The Ordinary

The Ordinary is the breakout brand from Toronto-based DECIEM, founded in 2016 by the late Brandon Truaxe alongside Nicola Kilner, built on a radical premise: sell single, well-understood active ingredients at near-cost prices and let the formulas speak for themselves. It became a generational phenomenon — the Niacinamide 10% + Zinc serum and the AHA 30% + BHA peeling solution are among the most-searched beauty products in the world — and was a major catalyst for the entire "dupe" and ingredient-literacy movement that now drives TikTok beauty.

While best known for skincare, The Ordinary also fields a genuine color range — the Coverage Foundation, Serum Foundation, and a high-coverage Concealer across a broad shade ladder — that routinely shows up in budget-foundation comparisons against prestige bases. Acquired in full by The Estée Lauder Companies in 2021, the brand keeps its no-frills, transparency-first positioning and its rock-bottom pricing, making it one of the most cited reference points whenever shoppers hunt for an affordable alternative.