The Real Reason The Ordinary Products Are So Cheap

Brandon Truaxe told Beauty Bay that The Ordinary centers itself on established and recognized ingredients that work "very well and don't require too much research to classify." Before The Ordinary came out with their retinol line, it was practically unheard of to be able to buy retinol for less than $10. According to Elle UK, The Ordinary felt like everyone should be able to access this potent active ingredient without having to sacrifice a paycheck, especially because the science wasn't new around the product. 

"The technologies [we use] are effective and well-studied," a brand representative told Elle UK. "A formulation containing them simply doesn't cost that much to make. As they are not new concepts, no resources are wasted on marketing to convince consumers of efficacy of a new form of innovation." According to Adore Beauty, The Ordinary products are fragrance-free and keep their ingredient list as concise as possible. Instead of adding fillers, they prefer to put higher concentrations of active ingredients. This is a major reason why The Ordinary is able to keep their prices down. They also keep their marketing budget lower than most competitors, which allows them to sell their products for less money. That's also why the products come in simple white, outer packaging.