Works for
ExfoliationLactic acidWorks well
“Lactic Acid 5% + HA is a mild alpha hydroxy acid solution that offers gentle yet effective exfoliation targeted at the skin's surface.”
This product can help exfoliate the skin. In other words, it helps break down the bonds between dead cells on the surface of the skin and speed up the skin turnover. Skin often appears softer and brighter after exfoliation, but overdoing it can result in disrupted skin barrier. The following ingredient is doing the exfoliating job in this product: lactic acid.
Evens skin toneLactic acidWorks well
“Restore a bright, even tone and a smooth texture to your skin with this mild exfoliating serum.”
This product can help reduce hypepigmentation and even out the skin tone because it contains the following effective ingredients: lactic acid
Keep in mind that you would need to apply any topical skincare targetted at hypigmentation consistently for a couple of months to get a result. No topical skincare product can help get rid of hyperpigmentation (including post-acne marks and age spots) instantly.
MoisturizingSide benefit the brand mentions · Lactic acid, Glycerin + 3 moreWorks
“Oh, and there's more... it's enhanced with nourishing hyaluronic acid to not only lock in moisture, but retain it too.”
This product contains good ingredients to attract water to the upper layer of the skin. These ingredients are called "humectants": glycerin, lactic acid.
When humectants are on the surface of the skin, they “pull in” the moisture from the outside environment, or from within deeper layers of the skin. If the air is dry, humectants can speed up the moisture loss from the skin. This is why it is a good idea to use another product on top of this one to help "seal in" the moisture (look for ingredients like dimethicone, squalane, oils and butters).
Anti-agingSide benefit the brand mentions · Lactic acidMay help
“Offering gentle yet effective exfoliation with 10% lactic acid (an alpha hydroxy acid), this lightweight serum reduces pigmentation, minimises fine lines and wrinkles and improves overall skin texture.”
This product contains lactic acid. This ingredient might be able to help reduce and prevent fine lines and wrinkles, improve skin elasticity and firmness, but there is not enough evidence that it actually works.
Can it cause trouble?
Irritancy10 flagged ingredientsLow risk
ComedogenicClean of flagged comedogenic ingredientsNone flagged
User reviews
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Ingredients
Filter by role to see what each ingredient is doing.
Water~40–60%
Lactic acid~4.3–6.5%
- Irritation risk
- Medium
An exfoliating and moisturizing alpha-hydroxy acid (AHA). Typically causes less irritation than other AHAs, for example, glycolic acid. At high concentrations (about 15%), lactic acid can help reduce lines and wrinkles. Recent studies show that lactic acid can support the "good" bacteria living on skin's surface (healthy skin microbiome)
More about Lactic acidGlycerin~3.5–5.3%
- Irritation risk
- Low
One of the best moisturizing ingredients. Naturally present in skin. It attracts water to the upper layer of the skin working as a humectant
More about GlycerinPentylene glycol~2.8–4.1%
- Irritation risk
- Medium
Used to preserve products, dissolve other ingredients and create a nice product texture
More about Pentylene glycolPropanediol~2–3.1%
- Irritation risk
- Low
Acts as a solvent for other ingredients. Speeds up the absorption of other ingredients into the skin
More about PropanediolSodium hyaluronate crosspolymer~1.5–2.2%
- Irritation risk
- Medium
Attracts water into the upper layer of the skin
More about Sodium hyaluronate crosspolymerTasmannia lanceolata fruit/leaf extract~1.2–1.8%
- Irritation risk
- High
Acacia senegal gum~0.9–1.35%
- Irritation risk
- Medium
Helps mask the small of other ingredients and improve the product texture
More about Acacia senegal gumXanthan gum~0.5–1.2%
- Irritation risk
- Low
Used to create a thicker product consistency
More about Xanthan gumIsoceteth-20~0.4–0.9%
Trisodium ethylenediamine disuccinate~0.2–0.7%
- Irritation risk
- Medium
Used to improve stability of the formulation
More about Trisodium ethylenediamine disuccinateSodium hydroxide~0.1–0.45%
Ethylhexylglycerin~0.05–0.3%
1,2-hexanediol~0.05–0.2%
Caprylyl glycol~0.05–0.25%
- Irritation risk
- Medium
Helps preserve products and creates a nice product texture
More about Caprylyl glycolIngredient list view
Water, Lactic acid, Glycerin, Pentylene glycol, Propanediol, Sodium hyaluronate crosspolymer, Tasmannia lanceolata fruit/leaf extract, Acacia senegal gum, Xanthan gum, Isoceteth-20, Trisodium ethylenediamine disuccinate, Sodium hydroxide, Ethylhexylglycerin, 1,2-hexanediol, Caprylyl glycol
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Worth comparing, line by line.
Match % combines shared ingredients, the first five ingredients, shared actives and hero ingredients, irritancy (lower counts in the alternative's favour), texture and body area. Only products in the same routine step are compared.
| The OrdinaryLactic Acid 5% + HA 2%YOUR PRODUCT | MeLactic Acid AHA Booster | Geek GorgeousSmooth Out Liquid | MaeloveSuper Smooth Resurfacing Serum | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Match | — | 66% | 66% | 65% |
| Price | $7.00 | $8.01+$1.01 | $39.99+$32.99 | $32.95+$25.95 |
| Shared key ingredients | — | 3 of 3 | 3 of 3 | 2 of 3 |
| Key difference | — | — | Anhydroxylitol | Salicylic Acid |
| Irritancy | Low | Low | Low | Low |
| Drying alcohol | — | — | — | — |
| View product | Shop | Shop | Shop |
More alternatives: REVOLUTION SKINCARE Revolution Skin Mild Skin Exfoliator - 5% Lactic Acid + Hyaluronic AcidGLOWSECRET beffect Aha 30%+mandelic acid 4% serum
Product summary
"The Ordinary - Lactic Acid 5% + HA 2%" is effective for: Exfoliation and Evens skin tone
This product could be helpful for: Moisturizing and Anti-aging, but its actives are not the most effective or are not well-studied.
Ingredient callouts
- Exfoliating acids (lactic acid 5.40% - 8.00%). In this concentration, they will have a noticeable exfoliating effect. They can also have an anti-aging effect and stimulate collagen production in a long-run. Lactic Acid can also help to attract water to the upper layer (works as a humectant).
- Humectants (lactic acid 5.40% - 8.00%, glycerin 4.00% - 6.00%, arginine 1.30% - 2.00% and sodium hyaluronate crosspolymer 1.80% - 2.70%). These ingredients help attract water to the upper layer of the skin and improve the skin hydration.
About the brand
According to Cruelty-Free Kitty "The Ordinary" is cruelty free and so is its parent company.
Price
The product retails from 6.00£ up to 7.47£ in the United Kingdom, for 1550.00KSH in Kenya, from 6.50$ up to 13.85$ in the United States, for 18.10CA$ in Canada, from 20.99A$ up to 31.99A$ in Australia and for 59.00HK$ in Hong Kong.
For a detailed price comparison: click here.
Sources cited in this review
Every concentration estimate and effectiveness label is anchored to one of these 5 studies and safety reviews.
- 1Epidermal and dermal effects of topical lactic acidncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- 2Dual Effects of Alpha-Hydroxy Acids on the Skinpdfs.semanticscholar.org
- 3
- 4
- 5
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