The Ordinary Fakes – How to tell if The Ordinary is Fake

There are counterfeit The Ordinary products!

The Ordinary is so cheap, so why would anyone create counterfeit products and more importantly, why would anyone buy them?

There are quite a few fake The Ordinary products around. Some are really good, and some are so bad, you can´t believe people even question if it is fake.

To avoid counterfeit products, always purchase through authorised The Ordinary or NIOD stockists. If you have any doubt about a product, my advice is to not use it.

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On this page, you will find…

  • How to avoid buying fakes of The Ordinary
  • Why people buy fakes
  • Where most of The Ordinary fakes are sold
  • Photos of The Ordinary fakes
  • The Ordinary original box
  • The Ordinary original bottle
  • Original boxes differ too
  • Where to buy The Ordinary
  • Unboxing The Ordinary

How to avoid buying The Ordinary fake?

Quite simply, only buy from authorized Deciem stockists.

  • The Ordinary & NIOD ship to practically every country and delivery is free to most countries on orders of 25€$ 30$AUD.
  • There are over 100 authorized online retailers around the world.
  • If a product is out of stock, sign up for notifications on The Ordinary or NIOD websites or ask people for a dupe from other brands.
  • If you’re desperate for a product, please DO NOT buy from Amazon, eBay or Shopee. Members of the Facebook Group bought from these sites and were extremely concerned about the authenticity of the product.
  • The minimum spend for some countries is 250$ with free shipping. Either share the cost with a friend or pay the shipping fee. This way, you know you are receiving authentic products.

Why do people buy The Ordinary Fakes?

  • Some fakes are so good, that you can´t believe they are counterfeit.
  • Because they live in countries where the minimum spend is 250$ for free shipping. I recommend finding a friend to share the cost with or just paying the shipping fee.
  • They cannot buy the products in their country.
  • People become desperate for a product that has been out of stock for a long time, so they look on eBay and other similar websites.
  • For many of us, The Ordinary is super cheap, but it’s not for others around the world.

Where are most of The Ordinary fakes?

Most of the fakes I´ve seen are people buying/selling them in the Philippines, Vietnam & India. However, there are also people in the UK, US, and Australia who have also bought through eBay or Amazon and believe their products were counterfeit. The Ordinary is now available at Nykaa in India.

The Ordinary Counterfeit News

I know I’ve said to only buy through authorised stockists, but one authorised stockist was caught out selling counterfeit The Ordinary.

Photos of The Ordinary fakes

Every day we receive questions in the Facebook Group asking if their product is fake. Here are just 2 examples of some of the fakes. These are easy to spot, but some are so similar to the originals.

A Fake The Ordinary
The Ordinary Alpha Arbutin Fake. Everything is fake about this. The bottle, lid, label and size.

The Ordinary bottle sizes

  • The Ordinary does not sell samples! I have seen people selling The Ordinary samples in little 5ml bottles. These are NOT authentic products.
  • The Ordinary serums come mainly in 30ml bottles. Hyaluronic Acid, Niacinamide and Buffet are available in 30ml and 60ml. Only The Ordinary Pycnogenol comes in a small 15ml bottle.
  • If you see The Ordinary packaged in any way different from what you see on the Deciem website, it’s fake.

Photos of authentic The Ordinary products bought from The Ordinary

The Ordinary Boxes

The original boxes are good quality cardboard. Apart from the corners/seams of the box, it is quite hard to tear. The feeling of the box is smooth and has almost a velvety texture.

The Ordinary Fakes - Authentic Box

The Ordinary Original Bottle

The Ordinary Box

You’re probably thinking, why the hell are they banging the box against a table? Well, it’s to show you how tough the original The Ordinary boxes are. This one has been squeezed, so you can see how it creases. The sound helps you understand how strong the card is. Some of the fake boxes are really thin and rip easily.

The Ordinary Products – texture and smell

The Ordinary often updates their formulas, so sometimes even the authentic products can differ. Another way to check if The Ordinary product you have is authentic is by the product itself; colour, texture & smell. You can find an excellent rundown of all The Ordinary products here with colour, texture and smell.

If you are unsure whether a product is authentic, my personal advice is not to use it. You have no idea what´s inside it or where or how long it has been sitting around for.

The Ordinary Authentic Products Differ

Both of these Marine Hyaluronics were purchased directly from Deciem. You will notice numerous differences. One says 1fl oz US the other says 1fl oz and the instructions on the sides are different too. If you have purchased products directly from Deciem or from one of the many authorised stockists, do not worry if the boxes are slightly different.

The Ordinary Fakes

Unboxing The Ordinary

You can find lots of videos unboxing The Ordinary, which have been purchased directly from Deciem. Find unboxing The Ordinary here.

Where to buy The Ordinary

The best place to buy The Ordinary is direct from Deciem which is the umbrella company for The Ordinary & NIOD. There are also over 100 online retailers around the world. Find out where to buy The Ordinary here.