What is The Ordinary AHA 30% + BHA 2% Peeling Solution?

A leave-on chemical exfoliating treatment combining 30% AHA (glycolic acid) and 2% BHA (salicylic acid), designed to remove dead skin and improve skin texture and brightness.

Is The Ordinary AHA 30% + BHA 2% Peeling Solution worth it?

The gurus are split. 7 of the 14 gurus give it their stamp of approval while 5 would skip it, which lands it in the middle at a Guru Score of 61%.

What is The Ordinary AHA 30% + BHA 2% Peeling Solution's Guru Score?

The Ordinary AHA 30% + BHA 2% Peeling Solution holds a Guru Score of 61%. That is our read on how warmly the experts talk about it, based on the verdicts of 14 independent expert reviewers we have collected. At least one expert has named it a Top Pick in its category.

Who is The Ordinary AHA 30% + BHA 2% Peeling Solution best for?

The Ordinary AHA 30% + BHA 2% Peeling Solution is generally suited to oily skin and acne-prone skin.

The Ordinary AHA 30% + BHA 2% Peeling Solution: Guru Score 61%

Every take, in full

What the gurus are saying.

Every take we've logged from this product's reviews across YouTube. Click any row to watch the moment they said it.

All takes Approved takes Critical takes Mixed takes Hide sponsored

James Welsh

1.58M subs

~Skip

"Their AHA 30% BHA 2% peeling solution is also another popular product for the brand. And it's also one that many people complain is far too strong. Like people at home just don't need this. Of course, every skin is different and not everybody needs something as strong as a lot of what The Ordinary products are. But a lot of skincare enthusiasts were still made to feel like these products were suitable for them."

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"The Ordinary AHA 30% + BHA 2% Peeling Solution, I just don't think it's worth the hassle. It was a viral product on YouTube and was kind of being sold as like an at-home chemical peel. My issue isn't that it's too strong or people misuse it, my issue is that I just don't feel like it made a big difference for me. My own personal skincare philosophy stops me using this because I just don't see the point anymore of doing such a strong exfoliation at home once off every so often if I'm just regularly exfoliating. I just don't think it's a necessary product nowadays. When everyone was into their really high actives, I think it was interesting and we were all so obsessed with it and we always felt like we needed those strong percentages in order to get effective results. I just don't think that's the case anymore."

Darnell Cox | 50+ Healthy Aging Expert

54k subs

~Approved

"My favorite is the one by The Ordinary, which is the 30% AHA, 2% BHA. This is the red one that you see a lot. I love this one. I do it once a week."

Top Pick: peeling solution

All 6 takes from Darnell Cox | 50+ Healthy Aging Expert

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"I'm gonna do a chemical peel on my full face and then I'm going to do radio frequency on my neck and my chest"

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"My favorite is the one by The Ordinary, which is the 30% AHA, 2% BHA. This is the red one that you see a lot. I love this one. I do it once a week."

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"We talked about The Ordinary Peeling Solution and she's going to add a peeling solution once a week."

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"For my glycolic, I really like The Ordinary AHA 30% + BHA 2% Peeling Solution. I do this one at least once a week. I love this one, you get bright, you know, your bright red and it looks like you've got blood all over your face, but it's really just a peel. I really like this one. You leave it on for 10 minutes, you rinse it off, your skin is like shiny and glowy after that."

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"The one that I like the best if I can find it is The Ordinary AHA 30% + BHA 2% Peeling Solution. This is the one that's bright red and you leave it on for 5 minutes and then rinse it off. It's not a very strong peel, nor should you be doing a very strong peel at home, but if you're doing a weekly peel, this is great for that."

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"My favorite for the chemical peels has been for a long time The Ordinary AHA 30% + BHA 2%. This is great for all skin types. This is the one that turns bright red, you guys, like a crazy person. So you got the bright red, looks like blood's on your face. Leave it on for 10 minutes and rinse it off. All of that stuff helps to lift hyperpigmentation. Anytime you're increasing cell turnover, you're lifting hyperpigmentation."

Dr. Mamina

279k subs

~Skip

"I would say be cautious of their peeling solution. I feel like that has messed up so many people's skin because they didn't realize how harsh it was. It's like 30% AHA in there."

Sincerely Miss Ash

195k subs

~Approved

"You only need a thin layer. Your skin doesn't have to be super dark red. The first thing that I notice is the brightness of my face. I just feel like my skin looks more refreshed. My forehead has like a sheen to it. It really improved texture right off the bat and I just have this nice refreshed appearance to my skin. I had a little bit of texture on my cheeks prior to applying the serum and it's not as bad. My skin's not red. It's not irritated. It feels really good. It's a little tight but my skin is always like that every time I use some type of chemical exfoliant. It just looks more refreshed and I like how nice and bright my skin looks as well."

All 2 takes from Sincerely Miss Ash

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Mad About Skin

723k subs

~Skip

"The AHA BHA peel is now available in Canada. It's been available in the rest of the world for like six years. I'm not the biggest fan of it. I know Canadians have been desperate for years to try it, the hype has kind of gone from it now, people are over it, which I kind of get."

All 3 takes from Mad About Skin

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"The Ordinary Peeling Solution is super high potency. It was the best selling exfoliator in 2022, but cut to 2024, this isn't even in the top 20 best sellers from The Ordinary. Sales have literally fallen off a cliff. A lot of countries have just outright banned this product, it's been banned for a whole long time in Canada, but that ban has extended to Australia and certain European countries. Countries are tightening their restrictions on what's allowed in terms of strength and percentage, and a product of super high strength like this one just isn't allowed anymore."

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"A true fail in my book would be the red peel, The Ordinary AHA 30% + BHA 2% Peeling Solution. I think the way we see exfoliation has changed so much in the last couple of years and so far fewer people are reaching for this product. People now see this in a different light. Instead of exfoliating every single day and opting for the highest strength option, we now use exfoliators a lot less frequently and tend to go for more gentle formulations. Consistency is key when it comes to exfoliation. Instead of trying to blast off the skin with a sky-high concentration as in the red peel, something more gentle like The Ordinary Lactic Acid in a 5 or 10% strength used a couple of times a week will give you the same great results but with a lot less sensitivity, irritation, and far fewer side effects."

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Mixed Makeup

1.47M subs

~Mixed

"I do love the ordinary that peeling solution which is 2% BHA 30% AHA but it scares me. I don't think it would suit your skin if you're sensitive. I mean, I don't put any, I get my perioral dermatitis here so I just can't put it there."

No BS Beauty

89k subs

~Skip

"Their AHA BHA peel I don't love it, it's way too harsh for me."

All 3 takes from No BS Beauty

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"They have another peeling product that people absolutely love, the AHA 30% + BHA 2% Peeling Solution. It's very strong. I have not repurchased this one because my skin didn't like it so much, but a lot of people absolutely love it and use it regularly, or some people use it on their heels of their feet. I've read they have a lot of interesting different uses for it."

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"The Ordinary AHA 30% + BHA 2% Peeling Solution, the red peel they call it, this stuff was one of the first products from the Ordinary I tried and this stuff irritated my skin, it burned my skin, it left my skin feeling dry and I hated it. I'm somebody that exfoliates a few times a week so maybe if you don't do that maybe this works better, I don't know, but I just wouldn't really want to put it on my baby soft cheeks."

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"Their AHA BHA peel I don't love it, it's way too harsh for me."

Nipun Kapur

401k subs

~Approved

"The Ordinary Peeling Solution is good."

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"The Ordinary Peeling Solution is good."

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"I recommend peeling solutions like the AHA BHA Peeling Solution by The Ordinary or the minimalist or do sh or whatever for tan removal, gentler way of exfoliating your skin. You don't need to go ahead and scrub and damage your skin because as we age, if you're constantly scrubbing, tugging and doing all of these things, skin longterm damage. Chemical exfoliation even on the body is the way to go."

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"I always recommend using a peeling solution not just on your face but also on your body. The Ordinary peeling solution, minimalist dermac Co k branding solution. Now understand winter in general your skin's getting drier, solution based lotion which you should not do, but if you do all of that your skin is going to be super super dry specifically your elbows your knees and toes and the areas between the toes they get extremely dry. So make sure you use a thick layer of Vaseline on these areas, and that is going to help you. By the time the summers come and you're not wearing all of that winter clothing your skin is going to be glowing and beautiful and well hydrated. By making sure that you're using your peeling solutions your body lotions and loading up some Vaseline on your body it is going to make you look soft glowy and beautiful."

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"The peeling solution, whether it's from The Ordinary or other brands, is a very very strong product. And while it is great for brightening your skin, while it is great for acne marks and hyperpigmentation, it is still very very strong for a teenager. So in my opinion, my recommendation would be no, you should not be using a peeling solution. It's a bit of a gray area. I don't really recommend it."

Kelly Driscoll

90k subs

~Skip

"It's a very potent product. 30% is a lot. I have absolutely used this and I have absolutely irritated and burned my skin when using this, even with caution. It's a very potent AHA product. There was a lot of misinformation about what it can do and who it's suitable for, and I do still feel like there is a lot of that going around. It's a very, very potent amount of AHA that can definitely address texture and dull skin, but it needs to be approached with caution and with respect. I just don't think that it's going to suit a lot of folks. It's not my favorite, and it really is just because I've seen so many people get burned by it. I've seen so many people misunderstand how to use it, thinking that they need it when they probably really don't."

Cassandra Bankson

2.45M subs

~Approved

"This is a fragrance-free option that I rely on and share with clients. You can start off with 1 minute before you do all 10. This actually gives you results, skin looks clearer, more fresh, glowy, hydrated. It helps with blackheads and acne because of that BHA, and especially if you do this regularly over time it can really help with skin resurfacing. I struggled with bad acne for so many years, and I do think it's because of treatments I've done including chemical peels including this one for the past 3 years almost non-stop that my acne scars do not look as indented or as obvious as they could be. After I use this peel my skin, my pores, they just all look better and other people have noticed that too. Of course don't use this and go in the sun, use this at night and then sunscreen responsibly the next day. The AHA BHA peeling solution is fantastic because it has that salicylic acid, but sometimes there are people who have dry skin and acne and that's really rough to treat because a lot of acne treatments including BHA can be a little bit more drying. Well, The Ordinary has an anhydrous salicylic acid, this is basically BHA in oil, and I'm so happy they launched this because this is so good. It has no water in it so it's anhydrous."

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"One of my favorites is The Ordinary AHA 30% + BHA 2% Peeling Solution. This was one of my favorite peels and still is, and it's literally under 10 bucks in this little bottle."

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"The Ordinary has actives, don't get me wrong. They've got the AHA BHA peeling solution, they've got these other acids like glycolic acid, they've got retinoids. Yes, The Ordinary can be very potent and yes it has unfortunately caused irritation and burned holes in people's skin barriers literally with the acids. But if you do have sensitive skin, you're not banned from using The Ordinary."

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"I'm hoping this is The Ordinary's AHA 30% + BHA 2% Peeling Solution and they're just pretending it's period blood, but you know, with the internet today."

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"This is one of the best things that I found over the counter because it is the most potent chemical peel that you can get without a professional license. This is so good it is one of my favorites and I use it on the RS. The acids in this product work by breaking down the bonds between our skin cells as well as help exfoliating off some of those dead skin cells. You can do this maybe once a month maybe once a week if you're super super attuned to it more than that can be a lot."

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"The Ordinary's AHA 30% + BHA 2% Peeling Solution is one of my favorite products and it's basically the highest potency of a chemical peel that you can get over the counter without being a licensed professional, a licensed aesthetician, or working in the field. I use this on my chest, I use this on my back, I use this on my body, on my face."

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Doctorly

3.57M subs

~Approved

"You have things like the Ordinary peeling solution that you could potentially use on these. They are higher strength exfoliants but you would still only want to leave those on for 15 minutes maximum and then definitely wash them off. You don't want to leave them on all day or anything like that."

Hyram

4.35M subs

~Approved

"It's the most similar experience I've ever been able to find to the Drunk Elephant one, and I actually had better results with this formula than the Sukari Baby Facial. The Ordinary one is a little bit stronger, it has 5% more exfoliation power, and it's in a more dropper liquid form. When it comes to results, they are so similar to each other. Drunk Elephant is $80, The Ordinary is $8, you are saving 90% to get the same type of results on the skin. It is wild. For that alone, I automatically prefer The Ordinary Peeling Solution. This product is absolutely not meant for 10-year-olds. If you are a tween, do not use this product."

Dr. Somji Skin

358k subs

~Approved

"You can use peeling solutions from The Ordinary, and that you can use for people with red skin so rosacea, mandelic acid is a fantastic treatment for people with acne, using things like salicylic acid as well as lactic acid is also a good option as well."

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"You can use something like the Ordinary AHA 30% + BHA 2% Peeling Solution as well as the Paulas Choice one two or three times a week just to help with further exfoliation within the area. You don't want to overdo it because you can increase your chances of sensitivity, but using this two or three times a week is going to be a really good idea. The other thing which you might have seen me on social media using for those blackheads, especially if you're a darker skin type, is not use the AHA BHA because this can increase the amount of pigmentation if you use it too regularly because of the amount of glycolic acid in it."

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"The Ordinary AHA 30% + BHA 2% Peeling Solution has malic acid, tartaric acid, and citric acid in it, so you get quite a lot. The concentration of those other types of AHAs are a little bit lower. I think if you're going to start off with an AHA for dry, dehydrated skin, your best bet is mandelic acid. If you're a lighter skin type and you've got acne with a little bit more pigmentation associated with it, then glycolic acid is a good one to start with. And if you've got super super sensitive skin, then you can really go through The Ordinary formulations with lactic acid. The Ordinary AHA BHA needs to be used correctly, there is another video on our channel talking about how to use that correctly and also on all of our social media."

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"If you've been using this regime for 2-3 weeks or 3-4 weeks and you're seeing improvement in pigmentation but you want that to move faster, then you need to be using a chemical exfoliant. You can use the AHA 30% + BHA 2% Peeling Solution 2 to 3 times a week after cleansing. You want to use 5 drops of the serum, spread evenly around the face, making sure that you only leave it on initially for a few minutes and then slowly progress to a little bit longer. Then you cleanse that off and continue your routine. You want to do that 2 or 3 times a week because you want to be peeling those layers, especially if your pigmentation is deeper. If you press down on the pigmentation and it doesn't go, that means the pigmentation is deeper and you need to be using these exfoliants so that you can slot it in quite nicely within your regime really easily. Always check for conflicts on The Ordinary website in terms of mixing those things, but you can use it directly after the cleanser and then cleanse it off and then you can continue with your other products."

Beyond50Skin

31k subs

~Mixed

"The Ordinary's peeling solution is a very intense AHA BHA serum. I believe the concentration of glycolic is higher in this formula than the dermal formula. I start off with a very small amount of this, and definitely patch test if your skin isn't used to this type of exfoliating treatment."

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"The AHA BHA peeling solution does peel. It has 30% AHAs so it has a combination of lactic and glycolic but mostly glycolic. Glycolic is a very small molecule, it's an alpha hydroxy acid but it can penetrate into the skin a little bit more deeply. It's supposed to help with collagen production as well as exfoliation. But this is a very intense formula. I haven't used this in a while to be perfectly honest because my skin's been a little bit irritated and I've had to back off my exfoliation routine a little bit. If you want a great resurfacing treatment and you're very experienced with chemical exfoliants, you know how your skin is going to react to glycolic, lactic and salicylic acid, this could be a great solution for you at a really reasonable price. But quick reminder with all the exfoliants you need to do a patch test and you also need to wear your SPF."

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"You can go hardcore and maybe once a week or once every two weeks you can use The Ordinary AHA 30% + BHA 2% Peeling Solution, a really intense chemical peel solution."