The Ordinary

The story of The Ordinary, a skincare brand under the DECIEM umbrella, is far from ordinary. With a name rooted in Latin for "10 in a sequence," DECIEM initially set out to launch ten brands, but The Ordinary was the unexpected 11th that rose to meteoric popularity​.

The Ordinary's journey began in 2016, a few years after DECIEM's founding in 2013. The brand's innovative approach was not about groundbreaking technologies, but about honesty, integrity, and making familiar, effective clinical skincare technologies accessible at fair prices​​. The Ordinary challenged the skincare industry's status quo, disproving the notion that quality is synonymous with a high price point. The brand's affordable yet effective serums, such as a $7 hyaluronic acid serum and a $6 retinoid serum, quickly gained popularity and became its hallmark​​.

The journey, however, was not without its struggles. DECIEM and The Ordinary experienced internal turbulence, particularly related to the erratic behavior of the company's founder, Brandon Truaxe. Despite the sudden firing of co-founder Nicola Kilner and claims of a temporary shutdown, Kilner returned to the company out of dedication to DECIEM, its people, and Truaxe himself​​. Tragedy struck when Truaxe passed away in 2019, and Kilner took over as CEO, maintaining the values and vision Truaxe instilled in the company​​.

Under Kilner's leadership, the focus on team wellbeing took precedence, leading to the implementation of initiatives around mental health for employees. DECIEM and The Ordinary emerged stronger through the trials and tribulations, maintaining a family-like atmosphere and a dedication to Truaxe's vision​​.

The Ordinary, together with its distinctive approach to transparency, pricing, and communication, bolstered the success of DECIEM's other brands, including NIOD, Hylamide, The Chemistry Brand, Abnomaly, and HIF (Hair Is Fabric)​​. The commitment to customer focus, innovation, transparency, function, design, and above all, kindness, continues to drive the brand's success into the future​​.