The Ordinary Glycolic Acid 7% Toning Solution for sensitive skin
Glycolic Acid
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Water
Panax Ginseng Root Extract
Rosa Damascena Flower Water
Tasmannia Lanceolata Leaf Extract Fruit
Superior
- HighNormal Skin Fit
- HighEffectiveness
- HighSafety
One of the best toners for sensitive skin.
This fit is calculated for the concerns frequently associated with sensitive skin: redness, stinging, and reactions to new products. For scores and recommendations based on your full skin profile, including your 12D face scan results and any goals or preferences you have, please use the Lovi app.
Page built Nov 8, 2026How the Fit score works
Lovi Assistant explains
- Offers excellent exfoliation for your normal skin, as glycolic acid smooths texture while glycerin provides humectant action, and the inclusion of Rosa Damascena Flower Water and Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Water soothes potential irritation.
- The moderate concentration of glycolic acid effectively addresses redness and irritation by providing mild chemical exfoliation.
- The product is safe for your sensitive skin due to the absence of harsh ingredients and the presence of soothing botanical waters.
How to apply
- Use your exfoliating toner as part of a PM routine once a week to start. Carefully increase frequency only if your skin tolerates it well.
- Apply this exfoliating toner after cleansing and before your moisturizer. It fits right into your usual step for toners.
- Gently press 2-3 drops of the exfoliating toner into your skin. Avoid rubbing to keep redness down.
- Apply the exfoliating toner on completely dry skin to help improve your skin's tolerance. This helps protect your sensitive face.
- Do a patch test before your first use and avoid the delicate eye area . Skip strong acids or retinoids on the same night.
People Say
★4.5Overall rating based on 15.0k+ reviewsThis product is widely praised as a "holy grail" multi-purpose exfoliant that delivers smoother, brighter skin and effectively treats texture issues like keratosis pilaris and dandruff. While the vast majority of users love its affordability and versatility for both face and body, it is potent; a significant minority experience stinging, irritation, or a damaged skin barrier if used too frequently or on sensitive skin. This summary is based on a very large amount of data and should definitely be taken into account.
Highlights
Improves texture & glow Mostly Mentioned
- “glass skin effect”
- “bumps gone overnight”
- “instant glow”
- “baby soft face”
Unbeatable value Mostly Mentioned
- “lasts forever”
- “huge bottle for price”
- “best budget toner”
- “bang for buck”
Versatile body application Mostly Mentioned
- “eliminated armpit odor”
- “cleared my dandruff”
- “smoothed strawberry legs”
- “softened cracked heels”
Fades acne & marks Often Mentioned
- “faded dark spots”
- “dried up pimples”
- “reduced hormonal acne”
- “cleared blackheads”
Irritation and stinging Sometimes Noted
- “burns upon application”
- “face turned red”
- “stung badly”
- “itchy sensation”
Unpleasant finish Sometimes Noted
- “sticky residue”
- “feels tacky”
- “greasy film”
- “takes long to dry”
Caused breakouts Rarely Noted
- “gave me cystic acne”
- “tiny bumps appeared”
- “broke me out”
- “worsened my texture”
Too harsh/damaging Rarely Noted
- “ruined moisture barrier”
- “caused chemical burn”
- “dried out skin”
- “skin started peeling”
Sources: lovi.care, sephora.com, ulta.com, theordinary.com, influenster.com, amazon.com, and more
Questions and answers
What makes The Ordinary Glycolic Acid 7% Toning Solution one of the best fits for sensitive skin?
This toner is one of the best fits for sensitive skin because it smooths texture while soothing botanical waters and aloe vera help calm potential irritation. It is safe for this skin type due to the absence of harsh ingredients.
Which ingredients make this toner a good fit for sensitive skin?
Rosa Damascena flower water and aloe barbadensis leaf water make this toner a great fit because they help soothe potential irritation on sensitive skin. The inclusion of these calming botanical waters, along with the absence of harsh ingredients, supports a gentle experience.
What does Glycolic Acid do for sensitive skin?
Glycolic acid can be too harsh for sensitive skin, leaving it dry and irritated, so this type of skin needs a gentler exfoliating ingredient and calming plant extracts to keep the skin barrier safe and comfortable.
What does Aloe Vera Leaf Water do for sensitive skin?
Aloe Vera Leaf Water helps calm sensitive skin and keeps it feeling comfortable by reducing redness and soothing irritation. This ingredient is unlikely to cause irritation and supports overall skin comfort.
Clinical Pharmacology, 2018Current Pharmaceutical Design, 2019
Where does this toner go in a skincare routine for sensitive skin?
This toner goes in your routine after cleansing and before your moisturizer or treatments. Lovi routines start exfoliating toners once a week, and you may carefully use it more often if your skin tolerates it well and sees good results.
Can I use this toner with retinol, and in what order?
You can use this toner with retinol, but it is best to use them on different nights or separate them into your morning and evening routines to avoid overloading your skin. Since both ingredients actively smooth and renew texture, alternating them helps prevent dryness and keeps your skin calm and comfortable.
How often should I use this toner?
Start by using this exfoliating toner once a week, and if your skin feels comfortable and shows good results, you may carefully use it more often. This gentle approach helps your skin adjust safely while avoiding potential irritation from the acid.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2021Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2024
Can this toner clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for sensitive skin?
This toner is unlikely to clog pores or cause breakouts for sensitive skin because it is free of heavy ingredients and includes soothing botanical waters. However, it may cause mild purging or stinging as the glycolic acid clears out dead skin cells.
Is this toner fragrance-free and alcohol-free?
Yes, it has no fragrance and no drying alcohol.
What the research says
A cream combining propolis, tea tree oil, and Aloe vera reduced erythema scars, acne severity index, and total lesion count better than erythromycin cream in sixty patients with mild to moderate acne vulgaris compared to placebo.
Clinical Pharmacology, 2018Repeated short-contact 70% glycolic acid peels provided superior results in atrophic acne scars compared to daily low-strength glycolic acid cream or placebo in 58 women over 24 weeks.
International Journal of Dermatology, 2000Serial glycolic acid peels combined with a modified Kligman formula significantly reduced facial PIH severity in Indian patients compared to the modified Kligman formula alone.
Dermatologic Surgery, 2017Topical aloe vera gel significantly accelerated split-thickness skin graft donor-site healing compared to placebo in 12 patients, but showed no significant difference in pain relief.
Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, 2018Topical application of Aloe vera cream reduced postoperative pain at rest and during defecation, accelerated wound healing at two weeks, and decreased analgesic requirements in patients after open hemorrhoidectomy compared to placebo.
Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine, 2010Formulations containing 0.10%, 0.25%, and 0.50% freeze-dried Aloe vera extract increased stratum corneum water content compared with the vehicle in 20 female subjects, while transepidermal water loss was not modified.
Skin Research and Technology, 2006Enzyme-modified ginseng extract cream significantly reduced the global photo-damage score and various roughness measures including total roughness, smoothness depth, and arithmetic roughness average compared to placebo in 23 human subjects.
Rejuvenation Research, 2015A red ginseng hydrogel formulation with 1,2-hexanediol promoted selective growth of Staphylococcus epidermidis and decreased Cutibacterium acnes in 20 female subjects.
Journal of Ginseng Research, 2022A 1% fermented black ginseng cream significantly reduced eye wrinkles and brightened skin color in twenty-three human subjects compared to control cream and baseline.
Journal of Toxicology and Environmental Health. Part A, 2020Treatment with a rose extract activated newly identified skin olfactory receptors and prevented epinephrine-induced skin stress responses in epidermal keratinocytes and human skin explants, while clinically decreasing the appearance of under-eye dark circles in stressed women.
Molecules, 2020Rose petal extract improves stratum corneum moisture levels in humans by upregulating HAS2 expression via the GLK-MAP2K-MAPK signaling pathway.
BioFactors, 2023Rosa gallica petal extract (RPE) exerts skin whitening by attenuating tyrosinase activity and melanin accumulation and exhibits anti-wrinkle activity by suppressing MMP-1 levels in human cells.
Journal of Medicinal Food, 2020Topical Tasmannia lanceolata extract reduced skin roughness, increased firmness, dermal density, and thickness of stabilized stretch marks compared to placebo in 29 women over 8 weeks, alongside increased pro-collagen I, elastin, and TGF-beta concentrations in ex vivo human skin explants.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2021
Ingredients
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 Leaf Extract Fruit, 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
Behind this fit score
Lovi calculates every fit score from the full ingredient list with brand-independent rules our dermatologists and cosmetic chemists build and review, and personalizes every pick with AI trained on the real results of millions of users. Lovi trains its fit score models on a proprietary dataset built from more than 10,000 expert-labeled products and more than 100,000 simulated examples, following an internally consistent methodology presented at Cosmoprof, AMWC, and Skin of Color Update.
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Co-founder, Medical Director
Cosmetic chemist, cosmetologist, aesthetic products developer
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Co-founder, CEO and CTO
PhD in computer science, 3x US patent holder, ex-Google, ex-Yandex
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Dr. Sofía Perea Pérez, MD, MSc
Medical Board
Aesthetic medicine practitioner, MSc in Longevity and Anti-Aging Medicine
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Medical Board
Specialist dermatologist, MBBS, MD, IFAAD
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Medical Board
Cosmetic chemist, SCS, IFSCC member
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Medical Board, Medical Advisor
Dermatology MD
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Elina Nazarenko, MD
Medical Board
Dermatology and diagnostic consultant
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Victoria Derkova, MS
Medical Board
Cosmetic chemist, cosmetic development technologist
How does it fit your skin?
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