Earlier this year there was this skincare brand that everyone, especially in Reddit's Skincare Addiction, won't stop talking about called "The Ordinary". I eventually decided to jump on the bandwagon and ended up choosing two products. But I'll start with The Ordinary AHA 30% + BHA 2% Peeling Solution review.
WHAT IS IT?
The Ordinary AHA 30% + BHA 2% Peeling Solution will give you a 10-minute exfoliating facial at home. This peeling solution unites AHAs and BHAs to offer deep exfoliation and help battle blemishes for improved skin radiance. Alpha hydroxyl acids (AHAs) exfoliate the skin's topmost layer for a brighter, more even appearance, while beta hydroxyl acids (BHAs) exfoliate the skin more deeply to clear pore congestion. Together, they radically improve the appearance of the skin's texture, help battle blemishes, boost radiance, and reduce the look of fine lines.
The Ordinary's AHA 30% + BHA 2% Peeling Solution also features Tasmanian pepperberry to reduce inflammation, as well as a crosspolymer form of hyaluronic acid for comfort, Vitamin B5 to assist healing and black carrot as an antioxidant.
PERFORMANCE
APPLICATION: Use ideally in the evening, no more frequently than twice per week. I use this after cleaning my face and wait for skin to dry. Do not use this on wet skin. Apply evenly across face and neck using your fingertips. Leave on for no more than 10 minutes and then rinse with lukewarm water. Avoid the eye contour and contact with eyes both during application and rinse off. This low-viscosity solution is intended to be used as a mask. Lastly, do not leave on for longer than 10 minutes. Since this product contains AHA, I highly recommend using a sunblock, not just in the morning-after, but every day!
SCENT: Have you ever opened a box of dried prunes? Because that's what it smells like for me.
PACKAGING: It is packaged in a glass bottle and a white box that looks like a kid's antibiotic packaging. The cap is also a pipette that helps you apply the mask.
FORMULA: The texture of the formula is like a thick and heavy serum, like a maple syrup but it ain't sweet. And because of its deep red color, people who used this refer to it as "Blood Mask".Seriously, if your skin tone is pale get ready to laugh when you see yourself in the mirror because you'll look like someone scratched your face till it bled. If it is your first time using an acid and has acne, be prepared for some stingy sensation, but don't worry, it's normal. You'll get used to it eventually.
RESULTS: Even if you're experienced in using an acid like me, you'll still feel some sting when you used this peeling solution especially when you have acne. So for newbies, I recommend to apply it thinly until you'll get used to it.
I started The Ordinary AHA 30% + BHA 2% Peeling Solution a month after my face fully recover from my chemical peel treatment. I actually bought this as a "skincare maintenance" at home because after the treatment, even though my skin improved significantly, there's still a lot of acne left and that kind of treatment is not recommended for me to do every month. Although I admit I was a little scared of using this because 1) it looks like a strong product and 2) at that time, only my dermatologist is the one that applies acid on my face. But people on Reddit, specifically D2papi's review, reassured me that this is safe.
I continued using this product for the next four months, only once a week (just to be safe) and I can confidently say that it really works based on my before and after photos above. In your first few weeks, you'll feel like nothing is happening. But trust me, just be patient, give yourself two months and you'll see the results. My skin's significant improvement became noticeable in just two months, unfortunately, I couldn't find the September 2017 photo since it took me forever to write this review.
VERDICT
PROS: It gave me smoother skin, lighten my hyperpigmentation, healed and prevented cystic acne that none other at-home beauty products ever did.
CONS: This peeling solution stings your skin and it will make your skin vulnerable to sunlight (so never forget to use a sunblock). Lastly, it's hard to find in some countries.
Will I buy it again? This product will not give you an overnight or even a week result, in fact, this is one of the slowest product I ever used but I think it's all worth the long wait. And even though I still get a pimple during my menstruation, it's never huge or many, just one or two tiny pimples that my CosRx Acne Pimple Master Patch can take care of. In short, yes, I will buy this again.
WHERE TO BUY?
You can buy The Ordinary AHA 30% + BHA 2% Peeling Solution in Cult Beauty for £6.30 (but if you're from a none EU country, you'll get a discount because the EU tax will be deducted). They ship to many countries like the Philippines, the United States, and more. And they also offer free shipping!
But you can also buy this product directly from The Ordinary website for $12.30, but they don't offer free shipping if you live outside of the US.
If you live in the Philippines, check out this post where I listed online stores where you can buy The Ordinary products.
