The Ordinary AHA 30% + BHA 2% Peeling Solution for dry sensitive skin
Bha Salicylic Acid
Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Water
Panthenol
Sodium Hyaluronate CrosspolymerAverage
- AverageDry Skin Fit
- AverageEffectiveness
- HighSafety
Works for dry sensitive skin; other products fit it better.
This fit is calculated for the concerns frequently associated with dry sensitive skin: flakiness, tightness, redness, 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 and sensitive skin, as glycolic acid and salicylic acid effectively smooth texture and decongest pores, but may not fully address dryness due to a lack of sufficient emollient ingredients.
- While the formula provides general skincare benefits like hydration and soothing from ingredients such as panthenol and aloe barbadensis leaf water, these are secondary to the primary exfoliating function.
- The product is safe for your dry and sensitive skin, with no risks of irritation due to the absence of prohibited or harsh ingredients.
How to apply
- Use your exfoliant PM once a week to help with dryness. Start ⏳3 times a week only if your sensitive skin tolerates it well.
- Apply the exfoliant after cleansing and toning, but always before your favorite moisturizer .
- Gently press 2-3 drops of the exfoliant into your skin and avoid any rubbing. Let it absorb ⏱ for a minute before layering.
- Since your skin is reactive and sensitive, apply the exfoliant on completely dry skin for better tolerance.
- Always do a patch test before your first use and avoid the delicate eye area .
People Say
★4.4Overall rating based on 8.5k+ reviewsBased on a very large amount of data, users with oily, acne-prone, and textured skin frequently praise this product for delivering "baby soft" smoothness and a visible glow after just one use. Reviews consistently warn that the potent formula causes stinging and is unsuitable for sensitive skin, with some users reporting irritation or chemical burns if left on too long.
Highlights
Smooths skin texture Mostly Mentioned
- “skin feels baby butt smooth”
- “face is soft and smooth”
- “resets my pores”
- “slough off dry patches”
Affordable price Often Mentioned
- “great value for price”
- “can't beat the price”
- “very affordable & effective”
- “inexpensive skincare brand”
Fades acne marks Often Mentioned
- “scars lightened up quite a bit”
- “acne subsided quite a bit”
- “helps with blemishes”
- “hyperpigmentation reduced”
Not for sensitive skin Often Mentioned
- “irritated AF the next day”
- “do not use on sensitive skin”
- “too strong for newbies”
- “compromised barrier should avoid”
Stings or burns Often Mentioned
- “stings a little but worth it”
- “uncomfortable tingliness”
- “face felt like it was burning”
- “mild stinging sensation”
Instant glow/radiance Sometimes Noted
- “tight, bright and shiny”
- “nice glow customary of AHA”
- “skin looked brighter immediately”
- “wake up with glowy skin”
Messy application Sometimes Noted
- “looks like blood mask”
- “stains white bath mat”
- “super messy application”
- “red color looks dramatic”
Causes purging/breakouts Rarely Noted
- “pimples popped up quickly”
- “tiny bumps appeared”
- “broke me out”
- “purging phase was rough”
Sources: lovi.care, sephora.com, ulta.com, reddit.com, byrdie.com, spacenk.com, and more
Questions and answers
How well does The Ordinary Peeling Solution work for dry sensitive skin?
This peeling solution works moderately well for dry sensitive skin by smoothing texture and clearing pores, but it may not fully address dryness because it lacks enough softening and moisturizing ingredients. An exfoliant treatment for this skin needs rich hydrating and nourishing components, ceramides, and skin barrier support to lock in moisture and prevent irritation.
The Journal of Dermatological Treatment, 2017American Journal of Clinical Dermatology, 2002
Which ingredients make this exfoliant a good fit for dry sensitive skin?
Salicylic acid and glycolic acid help smooth texture and clear pores for this dry skin, while panthenol and aloe leaf water provide soothing hydration. However, an exfoliant treatment of this type needs richer moisturizing ingredients and barrier-supporting components to truly fit dry sensitive skin.
American Journal of Clinical Dermatology, 2002The Journal of Dermatological Treatment, 2017
What does Bha do for dry sensitive skin?
BHA is generally too strong for dry sensitive skin because it can easily irritate a fragile skin barrier and cause excessive dryness. Skin of this type needs gentle, hydrating ingredients and soothing plant extracts like colloidal oatmeal to calm irritation and lock in moisture without harsh peeling.
The British Journal of Dermatology, 1999Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2015
What does Aloe Vera Leaf Water do for dry sensitive skin?
Aloe Vera Leaf Water helps boost skin hydration and calms dry sensitive skin without clogging pores or causing irritation. It works to increase moisture in the outer skin layer safely, though a product for this skin type also needs soothing and barrier-repairing ingredients like ceramides to keep moisture locked in.
Where does this exfoliant go in a skincare routine for dry sensitive skin?
This exfoliant treatment goes in your evening routine once a week after cleansing and toning, followed by a moisturizer. A product of this type needs rich softening ingredients to help smooth your skin while keeping it comfortable and hydrated.
Can I use this exfoliant with retinol, and in what order?
You should not use this strong exfoliant and retinol at the same time, because combining them is likely to cause too much dryness and redness for sensitive skin. Alternate the nights you use them, or apply your retinol on a different night than this treatment, and always follow up with a rich moisturizer to keep your skin soft and comfortable.
How often should I use this exfoliant?
Use this exfoliant once a week in your evening routine, and if your skin tolerates it well and you see good results, you may carefully use it more often. To work best for your dry sensitive skin, this type of product needs a formula rich in softening and moisturizing ingredients that prevent dryness while smoothing texture.
Can this exfoliant clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for dry sensitive skin?
This exfoliant is unlikely to clog pores or cause breakouts for dry sensitive skin, though reviewers occasionally report a low chance of purging as it clears dead skin. To work best for this skin type, a product of this kind needs extra rich moisturizing ingredients to prevent dryness.
Is this exfoliant fragrance-free and alcohol-free?
Yes, it has no fragrance and no drying alcohol.
What the research says
A combination of dermapen and glycolic acid peel significantly decreased acne scar grades and resulted in higher patient satisfaction compared to either monotherapy in 30 patients.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2019Glycolic acid, salicylic acid, gluconolactone, and licochalcone A combined with 0.1% adapalene showed no hindrance compared to adapalene monotherapy and provided benefits in reducing complications in 25 subjects with mild-to-moderate acne vulgaris.
Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2019Topical dexpanthenol acts as a moisturizer, improves stratum corneum hydration, accelerates wound healing and epidermal regeneration, reduces erythema, and improves symptoms of skin irritation compared to vehicle or no pretreatment.
American Journal of Clinical Dermatology, 2002A new topical panthenol-containing emollient significantly improved transepidermal water loss reduction, stratum corneum hydration, and intercellular lipid lamellae length compared with control in healthy subjects without negatively impacting bacterial viability.
The Journal of Dermatological Treatment, 2017A panthenol-enriched mask significantly decreased erythema and hyperpigmentation, increased sebum and stratum corneum moisture, and reduced transepidermal water loss compared to a saline dressing in 60 subjects undergoing facial laser treatment.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2025Cryotherapy with liquid nitrogen achieved a higher cure rate (39%) than salicylic acid (24%) and a wait-and-see approach (16%) for cutaneous warts at 13 weeks in primary care patients.
CMAJ, 2010A moisturizer containing licochalcone A, 1,2-decanediol, L-carnitine, and salicylic acid significantly reduced noninflammatory, inflammatory, and total acne lesion counts compared to a vehicle control in Thai patients during a 12-week maintenance phase.
BioMed Research International, 2020Treatment with 2% supramolecular salicylic acid hydrogel resulted in a regression and markedly improvement rate of 51.01% compared to 43.10% for Adapaline gel in patients with mild to moderate facial acne vulgaris, showing no significant difference in efficacy.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2024A 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, 2018Topical 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, 2010Moisturizer containing 5% panthenol, madecassoside, and copper-zinc-manganese decreased adverse reactions and downtime after ablative fractional carbon dioxide laser resurfacing with comparable efficacy to 0.02% triamcinolone acetonide cream in 20 subjects.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2019Topical dexpanthenol formulated in lipophilic vehicles improved stratum corneum hydration and reduced transepidermal water loss compared to vehicle control in humans.
Arzneimittel-Forschung, 2000Hyaluronic acid, hyaluronic acid plus dexpanthenol, and isotonic saline nasal sprays all significantly improved dry nose symptoms over four weeks in 240 patients, with hyaluronic acid plus dexpanthenol providing superior nasal moisturisation compared to the other two.
Auris, Nasus, Larynx, 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, 2019
Why other products fit dry sensitive skin better
Tocopherol succinate-loaded ethosomal gel increased skin deposition, stability, moisture, and mechanical properties in 13 human subjects compared to a control gel over 12 weeks.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2022In 50 participants with sensitive skin, a Ceramide NP C15-containing emollient improved skin barrier function with a significant reduction in transepidermal water loss and induced modest changes in skin microbiota compared to the vehicle.
Skin Pharmacology and Physiology, 2026Hydrogels containing vitamin E-loaded nanostructured lipid carriers exhibited better occlusive properties and long-lasting effects, while vitamin E-loaded nanoemulsions performed a faster skin hydration effect and were selected as more attractive for skin application.
Colloids and Surfaces. B, Biointerfaces, 2019
Ingredients
Glycolic Acid, Water, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Water, Sodium Hydroxide, Daucus Carota Sativa Extract, Propanediol, Cocamidopropyl Dimethylamine, Salicylic Acid, Lactic Acid, Tartaric Acid, Citric Acid, Panthenol, Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer, Tasmannia Lanceolata Leaf Extract Fruit, Glycerin, Pentylene Glycol, Xanthan Gum, Polysorbate 20, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate, 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
How does it fit your skin?
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