After years of hearing about how amazing The Ordinary is, I finally got around to trying the brand myself when I was looking for a new toner to invest in.
As the brand wasn’t stocked in Singapore’s retail stores at that point in timr, I ordered this off a verified seller on Shopee together with the Azelaic Acid Suspension.
Product Description
Glycolic Acid is an alpha hydroxy acid that exfoliates the skin. This 7% toning solution offers mild exfoliation for improved skin radiance and visible clarity. The formula also improves the appearance of skin texture with continued use.
Official Retail Price in Singapore: SGD 15.24 (Shopee)
Ingredient List
See full list of ingredients and safety ratings here.
As you can tell, there is a high concentration of glycolic acid in this toner (7%), which is what you should definitely be aware of because some people with highly sensitive skin do not take well to this ingredient, and will face breakouts as the skin tries to adjust to it.
Other than glycolic acid, the other ingredients are mostly okay – no alcohols, no silicones, no fragrances, etc.
Review
Packaging
The Ordinary Glycolic Acid 7% Toning Solution actually comes with two different caps – one is the typical lid that makes sure your product is securely closed, while this one pictured here is like a syringe (I’m not sure how to describe this) – basically it controls the amount of product that you use at one go.
I was initially a little puzzled but then I realised it was actually very useful, especially if you are planning to pack it in your bags and want to avoid leakage. It also saves you a lot of unnecessary wastage when you’re pouring the toner out.
Texture
It is a very lightweight liquid which you may mistake as water, until you use it on your skin and then you feel the stinging sensation.
It definitely doesn’t clog pores, but some people may find the sting unpleasant and highly unnerving – let me explain a bit more about that:
Effectiveness
I need to state upfront that I’m no stranger to glycolic acid, so my experience using this may differ from yours. My last experience with the AHA was Pixi Glow Tonic. It initially did not sit well with my skin as it was purging, but after about one week or so the purging actually stopped, and then I saw my acne scars fading.
As it was some time since I last used a GA toner, I used this more sparingly, just once in the evening on 2 or 3 days a week. It continued to sting my face, and I noticed that the stinging is more prominent on my blemishes. The sensation isn’t too unpleasant and doesn’t last for too long, so if you feel that this toner is burning your face, please don’t take it as a normal sign – it is definitely NOT normal!
I have been using other toners like Isntree and Kiehl’s in the day, and then The Ordinary at night for about a month or so, and I think after about two weeks, I saw significant improvement in my skin tone and blemishes, particularly some stubborn acne scars that hadn’t gone away in months.
A pro tip: I like to use this on my nose and cheeks, as this area is particularly prone to blackheads. It takes a while but you’ll see that with persistent usage, your blackheads will clear up!
On the downside, I have to warn about using The Ordinary Glycolic Acid 7% Toning Solution when your skin is easily triggered, for example if you’re not sleeping well, having a poor diet, or on your period. From personal experience, I find that this toner can backfire when your hormonal balance is upsetting your skin.
Final Verdict
I know a lot of people either love or hate Pixi Glow Tonic, but The Ordinary’s Glycolic Acid Toner has been a lot more favourably looked upon by most skin types.
Personally, I think that TO’s toner has provided more consistent and visible results. Pixi Glow Tonic’s results kinda plateau-ed after a while, but the former is still doing a good job of fading my blemishes and brightening my skin.
In addition, I have to say that The Ordinary is really much better value for money. It’s slightly pricey in Singapore because we’re paying for costs such as international shipping, but overall I think it still works out to be cheaper: TO is around SGD 16 for 240ml, while Pixi is SGD48 for 250ml – go figure.
On that note, I still recommend trying The Ordinary’s Glycolic Acid Toner IF you have prior experience using glycolic acid. 7% GA is no joke, especially on sensitive skin. If you really want to make this your virgin GA experience, I suggest using it just once per week in the evening, before gradually increasing to about three times a week.
Individual Rating
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Overall Rating
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