The Beauty Diary by Beck Sullivan: The Ordinary has released a new $14 cleanser and it sold out in one day
One of the world’s most popular brands just released a new product and it sold out in one day. But there is a way to get your hands on it.
Skincare brand The Ordinary has managed to create a new normal in beauty — products that are cheap, ingredient-focused and actually work.
By cutting out fancy packaging and expensive marketing budgets, they’ve been able to pass those cost savings on to consumers. It’s awesome but frightening at the same time to know that when you buy a beauty product, what you’re actually paying for is the multimillion-dollar marketing budget of a beauty conglomerate, not the good stuff inside.
Even though The Ordinary’s parent company Deciem is now partly owned by Estée Lauder — in 2017 it bought a stake in Deciem — its prices have not changed. And despite the shocking headlines that Deciem founder and CEO Brandon Truaxe made before his tragic death last year, it seems the company is soldiering on.
This month The Ordinary released a new product, a $14 Squalane Cleanser. It sold out online during the first 24 hours it was on sale and the brand is now “furiously trying to keep up with demand”, a spokeswoman told news.com.au.
So what’s all the fuss about? Here’s everything you need to know about this new product.
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WHAT IS SQUALANE?
Squalane is the concentrated, stable form of squalene, a type of lipid or fat that is naturally found in our bodies. It’s what’s in our skin’s sebum, or oil. It’s also found naturally in some plants, so you’ll often see “plant-derived squalane” advertised on many products.
According the Paula’s Choice ingredient dictionary, aka the Skincare Bible, squalane is a “wonderfully moisturising ingredient as well as being a source of replenishing fatty acids and antioxidants”.
ISN’T SQUALANE A TYPE OF OIL?
The most common type of squalane-derived products are squalane oils. In fact, The Ordinary
has one of those for $13.90.
Squalane oil is great for hydration and many people find it non-irritating, so it can be good if you have sensitive skin.
If straight oils are a bit too much for you, just try adding a couple of drops to your moisturiser at night for extra hydration.
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WHY IS THE CLEANSER SO GOOD?
First of all, I would call this a make up remover, not a proper cleanser. It’s an absolute dream at removing eye makeup.
It looks like a thick moisturiser and you apply it onto DRY SKIN. The first time I used it I forgot about this very important instruction and applied it on wet skin in the shower — it was useless.
But the second time, I rubbed the cleanser between my hands as instructed, warming up the product so it became a little more oily. Then I smothered it all over my eyes and watched as my mascara and eyeshadow melted away.
After about a minute of rubbing, I looked like Glenn Close in Fatal Attraction. There was black all over my face and I looked crazy.
But then I got in the shower, rinsed the product off and cleansed my skin a second time with my normal cleanser. I got out of the shower and there was not one scrap of eye makeup left on my face, which absolutely never happens.
Normally I have to use oil or make up remover on a cotton pad to get rid of those stubborn bits of mascara, but that wasn’t necessary here.
CAN I USE IT TO WASH MY FACE?
I mean, I wouldn’t. Like many oil-based cleansers, this is a great makeup remover but I didn’t feel like it actually cut through and cleansed my pores. You’d need to follow up with a normal cleanser to actually wash.
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WHERE CAN I BUY IT?
For now, the Squalane Cleanser is only available on The Ordinary’s website, but a spokeswoman told news.com.au it will be available at the brand’s other stockists Adore Beauty, Priceline and Myer “in the next few weeks”.
The only annoying thing about that is you have to spend $50 on The Ordinary’s website to get free shipping, otherwise it’s an extra $10 postage.
So here are four other awesome products by The Ordinary to help you get to your $50 free shipping target. The perfect excuse to buy more products, right?
THE ORDINARY NIACINAMIDE AND ZINC SERUM
Price: $9.90
Available from: The Ordinary online, Priceline, Myer, Adore Beauty
Niacinamide is an amazing ingredient for those of us who regularly suffer from breakouts. This serum is awesome to apply onto inflamed skin, especially if you’ve gone to town on a few pimples and need something to calm your skin down.
THE ORDINARY HYALURONIC ACID AND VITAMIN B5 SERUM
Price: $12.90
Available from: The Ordinary online, Priceline, Myer, Adore Beauty
Everyone could use a little more hydration in their life and hyaluronic acid is an incredibly hydrating ingredient.
Is this the best hyaluronic acid serum on the market? No, but it’s the cheapest.
This product is perfect if you’re new to skincare and looking to experiment with different ingredients until you figure out what works for you. It’s also great for teenagers looking for a little extra boost.
THE ORDINARY ORGANIC COLD PRESSED ROSEHIP OIL
Price: $18.90
Available from: The Ordinary online, Priceline, Myer, Adore Beauty
Rosehip oil is one of the most gentle, gorgeous hydrating ingredients out there. If you’re looking for an organic version, this one is a dream.
THE ORDINARY BUFFET SERUM
Price: $24.90
Available from: The Ordinary online, Priceline, Myer, Adore Beauty
This serum contains a whole bunch of different peptides that provide hydration and fight signs of ageing. What is a peptide you ask?
I’ll leave it to my queen Paula’s Choice to explain: “Peptides are made up of amino acids and when peptides are formed in a certain way, they make specific proteins. Proteins are the fundamental building blocks of skin. Without peptides, skin doesn’t remain intact and the result is loss of firmness, appearance of wrinkles, texture changes, and skin that doesn’t bounce back as it once did.”
— This column is not sponsored and this is not advertorial content. Every review is independent, honest and ad-free.
— If you have a beauty question or a product you’d like use to road test, DM me on Instagram or tweet me.