The Ordinary Vs The Minimalist Hyaluronic Acid Serum

When I saw Minimalist Hyaluronic Acid Serum it instantly reminded me of the Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid Serum. So obviously I had to do another face-off. This one is totally written by me.

I have dry skin so for me HA serum is everything and I have been using the Ordinary one for a while and totally love it. But since the whole lockdown getting my hands on Ordinary products became difficult. Finding alternatives has been my thing especially when it comes to Indian Skincare.

Before we jump into the review let’s first see why we need an HA serum in our routine. The most important thing is to use it the right way.

Importance of Hyaluronic acid in your skincare routine:

• HA has a lot of benefits when it comes to skin. It helps hydrate your skin which is the main function. But it also reduces surface wrinkles and lines.
• It can be used by everyone no matter what skin type you have. Also no matter what skin concern you have an HA-based serum will be helpful.
• HA serum can be used within your skincare routine even with actives. In fact, it works better at soothing your skin after chemical peels. It doesn’t react badly with anything including retinoid.
• Most HA based serums have Vitamin B5 in them. Vitamin B5 keeps your skin well-moisturized by preventing trans-epidermal water loss.

🔴The right way to apply Hyaluronic Acid Serum?

Now if you apply an HA serum on dry skin you are causing more harm to your skin. If you stay long hours in AC or in dry weather and not use a moisturizer over HA serum. You are doing more harm than good to your skin. You can add HA serum in your am or pm routine or both times. There are no side effects to using too much HA serum.

The right way to follow is:

• Toner or mist (something that will keep your skin damp but not wet)
• Apply the serum (tap it on your skin instead of rubbing)
• Follow with a moisturizer or facial oil or a combo. (don’t skip this step even if you have oily skin)

My Experience with The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid Serum:

Featuring three types of hyaluronic acid (at low, medium, and high molecular weights) this lightweight serum offers serious skin smoothing plus hydration.

I am on my 2nd bottle of this serum and I do love using it. It helps with the constant dryness I face. I suffer from dry skin but at times I also get dehydrated skin which makes it worst. This HA-based serum works the best for me since it doesn’t have anything that irritates my skin. It’s simple and efficient. I can use this in my routine no matter what active I use. If Ordinary was easily available I would keep buying this serum again and again.

About the Minimalist Hyaluronic Acid Serum

Production Description: Hyaluronic Acid 2% + Vitamin B5

A hydrating booster with a punch of Vitamin B5 that pulls moisture deep into the skin & lock-in there, leaving instant plump, baby-soft skin.

Why it’s awesome:

Ingredients: Aloe Vera Juice, Dimethyl Isosorbide, Sodium Hyaluronate, Propanediol, Ethoxydiglycol, Panthenol, Phenoxyethanol, Pullulan, Ethylhexylglycerin, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Xanthan Gum, Sclerotium Gum, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Lecithin

Price: Rs 599/- for 30 ml

SHOP NOW on AMAZON

Packaging:

Classic glass bottle with dropper packaging. Looks a lot like the Ordinary one. In fact, I get confused a lot between them. The outer box is all black and has all the required information on it. More than the glass bottle, but I never like keeping the outer box.

The packaging has such doesn’t have any issue. It’s easy to travel with even though it’s glass. No leakage issues. But I feel like this serum needs some other packaging. The dropper just doesn’t work for me because of the thick formula of the serum. It’s annoying to use since I have to dip and squeeze a few times to get the required quantity I need. The most annoying is when I am about to be finished with it. The last part isn’t ready to come in the dropper at all. Since the formula is thick I can’t even keep it upside down. I hate wasting the product.

Formula:

The consistency of this serum is a little thicker and feels a little sticky. Since it’s made with aloe juice I think that’s where it gets its sticky feeling. Usually, the feeling goes away pretty quickly. The serum doesn’t have any scent or added fragrance which is awesome.

I personally feel I use a little more quantity of this serum compared to the Ordinary HA serum. Both are very hydrating and perform pretty much the same. Minimalist Hyaluronic acid serum is soothing and cooling on the skin, especially if you have sensitive skin that burns easily. Every skin type will enjoy this serum but sensitive skin will like it more.

My Experience:

I somehow ended up using this serum a lot often compared to the Ordinary serum. The serum gave me the right amount of hydration and coolness, plus layers really well. I can use this serum with pretty much any moisturizer without any issue.

Sometimes how the ordinary one doesn’t layer well with certain moisturizers or it piles up. This Minimalist one doesn’t have that issue. Also, I felt this one dries up much quicker on the skin so I follow up with a moisturizer immediately. If I wait my skin will feel dry and stretchy.

I like that this serum makes my skin feel plump and leaves a nice cooling sensation. But don’t forget to layer it right. HA serum is all about layering no matter what brand serum you use. Overall I really like using Minimalist serum and I would definitely repurchase it.

 

The Face-off:

Ordinary V/S Minimalist Hyaluronic Acid Serum

Price:

Ordinary HA serum: £5.90 & Minimalist HA serum: Rs 599/-

Both bottles are 30ml. Ordinary isn’t easily available in India, you have to order it from cult beauty or buy it from an Insta store so the price increases. Exchange rate + shipping charges + customs + Profits (for insta store).

Ingredients:

The Ordinary HA Serum: Aqua (Water), Sodium Hyaluronate, Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer, Panthenol, Ahnfeltia Concinna Extract, Glycerin, Pentylene Glycol, Propanediol, Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6, Ppg-26-Buteth-26, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Citric Acid, Ethoxydiglycol, Caprylyl Glycol, Hexylene Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Phenoxyethanol, Chlorphenesin

Minimalist HA serum: Aloe Vera Juice, Dimethyl Isosorbide, Sodium Hyaluronate, Propanediol, Ethoxydiglycol, Panthenol, Phenoxyethanol, Pullulan, Ethylhexylglycerin, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Xanthan Gum, Sclerotium Gum, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Lecithin

The base i.e the first ingredient is different. Similar ingredients are highlighted in color. The formulation isn’t exactly the same but it’s similar in terms of being called a dupe.

Packaging:

The packaging is very similar to each other. Unless you read the name closely you won’t even realize which brand it is. Personally, I like the dropper packaging on The Ordinary one. But I think Minimalist should use some other packaging. Since the formula of Minimalist is thicker using a dropper is a pain sometimes.

Minimalist is going to be changing the color of their glass bottles soon enough so that way it won’t look that similar to the Ordinary one. But I feel they need something other than a dropper for their formulation.

Formula:

Formula wise its a mix up for me since I have a con in both. I prefer the consistency of the Ordinary serum since it’s not as thick and the quantity required is also less compared to the Minimalist one. But the Minimalist one layers much better on the skin without any foamy residue. Also doesn’t pile up plus feels a tab bit more cooling on the skin. I guess that’s because of the Aloe juice as a base.

Which is better for your skin type?

Both serums work for all skin types no matter what skin concerns you have. If you have very sensitive skin maybe you will like the Minimalist a tad bit more. Also, it is better for layering different products. But I also feel that the Ordinary one is a hair more hydrating compared to the Minimalist one. So basically it depends on which is easily available to you.

My Recommendation:

I would frankly recommend both. They both pretty much perform the same way. Both are just as effective as the other one. The ingredients are also very similar. It all depends on which one you can buy easily. If you are looking for a Hyaluronic acid serum then both are good options to try. I have also used the Dot&key one and that one has fragrance in it. Also, it’s a bit expensive if compared to the Minimalist one.  In the end, it depends on your preference. I’ll add in the link for the full review on the Dot&key Hyaluronic acid serum plus compared it in the table below. CLICK HERE

Final Ratings:

Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid serum: 💧💧💧💧/5 (formula wise I like it a tad bit more) (I personally buy Ordinary products from an Insta store name @crimson.luxe)

Minimalist Hyaluronic Acid serum: 💧💧💧💧/5 (it’s easily available in India)

** SOME OF The links I attached are affiliated. 

*P.S: The products were bought & used by me. All opinions are my own. What worked for me may or may not work for you. A patch test is recommended.