Dr. Jenny Liu vs James Welsh on The Ordinary PHA 5% Exfoliating Lip Serum

Two independent experts reviewed The Ordinary PHA 5% Exfoliating Lip Serum about 4 weeks apart and disagreed: Dr. Jenny Liu calls it yay, James Welsh calls it nay. Here is what each of them actually said.

70%
Guru Score from 6 independent experts
Yay or Nay?
9 April 2026
Yay
It's a hydrating serum, but certainly over time can help remove some of that chapped flaky skin on your lip that builds up over time. You apply it like a serum, just one little tiny drop all over my lip. It doesn't burn, doesn't stain.
15 March 2026
Nay
The same goes for something like a PHA lip serum. PHAs are a very gentle, nice exfoliating acid, but lips don't usually need chemical exfoliation.

Where they part company

Dr. Jenny Liu calls The Ordinary PHA 5% Exfoliating Lip Serum yay. James Welsh calls it nay. Two experts, one product, takes about 4 weeks apart, and opposite conclusions. Their own words are above; we are not going to tell you which of them is right.

What the whole panel says

These two are not the only voices on The Ordinary PHA 5% Exfoliating Lip Serum. Across every independent expert take we hold, it carries a Guru Score of 70% from 6 experts, which is the share of them who approved it. The other 4 experts we hold takes from are counted in it too. See every take on it →

Why we only pair takes from the same month

A formula gets reworked, a price moves, and a product people loved in one year is not the product they are handed in the next. Two takes far apart in time can look like a disagreement when they are really a description of a product that changed. So a face-off only pairs experts whose videos went up within a month of each other, and neither take here is sponsored.

Common questions

Do Dr. Jenny Liu and James Welsh agree about The Ordinary PHA 5% Exfoliating Lip Serum?

No. Dr. Jenny Liu calls it yay and James Welsh calls it nay.

What is the Guru Score for The Ordinary PHA 5% Exfoliating Lip Serum?

70%, drawn from 6 independent expert reviews. That is the share of the experts we hold takes from who approved it.

Are either of these takes sponsored?

No. A face-off excludes any pair where either expert's take is a paid placement, because a sponsored take set against an independent one is not a fair comparison.

When did each of them say this?

Dr. Jenny Liu on 9 April 2026, and James Welsh on 15 March 2026, about 4 weeks apart.

More on this product: every expert take we hold, or browse the experts themselves.