Table of Contents
About Deciem
Deciem, the self-proclaimed Abnormal Company, is a cosmetics brand that sells a variety of skincare products, while also producing their own.
They work with companies such as The Ordinary, HIF, and NIOD. With a focus on becoming a central hub for science-based formulas, the brand is also known for its sustainability measures in an effort to help save the environment.
Garnering an impressive following of 1.3 million on Instagram, Deciem has been featured in many noteworthy news publications including Glossy, PopSugar, and Refinery29.
Is this brand far from ordinary, or should they be considered average at best? This Deciem review will hopefully answer that and many other questions for you.
Keep on reading, as we’ll take a closer look at their products, customer ratings, promotions, and more to help you decide if they are worth checking out.
Overview of Deciem
Early in his career, founder Brandon Truaxe had enough of the beauty industry. He was tired of the lack of transparency, passion, and quality most on-the-market products offered.
It wasn’t until he participated in a four-month co-op at a skincare lab that he decided he couldn’t just let things be.
After selling his software company, Truaxe was determined to take matters into his own hands by establishing his own business.
Founded on the belief that customers deserve the best of the best when it comes to cosmetics, Deciem opened its doors in 2013 in the heart of Toronto, Canada.
With a focus on creating exceptional products that are backed by science, Deciem prides itself on offering formulas that are high quality and effective.
Since their launch, the company has gained an impressive cult following and now sells more than one product per second.
The brand is also committed to sustainable practices within its operations, as Deciem is set to produce over 130 million carbon-neutral boxes for its packaging.
Via a statement made by the Deciem Abnormal Beauty Company:
“Everything we do is of exceptional quality. Today, quality is no longer defined by price points or distribution channels. Quality today means being authentic, being different, being functional, being beautiful, and being sensibly priced, even to the wealthy.”
Before we get into the nitty-gritty of this Deciem review, let’s go over some of the pros and cons of the brand:
Pros
- A variety of cosmetics to choose from, including The Ordinary skincare, body lotions, hair conditioners, and makeup
- All products are certifiably vegan, cruelty-free, science-based, and free of parabens and sulfates
- The brand is committed to eco-friendly practices within its manufacturing process
- Completely transparent when it comes to ethical labor, sourcing, and ingredients
- Free domestic shipping on U.S orders $25+
- Customers can return their orders within 1 year of the date of purchase
Cons
- No exchanges
- Reported issues with their customer service team
Deciem Skincare Review
Deciem offers hundreds of various skincare formulas that come from a variety of indie brands. This includes upcoming companies NIOD, HIF, as well as the Chemistry Brand.
The company is proud of the scientific backing that went into the creation of their Deciem The Ordinary makeup line and emphasizes that this is what makes them so effective.
While they do offer makeup and products for hair and body, this Deciem review will focus on their skincare items. In the following section, we’ll go over a few of their bestselling products that you may want to check out.
Abnomaly Petrowhat? Milk Review
Formulated to relieve those dry areas that would give the Sahara Desert a run for its money, the Petrowhat? Milk can be considered your oasis amongst the sand dunes.
This skin and lip balm is enriched with a high concentration of amino acids that are found in the plant-derived squalane and baobab oil base. Essential in hydration and protection, this product is a far cry from generic waxy balms.
This formula is part of the Abnormal Beauty Company collection and comes in 4 intoxicating flavors: Bali pineapple, Rio guava, coconut milk, and baobab.
Say goodbye to chapped kissers, dry elbows, and flaky patches with the 15 ml Petrowhat? Milk for $7. Unfortunately, this item is currently sold out. Talk about Mr. Popular over here.
The Ordinary 100% Organic Cold-Pressed Borage Seed Oil Review
The Ordinary’s 100% Organic Cold-Pressed Borage Seed Oil comes in a highly concentrated form that doesn’t play around when it comes to hydration.
Designed to target dry areas, this blend also contains a good amount of GLA (an important fatty acid) to help soothe and nourish troublesome spots. Offering a calming effect when applied, this product can be used for all skin types as a daily treatment.
The brand recommends using this product when needed after any water-based treatments. For smooth skin that’s happy and hydrated, this product from The Ordinary costs $5 for 30 ml.
The Ordinary Marine Hyaluronics Review
The Ordinary Marine Hyaluronics formula is basically all the benefits of the ocean crammed into a small bottle.
The product excels at retaining hydration and also includes skin-friendly sea bacteria, Hawaiian red algae, green algae, and amino acids. It’s essentially a tall glass of cold water for your skin on a hot summer’s day.
This formula from The Ordinary can be used in the morning or night before the rest of your skincare regimen. Available in a 30 ml bottle, you can get this aquatic youth elixir for $7.
NIOD Photography Fluid Review
It’s like photoshop, but for your face. The Photography Fluid serum by NIOD helps to reinvigorate the skin through its light refraction technology.
Harnessing the power of tiny particles, this revolutionary formula helps redefine your features while minimizing the look of pores.
The product uses many film industry techniques that go to work in ‘auto-correcting’ your face for that TV-ready look and can be used as a primer on top of makeup or underneath. For a 30 ml bottle, say lights, camera, action! with the Photography Fluid for $30.
Hyalimide SubQ Skin Review
Deciem, are you sure that the SubQ Skin formula by Hyalimide is a cosmetic item? Because from what we’ve read, it sounds like a piece of digital retouching software.
Actually, the product introduces a combination of advanced hyaluronic complexes and peptides to help relieve dryness and reduce signs of imperfection.
This rehydrating agent also uses several ‘skin technologies’ including copper lysinate and nonapeptide-3 retinol complex to help improve your skin’s health. With a 30 ml bottle, users can get the real-life version of the digital blur tool for $22.
Chemistry Brand Hand Chemistry Review
Considered the ‘guy she told you not to worry about’ of body lotions, the Brand Hand Chemistry cream goes way further when it comes to hydration.
This formula targets 8 signs of aging located on your palms and fingers. The ingredients included in this product help improve the skin’s quality of firmness, elasticity, density, brightness, and so much more.
Customers can reportedly see results within 11 days if they use this product continually. Seen as a definite upgrade to your conventional store-bought lotion, the Brand Hand Chemistry cream comes in 3 different sizes:
- 30 ml: $7
- 100 ml: $20
- 240 ml: $39
HIF Hydration Support Review
Think of your hair as a delicate piece of fabric. Instead of tossing it into the turbulent laundry machine, you’d much rather have it professionally cleaned to maintain its quality.
The Hydration Support by HIF is designed with this metaphor in mind. This hair conditioner provides a deep and gentle cleanse, featuring its key ingredients of exotic oils, hyaluronic acid, and rock extracts.
Additionally, this formula is great for anyone looking to add some hydration and help with dry, ‘crunchy’ feeling hair. Unfortunately, the conditioner is currently unavailable, but once it’s available for purchase again on their website, you can snatch it up for $21.
HIF Volume Support Review
Boring flat hair got you down? Lift it back up with HIF’s Volume Support conditioner. Designed to give you a bit of oomph for those larger than life ‘dos, this formula is enriched with a complex of hyaluronic acid, rock extracts, pea bio-peptides, and more.
Best applied on wet hair, the brand recommends leaving it on for 3 minutes in order to get noticeable results.
This conditioner is also suitable for newly colored hair after 2 or 3 days have passed. Unfortunately, this HIF product is currently out of stock. Once it’s available, you can get your own bottle for $24.
Deciem Reviews: What Do Customers Think?
This Deciem review found a mixed customer response for this brand. On their website, a majority of The Ordinary products, as well as other company items, have dozens to hundreds of reviews.
For example, the 100% Organic Cold-Pressed Borage Seed Oil has over 300 user testimonials with an average of 3.7/5 stars. Buyers have noted that it helped moisturize their skin.
Better still, people who suffer from acne or eczema have reported that it aided in calming down inflamed areas.
One Deciem review sings the product’s praises:
“I often suffer from minor irritation and dryness. I started using this oil in my PM routine, after my toner and before my moisturizer, and I loved it from the first day! Its moisturizing power is amazing, it soothes my skin and makes it feel smooth in the morning.”
Other Deciem products on the official website were rated similarly across the board:
- Marine Hyaluronics: 4.6/5 stars, nearly 352 reviews
- SubQ Skin: 4.7/5 stars, over 270 reviews
- Hand Chemistry: 4.3/5 stars, 200+ reviews
Another commenter had great things to say about the Hand Chemistry hand cream: “Even after one application, the fine lines looked smoother, and after two weeks of morning and night use the deeper lines look softer… Just amazing.”
Websites like Trustpilot and Makeup Alley hold an even split of negative and positive reviews for the brand overall:
- Trustpilot: 2.2/5 stars average rating out of nearly 2,000 reviews
- Makeup Alley: 3.7/5 stars average rating out of over 3,100 reviews
Users on both websites stated various issues with the customer service, noting that there were delays in shipping.
Others commented that their Borage Seed Oil smelled bad and that some of the skincare products either did nothing or irritated their complexions even more. One Trustpilot Deciem review glumly wrote:
“I have previously left a review for this company. It has now been 21 days since I placed my order and Deciem has responded to my email saying processing should take up to 10 business days, it has been longer than those 10 business days and I have heard nothing.”
All in all, it appears as though many of the products are effective and praised by the majority of customers that try them out. Unfortunately, the company falls short with its customer service in the eyes of some reviews.
Is Deciem Worth It?
The number of mixed ratings and issues with customer support, this Deciem review recommends the company.
On the positive side, the brand feels like it has unlimited variety when it comes to products for makeup, skin, hair, and body, and appears to be generally effective.
The company is also completely transparent with their ingredients, and are especially detailed with instructions.
On each product description, Deciem lists the pH balance and indicates whether it’s free of any substances like nuts or alcohol. It’s also nice that they are committed to reducing waste in their packaging.
Now for the negative part. There are a bunch of reviews that report issues with their customer service team. A good amount of customers also stated that Deciem’s products either did nothing for their skin or worsened it even further.
There’s also the fact that some of their names and descriptions are quite hard to understand for the average customer. Chemistry jargon and scientific compounds usually mean a big question mark for buyers.
For those who are still curious about what Deciem has to offer, they could be worth your time. Just make sure to have a second browser tab ready to Google every other ingredient.
Deciem Promotions & Discounts
At the time of this review, we haven’t come across any sales, discounts, or a Deciem promo code offered on their website. You can find updates on any upcoming deals by following their social media pages.
Where to Buy Deciem
Customers can purchase products from brands like The Ordinary Company by visiting the brand’s official website: Deciem.com. You can also find them at select retailers such as:
- Skin Store
- Sephora
- Hudson’s Bay
- Ulta Beauty
FAQ
Is Deciem owned by Estee Lauder?
Yes. This Deciem review found out that the company was purchased by Estee Lauder after investing in the brand in 2017.
Is it safe to order from Deciem?
From what this Deciem review has seen so far, a large number of customers online state issues with delivery and customer service.
What shipping company does Deciem use?
Deciem uses USPS as their main courier.
Does Deciem have free shipping?
Deciem does offer free shipping. Depending on the country, customers can get free delivery if they spend a certain amount of money. In general, The Ordinary’s Canada and US orders are free if buyers purchase $25 or more at checkout.
What is Deciem’s Shipping Policy?
The company offers to ship to several countries around the world. Here’s a quick overview of some of their rates:
- US: $5, up to 8 business days
- Canada: $4, up to 8 business days
- United Kingdom: $7, up to 2 business days
- Europe: $7, up to 14 business days
Customers will receive a tracking number via a confirmation email to help locate their packages.
Can I track my Deciem order?
Yes, Deciem will provide buyers with a tracking number once the order has been shipped out.
What is Deciem’s Return Policy?
You can return the products within 1 year from their original date of purchase. Items must be at least 50% full in order to be considered eligible.
Unfortunately, products that were purchased as a bundle cannot be sent back. You can initiate the return process by following the list of instructions found on the company website.
How to Contact Deciem
For inquiries that go beyond this Deciem review, you can contact the company in 3 ways:
- Phone number: 1-800-513-6088 (Monday to Friday from 11:00 am to 2:00 pm EST/GMT)
- Direct messaging on the Deciem Instagram page
- Fill out your email on Deciem’s official website
The Deciem email is not currently listed on their website.
Looking for more effective and affordable skincare options? Here are a few more you can choose from when building your self-care routine:
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