Deciem The Ordinary Vitamin C Suspension 23% + HA Spheres 2%

This product really cannot be worn under makeup,or even at night,for me.
It remains sticky and gritty and I cannot possibly see putting anything over it
without it being a disaster,and it would rub off onto my pillowcase if I used it
at night.

That said,I have found a use for it. If I am home during the day,I will put it on as
a mask and leave on for as long as I can....I figure my skin will get some of the Vit C
benefits,so it's not a total loss.

Will not repurchase this,but looking forward to trying the Vit C powder,as I love
the Philosophy one.

No big deal in trying this,it's cheap enough

So I jumped on the Ordinary bandwagon and just went crazy. By far, this brand is one of the best skincare finds of the century. Most of the products worked well for me and considering the price, I really don't have any complaints. However, as always, some products work better than others.

This one falls to the bottom of the pack for me, for the same reason as the Alpha Lipoic Acid. It works but it's just too unpleasant to use. The grainy bits disappear when I use it with a moisturiser but even then, it stings and it sits heavily on the skin for quite a long time, not really absorbing.

This is wonderful ,what it contains and for THAT price!!!
Yes;i have skipped Paulas Choice& im ceratnly not the obly one!,they are not the old slogan company that claimed :Everyone should afford good skincare company.
But enough about them.
I have very dry skin.
I mix the buffe serum %matrixyl serum and put it on my face.I then i blend a mix of TO oils and mix it with this amazing mosituraizer.
I let the cream get little vaem in my hand first.
Im so happy for the ordinary(for me they ate pc now).

Holy moley what did I apply on my skin last night? Being no stranger to Vit C serums (GOW 23% for example) I thought nothing could possibly go wrong with The Ordinary's 23% concentration. Boy was I wrong. Within 60 seconds of applying this gritty and very oily-feeling product I could no longer stand the tingling (for want of a better word) sensation and washed this off with tepid water and a washcloth. I'd love to say that was it but the redness and uncomfortable sensation remained for hours until I got out of my bed and applied some Hydrocortisone cream at about 2AM.

Its a shame I had such an adverse reaction as this could have been a very cost effective substitute for some of the fancier Vit C serums I use. If you're normal to dry and not overly sensitive then give this a try. It is inexpensive for a Vit C product and won't leave you out of pocket if it doesn't agree with you.


Selena x



~ My HG list ~

(As I've sampled many 100s of skin, hair and m/u products over the last decade and a half, I thought it might be useful to share my top 10 must-have products, subject to change if and when I come across something more effective. I love constantly trying out new stuff - usually sample sizes via e-bay, also plenty courtesy of a friend who works at Sephora) 


1. Hair Loss Treatment: ‘Divine Herbal’ - Hair Oil
2. Lip Balm: 'Nuxe' - Reve De Miel Lip Balm
3. Pigmentation + Anti-Ageing Treatment: ‘Divine Herbal’ - Facial Treatment Serum
4. Cleanser: 'Paula's Choice' - Skin Balancing Cleanser
5. Concealer: ‘Mac’ - Studio Finish Concealer
6. Lash Growth Serum: ‘Divine Herbal’ - Divinelash
7. Foundation/SPF: ‘Juice Beauty’ - Stem Cellular Repair (warm glow)
8. Face Scrub: ‘Sisley' - Botanical Gentle Buffing Cream
9. Moisturizer: ‘Antipodes' - Rejoice Light Day Cream
10. Hand Cream: 'Origins' - Make A Difference Rejuvenating Hand Treatment

I would not repurchase. This is a mediocre product at best. It's gritty, can sting, and doesn't mix well with other products. I used an entire tube and it had no impact on my skin. I love vitamin C serums for brightening, but much prefer other brands. I've tried a number of The Ordinary's products and none have worked for me. Maybe this line just isn't for me.

Well, despite being powerful, most of the Ordinary products are not elegant looking on the skin, including this one. It applies shiny and sticky and catches your hair. Also, it transfers everywhere. I mix it with Avene skin recovery cream to dilute it and to avoid the gritty-ness. In this way, it doesn't really tingle. Sometimes I mix it with the Ordinary 0.5% retinoid. It doesn't tingle but feels gritty. But I think I would try something lighter later on to cut down the greasiness. The package is not smart as the product keeps leaking out. But I guess the suspension form combining the package does help to stop vitamin C from oxidising because the product I squeeze out is white but the residue around the opening hole has turned yellow. And this is important for a VC product! I've only used it on and off for a month so I am not sure about the effect. But I might update.

I would consider this a mediocre product like an overall 6.5/10.
I have oily skin type with occasional breakouts and this formula
runs on the "oilier-grittier side". Apply too much product at once
and the "skin boogers" appear as you apply it in a circular motion..
if you know what I mean :'( On the package, it says you are
supposed to apply a little product after heavier creams since it's
more on the emollient side. Hence, I cannot apply this in the morning,
otherwise, I will become a grease ball by the end of the day.

*** Also, as with many concentrated products, many 1st time users may experience a "skin purging"
which happened to me. I definitely got acne flares on places of application. For sure, start slow and
gradually increase the product.

I've had perfect-looking (if dry) skin naturally until relatively recently, because I'm 40 now and time stops for no-one. This product has had the most visible effect on my skin once I started using it daily - twice a week did nothing for me. It looks better than it has in +15 years and I even got compliments again. No foundation would ever make it look this good (and I feel zero need to wear one now).

"Brighter" is such a weird term that I never know what it really means, we're not light-bulbs, but I don't know how else to explain it either... more even toned and less textured? Try it! if it works for you it'll be great. Full disclosure, I've also been using a retinoid (TO 2% emulsion), but I did see the big difference once I started using this product *daily*. So this, the retinoid, +50 sunscreen on sunny days (I don't sunbathe and stay in the shadow) a BHA a 3 or 4 times a week, and moisturizer twice daily, and the result is better than I could ever hope at my age.

I don't have a problem with the grittiness, why is this a problem? the grains are not visible, and after a bit not to be felt either. My skin seems to have gotten used to the stinging. I apply on bare skin in the morning (had serums balling up otherwise), 1cm diameter drop, then moisturiser (TO NMF or some other) right afterwards and I find this helps it absorb much faster. Sunscreen (a Korean one that is a bit drying for me, so I need that moisturiser beforehand), and I'm set.

Price so can't be beat! I haven't been using a ton of skincare throughout my life because I felt we were being conned with the crazy prices for small bottles and huge claims, and here you have it, we were...

I like this, yes its a little gritty when you first apply it, but put your moisturiser over the top of it and the grittiness goes away and its fine. I've been using this every 4th night for the past 6 months and am really happy with how my skin looks. I introduced a few products from The Ordinary into my skincare routine, I'm all about the affordable skincare products and this stuff suits the bill.

I am in my late 40s, have always had a very simple routine, my skin is getting drier as I approach menopause, sun damage is my biggest concern. I have discolouration because i wasn't always consistent when I was younger with wearing hats and sunscreen and I regret that.

This time last year when i introduced the Ordinary products into my skincare routine my concerns were sundamage, wrinkles under my eyes, pigmentation and texture on my cheekbones. Within 3 months i noticed differences and in the last 6 months I have been really happy with how healthy my skin looks. The texture is gone, there are still age spots but they aren't as pronounced, my skin looks radiant and healthy. I get compliments on how healthy my skin is. I'm wearing sheerer and sheerer foundations because of this confidence in my skin.

This product can feel a little uncomfortable for the first few moments, but it doesn't burn my skin and once i apply a moisturiser and rosehip oil over the top it feels fine. It looks great, no dry patches, doesn't look dry, skin is 'normal' type all over now with no texture issues. This is a very affordable product and as such i just can't bring myself to pay high prices for stuff like Sunday Riley or Drunk Elephant or Clinique or countless other very expensive vitamin c products, i'll keep using this cheap and cheerful thank you very much. Its cheap. It works. Its easy to use. What else can i ask?

I really like this product, but here’s the thing. When I first tried it, the burning was downright painful. I tossed it in the back of the linen closet-the land of the misfit beauty product. After a couple months, I tried it again. I was super careful and mixed it with Clinique dramatically different moisturizer( also rescued from the land of misfit beauty products). Voila, no burning or redness. I do wait before putting on sunscreen as it is greasy. The packaging is good enough, no oxidation-impressive given its banishment. My face’s texture is improved-and I like its antioxidant properties. Bottom line, with a couple of tweaks, it is effective and inexpensive.