The Ordinary
Multi-Active Delivery Essence
face essence
The Ordinary
face essence
Added Last edited
Fit by skin type
General, ingredient-based — not your personalized match.
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Take the skin testAn essence that offers rapid and long-term hydration, creating the optimal environment for your ingredients to perform their best
Multi-Active Delivery Essence is a watery-light essence from The Ordinary, a brand based in Canada. The formula is built mainly around hydration. The ingredient list runs to 10 ingredients, each broken down in full below.
By its ingredient list the formula reads as very light — essentially a water-and-humectant base with little emollient weight. With almost no emollient load it should absorb quickly and finish close to matte. Hydration is handled by Glycerin, Propanediol and Glycogen, humectants that pull water into the upper layers of skin rather than sealing it there.
Hydration: High. Ingredients that pull and hold water in the upper layers of skin, and here that comes from Glycerin, Propanediol and Glycogen.
On richness alone it suits Combination (oily) and Oily skin best, and is the least natural fit for Dry and Combination (dry) skin. Nothing in the list is flagged as a common irritant, which is a reasonable starting point for reactive skin — though a patch test is still the only way to know.
The formula contributes little or nothing on barrier support, antioxidant protection, oil control and brightening and tone. That is not a fault — most products are not meant to do everything — but if one of those is your priority, this is not the product that will address it. One ingredient on the label has not been matched to our database yet, so the analysis above reads a slightly incomplete list.
It can be used morning and evening. In a routine it goes after cleansing, before serums. Apply to slightly damp skin so the humectants have water to hold on to.
This summary is generated from the product's ingredient list. It is not a review, it is not the brand's own marketing claims, and it does not replace advice from a dermatologist.
Drawn purely from the ingredient list
Scored on how rich or light the formula reads from its INCI order.
No ingredient in this formula carries a common-irritant flag, making it a reasonable option for reactive skin. A patch test is still recommended, as individual skin reactivity varies.
Based on the curated benefits documented for this product's ingredients.
Attracts and locks in moisture to keep skin plump and dewy
Boosts collagen and cell turnover to reduce fine lines and wrinkles
None of the ingredients in this formula are associated with these benefits. This is not unusual, as most products are designed to target a limited number of concerns.
The actives, UV filters and benefit-carrying ingredients in this formula, in the order they are listed.
1st on the list, which puts it at an estimated 10–40% of the formula.
Glycerine ;Glycerol (INN); Glycerol (RIFM); Glycerolum (EP); Glycyl Alcohol; 1,2,3-Propanetriol; 1,2,3-Trihydroxypropane
2nd on the list, which puts it at an estimated 5–20% of the formula.
1,3-dihydroxypropane
4th on the list, which puts it at an estimated 2–10% of the formula.
Glycogen
6th on the list, which puts it at an estimated 2–10% of the formula.
2-Hydroxy-1,2,3-propanetricarboxylic acid
Each axis is scored from the ingredients present and how high up the list they sit.
Ingredients that pull and hold water in the upper layers of skin
Lipids and repair signals that support skin barrier integrity
Ingredients that mop up free radicals from UV and pollution
Ingredients that moderate sebum or absorb shine
Ingredients that act on uneven tone and post-inflammatory marks
Ingredients aimed at visible redness and reactivity
Retinoids, acids and enzymes that speed surface turnover
Peptides and growth factors that signal for collagen support
"Active" here means an ingredient carrying a recorded active type or a recognised UV filter.
Solvents, emollients, texture agents and preservatives — the formula that carries the actives.
Judged by the same curated rules our routine checker uses. It reads the ingredients, not the label.
Nothing in this formula belongs to a group our rules can put in conflict, so it layers freely. Order still matters — thinnest texture first.
This product is the "Toning" step.
Flags to check, not verdicts. None of this is medical advice — if you are pregnant, breastfeeding or treating a skin condition, ask a doctor.
Most ingredients do more than one job, so these counts add up to more than the 10 ingredients on the label.
Sets the thickness, spread and stability of the formula
Draws water into the upper layers of skin
Binds trace metals that would otherwise spoil the formula
Forms a film that slows water loss
Keeps the product free of microbial growth
Dissolves and carries everything else
Changes how skin behaves rather than how it feels
Sets the acidity the formula needs to work
Lifts oil and dirt, or holds oil and water together
Every ingredient on the label, in order, with what it does and roughly how much of it is likely to be there.
1st on the list, which puts it at an estimated 10–40% of the formula.
Glycerine ;Glycerol (INN); Glycerol (RIFM); Glycerolum (EP); Glycyl Alcohol; 1,2,3-Propanetriol; 1,2,3-Trihydroxypropane
2nd on the list, which puts it at an estimated 5–20% of the formula.
1,3-dihydroxypropane
3rd on the list, which puts it at an estimated 5–20% of the formula.
L-Proline, 1-(1-oxodecyl)-, sodium salt (1:1),Sodium N-decanoyl-L-prolinate
4th on the list, which puts it at an estimated 2–10% of the formula.
Glycogen
5th on the list, which puts it at an estimated 2–10% of the formula.
Gellan gum
6th on the list, which puts it at an estimated 2–10% of the formula.
2-Hydroxy-1,2,3-propanetricarboxylic acid
7th on the list, which puts it at an estimated 1–5% of the formula.
Sodium chloride
8th on the list, which puts it at an estimated 1–5% of the formula.
L-Aspartic acid, N,N'-1,2-ethanediylbis-, trisodium salt
9th on the list, below the 1% line — present at under 1%, which for most ingredients is the level they work at.
2-Phenoxyethanol
10th on the list, below the 1% line — present at under 1%, which for most ingredients is the level they work at.
1,2-Propanediol, 3-(4-chlorophenoxy)-
These are printed on the label but have not been linked to an ingredient record yet, so they are excluded from the analysis above.
Products in the same category that share this formula's distinguishing ingredients.
Dr. Althea
Shares 3 key ingredients with Multi-Active Delivery Essence: Glycerin, Propanediol, Citric Acid
Then I Met You
Shares 3 key ingredients with Multi-Active Delivery Essence: Propanediol, Glycerin, Citric Acid
Numbuzin
Shares 3 key ingredients with Multi-Active Delivery Essence: Glycerin, Propanediol, Citric Acid
Payot
Shares 3 key ingredients with Multi-Active Delivery Essence: Glycerin, Propanediol, Citric Acid
Dr.Althea
Shares 3 key ingredients with Multi-Active Delivery Essence: Glycerin, Propanediol, Citric Acid
Dr. Althea
Shares 2 key ingredients with Multi-Active Delivery Essence: Glycerin, Propanediol
GLYCERIN, PROPANEDIOL, SODIUM CAPROYL PROLINATE, GLYCOGEN, GELLAN GUM, CITRIC ACID, SODIUM CHLORIDE, TRISODIUM ETHYLENEDIAMINE DISUCCINATE, PHENOXYETHANOL, CHLORPHENESIN.
CITRIC ACID.
-Apply to the face in the morning and evening using a cotton pad or fingers. -Avoid the eye contour and contact with eyes. Rinse eyes immediately if product comes into contact with them. -If irritation occurs, rinse off, cease use, and consult a physician. Use only as directed on unbroken skin. -Patch testing prior to use is advised. Refer to our website for a patch test guide, regimen guide, and product compatibility. Keep out of reach of children. -Contradictions: Direct acids, retinoids.
Judged on how rich the formula reads from its ingredient list, it suits Combination (oily), Oily skin best. It is the least natural fit for Dry, Combination (dry) skin.
No ingredient in this formula carries a common-irritant flag, making it a reasonable option for reactive skin. A patch test is still recommended, as individual skin reactivity varies.
Nothing in this formula is on the standard pregnancy-caution list. That is not medical clearance — check anything you use daily with your doctor or midwife.
It layers well with Vitamin C (L-ascorbic acid), Retinoids (retinol, retinal), AHAs (glycolic, lactic), BHA (salicylic acid), PHAs (gluconolactone), Benzoyl peroxide.
Use it morning and evening, after cleansing, before serums.
It lists 10 ingredients, of which 1 are recorded as actives.
The Ordinary, a brand based in Canada.
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