Glycolic Acid 7% Exfoliating Toner – 240 ml

Product Overview

The Ordinary Glycolic Acid 7% Toning Solution is one of the best-known exfoliating toners on the market, and the reason is straightforward: a well-formulated 7% glycolic acid in a large 240ml bottle at a price that makes daily use realistic.

Glycolic acid is an alpha hydroxy acid derived from sugar cane, and it has the smallest molecule of the group — which is why it penetrates more readily than lactic or mandelic acid and why it acts faster. It loosens the bonds holding dead cells at the skin’s surface so they shed more evenly, which over weeks shows up as smoother texture, less dullness and a more even tone.

Key Benefits

• Targets dullness, rough texture and uneven skin tone
• Works on the look of fine lines and signs of ageing
• 7% is an effective strength without being a peel
• Large 240ml bottle — enough for months of evening use
• Leaves skin smoother and better able to absorb what follows

Key Features

• 7% glycolic acid (AHA)
• Exfoliating toner format, applied on a cotton pad
• 240ml
• Suitable for all skin types except sensitive or compromised skin
• Made in Canada

How to Use

1. Evening only, and no more than once a day.
2. After cleansing, saturate a cotton pad and sweep it across the face and neck.
3. Avoid the eye contour entirely. Do not rinse off.
4. Follow with your usual serum and moisturiser.
5. Start two or three evenings a week and build up only if skin stays comfortable.

Sun Protection Is Not Optional With This

This product increases the skin’s sensitivity to sunlight. Used without daily sunscreen it can leave skin worse than it started — more pigmentation, not less, because UV exposure is what drives most of the discolouration these products are bought to treat.

• Wear a broad-spectrum sunscreen every morning, SPF 30 or higher, and reapply through the day when outdoors.
• Use around two finger-lengths for face and neck. Under-applying is why sunscreen so often underperforms its rating.
• The sensitivity continues for about a week after you stop using the product.

Who Should Not Use It

The manufacturer is explicit: do not use on sensitive, peeling or compromised skin. That includes skin that is already irritated, sunburnt, broken, or recovering from another treatment. Do not use alongside other exfoliating acids, and be cautious combining it with retinoids in the same routine — alternate nights instead.

Patch Test First

Before using a new active on your face, try it on a small area — the inner forearm or just below the jaw — and leave it for 24 hours. Mild tingling on application is common with acids and settles; stinging, burning, redness that spreads, or itching that persists is not, and means the product is not for you.

Introduce one new product at a time. If three go on together and skin reacts, there is no way to tell which one caused it.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is 7% strong?

It is a meaningful working strength for daily home use, well below a professional peel. Most over-the-counter glycolic toners sit between 5% and 10%.

Should it sting?

A brief mild tingle is normal. Burning, lasting redness or peeling means it is too much — reduce to twice a week or stop.

What order should this go in?

Thinnest to thickest: cleanser, toner, serum, moisturiser, and sunscreen last in the morning. Give each layer a moment to settle rather than piling them on wet.

How long before I see a difference?

Most topical actives need four to twelve weeks of consistent use before the change is visible in the mirror. Anything promising results in days is selling the promise, not the result.

How should I store it?

Somewhere cool and dark, with the cap closed. Heat and light degrade actives — vitamin C and retinol especially — so a bathroom windowsill is the worst place in the house for them.