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The Ordinary

PHA 5% Exfoliating Lip Serum.

The Ordinary PHA 5% Exfoliating Lip Serum
Lip

About this product

A lightweight exfoliating lip serum containing 5% polyhydroxy acids and glycerin, designed to gently remove dead skin and hydrate lips.

Lip

The Guru Index verdict

76%

Approved

Approved · 76%
5Reviewers
3Approved
2Mixed
0Skip
#5 in Lip

What the gurus are saying

Experts found this delivers noticeably softer, smoother lips and a temporary plump effect, with the high glycerin content and gentle PHA doing most of the work. The main split: most gurus praise its hydrating formula and affordability, though one found it made their lips drier and wished the instructions were clearer about whether to layer it with balm. Those with sensitive skin may want to start once or twice weekly and work up; most gurus suggest limiting use to two to three nights per week to avoid irritation, and always layering a lip balm on top to lock in moisture.
Synthesized from 5 expert reviews

Key actives & flags

Fragrance-freeAlcohol-free

Full ingredients

Glycerin, Aqua/​Water/​Eau, Gluconolactone, Ectoin, Daucus Carota Sativa (Carrot) Juice, Citric Acid, Malic Acid, Tartaric Acid, Sodium Hydroxide, Xanthan Gum, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate

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 only Skip only Mixed only Hide sponsored
Approved
"It really does give the most rejuvenated look around the eyes"
Top Pick: exfoliating lip product
All 7 takes from Sincerely Miss Ash
MY 5 GO-TO PRODUCTS FOR BRIGHT UNDER EYES AND SIGNS OF AGING
"It really does give the most rejuvenated look around the eyes"
THE ORDINARY & NIOD APRIL SALE 2026 | TOP 18 ANTI-AGING PRODUCTS + THE PRODUCTS THAT ALWAYS SELL OUT
"It does a really good job to keep your lips super soft and smooth. All you need is the tiniest little drop and that's it. If you over apply, yes, it's going to get into your mouth and yes, you will taste something, but don't put a lot of product and it won't go in your mouth and you won't taste anything. This is one of the best I've ever used and way better than a gritty lip scrub because lip scrubs actually do more harm than good."
I’VE BEEN USING THE ORDINARY EXFOLIATING LIP SERUM WRONG FOR 4 MONTHS - UNEXPECTED RESULTS UNLOCKED!
"It gives you that nice temporary plump look to the lips and it really looks youthful and full, juicy. And you're getting the benefits of ectoin in here, which is another ingredient that can help to hydrate the lips. It really is a nice nourishing, hydrating, repairing lip serum that also exfoliates at the same time. This is one of my favorites. I haven't used anything like this before. This is the only thing that I will put on my lips to exfoliate. I love the results so much that I wanted to see if this would perform in other areas. It has 50% glycerin, it also has ectoin and it has those gentle PHAs. Within the second day of using this on a dry, flaky area, that flaky, dry, crusty, crepey looking area smoothed right out within 2 days."
10 NEW ORDINARY PRODUCTS RANKED - SOME ACTUALLY SURPRISED ME | NEWEST LAUNCHES EXPLAINED & REVIEWED
"The Ordinary PHA 5% Exfoliating Lip Serum, I've been loving this and this is truly 10 out of 10. The first ingredient is glycerin, so this product is pretty much glycerin which is very hydrating and plumping because it's a humectant. It really keeps the lips nice and hydrated and plump, and that is really why I love this so much because of how plump my lips go. I don't really have dry lips, but this is just a product that ensures the lips remain soft and smooth. I hate lip scrubs because they're very scratchy and I feel like they do more harm than good. This is so gentle with the 5% PHA, and then there is 1.5% AHA in here as well, which helps to further exfoliate the lips. I think this is really gentle. I use this one or two nights per week, sometimes more often, but this is really nice."
PLUMPER LIPS WITHOUT FILLER - THE ORDINARY PHA 5% EXFOLIATING LIP SERUM UPDATE & FINAL THOUGHTS!
"I am really impressed with this. I was so excited with this launch. And I'm even more excited knowing that this is actually a product that delivers real results. I love the plump that I get with this. Honestly, it's the first thing that I noticed once it dried down. Within 15 to 20 minutes, my lips just felt and looked more plump. There's ectoin in here, a lot of great humectants to keep those deep layers nice and hydrated. I just love the fullness that I get with my lips. It's a gentle exfoliant that most people can use on a regular basis to keep the lips nice and soft and exfoliated. If you have more sensitive skin, maybe start with one or two nights per week and then increase from there depending on how you feel. It is so affordable. Half a drop is all you need. This is going to last a really long time."
THE ORDINARY & NIOD SALE 2025 | TOP 17 ANTI-AGING PRODUCTS + THE PRODUCTS THAT ALWAYS SELL OUT!
"This is fabulous. This is great for all skin types. It has a 5% PHA, which is polyhydroxy acids, which are way more gentle than lactic, glycolic, salicylic acid. They have a larger molecule, so it takes longer to penetrate into the lip before it starts exfoliating. But this truly gives the softest, smoothest lips ever. It is very hydrating. The first ingredient is glycerin. So, I find this to be extremely hydrating and very, very plumping. This is a product that is best used at nighttime on clean, dry lips as the last step in your skincare routine. And you can use this a few nights per week or every other night. If your skin is good with this product, you could use this every night if you want to. And this actually performs really well. I'm actually really impressed with this. So, if you want a good exfoliating lip serum that also hydrates and keeps the lips looking its best, this is a really nice one to look into. And I think this is going to be great for the winter months."
THE ORDINARY PHA 5% EXFOLIATING LIP SERUM | EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW - THE NEXT VIRAL PRODUCT?
"This retails at $12.10 Canadian, I believe, around $12 and like $8.50 American. So, this is extremely affordable and even if you went through this within a month, I mean, let's face it, that is so affordable to repurchase again. So, I believe this is priced right. I think we're getting a good amount of product and that formulation list looks really impressive. I cannot wait to try this. I actually feel like this might be a trending product that will go viral that will sell out really quickly. There really isn't anything like this on the market in terms of an exfoliating lip serum. So, this is another reason why I feel like this is going to go viral."
Approved
"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. It's a great one if you're looking for something that gently exfoliates that doesn't stain, or if you struggle with flaky skin or retain dead skin or uneven tone. Using a gentle product over time can definitely help with that. Ingredient-wise it's got 5% gluconolactone, which is a PHA, glycerin and other wonderful hydrating and soothing ingredients. You can use it twice a day. I definitely would recommend applying more of an emollient over that because as a serum, if it just dries, that may pull more water out of your skin, or I feel like my lip doesn't feel hydrated or protected enough. So I always recommend following a serum that would dry more readily with some sort of emollient or petrolatum product afterwards."
~Mixed
"So they describe it as a gentle chemical-based lip exfoliater, with 5% polyhydroxy acids. It's meant to smooth and hydrate the lips. I used it for a while every other day and it didn't do anything to my lips. Nothing changed at all. In fact my lips are drier. It didn't even keep them to their normal level of crustiness or non-crustiness. Also the directions weren't so clear. The How To Use on their website says to apply a thin layer onto clean dry lips on alternate evenings, allow the product to dry, apply lip balm as needed throughout the day. But I was confused. Do I use a lip balm afterwards? That wasn't clear on their website. However on their Instagram it says layer it under their Squalene + Amino Acids Lip Balm to help retain moisture overnight. Why is that not a direction on your website or on the product itself?"
All 2 takes from Robert Welsh
I Can’t Believe I Wasted Money on These Makeup Products…
"So they describe it as a gentle chemical-based lip exfoliater, with 5% polyhydroxy acids. It's meant to smooth and hydrate the lips. I used it for a while every other day and it didn't do anything to my lips. Nothing changed at all. In fact my lips are drier. It didn't even keep them to their normal level of crustiness or non-crustiness. Also the directions weren't so clear. The How To Use on their website says to apply a thin layer onto clean dry lips on alternate evenings, allow the product to dry, apply lip balm as needed throughout the day. But I was confused. Do I use a lip balm afterwards? That wasn't clear on their website. However on their Instagram it says layer it under their Squalene + Amino Acids Lip Balm to help retain moisture overnight. Why is that not a direction on your website or on the product itself?"
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"The results are smoother, healthier looking lips with undeniable chemistry. It contains gentle exfoliation, smoothness and hydration. As soon as I saw this, I was like, I want to buy that. I used it for a week and I loved what I used. It tastes great, by the way. You don't obviously eat it, but if you accidentally lick some, it tastes really good. I do like the before and afters. They look realistic. I didn't see a change yet, but I do believe there will be one. It's science. But I need to keep using it consistently."
Approved
"This is The Ordinary PHA 5% Exfoliating Lip Serum. I've already gone through one bottle, I bought another, and now I bought two more in this sale. I just love it. Twice a week. This is my top tip for you with this product. Only use it twice a week because it's potent, but it will give you the smoothest, softest lips. What I like to do is put some of this on and then I'll leave it to do its magic for like 5 minutes. Then I'll put a lip balm on top. You'll wake up with the softest pout of your dreams. I've heard some people online say they use this every day. Please don't do that. This is quite potent. If you want smooth, plump, hydrated lips, twice a week is all you need. If you use it more, then you're at risk sensitivity, irritation, chapping, you don't need that. Twice a week will give you the smoothest lips."
All 3 takes from Mad About Skin
How To Use TRETINOIN And CASTOR OIL For 33% Better Anti Aging
"This is the new The Ordinary PHA 5% exfoliating lip serum. This is really nice. It's a slightly thicker serum, which means it's easy to apply. You only need a couple of drops on the back of your hand and then you can put it on the lips. You could actually use this all over the face as a gentle exfoliator. First of all, it tastes fairly neutral. Anything I put on the lips, it needs to be taste-free. I don't want to be tasting whatever all day long. This is pretty taste neutral. It feels great. And that will just do a gentle exfoliation on the lips."
THIS CHANGES EVERYTHING - New The Ordinary PHA 5% Exfoliating Lip Serum
"The lips are particularly prone to dryness, so ectoin is like the perfect ingredient to have in here. It's also packed full of glycerin, which is one of the best humectants that are going to nourish, plump, and hydrate. If you see that ectoin, the glycerin, the polyhydroxy acids, and the AHAs all working together, I think this is such a smart formulation. And for $10, which is going to be roughly £9, honestly, I don't think we could ask for more. The antioxidants that are present in the formula fend off free radical damage, and the lips are prone to free radical damage like the rest of our skin. So that's great to see. The pinkish hue comes from some antioxidants in the formula. This doesn't stain the lips or add any long-term color. This is a product that I cannot wait to have on regular rotation in my skincare routine."
THE ORDINARY SALE 2025 - Top 10 The Ordinary Serums
"This is The Ordinary PHA 5% Exfoliating Lip Serum. I've already gone through one bottle, I bought another, and now I bought two more in this sale. I just love it. Twice a week. This is my top tip for you with this product. Only use it twice a week because it's potent, but it will give you the smoothest, softest lips. What I like to do is put some of this on and then I'll leave it to do its magic for like 5 minutes. Then I'll put a lip balm on top. You'll wake up with the softest pout of your dreams. I've heard some people online say they use this every day. Please don't do that. This is quite potent. If you want smooth, plump, hydrated lips, twice a week is all you need. If you use it more, then you're at risk sensitivity, irritation, chapping, you don't need that. Twice a week will give you the smoothest lips."
~Mixed
"PHA is an interesting exfoliant. It's very gentle and it can also help with hydration. They meant this product to be applied under other lip balms, especially theirs. It's meant to be used under other lip balms."
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