The Ordinary Glycolic Acid 7% Toning Solution On your shelf ✓
Maya's readThe Ordinary Glycolic Acid 7% Toning Solution is an exfoliant built around Glycolic acid, Pro-vitamin B5 and Gluconolactone. It leans strongest on hydration, barrier repair, anti-aging. Best suited to normal, oily and dry skin. Go slow — the active is potent enough to irritate if overused.
Skip it if your barrier is already sensitised or compromised — the acids can sting broken or over-exfoliated skin.
What it delivers
How it feels A middleweight lotion — enough to comfort without feeling heavy. — estimated from the formula
What's in it that matters
Small-molecule AHA that powerfully exfoliates and improves texture and tone but carries a higher irritation risk, especially at higher strengths.
Humectant and soothing ingredient that helps calm irritation and supports barrier repair and recovery.
Polyhydroxy acid that gently exfoliates while drawing water into the skin, offering smoother texture with much lower irritation than classic AHAs.
Plant extract rich in triterpenes that promotes wound healing reduces redness and supports barrier repair in irritated or scar prone skin.
Key facts
- Type
- Exfoliant
- Key actives
- Glycolic acid 7%, Pro-vitamin B5, Gluconolactone
- Fragrance
- None detected
- Fungal-acne (Malassezia) safe
- Likely, by the formula
- Pregnancy
- No flagged actives
- Ingredients
- 11 listed
- Typical price
- ~€9
How to use it
In the evening, and not every night — 2–3 times a week is plenty. Follow with a moisturiser, and wear sunscreen the next day.
Keep it away from
- Retinoids (retinol, tretinoin)
- Benzoyl peroxide
- Other exfoliating acids the same night
Free from
- Fragrance-free
- Alcohol-free
- Silicone-free
- Paraben-free
Best for
- Normal
- Oily
- Dry
- Sensitive
Worth knowing
Nothing our knowledge base would flag: no high-comedogenic or pregnancy-caution actives here.
Common questions
Is The Ordinary Glycolic Acid 7% Toning Solution good for normal skin?
By our read of the formula, it suits normal, oily, dry skin. The Ordinary Glycolic Acid 7% Toning Solution is an exfoliant built around Glycolic acid, Pro-vitamin B5 and Gluconolactone. It leans strongest on hydration, barrier repair, anti-aging. Best suited to normal, oily and dry skin. Go slow — the active is potent enough to irritate if overused.
How do you use The Ordinary Glycolic Acid 7% Toning Solution?
In the evening, and not every night — 2–3 times a week is plenty. Follow with a moisturiser, and wear sunscreen the next day.
What are the key ingredients in The Ordinary Glycolic Acid 7% Toning Solution?
The actives that do the work are Glycolic acid, Pro-vitamin B5, Gluconolactone, Centella Asiatica Extract. The rest of the list is texture, preservatives and emulsifiers that hold the formula together.
Does The Ordinary Glycolic Acid 7% Toning Solution contain fragrance?
No. By our reading of the ingredient list it is fragrance-free, which is a plus for sensitive or reactive skin.
The full formula, decoded
Every ingredient on the label, in the order it appears (highest amount first). We link the 6 our library knows, name what each one does, and flag anything that can irritate or clog. The rest we leave plain, nothing is hidden.
- Aqua/WaterSolvent (base)
- Glycolic AcidExfoliantcan irritate
- Rosa Damascena Flower WaterSoothingmild irritant
- Centella Asiatica ExtractSoothing
- Aloe Barbadensis Leaf WaterSolvent (base)
- PropanediolHumectant
- Aminomethyl PropanolpH buffer
- PanthenolHumectant
- Sodium Hyaluronate CrosspolymerHumectant
- GluconolactoneExfoliant
- Sodium CitratepH buffer
Copy the raw INCI list
Aqua/Water, Glycolic Acid, Rosa Damascena Flower Water, Centella Asiatica Extract, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Water, Propanediol, Aminomethyl Propanol, Panthenol, Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer, Gluconolactone, Sodium Citrate
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We don't make or sell skincare of our own. So there's nothing here we're trying to push, just an honest read of whether this formula suits your skin.