Over the past few years the affordable makeup market has improved drastically and you no longer have to spend a small fortune to find a product that really does perform well. The skincare market has always lagged behind slightly in this department and until very recently there was still a need to make more of an investment in your skincare if you wanted good quality  ingredients and visible results. However, with the emergence of brands such as The Ordinary you can now pick up brilliantly effective skincare for just a fraction more than your morning coffee. With a more affordable price tag comes a license to experiment a little more to try some new products and not worry quite so much if it doesn't work for you. With makeup you can tell quite easily whether the bright red lipstick will suit you or whether the blue liner with flatter your eyes, it's not quite so obvious with skincare. I decided to dip my toes into The Ordinary pool and I'm yet to be disappointed.

The first thing I reached for was their 7% Glycolic Acid. The Pixi Glow tonic is a staple in many people's routines but at less than half the price The Ordinary one was too good to pass up. It's worth noting that this is slightly stronger than Glow Tonic (which is 5%) so if your skin is particularly sensitive or you aren't used to acids then it's worth being aware that you may notice a difference from the slightly stronger solution. Pixi Glow Tonic would usually be a nightly staple in my routine however I have found recently that my skin as been responding to the Ordinary's Glycolic a little better if I use it on alternate nights. A little on a cotton pad swiped across the face is enough to help brighten the skin and gently exfoliate away any dead cells that may be on the skin's surface.

The Ordinary also have on offer their Salicylic Acid 2% Solution, this has been formulated for blemish-prone skin, and whilst I am fortunate that I wouldn't call my skin blemish prone I am susceptible to the occasional spot caused by poor diet or hormones. These are often red, aggressive and leave a dark mark behind, regardless of how restrained I am in letting them heal. This is definitely something more of a topical treatment for me. Applied directly on top of any active or emerging blemishes of an evening, within a few hours they are much smaller, calmer and the healing process seems to be accelerated. It can sting a little on the larger spots but it is not unbearable and the results are impressive enough to justify a slight bit of discomfort. This has also become a regular staple to help reduce the appearance of blackheads across my nose and cheeks. A little really does go a long way to half a drop massaged into my nose every evening is plenty to do the job. Results started to appear within a couple of weeks and for the price of your daily Starbucks you really can't turn your nose up at this.

A lot of skincare is about working out what works well with your skin and gives you the results that you long for. With affordable prices The Ordinary make this much more achievable and allow you to experiment a little more with ingredients that really do drive results. If you're new to the skincare world or simply find the scientific approach of the brand slightly daunting then their website is an excellent source of information, breaking down what each product does, when to use it and the results you can expect to see, along with the prices and where you can purchase them from. Over the past 12 months they have made their mark on the skincare industry and have plenty of new launches this year that will no doubt be just as exciting as those that have already arrived. Next on my list? The Hyualorinc Acid and Caffiene 5% Solution.