PHA 5% Exfoliating Lip Serum

The Ordinary

Where to buy Possibly in stock

About this product

The Ordinary PHA 5% Exfoliating Lip Serum is a lip mask. Our analysis of its 12 ingredients (10 low-risk) rates it Excellent (96/100). Based on its ingredients, it looks well-suited to dry skin.

Vegan-friendly Reef-safe

Summarised from our ingredient analysis — not brand marketing copy.

At a glance

Type
Lip Masks
Ingredients
12
Low-risk
10
Fragrance
Fragrance-free
Origin
Canada

The evidence

Quick Product Notes

Paraben-Free Sulfate-Free Alcohol-Free Silicone-Free EU Allergen-Free Fungal Acne (Malassezia) Safe Minimal Ingredients

Notable Effects & Ingredients

No Notable Effects & Ingredients

Ingredients Related to Skin Types

Good   Bad — tap a skin type to see which ingredients · estimated from ingredient functions
Dry Skin 3/3
Good for dry skin
Gluconolactone Ectoin Glycerin
Caution for dry skin
Xanthan Gum Glycerin Sodium Hydroxide
Oily/Acne-Prone Skin No data
Sensitive Skin 1/7
Good for sensitive skin
Glycerin
Caution for sensitive skin
Gluconolactone Glycerin Tartaric Acid Citric Acid Sodium Benzoate Potassium Sorbate Malic Acid

Ingredients list

12 total
Lower hazard (1) Higher hazard (4)
All12 Fragrance7 Buffering Agent5 Skin Conditioning5 Ph Adjuster4 Humectant3 Masking3 Solvent3 Denaturant2
EWG CIR Ingredient Name & Cosmetic Functions Notes
2
A
Glycerin
(Denaturant, Fragrance, Hair Conditioning, Humectant, Oral Care Agent, Oral Health Care Drug, Skin Protecting, Viscosity Decreasing Agent, Perfuming, Solvent)
Good for Dry Skin
Good for Dry Skin
Fungal Acne
Fungal Acne Trigger
1
Water
(Solvent)
1
Gluconolactone
(Fragrance, Humectant, Solvent)
1
Ectoin
(Buffering Agent, Skin Conditioning, Emollient)
Daucus Carota Sativa Juice
(Skin Conditioning)
2
A
Citric Acid
(Chelating Agent, Fragrance, Ph Adjuster, Buffering Agent, Masking)
Bad for Sensitive Skin
Bad for Sensitive Skin
3
4
B
Malic Acid
(Fragrance, Ph Adjuster, Buffering Agent)
1
Tartaric Acid
(Fragrance, Ph Adjuster, Buffering Agent, Masking)
Bad for Sensitive Skin
Bad for Sensitive Skin
3
B
Sodium Hydroxide
(Denaturant, Ph Adjuster, Buffering Agent)
1
A
Xanthan Gum
(Binding Agent, Emulsion Stabilising, Skin Conditioning, Surfactant Emulsifying Agent, Viscosity Increasing Agent, Binding, Gel Forming, Viscosity Controlling)
3
A
Potassium Sorbate
(Fragrance, Preservative)
3
A
Sodium Benzoate
(Fragrance, Preservative, Anticorrosive, Masking)

My Ingredient Notes

No personal ingredient notes yet. Save ingredients to your profile to get good/bad alerts here.

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Key ingredients

Glycerin
Humectant, Skin Protecting
Gluconolactone
Humectant
Ectoin
Skin Conditioning, Emollient
Daucus Carota Sativa Juice
Skin Conditioning
Xanthan Gum
Skin Conditioning

Benefits

No standout benefits flagged for this product.

Concerns

Not fungal acne (malassezia) safe
May not suit sensitive skin

Ingredients explained

Water
Solvent
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 1 Solvent
Gluconolactone
Fragrance, Humectant
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 1 FragranceHumectantSolvent
Ectoin
Buffering agent, Skin conditioning
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 1 Buffering agentSkin conditioningEmollient
Daucus Carota Sativa Juice
Skin conditioning
Limited public safety data.Read moreShow less
EWG N/A Skin conditioning
Malic Acid
Fragrance, Ph adjuster
Low-to-moderate hazard.Read moreShow less
EWG 3–4 CIR B FragrancePh adjusterBuffering agent
Sodium Hydroxide
Denaturant, Ph adjuster
Low-to-moderate hazard.Read moreShow less
EWG 3 CIR B DenaturantPh adjusterBuffering agent
Xanthan Gum
Binding agent, Emulsion stabilising
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 1 CIR A Binding agentEmulsion stabilisingSkin conditioningSurfactant -emulsifying agentViscosity increasing agentBindingGel formingViscosity controlling
Potassium Sorbate
Fragrance, Preservative
Low-to-moderate hazard.Read moreShow less
EWG 3 CIR A FragrancePreservative
Sodium Benzoate
Fragrance, Preservative
Low-to-moderate hazard.Read moreShow less
EWG 3 CIR A FragrancePreservativeAnticorrosiveMasking
Glycerin
Denaturant, Fragrance
Low-hazard ingredient.Read moreShow less
EWG 2 CIR A DenaturantFragranceHair conditioningHumectantOral care agentOral health care drugSkin protectingViscosity decreasing agentPerfumingSolvent Good for Dry SkinFungal-acne trigger
Citric Acid
Chelating agent, Fragrance
Skin irritation can occur at high concentrationRead moreShow less
EWG 2 CIR A Chelating agentFragrancePh adjusterBuffering agentMasking Bad for Sensitive Skin
Tartaric Acid
Fragrance, Ph adjuster
Skin irritation can occur at high concentrationRead moreShow less
EWG 1 FragrancePh adjusterBuffering agentMasking Bad for Sensitive Skin

How to use

How to use

  • 1 Evening, start slow: Best in the PM a few times a week to begin with; avoid layering with other strong actives the same night.
  • 2 Wear SPF the next day: Acids and retinoids increase sun sensitivity — daily sunscreen is a must while using this.

General guidance from this product's category and active ingredients — always follow the directions on the package.

Trust & honesty

Officially notified as a cosmetic in Malaysia (NPRA). Government registration record.

Effective levels — general guide

The concentrations these actives are typically effective at in research — not a measurement of this product.

AHA (acid exfoliant) 5–10% (OTC)

OTC leave-on AHAs are usually 5–10%. The effect also depends on pH and free-acid value, not the percentage alone.

Malic Acid, Tartaric Acid

INCI lists don't disclose amounts, and we don't claim to know this product's levels — these are the ranges these ingredients are usually effective at, so you can tell a real formula from "fairy-dusting" a marketed active. How we estimate this.

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