) doesn’t do my skin any good.
However, I love using salicylic acid as a spot treatment if I get any new breakouts or as a mask to brighten up my skin. As always, I recommend starting slowly with salicylic acid and always considering your own skin tolerance. The Ordinary Salicylic acid 2% solution is actually the highest over-the-counter concentration formula you can get so you want to be mindful of that.
Check out the price on Amazon HERE.
4. Glycolic Acid 7% Toning Solution
Best for: acne scars – texture
Glycolic acid is a type of AHA (alpha-hydroxy acid) that helps exfoliate the upper layer of skin, unclog pores and improve the overall texture of the skin (it’s a bit more gentle than BHA). It’s also associated with anti-inflammatory and anti-aging properties.
The Ordinary Glycolic Acid 7% toning solution (one of their best-sellers) is specifically formulated to be used as a toner (with the right pH balance and other calming ingredients) but should not be used more than 1x/day (it’s still a powerful chemical exfoliant). If your skin can’t tolerate salicylic acid then glycolic acid might be a better option for you.
From my experience, this glycolic acid toner (as well as the AHA & BHA solution) is one of the best products for fading acne scars and improving texture (it was one of the most difficult things to do after healing my acne). However, I only use it occasionally as I have very sensitive skin and I don’t want to overdo it with acids. I suggest you also take it easy with these chemicals.
Check out the price on Amazon HERE.
5. Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5
Best for: acne scars – hydration
Hyaluronic acid (HA) is another popular cosmetic ingredient that is also strongly backed by evidence for its beneficial effects on the skin. The major benefits of HA in skincare are its moisturizing and hydrating properties. It acts as a sponge that soaks up water and locks it in the skin. In fact, HA is a natural substance found in different places in your body (including your skin).
Even if your skin is typically oily and acne-prone, you still want to keep it well hydrated and moisturized to speed up healing and prevent scarring. For this reason, adding a HA solution into your skincare routine can be a great way to do it.
The Ordinary Hyaluronic acid 2% + B5 serum is particularly good for acne-prone skin as it’s water-based and contains calming panthenol (vitamin B5). You can use it separately as a serum but I personally love to add a few drops into my moisturizer and apply it that way.
It’s very hydrating (makes your skin plump) and I also found it to work great as a soothing solution after my chemical peels or when my skin feels a bit irritated. I just don’t recommend using large amounts as it can lead to unwanted breakouts.
Check out the price on Amazon HERE.
6. Granactive Retinoid 5% in Squalene
Best for: acne scars/wrinkles – elasticity
Topical retinoids (different derivatives of vitamin A) are considered to be the gold standard in skincare (especially anti-aging) as this substance has been shown to lead to visible skin benefits. Retinoids are one of the rare ingredients that can significantly improve texture, reduce wrinkles, even out skin tone and increased the elasticity of the skin.
In other words, retinoids really work and unlike most beauty claims, there’s solid evidence to prove it. Even though you can only get highly concentrated retinoids on prescription, there are a few over-the-counter retinoid products that are still highly effective. The Ordinary Granactive Retinoid 6% in Squalene is one of my favorites.
This retinoid serum is actually the strongest you can get without a prescription (5%) and the best thing is that it’s very well formulated to prevent irritations and dryness (very common side effects of using retinoids). It contains Hydroxypinacolone Retinoate (Granactive Retinoid) which is a type of strong retinoid that is generally well tolerated.
It’s also formulated with plant-derived squalane which is a moisturizing oil-like substance (naturally found in the skin) that doesn’t clog pores and keeps your skin hydrated. While this serum can feel a bit oily on the skin (I didn’t really like it at first) it is one of the few products that really did improved my skin texture and made it look healthy again (you have to stick with it for a few weeks at least).
I highly recommend starting with lower retinoid concentrations (0.5% or 2%) and building your way up to stronger products over time. It’s also best to use this product as a nighttime serum (especially if you’re not keen on the oily texture) and use only small quantities (remember that more product doesn’t always lead to better results). Nonetheless, it is one of my overall favorite products from The Ordinary for improving skin quality.
Check out the price on Amazon HERE.
Pro tips:
- Exfoliate gently – exfoliating is important for removing dead skin cells and cleaning your pores but you shouldn’t overdo it or be too aggressive as it can irritate your skin and lead to even worse acne (exfoliate 1-2x per week very gently)
- Keep it simple – keep your skincare routine simple and don’t use too many layers of products that aren’t completely necessary (or too much of it), try not to overcomplicate it (especially if your skin is sensitive)
Read more: ‘The Best Makeup Products For PCOS & Hormonal Acne‘ - Keep a skin diary – a skin diary is a great tool that can help you identify potential triggers in your skincare so you can better understand your individual needs and choose accordingly
- Be patient – keep in mind that it may take up to several weeks/months before you start seeing any results in your skin (especially when using retinoids)
- Store appropriately – keep all your skincare products in a cool dark place to extend their freshness (especially The Ordinary products as they don’t contain as many preservatives)
- Follow the instructions – always follow the instructions on the label on how to properly use the products and how to combine certain ingredients (especially with highly concentrated substances)
- Prioritize lifestyle – make sure you focus on developing healthy habits in other important areas that can affect your skin health (diet, sleep, stress, exercise, hydration)
Read more: ’How To Treat PCOS Naturally (Science-Based Guidelines)’
Resources:
- Del Rosso, J. Q., Gold, M., Rueda, M. J., Brandt, S., & Winkelman, W. J. (2015). Efficacy, safety, and subject satisfaction of a specified skin care regimen to cleanse, medicate, moisturize, and protect the skin of patients under treatment for acne vulgaris. The Journal of clinical and aesthetic dermatology, 8(1), 22–30. Available at: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25610521/
- Gainder, S., & Sharma, B. (2019). Update on Management of Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome for Dermatologists. Indian dermatology online journal, 10(2), 97–105. https://doi.org/10.4103/idoj.IDOJ_249_17
- Housman, E., & Reynolds, R. V. (2014). Polycystic ovary syndrome: a review for dermatologists: Part I. Diagnosis and manifestations. Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, 71(5), 847.e1–858. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaad.2014.05.007
- Ramezani Tehrani, F., Behboudi-Gandevani, S., Bidhendi Yarandi, R., Saei Ghare Naz, M., & Carmina, E. (2021). Prevalence of acne vulgaris among women with polycystic ovary syndrome: a systemic review and meta-analysis. Gynecological endocrinology : the official journal of the International Society of Gynecological Endocrinology, 37(5), 392–405. https://doi.org/10.1080/09513590.2020.1859474
- Zhao, J., Wang, Y., Jiang, L., & Mu, Y. Z. (2020). The application of skin care product in acne treatment. Dermatologic therapy, 33(6), e14287. https://doi.org/10.1111/dth.14287