The Ordinary Lactic Acid 5%: a Guru Score of 91% from 7 experts

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.

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✓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

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"Lactic acid is super gentle, so you get minimum irritation, but it's also hydrating, moisturizing. It's a humectant. It's going to lock in all that moisture, meaning it's perfect to use alongside retinoids. 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. Use it once or twice a week to again minimize the risk of sensitivity and irritation, but you'll see a real game-changing difference from your retinoid by incorporating the ordinary lactic acid 5% alongside it."

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"The Ordinary Lactic Acid 5% is super gentle, works in a very similar way, and could be a great option if you wanted to go for super affordable prices."

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"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

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"In terms of actives, my exfoliant favorite is lactic acid. This stuff is five percent or ten percent depending on your type. I 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

1.22M subs

✓Yay

"You want to opt for gentle chemical exfoliants like 5% lactic acid or 10% mandelic acid. The Ordinary do both. I really would avoid glycolic acid completely when it comes to skin of color because it has a tiny molecular weight and because it has such a small molecule it can fly through the skin and can burn the skin."

Nipun Kapur

408k subs

✓Yay

"And exfoliate with a gentle lactic acid serum you can use a 5% or you can use a 10% by the ordinary go slow go steady"

All 3 takes from Nipun Kapur

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

Translated from the guru's original language.

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"Lactic acid five percent you can take the one from The Ordinary"

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"And exfoliate with a gentle lactic acid serum you can use a 5% or you can use a 10% by the ordinary go slow go steady"

Sincerely Miss Ash

195k subs

✓Yay

"The Ordinary Lactic Acid 5% is still lovely and will still be beneficial. Lactic acid really is great for those that have that drier skin type, but if you have that surface dead skin, you have some dryness and you also have dark spots, post-acne marks, that uneven skin tone, then this can really help to brighten up your complexion. [...] It works pretty quickly. [...] This can be used every day and you can use it either in your morning or evening routine, but I don't like to overuse lactic acid because I feel like you can overdo a good thing. I like to use it several times a week, [...] and if I do have any texture then this really helps to diminish that as well. It just gives your skin this beautiful glow."

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 2 takes from HotandFlashy

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"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."

Your Skincare Questions ANSWERED!

"I like to use the five percent if you're just gonna start with it. 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. This also is moisturizing for the skin and it helps your skin to produce more ceramides which are fatty lipids which help to keep your skin moisturized from the inside out."

Hyram

4.34M subs

✓Yay

"The one that I recommend for this routine is The Ordinary Lactic Acid 5% Solution, not to be confused with their 10% solution. 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. This one's an awesome one that you can use overnight, don't use it during the daytime, only use it overnight, and I'd say use it about three times per week maximum because you do not want to over exfoliate your skin. By no means is The Ordinary a luxury brand, they are ultra simple, probably some of the most simple ingredient lists I've ever seen, but for the price point it's a great option."

All 2 takes from Hyram

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"The one that I recommend for this routine is The Ordinary Lactic Acid 5% Solution, not to be confused with their 10% solution. 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. This one's an awesome one that you can use overnight, don't use it during the daytime, only use it overnight, and I'd say use it about three times per week maximum because you do not want to over exfoliate your skin. By no means is The Ordinary a luxury brand, they are ultra simple, probably some of the most simple ingredient lists I've ever seen, but for the price point it's a great option."

The BEST Skin Care Routine for $40

"A really cost effective and gentle exfoliating serum is The Ordinary Lactic Acid 5% serum. Lactic acid is on the more gentle side of exfoliating ingredients and will work well if you have more sensitive or reactive skin. 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."

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%?

A 5% lactic acid exfoliating serum designed to gently exfoliate, hydrate, and brighten the skin while minimizing irritation.

Is The Ordinary Lactic Acid 5% worth it?

Yes. All 7 gurus who reviewed it give it their stamp of approval, for a Guru Score of 91%.

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

The Ordinary Lactic Acid 5% holds a Guru Score of 91%. That is our read on how warmly the experts talk about it, based on the verdicts of 7 expert reviewers we have collected. It is also Guru Certified, our mark for products that hold broad approval across many expert reviewers.