Index / The Ordinary / Amino Acids + B5
The Ordinary

Amino Acids + B5.

The Ordinary Amino Acids + B5

About this product

A lightweight hydrating serum containing amino acids and panthenol (B5) designed to boost skin moisture and support barrier health.

Best for

Dry skinSensitive skin

The Guru Index verdict

86%

Approved

✓Approved · 86%
2Reviewers
2Approved
0Mixed
0Skip

What the gurus are saying

The gurus who reviewed it praise this serum as an exceptionally affordable, lightweight hydrator that absorbs quickly and feels like water on the skin, making it suitable for all skin types, from oily and acne-prone to very dry. It plays well with active ingredients like retinol, tretinoin, and glycolic acid, so there's no conflict in layering it into a routine. Those new to actives or experiencing dryness from them may want to use this before or alongside their treatment to ease irritation and support the skin barrier.
Synthesized from 2 expert reviews

Key actives & flags

Fragrance-freeAlcohol-free

Full ingredients

Aqua (Water), Propanediol, Betaine, Sodium Pca, Panthenol, Sodium Lactate, Arginine, Pca, Aspartic Acid, Glycine, Alanine, Serine, Threonine, Valine, Proline, Isoleucine, Lysine Hcl, Histidine, Phenylalanine, Glutamic Acid, Citric Acid, Dimethyl Isosorbide, Polysorbate 20, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, 1,2-Hexanediol, Caprylyl Glycol

Where to buy

Every take, in full

What the gurus are saying.

Every take we've logged from this product's reviews across YouTube. Click any row to watch the moment they said it.

All takes Approved only Skip only Mixed only Hide sponsored
Sincerely Miss Ash
Sincerely Miss Ash
194k subs · 4k devotees
✓Approved
"This is The Ordinary Amino Acids + B5, the serum that I always rave about because nobody talks about it. This is a hidden gem and this is very underrated. And this is one of the best hydrating serums I have ever used. And it's so affordable. If I were to use this every single day, this will only last me one month. When I use this, I use a whole syringe full, but you don't need to apply that much. You can just put like three or four drops if you want. I like to be very generous because I love the way that my skin feels when I use this and I just have this nice hydration. My skin just looks amazing. And I really like it with active ingredients. So you can use this with retinol, tretinoin, glycolic acid, copper peptides. You can pair this up with anything. There is no complex because it's just hydration here. And it's very thin and lightweight. It's not sticky or tacky. There is no fragrance. Perfect for even those that have the oiliest acne prone skin and great for those that have super dry parched skin. I have combo acne skin. This never breaks me out. It is phenomenal."
Top Pick: hydrating serum
All 7 takes from Sincerely Miss Ash
THE ORDINARY & NIOD APRIL SALE 2026 | TOP 18 ANTI-AGING PRODUCTS + THE PRODUCTS THAT ALWAYS SELL OUT
"This is The Ordinary Amino Acids + B5, the serum that I always rave about because nobody talks about it. This is a hidden gem and this is very underrated. And this is one of the best hydrating serums I have ever used. And it's so affordable. If I were to use this every single day, this will only last me one month. When I use this, I use a whole syringe full, but you don't need to apply that much. You can just put like three or four drops if you want. I like to be very generous because I love the way that my skin feels when I use this and I just have this nice hydration. My skin just looks amazing. And I really like it with active ingredients. So you can use this with retinol, tretinoin, glycolic acid, copper peptides. You can pair this up with anything. There is no complex because it's just hydration here. And it's very thin and lightweight. It's not sticky or tacky. There is no fragrance. Perfect for even those that have the oiliest acne prone skin and great for those that have super dry parched skin. I have combo acne skin. This never breaks me out. It is phenomenal."
HONEST BEAUTY EMPTIES | SKINCARE & HAIRCARE PRODUCTS I'VE USED UP + WILL I REPURCHASE?
"It's very friendly and it does add a lot of hydration where it just makes your skin look and feel so good. This is very underrated and honestly I feel like I'm the only one that talks about this. It's so affordable, it's like under $10 and it works really well. I generally go through one bottle every month when I am consistent and using it every day, twice a day, though I am very generous with it. But if you were only using a few drops, you could probably get two to two and a half months out of it."
BEAUTY EMPTIES 2023! SKINCARE, HAIRCARE & MAKEUP | PRODUCT'S I'VE USED UP SINCERELY MISS ASH
"I have one empty Ordinary Amino Acids + B5 and you guys know this is my favorite hydrating serum to use on an everyday basis. I do go through one bottle every month."
THE ORDINARY & NIOD SALE 2025 | TOP 17 ANTI-AGING PRODUCTS + THE PRODUCTS THAT ALWAYS SELL OUT!
"This is a product that I am very obsessed with. The one that I stock up a lot with. It is really affordable. I use it every day, twice a day, especially come fall, winter, and early spring. I use a full syringe full every single time. And it just provides my skin with so much hydration. And it also has some skin repair abilities as well, but it's more for hydration. So if you're lacking hydration, you just need a little bit more of that glow up, this is absolutely wonderful to use. You can use this with a lot of active ingredients. There's no conflicts. You can pair this up with anything and everything. It is a very friendly ingredient. It is literally like water. Like it truly is like water. So it spreads really nicely across the skin. You can use it on your neck as well as your chest and décolletage. And this is a very underrated serum."
NEW! THE ORDINARY SOOTHING & BARRIER SUPPORT SERUM REVIEW | REPAIR YOUR SKIN BARRIER FAST!
"You know how much I love the Ordinary Amino Acids + B5, especially if you've been with me for a while. That's a great hydrating serum. When I was testing this I was pairing it up with the Amino Acids + B5 and that pairing was exceptional for hydration. So if you have dryness or you're looking for something to be very hydrating on your skin for the fall winter months, try pairing this up with the Amino Acids and that pairing was amazing."
BEAUTY EMPTIES 2025 || SKINCARE, MAKEUP AND HAIRCARE PRODUCT'S I'VE USED UP - PROJECT PAN
"The Amino Acids + B5 is a hydrating serum that really does give that comfort to the skin. It hydrates, it's just lovely to use on an everyday basis, especially during the winter months, but I will use this all year round. If you're someone that is new to retinol or some type of active ingredient and you're experiencing dryness and irritation, start incorporating this serum prior to, and this will help to give more moisture to the skin and it can also help to slightly repair the barrier as well. This is fabulous, this is underrated, and I always need to have backups of this."
TOP 7 BEST PERFORMING ORDINARY SKINCARE PRODUCTS - THE ULTIMATE GUIDE FOR ANTI-AGING "REAL RESULTS"
"This is the amino acids plus B5. A very underrated serum. I feel like I'm the only one that talks about this. It is ultra lightweight. And when I say this is lightweight, it dries down skin-like, and it feels like you haven't even put anything on your skin. It's not tacky. It's not sticky. You don't feel any type of residue. It is extremely lightweight. Your skin absorbs it really quickly, and it's like water. It's like putting water on your skin. It's very thin like water. And it's one of the first serums that I use in my skincare routine after a facial mist or after an essence. And I usually use this before thicker based serums and creams. If I'm using a vitamin C serum, sometimes I will use my vitamin C first and then this afterwards. But there's no conflicts with this. You don't have to worry about this not pairing up with something else. It's just hydration and it does an amazing job. It's great for all skin types, including dry, including oily, acne prone skin."
Mad About Skin
Mad About Skin
720k subs · 10k devotees
✓Approved
"This is the Amino Acids + B5. It contains all of those essential amino acids and it costs £8. Don't get sucked into the hype that's going around with amino acids and feel like you have to pay like $150 to get the very best serum you don't. Just throw this into your skincare routine. I was shocked when I fully understood the range of different amino acids in here, it does it all, it's got it all. It's impossibly lightweight as a serum; it practically feels like water on the skin, which is great if you're looking for a lightweight amino acid treatment. For that price point I'd say call off the search, don't look any further. A lot of the higher price options don't offer half of what you're getting in this. They highlight this as being primarily a hydrating serum, which it is, but the range of different essential amino acids in here means it's going to do more than that. It's going to promote skin health, help with wound healing, promote collagen and elastin production. I think it could be an amazing additional product to add to your skin routine to elevate your results. I love this."
You might also like

Similar products worth a look.

Other products the same gurus have weighed in on, plus more from this brand and category.

This week's top beauty news, in your inbox.

A weekly read of the takes worth catching up on: the raves, the splits, the ones the gurus won't shut up about. Free, no spam, unsubscribe whenever.

Subscribe to the digest