Chances are you’ve heard of the brand The Ordinary. And of its parent company, Deciem. Here’s a quick summary if you haven’t:

Deciem is a beauty company founded in 2013, with more than 10 brands (including The Ordinary), and 50 products in more than 15 markets. The Ordinary is arguably the most popular brand under Deciem — it is a range of skincare products that profess integrity in their formulations and prices. The brand believes that commodities (ingredients in skincare) should not be disguised as ingenious — they are in fact, ordinary; and that commonplace technologies that are often deemed groundbreaking, are also — ordinary. In this honesty and transparency (and very affordable pricing strategy), The Ordinary has amassed a huge global cult following.

Good to know as well, The Ordinary — and all other Deciem brands — claim to be free of parabens, sulphates, mineral oil, methylchloroisothiazolinone, methylisothiazolinone, animal oils, coal tar dyes, formaldehyde, mercury, and oxybenzone; and they do not test on animals or pay others to do so (and hence aren’t sold in China, which requires this).

And we just heard they are coming to Singapore.

So what’s the cult surrounding these products? I can break it down into three things: 1. the clean, minimalist, no nonsense, “millennial” packaging that’s very Instagrammable; 2. the straightforward ingredients that you can pick and choose (eg. Salicylic Acid 2% Solution); and 3. the low price point. I have a bunch of bottles sitting in front of me at my desk now, and they look and feel way more expensive than their retail prices suggest.

There’s no local price list yet, but here are some examples from lookfantastic.com.sg, which stocks the brand and ships to Singapore:

With everything so affordable, you’ll be tempted to try everything, but because there are so many bottles of acids and other ingredients to choose from, it’s important to educate yourself so your skin just gets what it needs.

The good people at Deciem worked out a comprehensive skincare regime for us that includes best sellers from The Ordinary, and a few from their more premium range, NIOD. Not sure what to buy and how to use? You can start here:

DAY ROUTINE

Day A

Step 1 : Cleanse
Step 2 : NIOD Superoxide Dismutase Saccharide Mist, US$62 — a daily shield against oxidative stress, water loss and inflammation
Step 3 : The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5, US$10.90 — for skin hydration
Step 4 : The Ordinary Caffeine Solution 5% + EGCG, US$10.70 — reduces the appearance of eye contour pigmentation and puffiness
Step 5 : The Ordinary Ascorbyl Glucoside Solution 12%, US$16.70 — a water-soluble derivative of Vitamin C, for skin brightening benefits
Step 6 : NIOD Survival 0, US$30 — antioxidants to protect and strengthen skin

Day B

Step 1 : Cleanse
Step 2 : NIOD Superoxide Dismutase Saccharide Mist, US$62 — a daily shield against oxidative stress, water loss and inflammation
Step 3 : The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5, US$10.90 — for skin hydration
Step 4 : The Ordinary Caffeine Solution 5% + EGCG, US$10.70 — reduces the appearance of eye contour pigmentation and puffiness
Step 5 : The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1%, US$9.80 — reduces the appearance of skin blemishes and congestion
Step 6 : The Ordinary “B” Oil, US$16.50 — strengthens the skin’s defense and improves radiance, with a blend of oils and micro-algae

NIGHT ROUTINE

Night A (2 times per week)

Step 1 : Cleanse
Step 2 : NIOD Superoxide Dismutase Saccharide Mist, US$62 — a daily shield against oxidative stress, water loss and inflammation
Step 3 : NIOD Copper Amino Isolate Serum 2:1, US$99 (30ml) / US$70 (15ml) — repairing, provides collagen support and maintains skin health
Step 4 : NIOD Multi-Molecular Hyaluronic Complex, US$70 (30ml) / US$40 (15ml) — for skin hydration, improving skin elasticity and healthy-looking skin
Step 5 : The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1%, US$9.80 — reduces the appearance of skin blemishes and congestion
Step 6 : NIOD Survival 0, US$30 — antioxidants to protect and strengthen skin

Night B (2 times per week)

Step 1 : Cleanse
Step 2 : NIOD Superoxide Dismutase Saccharide Mist, US$62 — a daily shield against oxidative stress, water loss and inflammation
Step 3 : NIOD Copper Amino Isolate Serum 2:1, US$99 (30ml) / US$70 (15ml) — repairing, provides collagen support and maintains skin health
Step 4 : NIOD Multi-Molecular Hyaluronic Complex, US$70 (30ml) / US$40 (15ml) — for skin hydration, improving skin elasticity and healthy-looking skin
Step 5 : The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1%, US$9.80 — reduces the appearance of skin blemishes and congestion
Step 6 : The Ordinary Granactive Retinoid 2% Emulsion, US$14.90 — includes two forms of next-generation retinoid actives to reduce visible signs of ageing, without irritation to the skin
Step 7 : The Ordinary “B” Oil, US$16.50 — strengthens the skin’s defense and improves radiance, with a blend of oils and micro-algae

Either C 1 or C 2 (1 time per week)

Night C 1

Step 1 : Cleanse
Step 2 : NIOD Superoxide Dismutase Saccharide Mist, US$62 — a daily shield against oxidative stress, water loss and inflammation
Step 3 : The Ordinary Lactic Acid 5% + HA, US$10.70 — an alpha hydroxy acid to mildly exfoliate the skin, combined with a Tasmanian Pepperberry derivative to soothe any irritations
Step 4 : NIOD Multi-Molecular Hyaluronic Complex, US$70 (30ml) / US$40 (15ml) — for skin hydration, improving skin elasticity and healthy-looking skin
Step 5 : The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1%, US$9.80 — reduces the appearance of skin blemishes and congestion
Step 6 : NIOD Survival 0, US$30 — antioxidants to protect and strengthen skin

Night C 2

Step 1 : Cleanse
Step 2 : NIOD Superoxide Dismutase Saccharide Mist, US$62 — a daily shield against oxidative stress, water loss and inflammation
Step 3 : The Ordinary Salicylic Acid 2% Solution, US$8.40 — a beta hydroxy acid to exfoliate skin and the inside walls of pores to combat blemishes. For blackheads and spots — NOT open wounds.
Step 4 : NIOD Multi-Molecular Hyaluronic Complex, US$70 (30ml) / US$40 (15ml) — for skin hydration, improving skin elasticity and healthy-looking skin
Step 5 : The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1%, US$9.80 — reduces the appearance of skin blemishes and congestion
Step 6 : NIOD Survival 0, US$30 — antioxidants to protect and strengthen skin

Night D (Once per week)

Step 1 : Cleanse
Step 2 : NIOD Superoxide Dismutase Saccharide Mist, US$62 — a daily shield against oxidative stress, water loss and inflammation
Step 3 : NIOD Myrhh Clay, US$45 — a treatment masque to tighten and firm skin
Step 4 : NIOD Superoxide Dismutase Saccharide Mist, US$62 — a daily shield against oxidative stress, water loss and inflammation
Step 5 : NIOD Multi-Molecular Hyaluronic Complex, US$70 (30ml) / US$40 (15ml) — for skin hydration, improving skin elasticity and healthy-looking skin
Step 6 : The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1%, US$9.80 — reduces the appearance of skin blemishes and congestion
Step 7 : NIOD Survival 0, US$30 — antioxidants to protect and strengthen skin

Night E (Once per week)

Step 1 : Cleanse
Step 2 : The Ordinary Salicylic Acid 2% Masque, US$19.80 — improves lacklustre skin tone and texture. Can be used on the whole face or just localised treatment on problem areas.
Step 3 : NIOD Superoxide Dismutase Saccharide Mist, US$62 — a daily shield against oxidative stress, water loss and inflammation
Step 4 : NIOD Multi-Molecular Hyaluronic Complex, US$70 (30ml) / US$40 (15ml) — for skin hydration, improving skin elasticity and healthy-looking skin
Step 5 : The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1%, US$9.80 — reduces the appearance of skin blemishes and congestion
Step 6 : The Ordinary “B” Oil, US$16.50 — strengthens the skin’s defense and improves radiance, with a blend of oils and micro-algae