The Ordinary Lactic Acid 10% + HA for acne-prone skin
Lactic Acid
Sodium Hyaluronate
Glycerin
Tasmannia Lanceolata Leaf Extract Fruit
Pentylene Glycol
High
- SuperiorCombination Skin Fit
- HighEffectiveness
- HighSafety
A great choice for acne-prone skin; a few products fit it even better.
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
- Offers excellent exfoliation for your combination skin, as lactic acid works to smooth texture and improve skin tone while hyaluronic acid provides essential hydration.
- Glycerin further aids in balancing both oily and dry areas, making it well-suited for your skin type.
- The formula is safe for your acne-prone skin, with no risks of irritation due to the absence of harsh ingredients.
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
★4.5Overall rating based on 2.2k+ reviewsBased 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 acne-prone skin?
The Ordinary Lactic Acid 10% + HA is a great fit for your acne-prone skin because it offers excellent exfoliation with lactic acid to smooth texture and improve skin tone. Hyaluronic acid and glycerin provide essential hydration and balance oily and dry areas, while the formula is very safe with no harsh ingredients to cause irritation.
Which ingredients make this exfoliant a good fit for acne-prone skin?
This exfoliant is a great fit for your acne-prone skin because lactic acid helps smooth texture and improve tone, while hyaluronic acid and glycerin provide essential hydration without irritation. The formula is very safe for this skin type since it lacks harsh ingredients.
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 this exfoliant go in a skincare routine for acne-prone skin?
This treatment goes in the evening routine after cleansing and before moisturizing, starting once a week to see how your skin tolerates it. Lovi routines put treatments in the evening for simplicity and extra safety around sun exposure.
Can I use it with retinol, and in what order?
You can use this treatment with retinol by applying the retinol first at night, but use them on alternate nights to lower the likelihood of skin discomfort. A gentle routine helps protect your acne-prone skin from irritation when combining active ingredients.
How often should I use this exfoliant?
Start by using this exfoliant once a week in the evening, as routines begin exfoliating steps slowly to monitor your skin. If your acne-prone skin tolerates it well and you see good results, you may carefully use it more often.
Can it clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for acne-prone skin?
This product is a great fit for your acne-prone skin because it smooths texture and improves skin tone without harsh ingredients that cause irritation. It helps keep your skin clear while providing hydration to balance oily and dry areas.
Is this exfoliant fragrance-free and alcohol-free?
Yes, it has no fragrance and no drying alcohol.
What the research says
Topical hyaluronic acid filler serum combined with Botulinum toxin type A lengthened the duration of the toxin's effect in reducing wrinkles compared to Botulinum toxin type A alone.
Dermatologic Therapy, 2022A 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, 2021Exposure 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.
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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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