REVIEW: The Ordinary AHA 30% + BHA 2% Peeling Solution

The exfoliating mask The Ordinary AHA 30% + BHA 2% Peeling Solution is one of the brand’s most popular products. Did you know you have to use it carefully to get a beautiful skin without damaging it? In my review I’ll tell you everything about this, including how to use it and where to buy it!

Helloooo! Today I’m going to tell you about one of The Ordinary’s most recognizable and iconic products. Over the years, I have read a thousand names referring to it: their red mask, their red peeling, the serum that looks like blood… Do you want to know my opinion of the AHA 30% + BHA 2% Peeling Solution from The Ordinary? Keep reading the article!

BRAND: THE ORDINARY
PRODUCT: AHA 30% + BHA 2% PEELING SOLUTION
SKIN TYPE: ALL, NOT RECOMMENDED FOR SENSITIVE SKIN
RECOMMENDED FOR: UNISEX
You can get The Ordinary AHA 30% + BHA 2% Peeling Solution on DECIEM (recommended), on Amazon, on SkinStore and on FeelUnique.

This mask from The Ordinary is one of their best known products. Chances are you’ve seen it sold out in stores and recommended many times, but is it really as good as they say? Is it truly worth it? Let’s get to know it a little better.

As you will remember from my guide on acids in skincare, AHAs (Alpha Hydroxy Acids) and BHA (Beta Hydroxy Acid, also known as salicylic acid) are two of the most popular and effective types of acids to help us reduce skin spots, increase brightness and reduce wrinkles and fine lines. AHAs perform a superficial exfoliation, removing dead cells from the outermost layer of the skin, thus helping the rest of the products that we use in our routines to do a more effective job. For its part, BHA is not limited to exfoliating at the superficial level, but also removes impurities from inside the pores, which gives you a great result if you have combination or oily skin.

As you can see, this mask has a lot of potential to improve our skin. You know that I am a great defender of acids, I think they are a wonderful way to help us achieve radiant skin. Normally, when we think about exfoliating the skin there are two common responses: there are those who have a crazy desire to do it and want to exfoliate their skin daily and there are those who are frightened by the words chemical exfoliation and run away from it. Exfoliating our skin helps improve the cell turnover process, keeping our skin healthy, but we should not abuse this exfoliation, because if we go too far we will end up damaging the skin barrier (about which you can read more here) and the negative consequences will outweigh (by far) the positive ones. I do not recommend using this product more than once a week. Of course, you should always follow the manufacturer’s advice, doing a patch test before using the product, combining it carefully with other skincare actives, always using it in your night routines and applying sunscreen every morning, without exception.

For some reason, when we think of exfoliants, what comes to mind are scrubs and other types of physical exfoliants (those that have rough particles), but these are not as positive for the skin as chemical exfoliators (which are precisely acids, like the ones found in this mask). In this case, The Ordinary have incorporated a proportion of AHAs much higher than what we usually find in other products (specifically, it includes 30%). In that 30% of AHAs we find glycolic, lactic, tartaric and citric acids.

And now that you know a little better about the composition of this mask and all the benefits it can bring you, you will want to know what the experience is like when using it. Its color, as you can see, is a strong red. Although the glass of the package does not protect the product against ultraviolet radiation, I recommend keeping it protected from sunlight to prevent it from degrading. When spreading the product, I was surprised to observe how soft the application is on the skin. It is very silky and pleasant to apply. When you use it, remember that you should not do it for more than 10 minutes, since it is a very powerful product and you run the risk of damaging your skin. Sometimes when I had slightly more sensitive skin than usual, I felt a slight tingling sensation, but it was completely bearable. Later, when removed, the skin is super soft, the effect of the mask is clearly noticeable.

Regarding results, I recognize that it is difficult to evaluate the effectiveness of a mask, since we usually use it once or twice a week to complement our beauty routines and results are not always seen quickly. In this case, however, what I have noticed from the first moment is that softness on the skin. In addition, I have observed positive effects in relation to my main concerns: the texture of my skin improves with the use of this mask and some spots on my skin have also decreased.

And is this product worth it? Yes, although, as I mentioned before, it must be a complement to the rest of our beauty routines, we cannot depend exclusively on it to improve our skin. The key to being effective is that you have a healthy skin barrier and that the rest of your routines incorporate products that help you improve your skin concerns.

HOW TO USE:

I advise you to use this mask in your night routines, since the acids it incorporates are photosensitizers. As always, remember to do a patch test before using it to make sure it doesn’t cause unwanted side effects. You must apply this product after cleansing, making sure that the skin is completely dry before spreading it. Then, after 10 minutes, remove the product with plenty of lukewarm water and continue with your routine normally: toner, serum and moisturizer. Do not forget to use a good sunscreen in the morning (if you have not found yours yet, here is my comparison of sunscreens.

You can get The Ordinary AHA 30% + BHA 2% Peeling Solution on DECIEM (recommended), on Amazon, on SkinStore and on FeelUnique.

Have you tried this mask? Do you usually use acids? What acids work best for your skin? Let me know in the comments section!

If you liked this post and want to continue learning about how to take care of your skin, you will be interested in reading these other articles:

• Where to buy The Ordinary products.
• Patch test: how to start using any skincare product.

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