The Ordinary among lockdown's big beauty winners

As the nation turned its attention to self-care under lockdown, The Ordinary, which prides itself on its "clinical formulations with integrity", emerged as one of the most in-demand brands.

Part of the Deciem stable, its Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5 Hydration Support Formula, High-Adherence Silicone Primer, Natural Moisturising Factors + HA and Caffeine Solution 5% + EGCG all made it into the top 10 beauty products of lockdown, according to data provided by Clearpay.

The flexible payments provider said that sales of premium skincare products had more than doubled in the April – June lockdown period, versus the January – March period.

The 10 most popular products were: 

1. Olaplex No.3 Hair Perfector 

2. The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5 Hydration Support Formula 

3. The Ordinary High-Adherence Silicone Primer 

4. PIXI Glow Tonic 

5. The Ordinary Natural Moisturising Factors + HA 

6. Laura Mercier Translucent Loose Setting Powder - Translucent 

7. The Ordinary Caffeine Solution 5% + EGCG 

8. Olaplex Shampoo and Conditioner Bundle 

9. Real Techniques Everyday Essentials 

10. Bobbi Brown Vitamin Enriched Face Base 

With beauty salons closed, and still unable to offer services for the face, locked down consumers turned to DIY devices with hair removal and teeth whitening devices among the most popular.

The most popular devices purchased during lockdown were: 

• Philips & Braun IPL Hair Removal Device 

• NuFACE Facial Toning Device 

• Light Therapy Facial Treatment Devices 

• Nail Dust Collector Device 

Sales of teeth whitening products increased by 180% during lockdown with the HiSmile device among the most popular.

Sales of nail care products increased by 2.6x vs the pre lockdown period with the Sally Hansen Insta-Dri 1 varnish and its different colour variants the most loved products.

Hair dye sales were up by x6.5 vs the pre lockdown period and, although hair salons opened on 4 July, people are continuing to buy at-home treatments, as consumers upskill on self-care and realise the cost savings of a DIY approach.

"This poses the question, will salons have to adapt towards an alternative more affordable offering to maintain their high street presence?" Clearpay said.

Clearpay allows consumers to spread the cost of their purchases across four instalments.