How To Use The Ordinary AHA BHA Peeling Solution

Everyone has been raving about how this super affordable dual-acid peel makes their skin look more healthy and radiant and I personally just had to see if all the hype was justified.

But The Ordinary AHA BHA Peel is pretty strong and has some serious peeling power, so while it worked amazeballs for me, this peel isn’t for everyone.

**Learn how The Ordinary AHA BHA Peel works, how to use it, what you shouldn’t use with this peel, what to apply after the peel and how it worked out for me.**

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What Are The Benefits Of The Ordinary Peeling Solution Do? What Are The Key Ingredients?

Alpha-Hydroxy Acids (AHAs): The Ordinary AHA 30% + BHA 2% Peeling Solution has four different types of AHAs: glycolic acid, lactic acid, tartaric acid and citric acid.

This AHA cocktail combines to make a whopping 30% of acid content to brighten, soften and smooth your skin – that’s a lot! By removing dead skin cells from the surface, AHAs effectively reduce UV damage and dark spots that can appear on the skin after too much time spent in the sun without a good hat or broad-spectrum SPF. AHAs also reduce the look of fine lines and wrinkles.

Beta-Hydroxy Acid (BHA) to unclog pores and fight blemishes: The BHA in The Ordinary AHA 30% + BHA 2% Peeling Solution is salicylic acid – possibly my most favourite acid! Why? Salicylic acid is great for getting deep into pores and removing all the oil, bacteria and gunk that causes blemishes, blackheads, whiteheads and enlarged pores.

If you have oily or blemish-prone skin, I highly recommend using a good salicylic acid toner in your regular skin care routine (my favourite is the COSRX BHA Blackhead Power Liquid). Like AHAs, salicylic acid also removes dead skin cells for a smoothing, brightening effect.

Ingredients included to reduce irritation: Since The Ordinary AHA 30% + BHA 2% is potentially irritating due to the super high acid content, Tasmanian pepperberry, Black Carrot, Vitamin B5 and hyaluronic acid are included in the ingredients to reduce the potential for redness and irritation.

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Who Shouldn’t Use The Ordinary AHA BHA Peel?

The Ordinary AHA 30% + BHA 2% Peeling Solution isn’t for acid newbies, by any means. The high acid content (a whopping 32% !) makes it closer in strength to a chemical peel that is usually administered by a professional.

Please do not use this facial peel if:

you have never used acids in your skin care routine
you have sensitive skin or get easily irritated when you using chemical exfoliants
you have cracked or broken skin – this peel will burn like HELL! OMG THE PAIN!
you are pregnant or breastfeeding – please consult your doctor first before using any high-dose acid skin care products!
you are taking Tretinoin – this peel could cause more irritation and dryness, talk to your doctor
you think using facial brushes and exfoliating scrubs several times a week is a good idea – it’s not! This peel will further irritate your already tortured skin

How Often Can You Use The Ordinary AHA BHA Peeling Solution?

It is recommended that you use this peel no more than twice per week for 10 minutes at a time. When first starting out with this peel, I recommend using it only once per week to determine how your skin reacts to it first. I also recommend doing a patch test as well to determine whether you have any adverse or allergic reactions to it.

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What Not To Mix With The Ordinary AHA BHA Peel

Since this has a high acid content with an exfoliation that is quite intense to the skin, I would recommend avoiding any products with Vitamin C, retinoids, benzoyl peroxide or other acids in them after applying this peel to avoid further irritation. Acids to avoid include:

Lactic acid
Glycolic acid
Mandelic acid
Malic Acid
Citric acid
Tartaric acid

I explain this further below, but always use products that are gentle and promote skin healing and soothing afterwards. I also avoid products with added fragrance, menthol or alcohol, which can also cause irritation.

Texture, Packaging and Does It Tingle?

The Ordinary AHA BHA Peeling Solution comes in a glass bottle with a dropper to dispense the red, runny liquid.

The peeling solution itself is fragrance free and tingles slightly when I first used it, although this tingling stopped after the first few uses for me. The tingling also wasn’t painful (if it was, I would have washed it off immediately!) and felt almost itchy instead.

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Similar Products To The Ordinary AHA BHA Peel

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How To Use The Ordinary AHA BHA Peeling Solution Safely

The topics in this post include:

1. How To Apply The Ordinary Peeling Solution

The Ordinary AHA BHA Peeling Solution is always the first step after cleansing.

Wash your face, pat it completely dry and then apply the peel evenly all over your face using your fingers, staying away from the eye area and your lips.

You only need a few drops of the peel for your entire face, so don’t go trying to mimic those beet-red faces you see in photos promoting this peel – that’s way too much product!

I would also avoid putting this peel on active breakouts and pimples where the skin has been broken, as it will sting like hell and possibly make the issue worse. The peeling solution will start to dry down a bit and will feel a bit tacky on the skin.

For your first use, wait 3-5 minutes and rinse it off with warm water. If you don’t have any adverse reactions, leave it on for a bit longer next time.

Do not keep this peel on for more than 10 minutes – the longer you leave a chemical peel on, the more layers of skin cells you destroy. You do not want to remove more than the top layers!

2. When And How Often To Use The Peel

Always apply The Ordinary AHA BHA Peeling Solution at night – no buts! Acid exfoliation, even in lower doses, will always make your skin more prone to sun damage because it’s removing a layer of dead skin and revealing fresher skin underneath.

ALWAYS use a broad-spectrum SPF when going out in daylight, especially after an intense facial peel!

The Ordinary recommends using this peeling solution no more than twice a week. When first starting out with this peel, I recommend using it only once per week to determine how your skin reacts to it first.

I also recommend doing a patch test as well to determine whether you have any adverse or allergic reactions to it.

Listen to your skin and reduce usage if you experience redness that does not go away within an hour or excessive peeling.

**3. When Should You Avoid Using The Ordinary AHA BHA Peeling Solution?**

If you apply this peeling solution and experience pain or serious discomfort/burning – remove it immediately!

You may have to consider that this peel is just not for you. You should also avoid using this peel if you have any existing skin irritations or peeling (e.g. after a bad reaction to a product, a sunburn, open sores, cracked skin).

4. What Can You Expect During & After The Peeling Solution?

The Ordinary AHA BHA peeling solution itself is a gorgeous, beet-red liquid. It tingles after it’s applied (although I don’t really feel any tingling anymore) and will give your skin a pink colouring.

After washing off the peel, you can expect your skin to be a bit pink; if your skin turns an angry, painful red, this peel is probably not for you! My skin always feels baby soft and looks more radiant after the peel. My pores are smaller too!

5. What To Apply After Using The Ordinary AHA BHA Peel

I like to re-hydrate my skin after any chemical peel and use only soothing, non-irritating products; this means no retinoids, additional acids or Vitamin C after my peel. I also try to avoid products with fragrances, alcohol or menthol in them, which can cause also irritation.

I usually apply a simple hyaluronic acid serum to my skin after the peel to boost healing (you can browse a bunch to shop here).

As a final layer, I’ve been using The Ordinary Natural Moisturizing Factors cream and a gentle facial oil (like the Kora Organica Noni Glow Facial Oil) to help heal and regenerate the skin. For further soothing benefits, look for moisturizers that contain soothing, skin repairing ingredients, like Cica a.k.a. Centella Asiatica (found in the Klairs Midnight Blue Calming Cream, it’s amazing!) or colloidal oatmeal (check out the First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Cream) to calm the skin.

And again, you must apply a broad-spectrum sunscreen to protect your skin during the day – always!

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6. Can You Use Other Acids/Exfoliants With The Ordinary AHA BHA Peeling Solution?

Never combine other acids or exfoliants when you use The Ordinary AHA BHA Peel during the same application. More sensitive skin types may need to wait for a day or more before using regular acids/exfoliants after using this peel while others can use mild exfoliants the very next day. Everyone is different, so listen to your skin!

7. What Happens If You Use The Ordinary AHA BHA Peel Every Day?

This peel is meant to remove the dead skin cells on the surface of your skin and is quite strong and effective at doing so! If you were to use this peel every day – yikes! – you could expect to experience signs of irritation and over-exfoliation such as redness, flaking skin, bumpy skin texture and even scarring.

Please don’t use this peel everyday, it’s really quite effective when used only once or twice a week at most – trust me!

The Ordinary AHA BHA Peeling Solution Results

Honestly, The Ordinary AHA BHA Peeling Solution has made a HUGE improvement in the smoothness and overall texture of my skin.

My skin issues include:

-enlarged pores

-fine lines

-bumpy texture in certain areas

After each use, I immediately feel how much softer and smoother my skin is. My overall complexion is brighter and my pores are smaller too. Even better, I noticed after the first 3-4 uses that my texture had noticeably improved; my skin just looks more even, radiant and healthy and my blackheads started to fade.

Pros I experienced include minimized pores, reduced blackheads, smoother, more even skin, less flaky skin in my problem areas, a healthy glow, less noticeable fine lines and texture and all for a super cheap price!

Besides my retinol products, The Ordinary AHA BHA Peeling Solution is the only other product that has made such a quick and drastic improvement to my skin tone and texture.

If – and only if – you are a seasoned user of acid exfoliants and do not have any of the conditions I mentioned earlier in the post, I highly recommend giving this peeling solution a go. It just might change your life!

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