Review: The Ordinary Glycolic Acid 7% Toning Solution

Assalamualaikum and hello my beautiful Papoters!

Finally back at it again. I don't know why I just couldn't find the time to write reviews and stuff. Oh yeah because I fricking challenged myself to join the makeup and skincare challenge LOL so yeah sekarang sis Pah rajin update kt Instagram je kahkah

So I've shared my experience using it for 2 weeks straight on Instagram so you guys can check it out here. So for this blog review, I'm gonna share more details lah basically.

Without any further ado, let's!

PRODUCT INFO

Glycolic Acid is an alpha hydroxyl acid that exfoliates the skin. This 7% toning solution offers mild exfoliation for improved skin radiance and visible clarity. The formula also improves the appearance of skin texture with continued use. 

This formula contains a studied Tasmanian Pepperberry derivative to help reduce irritation associated with acid use. This derivative is of plant origin and varies in colour seasonally and this colour variation may be apparent in the formula from time to time. The formula is further supported with inclusion of ginseng root and aloe vera for both visible radiance and soothing benefits. 

Contraindications: This formula should not be used on sensitive, peeling or compromised skin. Please refer to additional sun protection note and other warnings in provided Directions. 

This pH of this formula is approximately 3.6. Glycolic Acid has a pKa of 3.6 and pKa is the most important aspect to consider in formulating with acids. pKa implies acid availability. When pKa is close to pH, there is an ideal balance between salt and acidity, maximizing effectiveness of the acid and reducing irritation. Higher pH numbers in such a case would increase salt which counter-intuitively would make the formula even more irritating than if the formula was more acidic. 

Directions

Use ideally in the PM, no more frequently than once per day. After cleaning, saturate a cotton pad with the formula and sweep across face and neck. Avoid the eye contour and contact with eyes. Do not rinse off. Continue with additional skin treatments as needed. If persistent irritation occurs, discontinue use and consult a physician. (Sunburn Alert: This product contains an alpha hydroxy acid (AHA) that may increase your skin's sensitivity to the sun and particularly the possibility of sunburn. Use a sunscreen, wear protective clothing, and limit sun exposure while using this product and for a week afterwards. Use only as directed. Contact of the product with the skin must be of limited frequency or duration.)

INGREDIENTS

Aqua (Water), Glycolic Acid, Rosa damascena flower water, Centaurea cyanus flower water, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Water, Propanediol, Glycerin, Triethanolamine, Aminomethyl Propanol, Panax Ginseng Root Extract, Tasmannia Lanceolata Fruit/Leaf Extract, Aspartic Acid, Alanine, Glycine, Serine, Valine, Isoleucine, Proline, Threonine, Histidine, Phenylalanine, Glutamic Acid, Arginine, PCA, Sodium PCA, Sodium Lactate, Fructose, Glucose, Sucrose, Urea, Hexyl Nicotinate, Dextrin, Citric Acid, Polysorbate 20, Gellan Gum, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Sodium Chloride, Hexylene Glycol, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate, 1,2-Hexanediol, Caprylyl Glycol.

REVIEW

I've had this bottle for quite a while, OMG man. Aku preorder benda alah ni and it wasn't as long as The Ordinary Colours. Yang itu dekat 2 months jugak aku tunggu aousdhajsdkas

So this is basically an AHA toner/exfoliant. If you don't know what's AHA, please do some googling on your own. I'm lazy to explain here.

The Difference Between AHA and BHA Exfoliants

This is a big bottle, 240ml, and the price, OMG. DANG AFFORDABLE! Banyak-banyak products from Deciem, aku rasa yang ni paling berbaloi sekali sebab botol besar and stinking cheap!

So it has glycolic acid 7% but surprisingly, I feel like this toning solution has a quite mild formula. If I were to compare any AHA product I used, it would be Alpha-H Liquid Gold. If I'm not mistaken, that one has 5% of glycolic acid. Now, I love the Alpha-H Liquid Gold, but sometimes my skin has some irritation while using the product. With The Ordinary Glycolic Acid 7% Toning Solution, I do not have such issues, that's why I said it's a mild formula. Judging from the ingredients list, they do have soothing ingredient (aloe vera... etc LOL aku nampak aloe vera je). Now I'm not an expert in chemicals, but I could also see quite a few amino acids, basically a lot of natural moisturizing factors in the ingredients list. Hah. No wonder my skin feels so soft and supple. It's totally different from what I experience with the Alpha-H Liquid Gold. Ingredients list in my review here.

So I just compared the ingredients, Alpha-H has 9 ingredients believe it or not and the glycolic acid is the 5th ingredient... Hmm hmmm 🤔🤔. I mean I don't have any issues with it but some people do have some reaction towards it, maybe it's because it lacks of some soothing properties, I guess? Oh and Alcohol Denat as the 2nd ingredient so.... Hmm hmm 🤔🤔🤔

So I used it 2 weeks straight the other week and my skin never felt so clean and it's in their best condition! I rarely have breakouts and my pigmentation has faded so much, my skin felt smoother, omg it was the best 2 weeks I tell ya. I didn't experienced any purging/breakouts while using it. It is stinging quite a bit but lama-lama dah kebal pon. LOL

But Pah, there are a lot of acids from The Ordinary. Which one yang suitable for my skintype? Honey, I don't know you, I don't know what's your skintype. Again, AHA is for dry/sensitive skin and BHA is for oily/acne prone skin. Pah, do we need both AHA & BHA? No. I use both because I'm extra lyk dat. BHA is quite intense, so if you have normal to dry skin, I wouldn't recommend it. But for AHA, basically everyone can use AHA except if you're lactose intolerant, you cannot use lactic acid. Glycolic acid is irritating for some people so benda ni payah nak cakap. Some will experience purging, some won't. Again, I'm emphasizing on kulit orang lain-lain ya.

So Pah, which one is better? Glycolic acid ke lactic acid? If I'm gonna be honest with you here, I'd say I love them both. Both feels good on the skin, I loveeee how my skin feels after using them. But kalau mesra semua orang, of course Glycolic Acid lah. But of course it comes with a warning, for pregnant ladies and breastfeeding moms, please do consult with your doctors first before using any acid/retinol products. Thank you.

Pros
Very mild on the skin, less irritation
Surprisingly soothing
STINKING CHEAP

Cons

Can be quite stinging if you use it with other actives (use it with caution)


Final thoughts: Yeah, I'm in love. The best AHA product I've ever used. Need I say more? ;)

Rating: ★★★★★

So yeah. I hope you guys will find this helpful in any way.

Thank you for reading.

Stay gorgeous! <3



.iffahs.



MOOOAAARRR
The Ordinary