The Ordinary Glycolic Acid 7% Exfoliating Toner

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I Tested The Ordinary Glycolic Acid 7% Exfoliating Toner For My Keratosis Pilaris Treatment For One Month

According To The Ordinary

Glycolic Acid 7% Exfoliating Toner is a water-based, exfoliating toner formulated with 7% glycolic acid, a proven alpha-hydroxy acid (AHA) that effectively exfoliates the skin. It helps to remove dead skin cells, revealing a smoother, more even texture.

$13.00 @ Amazon

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.

Key Ingredients

Glycolic Acid

Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Water

Panax Ginseng Root Extract

Tasmannia Lanceolata Fruit/Leaf Extract

Vegan

Gluten-Free

Cruelty-Free

Oil-Free

Silicon-Free

Recommended For

All skin types

Skin Concerns

Acne
Textural Irregularities
Dullness
Uneven Skin Tone

The smell is quite bad, sour and musty. On the other hand, it is quite mild, and you don’t really smell it when you use it. I only noticed how bad it smelled when I opened the cap completely and smelled it more closely.
The texture is what serums usually have, it’s like water and you don’t notice the urine color when using it.

Skincare Routine And Products Used In This Test

Frank Body Glycolic Body Scrub
The Ordinary Glycolic Acid 7% Exfoliating Toner
Q+A Salicylic Acid Smoothing Lotion

I used this toner twice a day for 30 days to treat my keratosis pilaris on my right arm. I applied the product right after showering in the mornings and evenings. Along with this product I used Frank Body Rosehip Body Scrub & Cleanser as a mechanical body exfoliant for 3 days a week. After applying the toner, I used Q+A Salicylic Acid Smoothing Lotion to moisturize my skin.

Before / After Results For The Ordinary Glycolic Acid 7% Exfoliating Toner

I’ve heard a lot of good things about this product. At some point, it trended on social media and was said to improve any skin texture-related symptom (yeah, right.).
So now I finally got to test this hyped product myself. The color is urine-like and smells bad, as I said before. However, I couldn’t care less if the product actually works for my keratosis pilaris and I get good results with it.
Besides, it’s just a toner and you apply lotion/cream on top of it pretty soon after applying it so the smell is covered by the moisturizer.

Now for the product itself. This toner contains a whopping 7% salicylic acid, which is significantly more than regular products that use alpha hydroxy acids as an exfoliating ingredient.

In my experience, a typical AHA exfoliant contains 0.5 to 2% salicylic acid and can be notoriously more harsh on the skin than BHA acids. So is 7% overkill?

For my skin which is not particularly sensitive to any skincare products so far, it wasn’t too much. However when I was taking a picture of the product’s consistency and put a small amount of it on my thighs, I felt some kind of slight tingling. I’m not sure if I’m just imagining it, or if my skin is more sensitive on my thighs than it is on the hand I tested the product on regularly for a month.

But did the product work for me? You can see the results in the picture. For me, the product was worth all the hype, IT REALLY HELPED. The red bumps were significantly reduced and my skin is softer and smoother than before. I can definitely recommend this product for treating keratosis pilaris.
However, it may be a bit too much for sensitive skin, so be sure to do a careful patch test to check for skin irritation.

Conclusion After 30 Days Of Use

Products Used:

Chemical Exfoliant (Toner): The Ordinary Glycolic Acid 7% Exfoliating Toner
Mechanical Exfoliant (Body Scrub): Frank Body Glycolic Body Scrub
Chemical Exfoliant / Moisturizer: Q+A Salicylic Acid Smoothing Lotion

A product hyped on social media that can cure any skin texture issue? Well, it helped me with my symptoms of keratosis pilaris.
I highly recommend this product for KP skin, but those with sensitive skin should patch-test first to avoid irritation.

And the best part? It’s really cheap for the amount of product it provides. This product costs just $1.60 / Fl Oz and lasts forever.