The Ordinary Lactic Acid 5% + HA for acne-prone skin
Lactic Acid
Sodium Hyaluronate
Glycerin
Tasmannia Lanceolata Leaf Extract Fruit
Acacia Senegal Gum
Superior
- SuperiorCombination Skin Fit
- SuperiorEffectiveness
- ExcellentSafety
One of the best products for acne-prone skin.
This fit is calculated for the concerns frequently associated with acne-prone skin: breakouts, blackheads, and post-acne marks. 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
- Excellent suitability for your combination skin as lactic acid provides effective exfoliation for oily areas and promotes renewal for breakouts, while glycerin balances hydration in drier zones.
- Tasmannia lanceolata leaf extract further soothes inflammation, complementing the targeted action of lactic acid for your acne and blemishes.
- The safety profile is excellent, with no harsh ingredients and the inclusion of soothing agents ensuring minimal irritation risk for your acne-prone skin.
How to apply
- Use this exfoliant PM once a week to start, and gradually increase if your combination skin tolerates it well. Always apply SPF the next morning to protect your clear skin.
- Apply the exfoliant after cleansing and toning, but right before your moisturizer step. This ensures the treatment targets blemishes effectively.
- Gently press 2-3 drops of the exfoliant into your skin without rubbing. Let it absorb for a minute before moving to the next step.
- Apply the exfoliant on clean, dry skin to help control breakouts safely. Since your skin is not sensitive, this dry application method ensures good product absorption.
- Avoid the sensitive eye area and do a patch test before your first use. Do not mix this exfoliant with other strong acids in the same routine.
People Say
★4.6Overall rating based on 7.4k+ reviewsBased on a very large amount of data, users with dry, sensitive, or textured skin frequently praise this serum for its ability to gently exfoliate without compromising the moisture barrier. The majority of reviews report a noticeable improvement in skin smoothness and radiance, with many noting it effectively reduces flakiness and mild acne scars over time.
Highlights
Gentle exfoliation Mostly Mentioned
- “perfect for sensitive skin”
- “no irritation occurred”
- “mild yet effective”
- “great beginner acid”
Smoother texture Mostly Mentioned
- “bumps are gone”
- “skin feels soft”
- “glass skin effect”
- “texture improved significantly”
Brightens skin Often Mentioned
- “woke up glowing”
- “skin looks radiant”
- “faded dark spots”
- “evened skin tone”
Hydrating Sometimes Noted
- “didn't dry me out”
- “feels very moisturizing”
- “plumps the skin”
- “good for dry skin”
Unpleasant scent Sometimes Noted
- “smells like cabbage”
- “weird sour smell”
- “scent is off-putting”
- “smells like spoiled milk”
Caused breakouts Rarely Noted
- “caused small bumps”
- “broke me out”
- “experienced bad purging”
- “worsened my acne”
Sticky finish Rarely Noted
- “leaves sticky residue”
- “feels tacky afterwards”
- “takes time to absorb”
- “slightly sticky texture”
Too mild Rarely Noted
- “didn't see results”
- “too weak for me”
- “prefer the 10%”
- “results take time”
Sources: lovi.care, amazon.com, sephora.com, ulta.com, theordinary.com, brandclub.com, and more
Questions and answers
What makes The Ordinary Lactic Acid 5% + HA one of the best fits for acne-prone skin?
This product is an exceptional fit because lactic acid helps clear oily areas and breakouts while glycerin balances hydration, and added plant extract soothes inflammation. The formula has a safe design with calming ingredients that keeps irritation low for acne-prone skin.
Which ingredients make this exfoliant a good fit for acne-prone skin?
This exfoliant is a great fit because lactic acid clears out oily areas and helps with breakouts, while glycerin keeps skin balanced and hydrated. Additionally, tasmannia lanceolata leaf extract calms inflammation to help keep acne-prone skin comfortable and less irritated.
What does Lactic Acid do for acne-prone skin?
Lactic acid helps clear acne-prone skin by reducing both inflammatory and non-inflammatory lesions with regular topical use. It works well to smooth and calm the skin while managing breakouts safely over time.
Indian Journal of Dermatology, Venereology and Leprology, 2002
What does Hyaluronic Acid do for acne-prone skin?
Hyaluronic acid helps acne-prone skin by soothing irritation, calming redness, and keeping the skin balanced without clogging pores. When combined with targeted ingredients like zinc oxide, it may also help reduce breakouts.
Where does it go in a skincare routine for acne-prone skin?
This product goes in the evening routine after cleansing and before moisturizing, starting at once a week. The formulation includes soothing ingredients that help keep irritation low.
Can I use this exfoliant with retinol, and in what order?
It is best to avoid using this exfoliant in the same routine as retinol, as combining two strong treatments may increase the risk of irritation on your acne-prone skin. Instead, you can alternate nights or use one in the morning and the other at night to keep your skin calm and smooth.
How often should I use it?
Start using this treatment once a week in the evening, and if your acne-prone skin tolerates it well and sees good results, you can carefully use it more often. The formula includes soothing ingredients that help keep irritation low while tackling breakouts and oily areas.
Can this exfoliant clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for acne-prone skin?
This exfoliant is unlikely to clog pores or cause breakouts for acne-prone skin because it has an excellent safety profile with soothing agents that help keep irritation low. It gently clears away dead skin while balancing hydration, though a few reviewers have rarely experienced minor breakouts.
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, 2017Application 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, 2004Topical 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, 1992A 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, 2020Topical 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, 2011Topical 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, 2022Treatment 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, 2019The 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, 2020Ten 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, 2001Niacinamide/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, 2012Topical 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, 2021Acacia gum and carbopol hydrogel wound dressings containing gentamicin showed faster wound healing, well-developed fibroblasts, and blood capillaries compared to open wounds in swiss albino mice.
International Journal of Pharmaceutics, 2013Barley beta-glucan films formulated with sorbitol and acacia gum demonstrated suitable mechanical properties and stimulated in vitro keratinocytes growth.
International Journal of Pharmaceutics, 2023Gum arabic and beta-cyclodextrin microencapsulated peony seed oil emulsion protected against ultraviolet radiation by inhibiting reactive oxygen species generation, increasing cell viability from 54.75% to 92.69% in UVB-damaged HaCaT cells, and repairing 95.56% of UVB-damaged skin within 7 days in animal experiments through regulation of the NF-kappaB signaling pathway.
International Journal of Biological Macromolecules, 2026
Ingredients
Water, Lactic Acid, Glycerin, Pentylene Glycol, Propanediol, Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer, Tasmannia Lanceolata Leaf Extract Fruit, Acacia Senegal Gum, Xanthan Gum, Isoceteth-20, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Sodium Hydroxide, 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.
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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
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