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The Ordinary Lactic Acid 10% + HA for dry skin

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

The Ordinary Lactic Acid 10% + HA

Average

  • AverageDry Skin Fit
  • AverageEffectiveness
  • HighSafety

Works for dry skin; other products fit it better.

This fit is calculated for the concerns frequently associated with dry skin: flakiness, tightness, dehydration, fine lines, and wrinkles. 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 moderate exfoliation for your dry skin due to the presence of lactic acid, which helps to smooth skin texture and improve hydration with glycerin and sodium hyaluronate crosspolymer. Tasmannia lanceolata leaf extract also provides some soothing benefits.
  • While the formula offers general hydration, it lacks sufficient emollient and occlusive ingredients to fully address your dry skin concerns.
  • The product is safe for your dry skin as it contains no harsh or irritating ingredients.

How to apply

  • Use this exfoliant as part of your PM routine once a week, increasing slowly to twice a week if your dry skin tolerates it well. Always remember to apply SPF every morning to protect your newly smoothed skin.
  • Apply the exfoliant after cleansing and toning, but always before your rich moisturizer.
  • Gently press 2-3 drops of the exfoliant into your skin and let it absorb for a minute. Avoid rubbing to prevent any irritation on flaky areas.
  • Apply the product directly to dry clean skin to ensure the best possible tolerance for your dry type. This helps address flaky patches without causing extra stress.
  • Avoid the sensitive eye area and do a quick patch test before your very first use. Do not mix this with other strong acids or retinoids on the same night.

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

How well does The Ordinary Lactic Acid work for dry skin?

The Ordinary Lactic Acid 10% + HA works moderately well for dry skin, helping to smooth texture and improve hydration while being safe to use. However, it lacks sufficient rich softeners and sealing ingredients to fully address dry skin concerns. To fit dry skin better, a product of this type needs intensive hydrating and barrier-supporting ingredients like ceramides, niacinamide, peptides, or propolis.

Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2017

Which ingredients make this exfoliant a good fit for dry skin?

This exfoliant works for dry skin thanks to lactic acid, which helps to smooth skin texture, along with glycerin and sodium hyaluronate crosspolymer to improve hydration, and tasmannia lanceolata leaf extract for soothing benefits. However, because this is only an average fit, dry skin needs a product rich in ingredients that target deep hydration and skin barrier support, such as ceramides, niacinamide, peptides, or rich emollients and occlusives.

Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2017

What does Lactic Acid do for dry skin?

Lactic acid helps relieve dry skin by drawing in moisture and strengthening the skin's barrier so it stays soft and smooth. This ingredient gently sheds dead cells and supports natural moisturizing factors, making it very useful for improving rough or flaky areas.

International Journal of Dermatology, 2025Skin Research and Technology, 2013

What does Hyaluronic Acid do for dry skin?

Hyaluronic acid draws moisture into dry skin, giving an immediate and lasting boost in hydration that helps smooth out fine lines and soften rough patches. It is very gentle and unlikely to cause irritation while improving overall skin smoothness and plumpness.

Dermatology and Therapy, 2021Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2011

Where does this exfoliant go in a skincare routine for dry skin?

This exfoliant goes in the evening routine, starting at once a week so you can see how your skin reacts. Because it lacks rich, sealing ingredients to lock in moisture, dry skin needs a rich moisturizer or face oil afterwards to stay comfortable.

Can I use this exfoliant with retinol, and in what order?

It is best to use this exfoliant on nights when you do not apply retinol to help prevent excessive irritation on dry skin. Using both strong treatments together may leave your skin too dry and sensitive.

How often should I use this exfoliant?

Start by using this exfoliant once a week in the evening, and if your dry skin handles it well, you may carefully use it more often. A product of this type works best for dry skin when it includes rich nourishing ingredients and protective sealants to keep moisture locked in.

Can this exfoliant clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for dry skin?

This exfoliant is unlikely to clog pores or cause breakouts on dry skin since it contains no harsh ingredients, but you may experience mild purging as it smooths your skin texture. Dry skin of this type needs rich, nourishing hydrators and barrier-protecting ingredients to fully lock in moisture and prevent irritation.

Is this exfoliant fragrance-free and alcohol-free?

Yes, it has no fragrance and no drying alcohol.

What the research says

  • 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

  • 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

  • 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

  • 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

Why other products fit dry skin better

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 31 Oct 2026

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

How does it fit your skin?

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