Buffet
Expert Review
We reviewed The Ordinary’s Buffet on the 14th of January 2020.
Cosmetic Claims
The Ordinary makes only one claim for this product. We looked further into the science behind this claim. There was no publically available information on the testing of this serum. We approached The Ordinary to share with the public more information on testing that was done for this serum. Their response was not to participate when it comes to this product. As there was no clinical study to review, we looked closer to the ingredients.
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Targets multiple signs of ageing
Legend
Ingredient review and safety:
The claim that the product targets multiple signs of ageing can be supported by the high proportion of ingredients present which have humectant (such as Acetyl Hexapeptide-8 and Glycerine) and skin conditioning properties (such as Lactococcus Ferment Lysate, Pentapeptide-18, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1, and Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7).
Aqua (Water), Glycerin, Lactococcus Ferment Lysate, Acetyl Hexapeptide-8, Pentapeptide-18, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-1, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-7, Palmitoyl Tripeptide-38, Dipeptide Diaminobutyroyl Benzylamide Diacetate, Acetylarginyltryptophyl Diphenylglycine, Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer, Sodium Hyaluronate, Allantoin, Glycine, Alanine, Serine, Valine, Isoleucine, Proline, Threonine, Histidine, Phenylalanine, Arginine, Aspartic Acid, Trehalose, Fructose, Glucose, Maltose, Urea, Sodium PCA, PCA, Sodium Lactate, Citric Acid, Hydroxypropyl Cyclodextrin, Sodium Chloride, Sodium Hydroxide, Butylene Glycol, Pentylene Glycol, Acacia Senegal Gum, Xanthan Gum, Carbomer, Polysorbate 20, PPG-26-Buteth-26, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Ethoxydiglycol, Sodium Benzoate, Caprylyl Glycol, Ethylhexylglycerin, Phenoxyethanol, Chlorphenesin.
Allergen free?
Preservative free?
Sodium Benzoate
Phenoxyethanol
Chlorphenesin
Maximum concentrations do not exceed use guidelines?
EU restricted ingredient free?
Sodium Hydroxide
Ethoxydiglycol
Maximum concentrations do not exceed use guidelines?
The ingredients listed do not contain any fragrance allergens (Box 2). However, it does contain some preservatives. Sodium Benzoate is mainly used as a preservative in cosmetics which also has a fragrance function. CIR recognizes Sodium Benzoate as safe in concentrations of up to 5%. EU limits its use to 0.5%. Phenoxyethanol is a preservative that is considered safe to use in concentrations of up to 1%. Chlorphenesin is a preservative, which can prevent the growth of microorganisms. It is considered safe when used in cosmetics in the concentrations of up to 0.3%.
The Buffet contains two ingredients restricted for use: Sodium Hydroxide and Ethoxydiglycol. Sodium Hydroxide is used to stabilize the pH in cosmetics. Sodium Hydroxide falls on the list of ingredients restricted to use in Europe, as it has shown to cause skin irritation at concentrations 0.5% and higher and be corrosive at concentrations above 2%. Ethoxydiglycol is often used as a solvent in cosmetics and to enhance skin absorption. In 2006, CIR reviewed its use in skincare cosmetics and found cases when concentrations of more than 50% in some products. CIR has confirmed that it is safe for use. However, in the EU, based on a more recent scientific review on its toxicity, the maximum amount allowed is 2.6%.
The Ordinary did not confirm if the concentration of these ingredients is following these safety guidelines.
Conclusions
The Ordinary makes a single broad claim regarding the performance of the serum. Unfortunately we were unable to obtain results of clinical studies supporting these claims.
The Ordinary has rejected to share the evidence of clinical studies by saying. Our score is therefore based on ingredient review. Evidence of a well-designed randomized study with results that support all claims Buffet would have scored about 100.
The current ingredient list partly supports the claim The Ordinary makes for this serum, giving it an overall evidence score of 20.
Pros
- Ingredients suggest that it is potentially able to target multiple signs of ageing
- Doesn’t have any fragrance allergens
Cons
- The Ordinary is unwilling to share any evidence of clinical studies that would support claims they make about this product.
- Contains some preservatives and restricted ingredients. We could not confirm if the preservatives listed here follow the common safety guidelines and to what extent.