🇪🇸Spain

The Ordinary Lactic Acid 10% + HA for oily acne-prone skin

Rated by Lovi · Unbiased, science-based skincare AI trained on real user outcomes

The Ordinary Lactic Acid 10% + HA

High

  • SuperiorOily Skin Fit
  • HighEffectiveness
  • HighSafety

A great choice for oily acne-prone skin; a few products fit it even better.

This fit is calculated for the concerns frequently associated with oily acne-prone skin: shine, breakouts, blemishes, and enlarged pores. 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 high suitability for your oily skin and acne-prone concerns, as lactic acid effectively exfoliates and reduces oiliness, while hyaluronic acid provides essential hydration. Tasmannia lanceolata leaf extract further calms inflammation, supporting your goal of managing breakouts.
  • Glycerin acts as a humectant, drawing moisture to your skin and complementing the exfoliating action of lactic acid to maintain a balanced complexion.
  • The formula is safe for your skin, with no risks of irritation due to the absence of harsh ingredients and the inclusion of soothing components.

How to apply

  • Use this exfoliant as part of your PM routine once a week to start, increasing frequency only if your skin tolerates it well.
  • Apply the exfoliant after cleansing and toning, but before your final moisturizer step.
  • Gently press 2-3 drops of the exfoliant into your skin and let it absorb for a minute.
  • Apply the product directly onto clean, dry skin for the best results against breakouts.
  • Avoid the sensitive eye area and always use a daily SPF since exfoliating makes skin more sensitive to the sun.

People Say

★4.5Overall rating based on 2.2k+ reviews

Based on a very large amount of data, users frequently praise this serum for its ability to gently exfoliate and improve skin texture, leading to a smoother, brighter complexion. It is often described as hydrating and suitable for dry and sensitive skin types. Some users note a moderate dislike for the scent and a tacky finish, with a low frequency of complaints regarding watery consistency or irritation.

Highlights

  • Smoothes skin texture Mostly Mentioned
    • “Buffs off dry spots and creates a smooth base for makeup.”
    • “Works on sebaceous filaments and whiteheads beautifully.”
    • “Helps to exfoliate the skin which removes any dead skin.”
    • “My skin keeps baby soft... purges closed comedones.”
  • Brightens & adds glow Often Mentioned
    • “Leaves my skin glowing, I use it every night.”
    • “Unmistakably glowy... morning after exfoliation was always a compliment day.”
    • “Helps improve skin texture and radiance.”
    • “Skin appears more even-toned and luminous.”
  • Gentle & non-irritating Often Mentioned
    • “Very mild and beginner friendly.”
    • “Less irritating than glycolic acid.”
    • “The most shocking thing was the lack of tingle.”
    • “Did not go through any purging.”
  • Hydrating formula Sometimes Noted
    • “Doesn't dry out my skin... keeps my skin from being too thirsty.”
    • “Gives a plump look to the skin due to the hyaluronic acid.”
    • “Improves hydration levels in dry and dehydrated skin.”
  • Sticky finish Sometimes Noted
    • “Dries down to a slightly tacky finish.”
    • “Feel a little tacky but that's what it's supposed to feel like.”
    • “Need to apply moisturizer once this has dried down.”
  • Unpleasant scent Sometimes Noted
    • “Has a fennel-like fragrance to it.”
    • “Smells like human pee.”
    • “Has a chemical smell from the ingredients.”
    • “Scent could bother some people.”
  • Potential irritation Rarely Noted
    • “Sting on any open wounds.”
    • “Caused a fair amount of stinging and redness.”
    • “Completely ruined me... caused breakouts.”
  • Watery consistency Rarely Noted
    • “Very runny and liquidy texture.”
    • “Hard to apply... runs down quickly.”
    • “Easy to overuse the product due to its thin texture.”

Sources: lovi.care, influenster.com, ulta.com, sephora.co.uk, theordinary.com, reddit.com, and more

Questions and answers

What makes The Ordinary Lactic Acid 10% + HA a great fit for oily acne-prone skin?

This product is a great fit because lactic acid helps exfoliate and reduce oiliness, while hyaluronic acid brings in essential hydration. Glycerin draws moisture to keep your complexion balanced, and tasmannia lanceolata leaf extract calms inflammation to help manage breakouts.

Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2017

Which ingredients make this exfoliant a good fit for oily acne-prone skin?

This exfoliant is a great fit because lactic acid helps clear away dead cells and reduce oiliness, while sodium hyaluronate and glycerin draw in essential moisture. Additionally, tasmannia lanceolata leaf extract helps calm redness and inflammation.

What does Lactic Acid do for oily acne-prone skin?

Lactic acid helps oily acne-prone skin by gently clearing pores and reducing breakouts, which supports a smoother and clearer face. Using appropriate cosmetic acids helps calm red bumps and works well alongside acne treatments.

Der Hautarzt; Zeitschrift Fur Dermatologie, Venerologie, und Verwandte Gebiete, 2010Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2023

What does Hyaluronic Acid do for oily acne-prone skin?

Hyaluronic acid helps calm oily acne-prone skin by reducing sebum production and lipid synthesis in sebaceous glands. It also supports skin barrier function and improves hydration while helping deliver treatments without causing irritation.

The Journal of Investigative Dermatology, 2017Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2022

Where does this exfoliant go in a skincare routine for oily acne-prone skin?

This treatment goes in your evening routine, starting at once a week and increasing carefully if your skin tolerates it well. Applying it at night helps keep things simple and adds safety regarding sun exposure.

Can I use it with retinol, and in what order?

It is best to use retinol and this exfoliant on different nights to avoid irritating your skin. Since both help clear breakouts and smooth texture, alternating them keeps your routine effective and your skin calm.

How often should I use it?

Start by using this treatment once a week in the evening, and if your skin tolerates it well and you see good results, you can carefully use it more often. This gentle approach helps manage breakouts while keeping your skin calm.

Can it clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for oily acne-prone skin?

This exfoliant treatment is a great fit for oily acne-prone skin because lactic acid effectively exfoliates and reduces oiliness while tasmannia lanceolata leaf extract calms inflammation. It is unlikely to cause breakouts or clog pores, and the formula has a safe profile with soothing components to help manage your concerns.

Is it fragrance-free and alcohol-free?

Yes, it has no fragrance and no drying alcohol.

What the research says

  • A single application of a moisturizing fluid containing hyaluronic acid 1%, glycerin 5%, and Centella asiatica stem cells extract significantly increased skin hydration by 29% and reduced transepidermal water loss at 24 hours compared to baseline and an untreated control site in twenty healthy women.

    Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2017

  • Hyaluronic acid extracts are safe and efficacious products for skin repair when used in tissue regeneration alone or in combination with herbal or Western medicine.

    Journal of Pharmacy & Pharmaceutical Sciences, 2015

  • Application of a cream containing lactic acid 12% and pramoxine HCl 1% significantly improved skin dryness, hydration, and itch compared with a nontreated control in 24 women with a history of dry itchy skin.

    Cutis, 2004

  • Topical 12% ammonium lactate produced a significant sparing of epidermal and dermal atrophy induced by clobetasol propionate in human volunteers, without influencing the corticosteroid's bioavailability or antiinflammatory properties.

    Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, 1992

  • A lactic acid/ceramide lotion significantly improved skin moisturization and desquamation compared to no treatment in women with dry, rough skin on the anterior shins.

    The Journal of Clinical and Aesthetic Dermatology, 2020

  • Topical application of 0.1% hyaluronic acid formulations of different molecular weights led to significant improvements in skin hydration and elasticity, with low-molecular-weight formulations also significantly reducing wrinkle depth in seventy-six female subjects compared to a vehicle control.

    Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2011

  • Topical application of hyaluronic acid in conjunction with free gingival graft significantly reduced donor site postoperative pain until day 7 compared to normal saline, with no significant differences in graft dimensions or patient satisfaction.

    Clinical Oral Investigations, 2022

  • Treatment with a hyaluronic acid-containing mouth rinse or topical gel led to significant lesion reduction, pain relief, and normalization of lesion color in adult patients with minor recurrent aphthous stomatitis, with the gel formulation showing an earlier healing onset at 3 days.

    BMC Oral Health, 2019

  • The emollient V0034CR significantly reduced TEWL compared to vehicle and vehicle plus glycerol, and significantly increased corneometry scores compared to vehicle and vehicle plus petrolatum in healthy volunteers with dry skin, demonstrating combined barrier function improvement from petrolatum and hydration improvement from glycerol.

    Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2020

  • Ten days of treatment with a cream containing 20% glycerin significantly increased skin hydration measured by corneometer values in 17 healthy volunteers compared to a placebo cream, but showed no influence on transepidermal water loss or skin sensitivity to an irritating surfactant.

    International Journal of Cosmetic Science, 2001

  • Niacinamide/glycerin body moisturizers provided better rapid and prolonged improvement of cosmetic xerosis through functional improvement of stratum corneum barrier function compared to no treatment and conventional moisturizers in female subjects.

    Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2012

  • Topical 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

  • Exposure of epidermal full-thickness skin equivalents to a blend of betaine, pentylene glycol, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, and Rhodiola rosea root extract significantly increased antioxidant, skin barrier, and oxidative stress biomarkers while reducing the negative impact of hydrogen peroxide on MMP3, MMP12, FBN2, ANXA1, and HGF, whereas a blend of Narcissus tazetta bulb extract and Schisandra chinensis fruit extract significantly increased 8 growth factors, 7 signaling, 7 structural/barrier function, 7 oxidative stress biomarkers, and specific microRNAs over control levels.

    International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 2018

Ingredients

Water, Lactic Acid, Glycerin, Pentylene Glycol, Propanediol, Sodium Hydroxide, Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer, Tasmannia Lanceolata Leaf Extract Fruit, Acacia Senegal Gum, Xanthan Gum, Isoceteth-20, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Ethylhexylglycerin, 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.

  • Nadia Kapleva, MS

    Nadia Kapleva, MS

    Co-founder, Medical Director

    Cosmetic chemist, cosmetologist, aesthetic products developer

  • Alexey Shagraev, PhD

    Alexey Shagraev, PhD

    Co-founder, CEO and CTO

    PhD in computer science, 3x US patent holder, ex-Google, ex-Yandex

  • Dr. Sofía Perea Pérez, MD, MSc

    Dr. Sofía Perea Pérez, MD, MSc

    Medical Board

    Aesthetic medicine practitioner, MSc in Longevity and Anti-Aging Medicine

  • Aishani Shah, MD

    Aishani Shah, MD

    Medical Board

    Specialist dermatologist, MBBS, MD, IFAAD

  • Asya Zubkova, MS

    Asya Zubkova, MS

    Medical Board

    Cosmetic chemist, SCS, IFSCC member

  • Hanna Kurets, MD

    Hanna Kurets, MD

    Medical Board, Medical Advisor

    Dermatology MD

  • Elina Nazarenko, MD

    Elina Nazarenko, MD

    Medical Board

    Dermatology and diagnostic consultant

  • Victoria Derkova, MS

    Victoria Derkova, MS

    Medical Board

    Cosmetic chemist, cosmetic development technologist

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Prices checked 16 Oct – 6 Nov 2026

The Lovi Fit is the same in every country; only the stores and prices differ, and the ones here are for Spain.

How does it fit your skin?

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