Not Your Ordinary Skincare

Not Your Ordinary Skincare.

I like to keep abreast of what other brands are up to, and this morning I received an email newsletter from a fellow Canadian skincare brand, The Ordinary. You may have heard of them.

The subject was Post-irritation Skincare - describing a post-shave routine.

And ya, I have some thoughts....

Firstly, it’s interesting that The Ordinary doesn’t outright say it but does infer that shaving is somehow traumatic. While dragging a sharp blade against your dry skin would be rather traumatic, I think most people have never had a comfortable shave because they've never used the right tools. Most people don't think there's a big difference between shaving creams and foams and also don't spend as much time researching a shaving cream as they do a moisturizer.

A great shave cream is your first step to guard against protecting your skin from a sharp blade and goes a long way to prevent skin trauma.

Shaving foam is full of liquefied flammable propellants and acids, neither of which contributes much to improving the shaving experience. And applying oils may seem effective, but oil alone is not the greatest - it clogs your blade and clogs your pores.

The tell-tale sign of great shave cream is the ability to make multiple passes - and that’s because the blade is not actually touching your skin and the cream is doing its job so well protecting your skin from the blade that you can make multiple passes. Ingredients are combined to protect the skin from the sharp blade and also formulated for slickness - which enables your razor blade to glide with ease. This improved slickness helps reduce chatter and tugging, which can dramatically help reduce cuts/nicks and irritation, often in the form of razor burn. Of course, your blade sharpness is also a factor here, so always use a sharp blade to prevent irritation.

But here is where it gets interesting. The Ordinary suggests using no less than four different products after shaving. I’m not sure whether to laugh or cry - this is nuts!

They suggest you use four different products after shaving. First, an aloe vera solution, then a gel moisturizer, next a hyaluronic acid solution, and finally, a niacinamide serum. Yikes!

I’m not sure who has all the time and money for this and how layering all these products, one on top of the other, are supposed to be able to get to your skin or be absorbed. I can assure you that after the second step, your skin is already saturated, and anything else you apply will sit on the surface of your skin and not get a chance to make much difference.

I know this is The Ordinary’s MO - to market and sell ingredient-specific products and convince you you need six different products. That’s how they roll, and that’s great because it’s been successful - for them.

But I have always been struck by the sheer waste of this layering method, not to mention how ineffective it is to apply layer upon layer with the assumption that all this product pooling on your skin even stands a chance of getting into your saturated skin.

I’ve always taken a more pragmatic approach to creating my skincare brand.

Admittedly, my philosophy of keeping things simple and easy comes from being a man, and men generally don’t like complicated routines of any kind. But I’ve also spent a decade studying this stuff and speaking to formulators, chemists, and dermatologists to ensure my products follow a minimalistic philosophy where everything from the ingredients to the packaging is kept simple yet highly effective. And that also means a multitasking approach that targets multiple skin concerns in one go, streamlining your skincare routine and saving you time and money. That’s just how I roll.

I don’t know about you, but I can’t imagine, between my wife and I and our teenage kids, having dozens of products on the bathroom counter and spending all that time trying to figure out which 4-6 step routine I need and in which order they need to be applied - and going through this complex procedure twice a day. Then losing sleep worrying if I applied the products in the correct order, used enough or too much of it, and if maybe I should have added another or one less step.

I formulated my products to take the guesswork out of your routine. My products are formulated so that all the ingredients work harmoniously and tackle multiple skin issues simultaneously. No guessing, no worrying about bad combinations or whether you used the correct amount.

Our less-is-better philosophy is about taking a few steps back, using fewer but better-formulated products, harnessing the power of multitasking, and discovering how a simpler, cleaner skincare routine can result in better-looking, healthier skin.

My formulations are scientifically engineered and versatile, so they target and solve skin issues, from dehydration and dullness to acne and aging, all in one step. Each product in our line is packed with potent, natural ingredients that work harmoniously, promoting overall skin health and a radiant glow. Our multitasking skincare solutions are also designed to save time and money and reduce clutter in your daily routine.

And let you sleep soundly at night.

Be well.

~Peter