Some products show up everywhere: subway ads, Instagram, celeb endorsements. With this series, we're testing such products to conclude one thing: Does it live up to the hype?
The Ordinary Peeling Solution is a skincare product that sloughs off the top layer of dry skin on your face to reveal a brighter, softer complexion.
Fans claim that The Ordinary Peeling Solution is like having your favorite esthetician in a bottle, and all it takes to work is just a few drops and 10 minutes.
- All over TikTok including a video that went viral
- Every beauty YouTuber, ever
- Taking over Instagram (so many red faces)
The skin on my face has always required constant coddling to look reasonably meh. Even with a consistent routine of serums, oils, moisturizers, and always staying hydrated, my skin relentlessly hovers right under average.
There really hasn't been anything more that I can do other than be consistent with this regimen in hopes that my dark spots, small breakouts, and rough patches eventually fade away. Still, I am always looking for ways to brighten my complexion and shrink my massive pores.
While perusing the suggested YouTube videos in my feed one night, I kept noticing reviews of The Ordinary Peeling Solution pop up. After watching a few, it became apparent that this little bottle of blood-hued exfoliating serum has gotten tons praise as being the ultimate holy-grail product for minimizing pores and softening skin. Looking at my sun-deprived skin in my bathroom mirror, it clearly needed some saving.
The most striking part of The Ordinary Peeling Solution is definitely the deep red coloring. However, the real power lies in the one-two punch ingredients, AHA, alpha hydroxy acid and BHA, beta hydroxy acid.
Basically the Beyoncé and Jay-Z of exfoliating acids, these two work in tandem to peel away the outermost layer of dead skin as well as clean out congested pores to reveal a brighter, smoother face. To limit the stinging sensation and irritation associated with acids, the product also includes Tasmanian pepperberry, which is where the rich color comes from.
As per the instructions, I washed my face and patted it dry, as it’s important to start with a clean but not wet face. I applied the acidic solution to my face and neck and immediately realized that I had a few blemishes in different stages of healing. The sting from the AHAs/BHAs wasn’t overwhelming, but it was certainly noticeable.
The product shouldn’t stay on for longer than 10 minutes, but after about 2 minutes, the stingy, paper-cut sensation tapered off. I called my 7-year-old over to take a gander at my blood-red mask (as he absolutely hates when I wear face masks), and he said that I looked like Unikitty when she is explosively mad.
After 10 minutes, the moment of truth had arrived. Were the hundreds of TikToks, YouTube videos, and countless fans right about this affordable exfoliant, or was it another gimmick that people endorse but don't actually like?
I used a warm, damp washcloth to wipe away the red mask, and my first reaction was that my skin was noticeably brighter and glowy. There was definitely a radiance that was not there before. Skincare products with potent ingredients typically leave my skin feeling like my mouth after I’ve bitten into a Popeyes biscuit — but this peeling solution left my skin feeling healthy and soft.
The Ordinary Peeling Solution is an invaluable addition to my skincare routine that my face absolutely needs. Going to the spa for a facial is on the top of my post-quarantine wish list, but in the meantime, this product will give me the glow that my skin is craving right now.
The Ordinary The Ordinary AHA 30% + BHA 2% Peeling Solution
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Latifah is the former parenting editor at BestProducts.com, where she spent her time researching and testing the latest, greatest, and coolest products created to make parenting a breeze; her work has been featured on Cosmopolitan, Romper, and Elite Daily.
