I’m always on a mission to improve the quality of my skin. Even though my skincare routine is consistent, trying new products is something I enjoy. A couple of years ago I tried Drunk Elephant Babyfacial after reading rave reviews by other bloggers. I liked it at the time and felt like I could see improvement in my skin. I’ve included it in gift guides and product round-ups before because I thought it was effective. Then a few months ago, I started using a similar product, Peeling Solution by The Ordinary and noticed a hugely different result. Both products are used to improve fine lines and wrinkles, skin tone and texture, dark spots and blemishes. The Ordinary, however, gave results similar to getting a peel at my dermatologist’s office at a fraction of the price. Continue reading for the comparisons.
1. Ingredients – The Ordinary contains 30% AHA (alpha hydroxy acid) and 2% BHA (beta hydroxy acid). Drunk Elephant contains 25% AHA and 2% BHA. AHA and BHA are both exfoliants that promote surface turnover leading to brighter, lighter skin. The Ordinary also has salicylic acid which exfoliates the pores to reduce congestion, clogged pores, etc. They are both vegan and cruelty-free with The Ordinary being gluten-free.
2. Price. Drunk Elephant costs $80 while The Ordinary is only $7.20. After several pumps of Drunk Elephant, the container was empty. I’ve used The Ordinary more than ten times and can hardly tell any is missing – a little goes a long way!
3. Results – I’ve been using The Ordinary once a week leaving it on for 10 minutes. Within a day or two, my face peels and my skin looks fresh and bright like when I receive a chemical peel. It does burn a little and it’s best to avoid applying it to broken skin. My results were hands down better than those with Drunk Elephant – peeling was minimal if at all.
It’s funny how I had fallen into the trap of thinking that paying more for something might make it a better product. I was skeptical when I first tried The Ordinary product because it was so inexpensive, but the reviews convinced me to give it a try – and it was less than $10. I like everything I’ve tried by this company, favorites being hyaluronic acid, glycolic acid toner, squalane cleanser, vitamin c, and peeling solution.
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Hi there. You mention “Within a day or two, my face peels…” and then “…peeling was minimal if at all.”. Are you able to further qualify or quantify the amount of peeling you experienced? Do you have to physically exfoliate the peeling skin with a washcloth or can it be addressed with moisturizer?
That’s a huge savings if the results are the same (or better) between the two products and I am definitely interested in trying this out. Thanks for sharing!
Great question, thank you! The peeling I experience with The Ordinary is noticeably flaky, but I believe that is why the end result is much better. I use a washcloth to exfoliate and also cerave ointment to moisturize the driest areas which usually improve in a day. The “minimal at all” comment was in reference to Drunk Elephant. I’m sorry that was confusing. Hope this helps.
Thanks for sharing! Have you ever watched Penn.Smith.Skincare on YouTube? She has a great series called “Try this not That” where she compares high end skin products against more reasonably priced items.
You are very welcome! Thank you for sharing the youtuber! I will definitely check her out! Hope you are well, Gina.
Hi i just wanted to know do you think it will work for deep dark acne scars i have been spending tons on different skin care products and would love to try this…
Several of the reviewers saw improvement with “dark” scars, but I cannot speak to that, personally. My dermatologist recommends micro-needling for “deep” scars, which I have also.