Updated May 2023 – Jump straight to The Ordinary Conflicts Chart
The Ordinary Conflicts – The Ordinary products you should not mix
Apart from all the confusing names and how to layer The Ordinary, you also need to understand The Ordinary and NIOD products that can and cannot be used in the same routine – The Ordinary conflicts.
Some products conflict because they could cancel one another out, and some shouldn´t be used together as they may cause irritation (marked*). There will be a lot of conflicting information online. I would follow the advice from The Ordinary if you are new to skincare, and once you become more confident and knowledgeable, you can then decide. I would also suggest that you patch-test each product before using it, or at least take it very slowly when you start layering/mixing products.
The Ordinary Conflicts Chart
* conflicts are regularly updated, so always check the official page. See below for which products are Direct Acids and Direct Vitamin Cs
The Ordinary Products with no or few conflicts
| The Ordinary Vitamin C Derivatives |
| Avoid Niacinamide Powder & Serum Ascorbyl Tetraisolpalmitate Ascorbyl Glucoside Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate |
| More Molecules |
| Alpha Arbutin Caffeine Solution |
| Oils & Hydration |
| Natural Moisturising Factors + HA Natural Moisturizing Factors + Beta Glucan Natural Moisturizing Factors + PhytoCeramides Amino Acids Hyaluronic Acid Marine Hyaluronics B Oil Marula Oil Moroccan Argan Oil Rose Hip Seed Oil Chia Seed Oil Sea-Buckthorn Fruit Oil Hemi-Squalane |
Direct Vitamin C
When a product conflicts with Direct Vitamin C, this includes the following products;
- Ascorbic Acid + Alpha Arburtin
- Vitamin C 23%
- Vitamin C 30%
- L-Ascorbic Acid Powder
- Ethylated Ascorbic Acid
Direct Acids
When a product conflicts with Direct Acids, this includes the following products;
- Glycolic Acid 7% Toning Solution
- AHA 30% + BHA 2% Peeling Solution
- Azelaic Acid Suspension 10%
- Salicylic Acid 2% Masque
- Salicylic Acid 2% Solution
- Salicylic Acid 2% Anhydrous Solution
- Lactic Acid 5% + HA & Lactic Acid 10% + HA
- Mandelic Acid 10% + HA
The Ordinary Conflicts & Products You Should Not Mix
On the individual product review pages within this site, you will find more information about conflicts in FAQs. If you know The Ordinary, you will know that they can often contradict themselves. You may find a few more products they suggest avoiding with certain products.
The Ordinary/Deciem is constantly updating its conflicts chart. One of the latest changes is to avoid Peptides with Resveratrol & Ferulic Acid, only use one antioxidant in a routine, and avoid Niacinamide with Vitamin C Derivatives as well as direct/pure form.
The Ordinary Response to the Vitamin C Derivatives Conflicts
Nov 2020: Deciem updated The Ordinary Conflicts, and there were quite a few changes. The main difference was Niacinamide and Vitamin C Derivatives. Since The Ordinary launched back in 2016, you could use Vitamin C Derivatives with all products. There were routines with both of these products. From November 2020, Deciem said to avoid using them in the same routine. Since then, there have been a few posts on their own social media using both together again. When questioned about this, Deciem replied, “if you have used both with no irritation, you may continue to do so”.
The Ordinary Explains Why Certain The Ordinary Products Should Not Be Used Together
The Ordinary Pure Vitamin C, Derivatives & Niacinamide – Why can´t we use them together?
Nov 2020: Deciem updated The Ordinary conflicts, and there were quite a few changes. The main difference was Niacinamide and Vitamin C Derivatives. Since The Ordinary launched back in 2016, you could use Vitamin C Derivatives with all products. There were routines with both of these products. From November 2020, Deciem said to avoid using them in the same routine. Since then, there have been a few posts on their own social media using both together again. When questioned about this, Deciem replied, “if you have used both with no irritation, you may continue to do so”.
Another response regarding Vitamin C & Niacinamide
We do not recommend combining Vitamin C (L-Ascorbic Acid, Ethylated L-Ascorbic Acid or Vitamin C Derivatives) with Niacinamide with Direct or Ethylated Vitamin C and Vitamin C Derivatives due to the formation of a salt complex that has the potential to reduce the integrity of both compounds. If you wish to combine both products into a regimen, we recommend using them on alternate days and/or nights.
Why can´t you use The Ordinary Peptides & Acids in the same routine?
Our rule against combining strong antioxidants only applies to our copper peptides products. We would not recommend combining direct acids with peptides due to the susceptibility of peptides to hydrolysis (which breaks the bonds between peptides, reducing their efficacy, and making them into individual amino acids). At low pH, the peptides undergo processes such as deamidation (the removal of an amide group) and oxidation, which compromise the activity of the peptides. Suppose you have previously combined peptides with acids and have not experienced any negative side effects or discolouration. In that case, you may continue to combine the two products so that the combination does not pose any potential harm. Our recommendations are meant to serve as a preventative measure to avoid incompatibility between those combinations because skin tolerance is subjective.
You can find lots more FAQs here. Q&A found on Social media.
Other The Ordinary Conflicts & Conflicting Information
If you are an experienced skincare user, then I’m sure you have done your homework and know what’s best for your skin. For those of you who are new to skincare, it´s really down to you to decide whose advice to take. Personally, if using The Ordinary & NIOD products, then I would take the advice from them, especially if you are new to skincare. Remember, they do recommend patch testing, and it´s good practice to patch test when you introduce 2 products in case of irritation.
NEW – NIOD Conflicts & Targets Chart
You can now find NIOD conflicts and targets here.
