The Ordinary: the honest verdict.
The brand that democratised skincare by pricing actives at cost. Eight weeks across retinol, vitamin C, niacinamide, and the hyaluronic.
- Position
- Value · Science-led
- Launched
- 2016 · under DECIEM, Toronto
- Owner
- The Estée Lauder Companies
- Available at
- Adore Beauty, Priceline, Chemist Warehouse, Amazon AU
Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1%
The serum that made The Ordinary a household name. Around $9.50 for 30ml, and still the clearest argument the brand makes: one active, named on the label, at a price that reads like a typo.
The company behind it
From a Toronto lab to an Estée Lauder brand.
The Ordinary is the best-known label inside DECIEM, the Toronto company founded in 2013 and styled "The Abnormal Beauty Company." The brand itself launched in 2016 with a run of around two dozen products, each named after its active and concentration rather than a marketing promise: Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1%, not "pore perfector." The two dates are often confused, but DECIEM is the 2013 company and The Ordinary is the 2016 brand.
DECIEM was co-founded by Brandon Truaxe, the designer-chemist who set the plain-naming and price transparency that defined the brand, with Nicola Kilner. In October 2018 an Ontario court removed Truaxe from his operational role; Kilner returned as chief executive and is widely credited with steadying the company. Truaxe died in Toronto on 20 January 2019, aged 40.
The Estée Lauder Companies backed DECIEM in stages: a minority stake in 2017, majority ownership in 2021, and full ownership completed on 31 May 2024, in a deal reported at roughly US$1.7 billion. The Ordinary today is a mass brand owned by a luxury conglomerate, which is part of why its once-uniform sub-$10 pricing has crept upward.
The baseline every AU skincare routine should start from.
The Ordinary's promise, pure actives at close to raw-ingredient cost, is largely accurate, and for anyone learning what their skin tolerates it is the right first spend. The formulas are stripped back: fragrance-free, no marketing-driven fillers, honestly named. Stripped back also means occasionally unrefined, the Vitamin C Suspension is famously gritty, and the sprawling 60-plus range leaves beginners to work out layering and conflicts on their own. Buy it to try a category cheaply and learn what works, then graduate to premium only where it earns the difference. The Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1% and the retinoids are the strongest reasons to start here.
What they do right
- The lowest-cost clinical actives in the AU market, from about $9.50
- Named by ingredient and percentage, no aspirational branding to decode
- Largely fragrance-free and vegan across the range
- Genuinely well-made heroes: Glycolic Acid 7%, Granactive Retinoid 2%, the Squalane Cleanser
What to know
- The Vitamin C Suspension 23% has a gritty, sandy texture
- 60-plus products with little built-in guidance on layering or conflicts
- High-strength acids like the AHA 30% + BHA 2% peel demand experience
- Glass-dropper packaging is not ideal for oxidation-prone actives
- Prices have risen from the sub-$10 origins, a few heroes now near $19
The lineup
Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1%
The serum that normalised niacinamide. Oil-regulating and pore-refining, and genuinely good at the price, the one most people start with.
Retinol 1% in Squalane
High-strength pure retinol in a soothing squalane base. For experienced users, start lower at 0.2% or 0.5% and build up.
Glycolic Acid 7% Exfoliating Toner
A daily leave-on AHA that smooths and brightens, singled out by chemists as one of the range's best-formulated products. Keep it away from the eyes.
Prices observed July 2026 on the retailer's Australian store; they move with stock and promotions, so confirm the current price before buying. Affiliate disclosure: GLOW may earn a commission from qualifying purchases, which never affects our scores or rankings. Read more.
What's actually in it.
- Actives
- Niacinamide 10% + Zinc PCA 1% (well above evidence threshold). Retinol 1% in Squalane (water-free for stability). Vitamin C in multiple forms across the range.
- Preservation
- Phenoxyethanol at low concentration, with chlorphenesin in some SKUs (within safe limit).
- Allergens
- Largely fragrance-free across the range, DECIEM's brand position.
- Editorial concerns
- The Salicylic Acid 2% Solution carries a pregnancy precaution, not a quality flag, a use-context flag.
Index grade is editorial, not paid. The grade reflects what's in the product against Glow's v1.0 watch list, it sits beside GLOW score, not instead of it. The Ordinary's transparency on INCI lists is itself a category-leading practice.
GLOW answers
Common reader questions.
Who owns The Ordinary?
The Ordinary is a brand of DECIEM, the Toronto company founded in 2013. The Estée Lauder Companies bought DECIEM in stages, taking a minority stake in 2017, majority ownership in 2021, and completing full ownership on 31 May 2024 in a deal reported at about US$1.7 billion.
When did The Ordinary launch?
The brand launched in 2016, three years after its parent company DECIEM was founded in 2013. The two dates are often confused; The Ordinary itself is the 2016 brand.
Is The Ordinary still cheap in Australia?
It is still the best value in active skincare, but no longer uniformly under $10. As observed in July 2026, the Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1% is about $9.50, while hero serums range up to roughly $19. Prices have risen from the brand's launch levels.
Is The Ordinary good for beginners?
Yes, with a caveat. It is a low-cost way to learn what your skin tolerates, but the 60-plus range gives little built-in guidance on layering or ingredient conflicts. Start with two or three products, not eight, and introduce actives one at a time.
Where can I buy The Ordinary in Australia?
Through Adore Beauty, Priceline, Chemist Warehouse and Amazon AU, plus the brand's own Australian store. Prices are broadly consistent across stockists.