Ranked: The 15 Best Skincare Products from The Ordinary, According to Editor Testing

Whether you’ve gone a bit overboard with your retinol or recently undergone a procedure leaving your skin a bit irritated (hi, Morpheus8, ilysm), try this calming solution. The Soothing and Barrier Support Serum repairs your damaged skin barrier and soothes discomfort with niacinamide. Don’t be alarmed by its pink, Pepto-Bismol-like color; that’s the vitamin B12 working to combat dryness and redness.

Compared to everything else I've tested from the brand, this is the most basic formula (and clocks in at the highest price point), which is why it comes in at the bottom of my list. But I still love how quickly it calms down irritated skin, especially after treatments and peels, like the AHA/BHA one I love so much below.

Marula oil is one of the most universal face oils, plus it can be used on other areas of the body and our hair. Packed with essential fatty acids (oleic and linoleic acid) and antioxidants, this 100 percent cold-pressed marula oil provides hydration, locks in moisture, and helps give your skin and hair a serious glow. Whether your hair is feeling a bit fried, your moisturizer isn’t cutting it, or you need some added slip when doing your gua sha routine, add a few drops of this marula oil, and you're golden. I love this formula because it's so simple, but it doesn't hold a candle to the active-filled serums, peels, and toners below for obvious reasons.

Great news for anyone with sensitive skin, this fragrance-free moisturizer combines hyaluronic acid, ceramides, and urea to soften and smooth dry, rough skin, and it’s completely fragrance-free. I love its gel-like texture, since it absorbs so quickly without any greasy residue and doesn't pill under your makeup. It’s no wonder this went viral on TikTok!

Top-rated and raved about on TikTok, this AHA toner is fab for smoothing and resurfacing your skin. Just dab it on a cotton pad and swipe it across your skin up to once a week. It can help improve rough, bumpy, uneven skin texture; fading hyperpigmentation; and reducing the look of fine lines and wrinkles—but don't even get us started on how amazing it is on your body too. "I swear by it as a natural deodorant under my arms and to help fade hyperpigmentation on my knees, because the formula is so affordable and comes in a huge bottle," says beauty editor Beth Gillette.

PSA to everybody with oily skin: The perfect cleanser does exist, and it’s shockingly affordable. I love its gel-like texture that transforms into a light, bubbly foam on my skin. Since I wear mascara and SPF daily, I always double cleanse with a cleansing balm first. But the second cleanse, IMO, is most important, as it is where you are really washing away all the impurities and dirt from the day.

This glucoside foaming cleanser has become a staple in my routine because it not only keeps my acne-prone skin calm but also helps it retain moisture. And there is nothing I hate more than stepping out of the shower with skin that feels tight and dry. But with this? I feel soft and supple, but very clean.

Not all chemical exfoliants are created equal. If you're searching for something that targets fine lines and improves overall texture without irritating sensitive skin, this serum with just five percent lactic acid (a gentle-ish AHA) is your go-to. I find it's not as strong as other exfoliants I've tested, thanks to the formula's Tasmanian pepperberry extract, which can help decrease irritation and sensitivity often linked to acid usage. Plus, it's got some hydrating hyaluronic acid to safeguard my skin barrier in the process a lil bit too.

FWIW, though, if you prefer a stronger formulation, try the 10 percent Lactic Acid & HA version. Just make sure to start slow—you should only use this once or twice a week in the evening. And always, always, always layer over a rich moisturizer and sunscreen in the a.m.

EGCG may not be a familiar acronym in your vocab, but trust me, you’re gonna want to know more about it. It’s an antioxidant compound that is sourced from green tea that helps reduce inflammation. So with the power of green tea and caffeine (at five percent!), this combo is quite the powerhouse duo for battling tired eyes—aka depuffing bags and soothing irritated skin. And in my opinion, everyone can benefit from an eye serum, unless you happen to be among the lucky small percent of the population who never show any signs of fatigue, aka one of God's favorites.

A friend of mine shared a fantastic tip with me that I swear boosts the efficacy of this serum: Store it in the fridge so it's cold when you apply it, which not only feels fantastic and relaxing, but can make it even more depuffing by temporarily constricting your blood vessels.

"I have access to thousands—legit—of formulas for acne as a beauty editor, and this affordable lil bottle is still one of my go-tos for treating blackheads and sebaceous filaments," says Gillette. The reason is 2 percent salicylic acid, the MVP against clogged pores and acne, since it's oil-soluble. It goes beneath your pores and clears out all the gunk, oil, and dead skin that gets trapped, causing inflammation and zits. "I just pat it on my nose, chin, and forehead every night before tretinoin, and it's a lifesaver," Gillette adds.

There was a time (ahem, throwback 2020) when every single video on TikTok and IG featured this red, blood-like mask. But it's not just a fun selfie—it'll give you a serious glass-skin glow, bbs. It's packed with AHA and BHA (aka salicylic acid) to resurface, smooth, and brighten your skin, meaning it's hella potent.

Only use it once a week at most (I actually only use it biweekly, for ref). FYI, always apply it to completely dry and clean skin, don't leave it on for more than 10 minutes, and make sure to apply SPF every morning.

People constantly tout this serum's hero ingredient, argireline, as "Botox in a bottle." Argireline is a peptide that can help reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles by disrupting the channel between your nerves and muscles. It won't exactly freeze your muscles as a Botox injection would, but it can temporarily, slightly reduce some muscle movement, which can slowly impact aging skin.

But just like all peptides, it also goes inside your skin and convinces it to produce more collagen and elastin, which naturally gives it a firmer, plumper look too.

I still deal with the occasional wave of hormonal breakouts along my jawline, resulting in bumps and scarring. But this serum has truly revolutionized my skincare routine. Using niacinamide - a master balance ingredient - it effectively regulates my oil production while maintaining skin hydration. And the formula’s zinc is a great anti-bacterial ingredient to help reduce acne too.

Unlike sulfur-based treatments, which I’ll reach for when I need to dry out a breakout quickly, this works more proactively - helping to prevent flare-ups before they start rather than just treating them after the fact.

It can be slightly drying in the colder months when my skin needs a bit more support, so I just layer it with The Ordinary’s Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5 serum for extra moisture.

Don’t forget to shake well! While this oil-and-water-based formula looks like a milky toner, it’s actually an intensely hydrating moisturizer that delivers the same nourishing benefits as a rich cream. Packed with rice lipids, amino acids, and jojoba oil, it’s designed to help repair the skin barrier while also calming and reducing redness. After initially testing it, it quickly worked its way into my everyday skincare routine. It’s the perfect makeup prep before SPF and tinted moisturizer, delivering just the right amount of hydration without any tacky or greasy feel.

This Rice Lipids + Ectoin Microemulsion is also a great add-on to any other moisturizer in your rotation on days when your skin could use an extra boost of hydration.

This lightweight hydration serum is one of those staples I keep coming back to. After getting microneedling done last fall, I went through an entire bottle—my skin seriously could not get enough of it. It felt soothing, super lightweight, and helped keep everything hydrated while my skin was in that extra-sensitive, healing phase. If you’re ever dealing with dryness or just want that plump, bouncy look, this is an easy go-to. It also layers seamlessly under the rest of your routine, making it an everyday staple.

It also layers really well with more targeted treatments, especially plumping formulas like Volufiline, so you can get that extra fullness without it ever feeling heavy.