Glycolic acid has quickly reached elite tier status in skincare—and The Ordinary Glycolic Acid Toning Solution is at the centre of all the chat. If you don't already know, AHAs (that's alpha hydroxy acids) is known to be brilliant for acne, excess oil production and enlarged pores thanks to its exfoliating properties, which effectively remove dead skin cells. And The Ordinary Glycolic Acid Toning Solution is one exfoliating toner that has stolen all of the attention in recent months—but perhaps not for the reasons you may be thinking.
The Ordinary Glycolic Acid Toning Solution has recently gone viral for its multi-purpose abilities that mostly centre around armpits; yes, people have been forgoing their deodorant and picking this up instead to ward off sweat patches and odour. But does it actually work, and why are people trying it?
What's the deal?
The first time I saw this trend was, quelle surprise, on TikTok. One user, named @vanilla_swirlxx (whose video now has 1.1 million likes), said that after starting to use The Ordinary's Glycolic Acid on her armpits, she no longer experienced odour from sweating. She now hasn't worn deodorant in over a year. This is because, she points out, "What it does is it exfoliates your armpits so there's no bacteria... because it's not your sweat that smells. If your sweat smells it's the bacteria that's making it smell."
@vanilla_swirlxx ♬ original sound - vanilla swirl 🍦
Another user, @ellie_nicol3 stated in her video: "Every time I put this under my arms I never sweat... and if I do sweat, there's no odour."
Even some dermatologists online have praised the product as a great deo alternative, including @dermguru :
@dermguru ♬ Carmen Habanera, classical opera(1283412) - perfectpanda
Dr Adel on TikTok also advocates for glycolic acid on the underarms, as well as for ingrown hairs and flaky scalps. However, she actually speaks about it in the context of dark underarms, and says not to use it more than twice weekly due to skin sensitivity (more on that later):
@aamnaadel ♬ original sound - Dr Adel | Dermatologist
Does it work?
I am a self-proclaimed sweaty gal, so if you want to put any new deodorant to the test, you should chuck it my way. I've often found natural deodorants simply do not work on me (try as I might), and really only specific brands work to keep me sweat-free and odour-free. I therefore couldn't wait to give this a go.
I was initially a little concerned about putting an acid under my arms but actually experienced zero pain or sensitivity. I applied the toner on clean underarms with cotton pads and waited to see how my sweat glands would cope.
If I'm honest: they did not cope well. I sweated as normal, and this didn't really prevent any sweating smells. Perhaps you have to use it for longer than a couple of days as I did or train your body to tolerate it, but upon initial use, I wasn't super impressed.
This is, however, in contrast to how I feel about the product in general. The Ordinary Glycolic Acid Toning Solution is one of my favourite AHA toners to use once or twice weekly for an exfoliating refresh. It makes my skin look noticeably more 'glowy' so offers instant gratification, as well as having longer-term benefits to unclog pores and prevent spots.
I'm not saying this hack absolutely doesn't work, it just didn't personally for me. That said, even if it does technically 'work' for you, should you even be doing it in the first place?
Dermatologist Dr. Munir Somji explains via TikTok that it's important to remember glycolic acid doesn't technically prevent sweat, it instead neutralises odour-causing bacteria. This in theory sounds good enough, but he notes it should not be seen as a substitute for deodorant and that you should still use yours.
And while many videos on TikTok wax lyrical about glycolic acid under the arms, there are nearly just as many explaining how it 'burned' the user's sensitive armpit skin, such as this one. You have to remember that the skin in this area is incredibly sensitive, meaning for many of us, it may cause more damage than anything to do this.
Again, that's not to say you shouldn't try it if you're curious—just go a little at a time when first testing, and don't expect miracles initially! Oh, and definitely do not try it on just-shaven armpits, or if you are undergoing laser hair removal.
Interestingly, 'skincare as bodycare' is a category in beauty that's only been growing, meaning there are other types of product like The Ordinary's that can be tried on the armpits, such as this one by The Inkey List:
@alicia.lartey ♬ original sound - Alicia❤️🔥|skincare + NPD
Take a look at these other options, some of which contain acids but are specifically designed for underarms.
Another TikTok favourite, this isn't specifically designed for the armpits but is said to help with underarm exfoliation.
This Kosas deodorant is formulated with lactic acid (which is slightly more gentle than glycolic but still an AHA) to prevent ingrown hairs and subtly exfoliate.
