Head to head
Pixi Glow Tonic vs The Ordinary AHA 30% + BHA 2% Peeling Solution
Same comparison whichever way you searched it: The Ordinary AHA 30% + BHA 2% Peeling Solution vs Pixi Glow Tonic.
The bottom linePixi Glow Tonic and The Ordinary AHA 30% + BHA 2% Peeling Solution are close on what they deliver, so it comes down to your skin: The Ordinary AHA 30% + BHA 2% Peeling Solution is the kinder pick for sensitive or reactive skin since it is fragrance-free.
Which should you pick?
Pick Glow Tonic if
- you are prone to fungal acne (malassezia)
Pick AHA 30% + BHA 2% Peeling Solution if
- you are dealing with breakouts and oiliness
- your skin is sensitive or reacts to fragrance
- you want the more affordable option
What each delivers
Side by side
| Glow Tonic | AHA 30% + BHA 2% Peeling Solution | |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Exfoliant | Exfoliant |
| Key actives | Glycolic acid, Glycerin, Urea | Glycolic acid 30%, Salicylic acid (BHA) 2%, Glycerin |
| Texture | A middleweight lotion, enough to comfort without feeling heavy. | A middleweight lotion, enough to comfort without feeling heavy. |
| Fragrance | Contains fragrance | None detected |
| Fungal-acne safe | Likely | Not likely |
| Pregnancy | No flagged actives | No flagged actives |
| Ingredients | 29 listed | 24 listed |
| Price | ~€20 | ~€8 |
What's in one but not the other
The two labels share 5 of the 48 ingredients between them. The actives are where they part company.
What each one adds acts on The stratum corneum, Not established for Pixi Glow Tonic and The stratum corneum for The Ordinary AHA 30% + BHA 2% Peeling Solution. That is the layer each is understood to act on, not how deep it travels.
Only in Glow Tonic
Both share
Only in AHA 30% + BHA 2% Peeling Solution
Where each label stops telling you the dose
Ingredients are listed in order of how much is inside, but only down to 1%. Below that the brand may list them in any order it likes, so the bottom of a label is a set, not a ranking. These two stop being a ranking in very different places.
Pixi Glow Tonic
ordered for its first 66%
- 1Water/Aqua/Eau
- 2Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice
- 3Glycolic Acid
- 4Butylene Glycol
- 5Glycerin
- 6Sodium Hydroxide
- 7Hamamelis Virginiana (Witch Hazel) Leaf Extract
- 8Aesculus Hippocastanum (Horse Chestnut) Seed Extract
- 9Hexylene Glycol
- 10Fructose
- 11Glucose
- 12Sucrose
- 13Urea
- 14Dextrin
- 15Alanine
- 16Glutamic Acid
- 17Aspartic Acid
- 18Hexyl Nicotinate
- 19Panax Ginseng Root Extract
- 20Ethylhexylglycerin
- 21Disodium EDTA
- 22Biotin
- 23Panthenol
- 24PPG-26-Buteth-26
- 25PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil
- 26Phenoxyethanol
- 27Parfum (Fragrance)
- 28Caramel
- 29CI 14700
10 of 29 sit below the line, marked by Ethylhexylglycerin.
The Ordinary AHA 30% + BHA 2% Peeling Solution
ordered for its first 67%
- 1Glycolic Acid
- 2Aqua (Water)
- 3Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Water
- 4Sodium Hydroxide
- 5Daucus Carota Sativa Extract
- 6Propanediol
- 7Cocamidopropyl Dimethylamine
- 8Salicylic Acid
- 9Lactic Acid
- 10Tartaric Acid
- 11Citric Acid
- 12Panthenol
- 13Sodium Hyaluronate Crosspolymer
- 14Tasmannia Lanceolata Fruit/Leaf Extract
- 15Glycerin
- 16Pentylene Glycol
- 17Xanthan Gum
- 18Polysorbate 20
- 19Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate
- 20Potassium Sorbate
- 21Sodium Benzoate
- 22Ethylhexylglycerin
- 231,2-Hexanediol
- 24Caprylyl Glycol
8 of 24 sit below the line, marked by Xanthan Gum.
Below the line is not too little to work: ceramides, retinoids and peptides all act far under a percent. It means the position stops carrying information. Where the line falls is inferred from the first ingredient whose whole job is done at a fraction of a percent, so it is a close read of the label rather than a number from the formula sheet.
The molecule doing the work
Better for…
- Fine lines & firmnessEither works
- Breakouts & congestionAHA 30% + BHA 2% Peeling Solution
- Dryness & dehydrationEither works
- Sensitive, reactive skinAHA 30% + BHA 2% Peeling Solution
The Ordinary AHA 30% + BHA 2% Peeling Solution is the cheaper of the two (~€8 vs ~€20).
Ready to pick one?
Affiliate links, so a purchase sends us a small commission at no extra cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, Glow Simplified earns from qualifying purchases. We make and sell nothing here, so the verdict above never bends toward a sale.
And if you keep both?
Most people reading a comparison are choosing. If you already own both, the question is a different one, and it has an answer.
Use these with care.
Two exfoliants at once is usually one too many, and a common cause of irritation.
Pick one, and alternate days if you want to use both.
Common questions
Is Pixi Glow Tonic or The Ordinary AHA 30% + BHA 2% Peeling Solution better for breakouts & congestion?
For breakouts & congestion, The Ordinary AHA 30% + BHA 2% Peeling Solution is the stronger pick by our read of the two formulas. Pixi Glow Tonic and The Ordinary AHA 30% + BHA 2% Peeling Solution are close on what they deliver, so it comes down to your skin: The Ordinary AHA 30% + BHA 2% Peeling Solution is the kinder pick for sensitive or reactive skin since it is fragrance-free.
Which is cheaper, Pixi Glow Tonic or The Ordinary AHA 30% + BHA 2% Peeling Solution?
The Ordinary AHA 30% + BHA 2% Peeling Solution is the cheaper of the two (~€8 vs ~€20).
Can I use Pixi Glow Tonic and The Ordinary AHA 30% + BHA 2% Peeling Solution together?
They are both exfoliants, so you would normally pick one rather than layer both in the same step. You can keep both and alternate them (morning and night, or on different days) if you like variety, but you do not need two.
What the scene shows
The cross-section at the top of this page is not decoration and not a diagram of the skin in general: it places the molecules these two are sold on at the layer each is understood to act on. Pixi Glow Tonic is placed by Glycolic acid (the stratum corneum), Glycerin (the stratum corneum), Urea (the stratum corneum). The Ordinary AHA 30% + BHA 2% Peeling Solution is placed by Glycolic acid (the stratum corneum), Salicylic acid (BHA) (the stratum corneum), Glycerin (the stratum corneum). A layer is where an ingredient does its work, never how deep it travels, and never a claim about how well it works.
Compare it with…
All 10 comparisons
- Glow Tonic vs The Ordinary Glycolic Acid 7% Toning Solution
- Glow Tonic vs Paula's Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant
- Glow Tonic vs The Ordinary Salicylic Acid 2% Solution
- Glow Tonic vs The Ordinary Lactic Acid 10% + HA
- Glow Tonic vs The Ordinary Mandelic Acid 10% + HA
- AHA 30% + BHA 2% Peeling Solution vs The Ordinary Glycolic Acid 7% Toning Solution
- AHA 30% + BHA 2% Peeling Solution vs Paula's Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant
- AHA 30% + BHA 2% Peeling Solution vs The Ordinary Salicylic Acid 2% Solution
- AHA 30% + BHA 2% Peeling Solution vs The Ordinary Lactic Acid 10% + HA
- AHA 30% + BHA 2% Peeling Solution vs The Ordinary Mandelic Acid 10% + HA