Balancing and Clarifying Serum - Ausgleichendes & Reinigendes Serum

Changed my skin! Will never be without this again!!

Not loving it

Hard to use. Does not stay on the skin, it smells like sulfur … duh … so when you try to pad it around your nose, you feel like you’re sniffing an expired Saturday night party power.

Great Serum for Sensitive Skin

I'm always looking for a good serum that will actually target issues with my skin, that are oil-free (because my skin will not tolerate oils), and doesnt irritate my very sensitive skin. This serum is a banger for all of those. It makes my skin look brighter, makes it feel less dull and clears up a lot of the comedones and such that I get from wearing a respirator mask for work. And it doesnt irritate my skin. It's never made my skin super red, never made it flaky, and yet always helps to brighten, soften and just generally makes my skin feel better. I highly recommend if you're looking for an oil-free, non-irritating serum to help target some congestion in your face. I'm not sure if it would help with heavy congestion (I'm assuming more heavy actives or peels would do that, but I cant use those as I dont want to risk my skin not tolerating them), but it definitely helps with some lighter congestion, blackheads and whatnot. From someone who pays full price for this item every time since I bought it the first time over a year ago.

A rare letdown from the ordinary

The ordinary rarely ever lets me down, I use so many of their serums and I’m always so happy with the results. This one unfortunately, was the exception using this in areas where I am prone to acne, didn’t seem to prevent acne from forming and placing this on areas where acne was starting to develop did not seem to reduce it at all 

The Zen of Serums

I'm not even sure how this serum came to my attention, but I'm so glad it did. I'm in my early 70s, and clogged pores have always been a problem for me. I don't have constant breakouts, but I do have clogged pores, in spite of using salicylic acid and even Differin. I wasn't expecting much (and probably wouldn't have tried it without the sale), but after a few days of using this, my bumpiness is obviously reduced. This serum doesn't irritate my rosacea-prone skin, and seems to provide a balancing amount of hydration -- not too much!

Yes sir

I have PCOS and oily skin I often suffer from breakouts. After 2 days I've noticed a considerable change in my skin texture and pores do not look as clogged. I am extremely happy

I love it!!

so so good!!! what a surprising serum i found randomly and i have oily and sd prone skin. this serum causes no irritation and the oil control effect is very very obvious after just a 1 time use. RECOMMEND!!

Increase Whiteheads and Imbalance

I’ve been using The Ordinary for several years and have generally had good results with their products, especially the Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1% and Salicylic Acid 2% Anhydrous Solution. I have combination skin, so I decided to try the Balancing & Clarifying Serum a few months ago after it was recommended for my concerns: congestion, dullness, and uneven skin tone. Unfortunately, this was not a good match for me. Since starting, my skin has actually worsened. I’ve developed more whiteheads around my nose and other areas, and my skin now feels both oily and uncomfortably dry after cleansing. Even when I tried using the serum on its own, there was no improvement. At this point, I’m considering visiting a dermatologist for help and may need to take a break from The Ordinary altogether (even though I just received my package) to explore other brands that might work better for my skin.

Cystic breakouts

After using this product over just 2 weeks, I started breaking out into giant cystic acne. Not just one or two, over the course of the 2 weeks there were 8!!! Never had them before. Would not recommend!!!

No Improvement on skin

I’ve been using for 3 months and there’s no improvement on my skin at all.

Finally! Something that works!

I have had acne for two decades. Nearly everything I put on my skin will cause breakouts or make my acne worse. Nothing I have found has made it better. Until now. I was also recommended the salicylic acid serum with my routine. I used the routine as recommended for about a month and while my skin seemed brighter, my acne was still bad. I stopped using the salicylic acid and just used this serum and my skin drastically improved in just one week. It isn't working miracles and making me totally acne free, but it isn't making me break out and is definitely improving my breakouts. My skin is brighter, pores are smaller, and overall smoother. This will be a core part of my skincare going forward.

Works great with rosacea acne!

I bought this 2+ months ago and LOVE it. I have acne flare ups caused by hormonal changes throughout the month and I have rosacea acne. Because of rosacea, I started slow so I could gauge my skin’s reaction. I used it three times the first week with no issues, so I increased to every other day. No problems! Now I use it once per day and I love it. No irritation, just clearer skin! I’ve also noticed that my nose and center forehead, which can get oily, don’t anymore. This is the first product I’ve found that targets acne and doesn’t irritate my skin. I love it!