The Ordinary AHA + BHA Solution...Is It Too Good to Be True?

I was researching the Drunk Elephant product line and found a YouTube video that talked about all of their products. During the video, two products that stood out to me were their AHA + BHA serums/peels, both priced above $80. The video then went on to mention a dupe that is supposed to work the same, if not better than the expensive versions.

Since I have never tried a product like this before, I decided to look into the dupe product which is The Ordinary AHA 30% + BHA 2% Peeling Solution. The reviews were insane. On Sephora’s website the product had 1450 five star reviews out of 1780 total, along with a 93% recommendation rate. So, I went ahead and bought myself a bottle. It was conveniently priced at $7.20, which to me seemed like it was too good to be true considering the reviews and prices of similar products.

This product, along with most AHA/BHA products, is supposed to be extremely beneficial for those with normal, combination, or oily skin. It claims to be “an exfoliating solution to help fight visible blemishes and improve the look of skin texture and radiance.” I believe technically this is considered a chemical peel, and the directions even advise to use it no more than twice per week for no longer than 10 minutes.

So of course, I had to give it a try.

*For reference, I have combination skin and get occasional small breakouts. I purchased this product to help even my skin tone and help fight those blemishes!*

Week 1

The first time I used the peel I had a few blemishes on my cheek I was hoping to reduce the size of. After my shower, I went ahead and spread the peel evenly over my clean, dry face…don’t use it on wet skin and be sure your face is free of any other products before using this! 10 minutes later, I rinsed it off and packed on the moisturizer since it can be drying. I didn’t notice anything immediately after rinsing it off, but the next morning I did notice that the blemishes were almost completely gone.

The second time I used the peel for the week, I noticed the exact same results as the first time. Blemishes were cleared up by morning and I was actually starting to see my skin was looking a lot smoother than before. So far, I was honestly shocked, so I was excited to keep using it to find some long-term benefits!

3 Weeks Later

Ok so I really tried to go week by week when I started writing this, but I honestly forgot! Anyway, it has been close to 30 days since I first started using the peel twice a week. When I tell you, my skin has NEVER been so clear…I really do mean it.

For $7.20 I was totally blown away. My skin was pretty uneven from the sun, amongst other things, and this is the first time in so long where it actually looks evenly toned all over. I used to get those little bumps on my chin that aren’t actually blemishes and those have almost completely vanished since using this as well.

Speaking of blemishes, there has been significantly less since before I started using this stuff. I still do get a few here and there, but once I use the peel they’re gone by the next morning. I also started to notice it helped with acne scarring too! My cheek had some scars on it that I always used to cover up with makeup and I really haven’t even noticed them lately. I used to rarely leave the house without at least tinted moisturizer on, and now I actually feel pretty confident I could go without face makeup and feel completely fine.

Overall my skin looks SO MUCH brighter and smoother than ever before. I feel like life has been restored to my face because after looking at some pictures, man I looked dull as hell at times! Some of my friends have even been complimenting my skin lately too, and honestly, I owe it all to this little guy and a really good moisturizer. (I started using the Drunk Elephant Protini moisturizer and it’s AMAZING as well! Still love my Clinique gel one, but it wasn’t moisturizing enough considering this peel can be drying!)

If I can find some before and after pics, I’ll add them to the bottom of this, if not I’ll find a recent picture of my face with no makeup on. The verdict on The Ordinary AHA + BHA Peel: 10/10 - highly recommend especially for breakouts. Literally my new secret weapon of skincare.