The Ordinary

The Treat stage of your facial skincare routine will focus on treatments targeting specific skin issues. Depending on your needs, these problems can range from blemishes and uneven skin tone to dryness and photoaging (i.e., sun exposure-related aging).

At this point, you can personalize your routine to your needs and include formulations such as:

• Toners
• Skin serums
• Eye serums
• Face oils

Here’s a closer look at what each skincare solution does.

Toners

Using a skin toner helps to remove any remaining impurities after cleansing. These formulations can also feature additional components, such as:

• Exfoliating ingredients that remove dead skin cells
• Hydrating ingredients that lock in moisture

For example, our Glycolic Acid 7% Exfoliating Toner gently exfoliates the skin and improves the look of uneven skin tone.

Quick Tip: When to Exfoliate for Best Results

You can integrate an exfoliant into your skincare routine after cleansing (in the Prep stage) and before applying serums (in the Treat stage). Proper exfoliation can support skin cell turnover—the continuous process of shedding dead skin cells and resurfacing new, younger cells. This helps keep your skin looking brighter, fresher, and more even.

Depending on your skin type and condition, you can choose between different exfoliating ingredients to achieve the best results. Read our Back to Basics Guide on Exfoliation for a deep dive into the subject.

Skin Serums

Serums are light-textured formulations with effective concentrations of ingredients, such as hyaluronic acid (HA) or niacinamide.

For instance, a serum like Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5 (with Ceramides) uses hyaluronic acid and vitamin B5 to help address skin dryness.

Spot Treatments

If you have blemish-prone skin and frequently struggle with spots, blemishes, breakouts, or blackheads, consider adding spot treatments to your skincare routine.

Spot treatment formulations often contain active ingredients like salicylic acid (see our Salicylic Acid 2% Solution) to exfoliate the skin and decongest pores to clear up the appearance of spots.

Eye Serums

The delicate skin around the eyes is prone to some of the most common signs of aging: fine lines and wrinkles. This area can benefit from a specialized eye serum that helps reduce the visibility of fine lines, dark circles, and puffiness.

Take our Multi-Peptide Eye Serum, for example, a water-based formula that addresses the signs of aging around the eyes, including crow’s feet, under-eye wrinkles, puffiness, and dark circles.

Face Oils

Face oils like our 100% Organic Cold-Pressed Rose Hip Seed Oil provide a boost in hydration, supporting your skin barrier. This can be a great solution if you have dry skin or need additional support due to cold, windy, or low-humidity conditions.

As a rule of thumb, oils are best applied after water-based treatments to ensure optimal layering. Consider applying a face oil as the final step of your Treat stage or adding a few drops to your moisturizer in the Seal stage.