Review | The Ordinary Amino Acids + B5

In this post, I will be sharing my thoughts on The Ordinary Amino Acids + B5.

About The Product

Deciem/ The Ordinary state that:

This concentrated solution includes Amino Acids and Amino Acid derivatives creating a combined total concentration of 17% (by weight). This resembles the composition of Amino Acids found in the skin’s own Natural Moisturising Factors and provides enhanced barrier support, elasticity, osmotic balance and desquamation. The formulation also includes a 5% (by weight) concentration of D-Panthenol which is a pro-vitamin of Vitamin B5 to provide surface and below-surface hydration while aiding in skin repair and anti-irritant functions.

Amino Acids + B5 offers non-greasy hydration support for the maintenance of healthy, functioning skin. It may cause a temporary tingling sensation upon application. If desired, the formula can be mixed with other serums or creams upon application to reduce its strength.

Directions
Apply a few drops to face in the AM and PM before creams. A tingling sensation can be expected after application. If the sensation is too strong to tolerate, the formula can be mixed with other creams or serums of your preference before each application to reduce the strength.

Ingredients

Aqua (Water), Propanediol, Betaine, Sodium PCA, Panthenol, Sodium Lactate, Arginine, PCA, Aspartic Acid, Glycine, Alanine, Serine, Threonine, Valine, Proline, Isoleucine, Lysine HCl, Histidine, Phenylalanine, Glutamic Acid, Citric Acid, Dimethyl Isosorbide, Polysorbate 20, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, 1,2-Hexanediol, Caprylyl Glycol.

Quantity & Packaging: 30ml in a brown glass bottle with screw on pipette lid.

Appearance & Texture: Clear watery yet slightly viscous liquid that has an ever so subtle greasy slip.

Scent: Fragrance free but does have natural subtle chemical scent.

My Experience

All the reviews I read/ watched before purchasing the Amino Acids + B5 raved about how great it feels on the skin and how it’s one of the better formulations in The Ordinary skincare line. If you’ve read my initial The Ordinary Skincare Haul post, you’ll know this was recommended to me by a Deciem staff member and I remember stating that I wanted something lightweight that doesn’t leave a sticky residue. So considering the rave reviews and the staff recommendation I decided to try it out for myself.

When applying it onto the skin it does seem quite lightweight and smooth especially if you press in 2-3 tiny drops of it but any more than that can result in slow absorption and leave a sticky film behind. I suspect this sticky film is due to the high percentage of B5 (panthenol), combined with the other humectants and amino acids.

A few tiny drops are enough for my combination skin but people with dry skin can benefit from applying more. For experiment’s sake, I tried a full pump just once, to see if it was more on the nourishing emollient side or if more layers make it sticky, and found that my face felt smooth but tacky so when trying to pat it in I could hear that peeling of a sticker kind of sound which some people like but I don’t as it indicates I’ve used too much.

I then experimented with less than half a pump, which seemed to absorb but throughout the day I could feel a very annoying sticky film on my face that I had the urge to wash off, but I rectified this by applying a creamy moisturiser with emollience on top to break down the stickiness instead.

Experiments aside, I know I prefer fresh and supple feeling skin with a natural or dewy finish, and any stickiness irritates me, so I continued my preferred 2-3 drops but I always mix it in with a moisturiser such as The Ordinary Natural Moisturizing Factors + Hyaluronic Acid for more emollience and nourishment. This combination is however unnecessary as both products contain plenty of amino acids so it’s better to choose between them depending on your preference.

Of course, if you don’t have any other products with amino acids in them, then incorporating this Amino Acids + B5 Serum could be beneficial especially if you have dry skin and want a boost in strengthening your skin barrier.

In regards to the tingling sensation mentioned in the description, in my experience, it was more of an occasional slight warming of the skin which I usually only felt if I used this alongside other active ingredient products. However, my husband applied this after shaving once and he said it burns quite a bit. I’d recommend using this with caution or as Deciem state in the description mix it with a moisturiser to dilute the strength.

So many people really enjoy this product including a friend who has purchased this 3 times, so although I didn’t like it, it’s best to try it yourself especially as Deciem have a 365 days refund policy as long as there’s more than half left in the bottle.

Will I repurchase? No.