The Ordinary Pycnogenol 5% 15 ml Review

Ingredients:

Propanediol, Pinus Pinaster Bark Extract.

I try to mark the sunscreen ingredients in red and other possible irritants in lilac. Ingredients thought to be good and useful for skin I mark green.  Learning as I go, google is my friend etc...

Thoughts:

- Felt a bit strong at first, felt warm or even drying when I started to use it, so I recommend starting out slowly and mixing with other creams etc. Now I do use it on its own almost!

- Can stain fabrics, I accidentally dropped some of the serum on my towel and I got it off, but it required me to wash it twice in 60 Celsius. Be careful and always wash hands after applying. EDIT: Well, now I notice I didn't get it all off. So it shall live forever as a brown spot on my towel. Lovely.

- Feels a bit "oily", despite not having oils in it (propanediol). Doesn't always absorb completely and you can feel it. (If used on its own.) 



+ My skin looks more even colored, I have less redness, especially on my cheeks

+ Calming on red skin, breakouts, etc. I don't mean irritated skin here, just... naturally red, acneic skin. I feel breakouts don't get as bad/clear out faster.

+ Weird, but almost pleasant scent, it does smell like wood/pine! Quite strong though.

+ Strong, red/orange colour as well (that might stain fabrics), but doesn't seem to stain face.

+ Doesn't affect other products on top (like make up, creams).

+ Moisturizing enough that I can skip moisturizer, but not heavy or skin clogging at all

+ Pycnogenol is antimicrobial.

* Wow, I am so, so slow with using products/writing reviews. This review I had started almost exactly a year ago! So beware, my bottle might be expired by now, as it says it's good 6 months after opening, and mine has been open for a year. I do feel it is still effective and I keep all my cosmetics out of bathroom, in a dark corridor drawer set up (that is next to bathroom).

* I must admit, the past two/three weeks my routine has been so lazy, I have used only Garnier Micellar Wash Gel, The Ordinary Pycnogenol, and Garnier UV Fluid Sunscreen in the morning, and in the evening after washing my face, Neulii PHA Peeling Pads and The Ordinary Pycnogenol. That's it. My skin looks good. No separate moisturizer. I am thinking, you can do whatever you want with skincare, no one has a gun on your head and tells you to use toner, moisturizer, hyaluronic acid serum... etc.

* When I had The Ordinary's Pycnogenol Serum as one of my Current Favorites back in June last year, I wrote: Pycnogenol is antioxidant and derived from the pine bark of the French maritime pine trees. I have only tested this one for a week, and I don't really know what I'm seeing, but it does something. I get a feeling like it's niacinamide serum and tea tree oil combined kind of results? Very strong too, I really suggest mixing it with something in the beginning.

* I really wonder what happened, why did I stop using Pycnogenol for such a long time if it was a favorite from the very beginning? :)

* I personally haven't noticed any plumping effect or difference with fine lines. Or glow. Just more even skin.

Price: 

9,90 € / 15 ml

Bought from: 

The Ordinary website

Buy again? 

Yes.

Worth the money? 

Yes. The Ordinary's Pycnogenol 5% is only 15 ml bottle but it sure has lasted me long time. Also very affordable for a serum. It is a bit unique ingredient, but I highly recommend trying it out sometime, no matter the skin type. But it is like combined results of niacinamide, tea tree and vitamin C for me. But less irritating or drying.