The Ordinary Lactic Acid 5% + Hyaluronic Acid 2%

What the experts use it for.

The concerns the experts tie this product to, in their own words. Paid and founder takes don't count.

Flaky dry patches1 expert

“I think using this in combination with tretinoin over time is what's helped me to have less flakiness in general.”

Dull skin1 expert

“As we get older our skin slows down in its ability to slough off the dead skin cells and when they pile up they can make your skin look a little bit dull and [...] wrinkly.”

HotandFlashy, watch at 2:45

Rough or uneven texture1 expert

“It's still lovely and will still be beneficial for textured uneven skin tone.”

Sincerely Miss Ash, watch at 1:22

Calming retinoid irritation1 expert

“If you're sensitive, rosacea-prone, dry, or already dealing with retinoid irritation, it isn't the step I'd add first, and exfoliation is optional anyway.”

Dr. Aleksandra Brown, watch at 14:02

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 Yay takes Nay takes Mixed takes Hide sponsored

Dr. Aleksandra Brown

153k subs

✓Mixed

"If your skin is tolerating your routine really well, I'd recommend starting with The Ordinary Lactic Acid 5% plus HA once a week, on a night when you're skipping your retinoid. [...] I like this lower-strength option for mature skin because it's a gentler place to start than a stronger acid. If you're sensitive, rosacea-prone, dry, or already dealing with retinoid irritation, it isn't the step I'd add first, and exfoliation is optional anyway."

Mad About Skin

734k subs

✓Yay

"Something like The Ordinary five percent lactic acid or ten percent are a really great option to reach for. They're super gentle, but they'll still remove some of those dead skin cells a bit quicker so you won't be feeling tight, sensitive, or irritated, and the lactic acid is going to hydrate too, so it offsets some of that dryness."

Top Pick: lactic acid

All 3 takes from Mad About Skin

Big TRETINOIN BREAKTHROUGH - 33% Better Anti Aging Results

"My personal favorite lactic acid and has been for the longest time is this. This is the ordinary lactic acid 5%. Now, they do two strengths. They do a five and a 10%. I think if you're using it alongside retinoids, I would stick to the 5%. Lower dose, meaning less risk of side effects and irritation, but you're still going to get those great exfoliating benefits. This 5% works perfectly for me in my routine. And this is something I would recommend most people start out with."

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"The Ordinary Lactic Acid 5% could be a great option if you wanted to go for super bargain basement prices. It's super gentle and works in a very similar way."

Exposed: RETINOL DOESN'T WORK - What We Now Know

"Something like The Ordinary five percent lactic acid or ten percent are a really great option to reach for. They're super gentle, but they'll still remove some of those dead skin cells a bit quicker so you won't be feeling tight, sensitive, or irritated, and the lactic acid is going to hydrate too, so it offsets some of that dryness."

No BS Beauty

89k subs

✓Yay

"If you're on the sensitive side there's a 5% formula, or if you're new to exfoliants this one's a nice one. It's a little bit more gentle."

Top Pick: lactic acid exfoliant

All 2 takes from No BS Beauty

The Only Products From The Ordinary I've Repurchased - And I've Tried Them All!

"In terms of actives, I would say my exfoliant favorite is lactic acid. This stuff is five percent or ten percent depending on your type of repurchase. Both of these they're wonderful, they're in the proper pH, they're super affordable, and I like the fact that there's a five percent option for more sensitive skin or newer skin to exfoliants, or the ten percent which is a little bit stronger for more experienced skin types. So both of these are wonderful."

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"If you're on the sensitive side there's a 5% formula, or if you're new to exfoliants this one's a nice one. It's a little bit more gentle."

Dr. Vanita Rattan

1.23M subs

✓Yay

"You want to opt for gentle chemical exfoliants like 5% lactic acid or 10% mandelic acid. The Ordinary do both."

All 2 takes from Dr. Vanita Rattan

DEBUNKING 7 Skincare Myths Destroying Your Skin| Dr Vanita Rattan | Skin of colour

"You want to opt for gentle chemical exfoliants like 5% lactic acid or 10% mandelic acid. The Ordinary do both."

Glycolic Acid Safe For Black & Brown Skin?

"Less penetration depth meaningfully safer for skin of color. The hyaluronic acid provides a buffering effect. I would recommend this product for Fitzpatrick 4 only once a week maximum. Do not use this if you have active dark spots right now. The limitation is that it has no other tyrosinase inhibitors in the formula. So what it does, it exfoliates. It removes that top layer of dead skin, but it doesn't suppress the melanin signal simultaneously. That gap matters for skin of color."

Sincerely Miss Ash

196k subs

✓Yay

"I really love the Ordinary Lactic Acid 5% plus Hyaluronic Acid 2%. It's still lovely and will still be beneficial for textured uneven skin tone."

Nipun Kapur

413k subs

✓Yay

"You get a 5% Lactic Acid you also get a 10% Lactic Acid both are amazing"

Translated from the guru's original language.

All 3 takes from Nipun Kapur

The best serums for glow & anti aging | Ordinary vs Minimalist | Nipun Kapur

"You get a 5% Lactic Acid you also get a 10% Lactic Acid both are amazing"

Translated from the guru's original language.

Skincare Live! Taking your questions | Nipun Kapur

"Lactic acid five percent, you can take the one from The Ordinary. Yeah, unless you're using like an ordinary peel or a doctor sheth peel, any high strength peel. High strength peels are 60 to 70 percent and they have to be done by a doctor."

Madhuri Dixit Skincare Routine Review | Nipun Kapur

"Exfoliate with a gentle lactic acid serum you can use a 5% or you can use a 10%"

HotandFlashy

1.23M subs

✓Yay

"You could bring in something like The Ordinary's Lactic Acid, and this is my preferred alpha hydroxy acid because I like to be able to use it every day. I like to keep my skin in a constant state of mild exfoliation, not like super harsh exfoliation, and this is really mild. This comes in a five percent or a ten percent version. You can start with the five percent then bump up to the ten percent after a while. I use this in the morning."

All 3 takes from HotandFlashy

EASY 3-Step Anti-Aging Skincare Routine! For Mature Skin, Beginners, Over 50!

"You could bring in something like The Ordinary's Lactic Acid, and this is my preferred alpha hydroxy acid because I like to be able to use it every day. I like to keep my skin in a constant state of mild exfoliation, not like super harsh exfoliation, and this is really mild. This comes in a five percent or a ten percent version. You can start with the five percent then bump up to the ten percent after a while. I use this in the morning."

Empties! Skincare I've Used Up. . . Would I Repurchase?

"As we get older our skin slows down in its ability to slough off the dead skin cells and when they pile up they can make your skin look a little bit dull and [...] wrinkly. I like to exfoliate with a really gentle daily exfoliant, [...] doing it every single day with a really mild exfoliant keeps your skin looking so good all the time. This is a really great one, it's so mild, it's so gentle, very watery, very lightweight, just absorbs right in."

Your Skincare Questions ANSWERED!

"This is like a daily lactic acid treatment I would use it in the morning if you're using tretinoin at night. This is a chemical exfoliant and what it does is it dissolves the glue that holds your skin cells on so it can increase your skin cell turnover a little bit more. It's not [...] super aggressive and it makes all your skin cells pop off overnight, but I think using this in combination with tretinoin over time is what's helped me to have less flakiness in general."

Hyram

4.33M subs

✓Yay

"Lactic acid does a great job of gently exfoliating the skin, and with the percentage at five percent it's pretty low, so if you're someone who's new to skincare it's not going to be too much for your skin to handle. I do have areas on my face that are somewhat sensitive to exfoliation and I've never seen any irritation with this, and I do recommend it particularly if you have sensitive skin because of how low the percentage is."

All 2 takes from Hyram

The BEST Skin Care Routine For $20

"Lactic acid does a great job of gently exfoliating the skin, and with the percentage at five percent it's pretty low, so if you're someone who's new to skincare it's not going to be too much for your skin to handle. I do have areas on my face that are somewhat sensitive to exfoliation and I've never seen any irritation with this, and I do recommend it particularly if you have sensitive skin because of how low the percentage is."

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"This serum is a very gentle but effective way of consistently getting all those dead skin cells off my face. Five percent isn't super strong, but they do have stronger formulas available for a little bit of a higher price. I recommend this one because you can use it multiple times a week, which helps keep those dead skin cells off consistently, as opposed to using a stronger formula you can only use every once in a while and end up looking more crusty on the off days."

Cassandra Bankson

2.46M subs

✓Yay

"I really highly recommend the lactic acid and hyaluronic acid from the ordinary because hyaluronic acid is hydrating and lactic acid being an aha holds on to water. If you're really struggling with dryness an aha is going to be a better option for you than a bha even though a bha is more targeted towards acne."

What the evidence says.

Independent of what the gurus think, this is what the published research supports about the main active ingredients here.

Alpha hydroxy acids

Alpha hydroxy acids loosen the bonds holding dead cells at the surface. The evidence supports smoother texture and more even tone over time, and they can leave skin more sensitive to sun.

Source: NIH, National Library of Medicine

Humectants and emollients

Ingredients like these draw water into the surface layers and slow how fast it leaves. The evidence is for comfort, softness and hydration rather than for changing the structure of the skin.

Source: DermNet

Frequently asked.

What is The Ordinary Lactic Acid 5% + Hyaluronic Acid 2%?

A serum combining 5% lactic acid, an alpha hydroxy acid that gently exfoliates dead skin cells, with 2% hyaluronic acid for hydration.

Is The Ordinary Lactic Acid 5% + Hyaluronic Acid 2% worth it?

Mostly yes. 8 of the 9 gurus who reviewed it give it their stamp of approval, for a Guru Score of 87%.

What is The Ordinary Lactic Acid 5% + Hyaluronic Acid 2%'s Guru Score?

The Ordinary Lactic Acid 5% + Hyaluronic Acid 2% holds a Guru Score of 87%. That is our read on how warmly the experts talk about it, based on the verdicts of 9 expert reviewers we have collected. It is also Guru Certified, our mark for products that hold broad approval across many expert reviewers.

What is The Ordinary Lactic Acid 5% + Hyaluronic Acid 2% good for, according to the experts?

In their reviews, experts say The Ordinary Lactic Acid 5% + Hyaluronic Acid 2% is good for flaky dry patches (1 expert), dull skin (1 expert), rough or uneven texture (1 expert) and calming retinoid irritation (1 expert).