Here’s how to use The Ordinary skincare if you have sensitive skin and which products are best for your skin type.

If you have sensitive skin, you know that feeling of anxiety when trying new products. The Ordinary does some really strong skincare, so if your skin is touchy, it’s understandable that you would be anxious to try it out. No matter your skin type, you can totally make The Ordinary part of your skincare routine regardless of your sensitivity, I’m going to tell you how and which products you should get.

What Is Sensitive Skin All About?

Sensitive skin isn’t true skin type, nor is it a diagnosis that a dermatologist will give. The agreed upon definition of sensitive skin is this- “Skin which suffers contact allergic or irritant reactions more easy than that of the average population“. Sensitive skin is prone to rashes, redness, inflammation, eczema and reactions to products and ingredients. Here is a list of the potential irritants that are the most common triggers for sensitive skin-

• Fragrance
• Essential oils
• Limonene, linalool, geraniol
• Menthol
• Cinnamon, cinnamonaldehyde, cinnemic acid
• Camphor
• Mint and peppermint
• Alcohol, alcohol denat, isopropyl alcohol
• Chemical sunscreens- octocrylene, octinoxate, oxybenzene, avobenzone, homosalate, PABA, helioplex
• Lanolin
• Sorbic acid
• Urea
• DMSO (Dimethyl sulfoxide)
• AHAs- Lactic acid, glycolic acid
• Salicylic acid, willowbark extract
• Witchhazel extract
• Surfactants- SLS, SLES, Non ionic surfactants (ethoxylates, carboxylic esters, nonoxynols, poloxamers, glycerol monostearate/laurate, sorbitan monolaurate/stearate, tween 20,40,60,80)
• Esters (end in ate- eg isopropyl myristate/palmitate, glyceryl stearate)
• Products containing propylene glycol and butylene glycol (these ingredients allow other ingredients to penetrate into the skin)
• Preservatives have the potential to cause a reaction, you may only be sensitive one presevative and not another (oddly enough, parabens are the least irritating). Unfortunately, we have to have preservatives in our skincare to stop products from going mouldy.

Also avoid-

• UV radiation
• Heat
• Cold
• Excessive water immersion
• Rubbing
• Emotional stress
• Alcohol
• Sleep deprivation

There are a few things in that list that you might struggle to avoid, but you can control what skincare you use, so it’s a good start.

Pointers for Starting The Ordinary if you have Sensitive Skin

The Ordinary is actually a great brand for sensitivity sufferers. If you check the list above, fragrance, essential oils and alcohol are big triggers- The Ordinary doesn’t contain any of that. The ingredients lists are simple, Deciem doesn’t add anything unnecessarily. The other bit of brilliance from Deciem that works in the favour of the sensitive type is their 365 days no quibble return policy. If something flares you up, get a refund.

Here are some tips to keep you on the right track-

• Patch test– Take a little of the product and pop it on your skin, the neck or behind the ear are good spots. Check the test spot after 24 hours for a reaction
• Sun protection– If you’re using actives that make skin more sensitive to the sun, make sure you protect your skin to avoid the fire. Mineral sunscreen is better for sensitive skin
• Introduce products carefully and one at a time– So you know the snake that bit you, give products a week or two to really show their true faces.
• Water free products are less likely to cause issues– Watery products are more prone to going bad, from bacteria and mould contamination. The preservatives that are necessary to keep water based products stable are a major source of skin irritation. 
• Simple ingredient lists are your friend– The fewer the ingredients, the easier it is to figure out if something is going to upset your skin. For example, if you use pure Marula oil and it gives you a rash, you can safely say that your skin has an issue with Marula oil.
• These skincare ingredients might bite you– Be wary of glycolic acid, chemical sunscreen, benzoyl peroxide, retinol and tretinoin.
• Look to the bottom of the ingredients list- This is where the most offensive ingredients hide. Skincare companies are only allowed to put small percentages of potentially irritating ingredients (like fragrance and preservatives) into their products, so you’ll find them at the bottom of the list. If something flares up your skin try and keep a note of which preservatives were in it. You might start seeing a pattern.
• Be careful with cleansing– Cleansing is a very irritating time for skin, the ingredients in cleansers can be very aggravating, coupled with the heat and the water. Keep cleansing as low key as possible- nothing foaming, no scrubs and tepid water.
• Bin products at their use by dates– Out of date skincare might cause problems for sensitive skin.

See also my The Ordinary Cheatsheet for more tips and pointers

The Ordinary Products for Sensitive skin 

Remember that we’re looking for products with simple, fragrance and alcohol free ingredient lists. The Ordinary is perfect for this. The ere are the products that are going to suit sensitive skin best-

• Squalane Cleanser– This has such a bland formula, it’s the ideal sort of cleanser for sensitive skin. It’s very moisturising and never leaves skin feeling stripped. 
• The Oils– Plant oils are water free, preservative free and have only one ingredient, making them an obvious choice for sensitive types. Same goes for Squalane and Hemi Squalane. You can use any of the plant oils as cleansers too. 
• NMF + HA– It’s a simple moisturiser with lots of ingredients that the skin needs to keep it’s moisture barrier in tip top condition. Ingredients that are naturally present in the skin making NMF + HA a bio-identical formula. Ingredients, such as multiple amino acids, fatty acids, triglycerides, urea, ceramides, phospholipids, glycerin, saccharides, sodium PCA and hyaluronic acid.
• The Antioxidants– Resveratrol 3% + Ferulic 3%, Pycnogenol 5% and EUK-134 0.1% have extremely simple ingredients lists, just the active ingredient and propandiol. Simple ingredient lists make a flare up less likely, as they have no preservatives and fewer possible triggers. Adding to that, EUK-134 has an anti redness effect, which is just what we need. 
• Amino Acids plus B5– This is a beautiful silky hydrating blend of barrier boosting amino acids and vitamins.
• Ascorbyl Tetraisopalmitate 20% + Vitamin F– Another water free product with no preservatives. I absolutely adore this serum, it gives a beautiful glow finish and it’s really gentle.
• Mandelic Acid 10% + HA– Acids are not generally recommended for sensitive skin types but Mandelic is the gentlest of The Ordinary range, if acid exfoliation is something that you wanted to explore. 
• Azelaic Acid 10%– Azeleic Acid is another gentle acid. It’s pH is around the same as the skin, making it much less irritating. It has a few functions- smoothing, anti acne, anti aging and anti pigmentation, making it a really handy product if you can get on with it.
• Granactive Retinoid 2% in Squalane– A gentle, water free moisturising anti aging treatment, Granactive Retinoid is surely the gentlest Retinoid available and a good match for sensitive skin.
• Mineral UV Filters SPF 30 with Antioxidants– Sun protection is important for everyone, sensitivity sufferers especially as sunlight can be a trigger. Mineral filters are best for reducing flareups.

Which The Ordinary Products Should You Avoid if You Have Sensitive Skin

There is no 100% rule- this thing will cause a flare and this thing won’t. Sensitivity is very personal. These are just suggestions based on scientific evidence.

• Acids– Glycolic and Lactic Acid in particular can be very irritating and probably best avoided. Other less sensitising options include Azelaic Acid is a lot gentler and has a higher pH; and Mandelic which doesn’t penetrate the skin as deeply as Glycolic and Lactic. 
• Retinol in Squalane– Retinol is a highly irritating ingredient and you’re better off sticking to Granactive Retinoid. 
• Ascorbic Acid aka Vitamin C– Vitamin C can be irritating to the hardiest of faces. For it to be effective, it has to have a pH below 4, making it highly likely to cause issues for sensitive skin. The vitamin C derivatives like Ascorbyl Tetraisopalmitate are much more suited to sensitive skin. 

The Ordinary Regimen for Sensitive Skin

Here are some example regimens, the one suggested by The Ordinary is very plain and basic, which is perfectly fine in the case of sensitive skin. Also, I’ve put my take on it- gentle, nourishing with kinder than kind actives. Deciem recommends Hyaluronic Acid 2% +B5 for hydration, while I prefer Amino Acids + B5. 

Another advisory- The Ordinary’s Mineral Sunscreen is very white and sticky, my top tip for a mineral sunscreen with simple ingredients for sensitive skin is Think Sport Spf 50.

Regimen 1- A regimen of my own design 

Regimen 2- The Ordinary’s Regimen for Sensitive Skin

Also you might want to have a look at NIOD’s offering for calming stressed skin- Modulating Glucosides. Ishtar Skinlights also have some lovely soothing products.

Skincare for sensitive skin is absolutely a process of trial and error. The Ordinary is a great range for those with sensitive skin, if you make the right choices. (Statements- the links may be affiliate and some of the products pictured may be gifted, this post is not sponsored). Come and find me at my Skincare with Friends Facebook Group, The Deciem Chatroom and TheOrdinarySkincare Subreddit.