PRODUCT REVIEW: THE ORDINARY ALOE 2% + NAG 2% SOLUTION - How do I even out my skin tone? How can I remove my acne marks? What are the best products from The Ordinary?
THE ORDINARY | ALOE 2% + NAG 2% SOLUTION
The world’s most trending skincare brand, The Ordinary has been an innovation machine over the last several weeks. Since the beginning of the year, the once quiet brand has introduced a half dozen new products.
After four years, The Ordinary suddenly went from offering just a single $9 face cleanser to three. Now we have a choice of the classic Squalane Cleanser, a cleansing gel ideal for oily skin, and a deliciously creamy, only slightly frothy cream cleanser. Both appeared out of nowhere in the span of a few weeks this spring!
The new product frenzy began at the start of the year when, barely into 2023, The Ordinary introduced one of my favorite new eye products. The Ordinary’s Multi-Peptide Eye Serum is so good that I’ve already been through three bottles of it. In fact, I copped a few more during last week’s Beauty Insider sales event at Sephora. That’s despite the fact that the sale doesn’t even apply to products from The Ordinary! I was afraid I was going to run out, the Multi-Peptide Eye Serum would be sold out – and I’d be left without it. That’s serious #fomo!
Best Products from The Ordinary
What makes The Ordinary Multi-Peptide Eye Serum one of the best anti-aging eye creams with peptides? Well, it’s designed with four peptide technologies, which combine to address multiple signs of aging in the eye area – including that one sign I’m probably most afraid of: crow’s feet.
The new silky, layer-able anti-aging eye serum also addresses other serious eye-area concerns: puffiness and dark circles. If you haven’t had a chance to experience it, catch my full The Ordinary Multi-Peptide Eye Serum review here.
The brand then went on to expand their face cream offerings with the launch of The Ordinary Natural Moisturizing Factors + Phytoceramides – IMO the brand’s best face cream to date. Aside from a range of single-note facial oils that essentially function as moisturizers for the face, The Ordinary only offered a single face cream for all skin types.
PRODUCT REVIEW: THE ORDINARY MULTI-PEPTIDE EYE SERUM
The original Natural Moisturizing Factors + HA met skin’s moisturizing and replenishing needs on a basic level. But again, it’s long been positioned as a face cream for everyone. On the Sephora website, Natural Moisturizing Factors + HA is classified as good for normal skin, oily skin, combination skin, dry skin and sensitive skin.
Honestly, that’s just ridiculous. And, well, ordinary. :)
Fast forward a few weeks to early spring and the brand stepped away from the ordinary, wading into one of the most vexing skin concerns, post acne marks, with the introduction of The Ordinary Aloe 2% + NAG 2% Solution.
Post-acne marks and dark spots are the most difficult skin concerns to treat effectively. Depending on their intensity and the time passed since they first appeared, acne spots, dark spots and sun spots can be a nightmare to fade. Often, they become permanent without serious intervention.
PRODUCT REVIEW: THE ORDINARY NATURAL MOISTURIZING FACTORS + PHYTO-CERAMIDES
And The Ordinary’s Aloe 2% + NAG 2% Solution is the brand’s most innovative and advanced product to date. It doesn’t address the treatment of acne marks and spots in the traditional way. Have you ever even heard of NAG? I sure hadn’t!
What’s the best way to treat dark spots and other forms of hyperpigmentation? Personally, my recommendation for treating spots in the complexion always includes a cocktail of serums and treatments – never just a single product. I generally recommend a combination of exfoliation, brightening, cell renewal and sunscreen protection.
That translates to Glycolic Acid or other AHA’s, Vitamin C and Niacinamide, retinoids and a daily sunscreen for face – in other words, an entire skincare regimen centered around fading dark spots and evening out your skin tone.
On my list of product recommendations for spots of all kinds is the Paula’s Choice C25 Super Booster. The $59 spot treatment with Vitamin C is powered by a whopping 25% concentration of Ascorbic Acid – the purest form of Vitamin C. With a super dense texture that stays where you put it, the C25 Super Booster is essentially a Vitamin C putty.
You can catch my Paula’s Choice C25 Super Booster review on the blog here.
PRODUCT REVIEW: PAULA’S CHOICE C25 SUPER BOOSTER - BEST DARK SPOT TREATMENT
Not too long ago, The Inkey List introduced their version of an AHA-powered spot treatment – The Inkey List’s Mandelic Acid Treatment. In addition to its signature AHA, Mandelic Acid, the Mandelic Acid Treatment is infused with encapsulated Retinol at 0.1% and several humectants and replenishing oils to prevent skin from drying out.
As I said in my review of it on the blog, I love the combination of gentle Mandelic Acid with Retinol as a solution for dark spots and hyperpigmentation. Each on its own is effective at accelerating cell turnover to speed up the fading of spots in your complexion. Paired with a powerful Vitamin C treatment like the Paula’s Choice C25 Super Booster, the two are an effective solution for dark spots.
But The Ordinary somehow decided that a better solution through innovation was called for.
Before I get to my full The Ordinary Aloe 2% + NAG 2% Solution product review below, I wanted to explore some of the most common questions people ask about uneven skin tone and the treatment of both acne marks and dark spots.
WHICH ORDINARY FACE CREAM IS BEST FOR YOUR SKIN?
1. How do I even out my skin tone?
There are a number of things you can do to even out your skin tone, depending on the underlying causes of any unevenness and the intensity of hyperpigmentation and dark spots.
Here are some options:
Use sunscreen: Photodamage, aka sun damage, is the leading cause of unevenness, dark spots and hyperpigmentation, so protecting your skin with a broad-spectrum SPF 30 or higher sunscreen goes a long way toward minimizing the intensity of hyperpigmentation and preventing further damage, including the formation of new dark spots and sun spots.
Exfoliate regularly: Exfoliation up to 2-3x weekly helps to remove dead surface skin cells and promote cell turnover, which can even out your skin tone. However, be careful not to over-exfoliate, which can lead to irritation and sensitivity. One of my favorite daily treatment toners is the Paula’s Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant – the brand’s most popular product. Catch my review of it on the blog here.
Use a Vitamin C treatment: Vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant that can help brighten your skin, reduce the appearance of dark spots and prevent formation of new spots. Additionally, a face cream or serum with vitamin C is essential for overall skin health. Browse my picks of the best Vitamin C serums and creams on the blog here.
Use a retinoid cream: Retinoids like Retinol, Retinal, Retinyl Palmitate and Hydroxypinacolone Retinoate (HPR) help to improve both skin texture and skin tone by accelerating cell turnover to reveal fresher, healthier and presumably spot-free cells. Browse my picks of the best Retinol face creams and serums here.
Sources: https://www.healthline.com/health/beauty-skin-care/how-to-even-out-skin-tone; https://www.webmd.com/beauty/whats-your-skin-type; https://www.aad.org/public/everyday-care/skin-care-secrets/face/5-tips-for-healthy-skin; https://www.realsimple.com/beauty-fashion/skincare/even-skin-tone; https://www.byrdie.com/how-to-even-out-skin-tone
2. How can I remove my acne marks?
To fade and potentially eliminate vexing acne marks, also known as post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation, try incorporating the following skincare products into your routine:
1. A Glycolic Acid toner like The Ordinary Glycolic Acid 7% Toning Solution or a Salicylic Acid toner like the Paula’s Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant.
2. A daily sunscreen for face with an SPF 30 – preferably higher. Some of my favorites include The INKEY List Polyglutamic Acid Dewy Sunscreen SPF 30, the Supergoop! Unseen Sunscreen SPF 40 PA+++ and the La Roche-Posay Anthelios UV Correct SPF 70 Daily Lotion Sunscreen.
3. A targeted Vitamin C serum to both fade existing marks over time and prevent new ones from forming. Among the best Vitamin C face serums are the Paula’s Choice C15 Super Booster, the Naturium Vitamin C Complex Serum and The Ordinary Ethylated Ascorbic Acid 15% Solution.
Catch my reviews of the best face serums with Vitamin C on the blog here.
4. Niacinamide! The powerful antioxidant does so much more than prevent environmental skin aging. It brightens your complexion, evens out skin tone, moderates surface oil, unclogs pores and, when used at concentrations of 10% or more daily, strengthens the skin barrier. Not only is the Paula’s Choice 10% Niacinamide Booster the best of the best, it’s my favorite skincare product. Also consider these: the Glossier Super Pure Niacinamide + Zinc Serum and the First Aid Beauty Facial Radiance Niacinamide Dark Spot Serum – the best Niacinamide serum for sensitive skin.
For a quicker treatment of the most intense acne marks, you may also want to consider laser treatments. In more severe cases, topical skincare may not be effective enough and a laser treatment from a dermatologist may be necessary to remove stubborn marks.
Sources: [1] https://www.healthline.com/health/beauty-skin-care/how-to-get-rid-of-acne-scars [2] https://www.byrdie.com/how-to-get-rid-of-acne-scars-4769998 [3] https://www.aad.org/public/everyday-care/skin-care-secrets/face/remove-pimple-marks [4] https://www.cosmopolitan.com/style-beauty/beauty/g32849123/how-to-get-rid-of-acne-scars/ [5] https://www.womenshealthmag.com/beauty/a29207426/how-to-get-rid-of-acne-scars/
3. What does The Ordinary Aloe 2% + NAG 2% Solution do?
The Ordinary’s Aloe 2% + NAG 2% Solution is at its most basic a soothing serum formulated for blemish-prone skin . The brand’s most innovative new product is designed to soothe inflamed skin and reduce the appearance of post-acne marks through the use of two key ingredients: aloe vera leaf juice and N-acetyl glucosamine (NAG).
Aloe vera has anti-inflammatory properties that can help soothe irritated and blemish-prone skin, while NAG is believed to help brighten skin and reduce the appearance of dark spots. Catch my full The Ordinary Aloe 2% + NAG 2% Solution product review just below.
Sources: [1] https://www.lookfantastic.com/the-ordinary-aloe-2-nag-2-solution-30ml/12200020.html [2] https://bootshealthandbeauty.com/mighty-multitaskers-for-blemish-prone-skin/ [3] https://labmuffin.com/the-ordinary-aloe-2-nag-2-solution-review/
4. What are the best products from The Ordinary?
That really depends on what your skin needs. The Ordinary offers a wide range of affordable serums, creams, cleansers and tones that are among the most popular products globally.
Some of the most popular and best products from The Ordinary include:
The Ordinary Multi-Peptide + HA Serum
The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1% Serum
The Ordinary Azelaic Acid 10% Suspension Brightening Cream
The Ordinary Marine Hyaluronics
Catch my top picks of the best products from The Ordinary on the blog here.
Sources: [1] https://www.marieclaire.com/beauty/a22747947/best-the-ordinary-products/ [2] https://www.healthline.com/health/beauty-skin-care/the-ordinary-skincare [3] https://www.cosmopolitan.com/uk/beauty-hair/skin/a22833318/best-the-ordinary-products/
5. Product Review
The Ordinary Aloe 2% + NAG 2% Solution Review
As I alluded to earlier, acne marks and other spots in your complexion are among the most difficult skin concerns to treat. They’re right up there with deep-set wrinkles around the mouth, the eleven lines between your eyebrows and my personal favorite – chronic dark circles.
But just because acne marks and darks spots are hard to address topically doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try – or that there aren’t legitimate solutions. As I said above, a skincare routine centered around the treatment of spots can be effective. Three things come into play: consistency, efficacy, and intensity.
Consistency means you have to stick with the routine, something that can be challenging if you’re not seeing tangible results. Treating post-acne marks and dark spots takes time and effort! Like anything that challenges you, the question is how bad to you want it?
THE ORIDNARY’S NEW CLEANSER BLEW MY MIND
Product efficacy is crucial. In a sea of endless products promising to treat your spots, it can be difficult to find something that has the potential to work. Just because a product claims to have Vitamin C in it doesn’t mean the substance is at a high enough concentration to even out your skin tone and brighten your complexion.
And then there’s intensity. How visible are your spots? How long have they been visible? What caused them in the first place? The answers to these questions affects their treatment.
The best skincare routine for dark spots and acne marks necessitates dedicated serums, toners and creams with effective concentrations of Glycolic Acid or other AHA’s, Vitamin C and Niacinamide, retinoids and sunscreen filters.
But I’m intrigued by The Ordinary’s latest innovation, in fact their most innovative product to date: The Ordinary Aloe 2% + NAG 2% Solution. With this new serum, the brand is departing from what I consider tried-and-true treatments of post-acne marks – aka all of the above.
The Ordinary Aloe 2% + NAG 2% Solution is formulated and positioned for blemish-prone skin. And while it’s targeting acne, it’s not an acne treatment per se; that is, it doesn’t treat existing acne or prevent the occurrence of acne breakouts.
So what does The Ordinary’s new Aloe 2% + NAG 2% Solution do? Well, it soothes inflamed skin and is designed with innovative technology to reduce the appearance of post-acne marks. The brand’s new serum is intended as an adjunct to acne treatments.
It’s at its best when its slotted into an existing acne regimen; one that includes an acne cleanser, acne spot treatment and an oil-free moisturizer (if your acne is the result of an overproduction of oil and clogged pores).
So what would be an example of the best skincare routine for acne which includes The Ordinary Aloe 2% + NAG 2% Solution?
As an example, the new Aloe 2% + NAG 2% Solution would be an ideal addition to an acne routine that includes the Skinfix Acne+ 2% BHA Cleanser, the Paula’s Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant, the Naturium Sulfur Spot Treatment 8% and the Skinfix Acne+ 2% BHA Acne Spot Treatment.
PRODUCT REVIEW: PAULA’S CHOICE SKIN PERFECTING 2% BHA LIQUID EXFOLIANT
How does The Ordinary’s Aloe 2% + NAG 2% Solution soothe skin inflamed by acne breakouts? Well, the solution relies on its aloe component in the form of Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice Powder. Aloe is known for its soothing and hydrating properties. It’s basic, yet reliable.
Where the formula gets really interesting is in its potential for fading the appearance of dark spots, acne marks and others forms of tone irregularities in the complexion. And the technology that’s delivering on that is called N-acetyl glucosamine, or NAG. The Ordinary says that NAG is “a biotechnology-derived ingredient that has been shown to effectively target the appearance of uneven skin tone.”
I dug deeper and found scientific support for this assertion on the National Institutes of Health website. According to the NIH, evidence suggests that N-acetylglucosamine may help reduce the appearance of hyperpigmentation, including acne marks and dark spots. One study found that a combination of NAG and niacinamide was effective in reducing the appearance of hyperpigmentation in a clinical trial. This supports my assertion that Niacinamide is indispensable for the treatment of dark spots and uneven skin tone.
The government institution cited a second study that concluded that NAG can help improve skin tone and reduce the appearance of hyperpigmentation in individuals with darker skin tones. However, it noted that more research is needed to fully understand the effects of NAG on hyperpigmentation.
I think it’s important to state that The Ordinary’s Aloe 2% + NAG 2% Solution is not a panacea for fading acne marks. As I said earlier, it can be an effective component of a 360˚ skincare routine focused on treating hyperpigmentation, including dark spots and post-acne marks and scars.
The brand does put forth claims that are based on “consumer testing on 31 subjects after using product 2x/day for 8 weeks.” I don’t know if the results were clinically measured or merely relied on consumer perception. But you can view them on The Ordinary’s website here.
How do you use The Ordinary Aloe 2% + NAG 2% Solution? It’s relatively uncomplicated. Simply apply the water-based serum after cleansing and toning and before heavier serums, lotions and creams. It absorbs relatively quickly, isn’t sticky or difficult to layer.
If you’re serious about fading dark spots, sun spots, age spots, or addressing uneven skin tone, The Ordinary Aloe 2% + NAG 2% Solution is a terrific new solution. It’s just $14.50 so it’s worth a try. But remember: consistency is essential. How bad do you want it?
6. Pros & Cons
What I like about it: The Ordinary Aloe 2% + NAG 2% Solution is one of the coolest new innovations for the treatment of acne marks, dark spots and other forms of hyperpigmentation and uneven skin tone. I love its watery texture that makes it easily layered into a routine centered around the treatment of spots, marks and scars. At $14.50, it’s affordable enough to give it a try.
What I don’t like about it: I think the brand could do a better job of communicating the importance of using it in conjunction with other proven treatments, including Vitamin C, Niacinamide and acids like AHA’s and BHA’s; rather than on its own to treat multiple forms of hyperpigmentation.
Who it’s for: All skin types, especially acne-prone skins.
SHOP THE BLOG: Want to try it for yourself? Purchase The Ordinary Aloe 2% + NAG 2% Solution for $14.50 here.
The Ingredient List of The Ordinary Aloe 2% + NAG 2% Solution:
Aqua (Water), Propanediol, Glycerin, Dipropylene Glycol, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice Powder, Acetyl Glucosamine, Palmitoyl Pentapeptide-4, Biosaccharide Gum-2, Pentylene Glycol, Xanthan Gum, Isoceteth-20, Hydroxymethoxyphenyl Decanone, Sodium Lactate, Lactic Acid, Sodium Hydroxide, Ethylhexylglycerin, Phenoxyethanol, Chlorphenesin.
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