What Are the Best The Ordinary Products for Acne (And How Can I Use Them In a Routine)?

For someone who gets the occasional breakout, you may want to explore products that don’t need to be a part of your daily routine, but rather a weekly treatment to keep your skin balanced and troubleshoot the rare breakouts as the pop up.

For occasional breakouts, try this weekly exfoliating masque featuring charcoal, kaolin clay, squalane, and salicylic acid. The ingredients in this formula work together to soak up excess oils and get rid of dead skin cells, so your skin feels more refreshed and looks clearer overall.

A bestseller for the brand, this potent blend of alpha hydroxy and beta hydroxy acids deliver both a surface level exfoliation as well as a deeper exfoliation underneath the skin to clear out congested pores. Soothing ingredients like Tasmanian Pepperberry derivative, vitamin B5 and hyaluronic acid are added to balance things out (but make sure to use as directed on the label, which is no more than twice a week and don’t leave it on longer than ten minutes per application).

For someone with very oily skin, you’re going to need more consistency in your skincare regimen to keep things in check. Ahead, our top three Ordinary products to add to your daily routine that can help balance sebum production so you’re not excessively shiny.

Niacinamide (also known as vitamin B3) is a superstar ingredient that works well for many skin types, including oily skin. As Manish Shah, M.D., a board-certified plastic surgeon and anti-aging skin expert, shared with us: “Niacinamide works with the natural substances in your skin to help visibly improve enlarged pores, uneven skin tone, fine lines and wrinkles, dullness and a weakened surface. Other benefits are that it helps renew and restore the surface of the skin against moisture loss and dehydration by helping skin improve its natural production of skin-strengthening ceramides.” This lightweight serum combines the power ingredient with zinc PCA to help combat visible shine, enlarged pores and irregular skin texture.

As counterintuitive as it seems, keeping your skin well hydrated is key for combatting excess shine. (If your skin is dehydrated, it will signal your skin to produce more oil.) For lightweight moisture, try pressing a few drops of this serum to clean skin. The silicone-free formula features three molecular weights of hyaluronic acid to ensure it penetrates every layer of skin. HA is a humectant, meaning it draws water to skin to plump it with hydration. It can hold up to 1,000 times its weight in water without being greasy or heavy, so it’s ideal for all skin types.

Top everything off with some squalane, which is a plant derived ingredient that can help to balance the skin and support hydration. Press just a couple drops onto your face and neck in place of a heavier lotion or cream.

If you’re someone who has sensitive skin and experiencing breakouts, first off, we feel your pain. Since many of the commonly used ingredients to combat acne can be too aggressive on your skin, you’ll want something that can help unclog pores without causing further irritation.

Despite its many benefits, retinoid has one major downside: It can be majorly irritating, especially when you first begin using it. This two percent concentration of retinoid features a complex of solubilized hydroxypinacolone retinoate, which has been shown to offer the benefits of the potent ingredient without the common drawbacks (namely irritation and dryness) that are common. Apply a small amount at night, after any other serums but before any oils or moisturizers.

So, you’ve finally gotten over the humps (and bumps) of acne, but now you’re dealing with those pesky dark spots that linger long after the pimple has flattened. It’s annoying, yes, but the solution pretty much comes down to exfoliation and, of course, vigilant sun protection moving forward.

Alpha Arbutin is an increasingly popular ingredient for treating hyperpigmentation because it has the brightening effects of hydroquinone (an effective spot-fading ingredient that has raised concerns for being toxic and has since been banned in Europe and Japan) without the potential safety risks. It works by inhibiting the production of melanin in your skin, which is what causes those stubborn marks to form in the first place. This concentrated serum features both alpha arbutin and hyaluronic acid to gently brighten up spots over time while hydrating your skin.

Another star ingredient for fading dark spots is azelaic acid. A naturally occurring ingredient found in barley, rye and wheat, it’s an anti-inflammatory and antibacterial agent that can help treat active breakouts, while also gently exfoliating dead skin cells. This lightweight gel cream offers a whopping ten percent concentration of pure azelaic acid to brighten overall skin tone and improve skin texture.

And if you’re looking for a full routine to troubleshoot mild to moderate acne, here’s a well-rounded regimen to get you started (that costs less than 50 bucks for the whole thing, including the weekly treatment).

Morning

1.) The Ordinary Squalane Cleanser ($8)

2.) The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5 ($7)

3.) The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1% ($6)

4.) The Ordinary Natural Moisturizing Factors + HA ($6)

5.) Sunscreen

Night

1.) The Ordinary Squalane Cleanser ($8)

2.) The Ordinary Mandelic Acid 10% + HA ($7)

3.) The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5 ($7)

4.) The Ordinary Natural Moisturizing Factors + HA ($6)

Weekly

1x per week, at night on clean dry skin, use The Ordinary Salicylic Acid 2% Masque ($12) for no longer than two minutes. Follow with normal PM routine, but skip The Ordinary Mandelic Acid 10% + HA on these nights.