The Ordinary AHA 30% + BHA 2% Peeling Solution On your shelf ✓
Our read, in one look
Glycolic acid is the reason to consider this exfoliant, with Salicylic acid (BHA) behind it.
The case for it
- Glycolic acid, strong evidence for lines and firmness
- Salicylic acid (BHA), moderate evidence for oil and breakouts
- No fragrance, alcohol, silicones or parabens
Mind this
- Sunscreen the next day, acids leave skin more sun-sensitive
- Glycolic acid: sits high on irritation, so ease it in
- Add it on its own for a week or two, so you know what your skin is answering to
Maya's readThe Ordinary AHA 30% + BHA 2% Peeling Solution is an exfoliant built around Glycolic acid, Salicylic acid (BHA) and Glycerin. It leans strongest on hydration, barrier repair, oil-control & blemishes. Best suited to normal, oily and acne prone skin. Go slow: the active is potent enough to irritate if overused.
Skip it if your barrier is already sensitised or compromised: the acids can sting broken or over-exfoliated skin.
The formula, drawn
Every ingredient in label order, coloured by the job it does here.
16 of the 24 sit above the 1% line. The other 8, hatched, are each under 1%. Widths show the ORDER on the label and nothing else: the label never discloses amounts, so we never draw them.
- Actives & signals
- Hydrators
- Texture & base
- Preservation
- Not in our library yet
- No fragrance anywhere on the label
What it delivers
How it feels A middleweight lotion, enough to comfort without feeling heavy. (estimated from the formula)
What's in it that matters
Small-molecule AHA that powerfully exfoliates and improves texture and tone but carries a higher irritation risk, especially at higher strengths.
Oil-soluble exfoliant that penetrates pores to reduce blackheads and breakouts; can be drying or irritating if overused.
Classic humectant with strong evidence for improving skin hydration and supporting barrier when combined with emollients.
AHA that provides gentle exfoliation and some humectant effect; generally milder than glycolic but still pH-dependent and potentially irritating.
Humectant and soothing ingredient that helps calm irritation and supports barrier repair and recovery.
Crosslinked sodium hyaluronate that forms a hydrated gel matrix at the surface. Used in serums for longer lasting hydration that visibly softens fine lines while it is in place.
How to use it
In the evening, and not every night: 2–3 times a week is plenty. Follow with a moisturiser, and wear sunscreen the next day.
Keep it away from
- Retinoids (retinol, tretinoin)
- Benzoyl peroxide
- Other exfoliating acids the same night
Where it acts
The same cross-section as our 500 dalton page, with this formula's actives on the layer each one works on. Depth is the anatomy's, never an ingredient's.
Skin surface
The stratum corneum
- Crosslinked sodium HAderived from what it is
- Glycerinderived from what it is
- Glycolic acidderived from what it is
- Lactic acidderived from what it is
- Pro-vitamin B5derived from what it is
- Salicylic acid (BHA)derived from what it is
- Tartaric Acidderived from what it is
7 of this product's actives have a layer we can defend.
Against the average exfoliant
It scores higher than the median exfoliant on anti-aging.
On hydration, barrier repair, brightening and oil control it is level with the median, so that is not what sets it apart.
A median, not an average: one unusual formula should not move the middle. The numbers are the same 0 to 10 reads the comparison pages use.
The full ingredients list, decoded
Every ingredient on the label, in the order it appears (highest amount first). We link the 20 our library knows, name what each one does, and flag anything that can irritate or clog. The rest we leave plain, nothing is hidden.
All 24 ingredients, decoded
- Glycolic AcidExfoliantcan irritate
- Aqua (Water)Solvent (base)
- Aloe Barbadensis Leaf WaterSolvent (base)
- Sodium HydroxidePh adjustermild irritant
- Daucus Carota Sativa ExtractBotanical extract
- PropanediolHumectant
- Cocamidopropyl DimethylamineCleansing agent
- Salicylic AcidExfoliantmild irritant
- Lactic AcidExfoliantmild irritant
- Tartaric AcidExfoliantmild irritant
- Citric AcidExfoliantmild irritant
- PanthenolHumectant
- Sodium Hyaluronate CrosspolymerHumectant
- GlycerinHumectant
- Pentylene GlycolHumectant
- roughly the 1% lineThe rules only require descending order above 1%. From Xanthan Gum down, these 8 can be listed in any order the brand likes, so position stops telling you anything.
- Xanthan GumThickener
- Polysorbate 20Emulsifiermild irritant
- Potassium SorbatePreservative
- Sodium BenzoatePreservative
- EthylhexylglycerinPreservative booster
- 1,2-HexanediolPreservative booster
- Caprylyl GlycolPreservative booster
Copy the raw INCI list
Glycolic Acid, Aqua (Water), Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Water, Sodium Hydroxide, Daucus Carota Sativa Extract, Propanediol, Cocamidopropyl Dimethylamine, Salicylic Acid, Lactic Acid, Tartaric Acid, Citric Acid, Panthenol, Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer, Tasmannia Lanceolata Fruit/Leaf Extract, Glycerin, Pentylene Glycol, Xanthan Gum, Polysorbate 20, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate, Ethylhexylglycerin, 1,2-Hexanediol, Caprylyl Glycol
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We don't make or sell skincare of our own. So there's nothing here we're trying to push, just an honest read of whether this formula suits your skin.
Against your shelf
Read from your own shelf, in your browser. We never see it.
Compare it with…
All 4 comparisons
- AHA 30% + BHA 2% Peeling Solution vs The Ordinary Glycolic Acid 7% Toning Solution
- AHA 30% + BHA 2% Peeling Solution vs Paula's Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant
- AHA 30% + BHA 2% Peeling Solution vs The Ordinary Salicylic Acid 2% Solution
- AHA 30% + BHA 2% Peeling Solution vs The Ordinary Lactic Acid 10% + HA
Common questions
Is The Ordinary AHA 30% + BHA 2% Peeling Solution good for normal skin?
By our read of the formula, it suits normal, oily, acne prone skin. The Ordinary AHA 30% + BHA 2% Peeling Solution is an exfoliant built around Glycolic acid, Salicylic acid (BHA) and Glycerin. It leans strongest on hydration, barrier repair, oil-control & blemishes. Best suited to normal, oily and acne prone skin. Go slow: the active is potent enough to irritate if overused.
How do you use The Ordinary AHA 30% + BHA 2% Peeling Solution?
In the evening, and not every night: 2–3 times a week is plenty. Follow with a moisturiser, and wear sunscreen the next day.
What are the key ingredients in The Ordinary AHA 30% + BHA 2% Peeling Solution?
The actives that do the work are Glycolic acid, Salicylic acid (BHA), Glycerin, Lactic acid, Pro-vitamin B5, Crosslinked sodium HA. The rest of the list is texture, preservatives and emulsifiers that hold the formula together.
Does The Ordinary AHA 30% + BHA 2% Peeling Solution contain fragrance?
No. By our reading of the ingredient list it is fragrance-free, which is a plus for sensitive or reactive skin.
What the 3D scene shows
The scene shows The Ordinary AHA 30% + BHA 2% Peeling Solution beside a cross-section of skin, with 4 of its ingredients drawn at the layer each one acts on and at one shared molecular scale: Glycerin and Glycolic acid and Pro-vitamin B5 and Salicylic acid (BHA) in the stratum corneum, the dead outer layer where most skincare works. Depths come from the same sourced layer data as the rest of this site, and any ingredient whose layer is not established is left out rather than guessed.
