Product Review: The Ordinary Multi-Peptide Serum

Formula

The Ordinary Multi-Peptide Serum is a water-based hair peptide serum that combines several hair growth peptides and plant-derived technologies in one leave-in formula. It’s vegan, cruelty-free, and free of alcohol and silicones, so it follows the simple, no-frills approach the brand is known for. The texture is light and absorbs reasonably well, without leaving a heavy film on the scalp.

The formula has its weak points, though. The brand recommends a patch test before use, and sensitive scalps may react to it. It also restricts what you can layer with it: several of the brand’s own acid-based and antioxidant treatments are flagged as incompatible, which complicates things if you already follow a multi-step routine.

Effects

With regular use, the serum may help hair look somewhat fuller at the roots and can contribute to a more comfortable-feeling scalp. The nightly massage that goes with it may also encourage circulation, which some users find a pleasant part of the routine.

Expectations should stay realistic. The brand frames its claims around the appearance of density rather than actual regrowth, so this isn’t a solution for anyone dealing with significant thinning. Any visible change is slow, typically taking months, and results vary considerably from person to person.

Use

You apply the serum once a day to a clean, dry scalp, ideally in the evening, and massage it in without rinsing. The dropper lets you target specific areas, and the routine itself is straightforward.

The catch is consistency. The serum only has a chance of working if you apply it every single night, and skipping days can stall any progress. Because you can’t wash your hair right after applying it, it also limits when you can use it, and spreading the product evenly with a dropper can be slow and fiddly on longer hair.

Price

The Ordinary has a reputation for accessible pricing, but this hair growth serum turns out to be an expensive choice in the long run. Daily application empties the bottle quickly, so you’ll be buying replacements regularly.

Once you account for the months of use needed before seeing any change, the total cost climbs well above what the label suggests. For a product that focuses on the look of density rather than true regrowth, that ongoing spend is hard to justify.