Are They Dupes? The Ordinary Glycolic Acid 7% Toning Solution VS The Inkey List Glycolic Acid Toner

Last Updated on December 11, 2025 by Giorgia Guazzarotti

Is The Inkey List Glycolic Acid Toner a dupe for The Ordinary Glycolic Acid 7% Toning Solution? It sure looks like it. Like The Ordinary, The Inkey List aims to give us actives that work at the cheapest possible price. Heck, the brand even took inspiration from The Ordinary’s black and white packaging! But are they as good as the original? When it comes to their Glycolic Acid Toner at least, The Inkey List has fallen off the mark. Here’s which glycolic acid toner you should really get:

What Do The Ordinary Glycolic Acid 7% Toning Solution And The Inkey List Glycolic Acid Toner Have In Common?

GLYCOLIC ACID TO EXFOLIATE SKIN

Derived from sugar cane, Glycolic acid is the most famous member of the Alpha Hydroxy Acid family, a group of exfoliating acids. It has several superpowers:

• It exfoliates skin: It dissolves the glue that holds skin cells together so they can slough off
• It boosts collagen: It firms skin and helps treats sun damage (only at 10%+ concentrations)
• It hydrates skin: It draws water into it from the environment

Sounds too good to be true? Well, there’s a catch… Or two:

1. Irritation: Everything that removes dead skin cells can irritate skin. The lower the dose of GA, the lower the chance of irritation (and its effectiveness).
2. pH: A high pH neutralises GA, making it useless.

Both The Ordinary Glycolic Acid 7% Toning Solution and The Inkey List Glycolic Acid Toner have a pH of 3.6 – the sweet spot that makes this acid exfoliate at its best. The Inkey List Glycolic Acid Toner does the job a little better. It has a slightly higher concentration of glycolic acid (10% vs 7%) that makes it a little more powerful… and irritating.

Related: The Complete Guide To Glycolic Acid: What It Is, What It Does & How To Use It

If you’re feeling completely intimidated and overwhelmed by The Ordinary skincare I recommend taking Extraordinary Skin With The Ordinary. A The Ordinary speed training created by my scientist friend Cheryl Woodman. Cheryl’s helped hundreds of ladies see real-life results, first hand. Click here to find out more about the course and see their reviews. (affiliate link)

What Else Is In The Ordinary Glycolic Acid 7% Toning Solution & The Inkey List Glycolic Acid Toner?

THE INKEY LIST GLYCOLIC ACID TONER

• Water: It’s just water. The base. Everything else dissolves in it.
• Propanediol: Hydrating ingredient that also helps dissolve stuff and makes everything feel less sticky on your face.
• Witch Hazel Water: Soothes your skin and has that tightening astringent thing going on. BUT it can be irritating for sensitive skin.
• Sodium Hydroxide: This adjusts the pH so the glycolic acid actually works instead of just sitting there doing nothing or burning your face off.
• Butylene Glycol: Pulls water into your skin and helps other ingredients sink in deeper. Also makes the texture smooth and nice.
• Phenoxyethanol: Preservative. Stops bacteria and mold from growing in your toner.
• Alcohol: Helps ingredients penetrate and acts as a solvent.
• PPG-26-Buteth-26: Helps mix ingredients that don’t naturally want to mix, like oil stuff in a watery toner.
• Betaine: Hydrates and protects your skin barrier. Basically trying to balance out the fact that you’re putting acid on your face that’s stripping away dead skin.
• PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil: Same deal as that PPG thing, helps dissolve and mix everything so the formula doesn’t separate or feel weird.
• Boerhavia Diffusa Root Extract: Plant extract that calms inflammation and has antioxidants. Trying to soothe any irritation the glycolic acid might cause because acids can be harsh.
• Ethylhexylglycerin: Preservative helper and also makes the formula feel nicer on your skin.
• Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate: Grabs onto metal particles in the water and other ingredients so the formula doesn’t oxidize or go bad. Keeps the formula stable.

THE ORDINARY GLYCOLIC ACID 7% TONING SOLUTION

• Water: The base that everything else dissolves into. Not exciting but you need it.
• Rosa Damascena Flower Water: Rose water, which smells nice and has some soothing properties.
• Centaurea Cyanus Flower Water: Cornflower water, another botanical extract that’s soothing and anti-inflammatory.
• Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Water: Aloe water, which everyone knows is soothing and hydrating. It’s there to try and balance out the potentially irritating effects of having acid on your face, plus it feels nice.
• Propanediol: A humectant that pulls moisture into your skin and also acts as a solvent to help dissolve other ingredients. Makes the texture feel smooth and less sticky, which is always a plus when you’re layering products.
• Glycerin: One of the most effective humectants out there, pulls water into your skin from the air and from deeper layers of your skin.
• Triethanolamine: A pH adjuster that also helps emulsify ingredients. Makes sure the glycolic acid is at the right pH to actually work without being too harsh or too weak to do anything.
• Aminomethyl Propanol: Another pH adjuster doing basically the same job as the triethanolamine.
• Panax Ginseng Root Extract: Ginseng extract that has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory benefits.
• Tasmannia Lanceolata Fruit/Leaf Extract: Tasmanian pepper extract that’s really good at calming irritation and sensitivity.
• Aspartic Acid: An amino acid that helps with hydration.
• Alanine: Another amino acid that’s part of your skin’s Natural Moisturising Factor (NMF). Helps with moisture retention and keeping your skin barrier functioning properly so it doesn’t get all compromised from the acid.
• Glycine: Amino acid that helps with collagen production and skin repair.
• Serine: Another NMF amino acid that hydrates and helps your skin produce ceramides and other lipids that keep your barrier strong.
• Valine: Amino acid that helps with skin repair and hydration.
• Isoleucine: Yet another amino acid doing the same moisture and barrier support thing.
• Proline: Amino acid that’s important for collagen production.
• Threonine: Amino acid that supports your skin barrier and helps with moisture retention.
• Histidine: Amino acid with antioxidant properties that protects your skin from UV damage and helps with barrier function.
• Phenylalanine: Amino acid that helps with collagen production and skin repair.
• Glutamic Acid: Has some skin-conditioning properties that make everything feel nicer.
• Arginine: Amino acid that helps with wound healing and hydration.
• PCA: Pyrrolidone carboxylic acid, a component of your skin’s natural moisturizing factor. Pulls water into your skin and helps keep it there.
• Sodium PCA: The sodium salt version of PCA that does the same hydrating thing but is more stable in formulations. Super effective humectant that’s naturally found in your skin.
• Sodium Lactate: Part of your skin’s NMF and also a mild AHA that adds a tiny bit of extra exfoliation. Mostly though it’s there for hydration and to help maintain your skin’s pH.
• Fructose: A sugar that acts as a humectant and is part of your skin’s NMF. Helps with moisture retention and makes your skin feel softer and more hydrated.
• Glucose: Another sugar doing the same humectant thing.
• Sucrose: Table sugar basically, acts as a humectant and helps with moisture retention.
• Urea: A really effective humectant that’s also a gentle exfoliant at higher concentrations.
• Hexyl Nicotinate: A derivative of niacin that increases blood flow to the skin, which can help with absorption of other ingredients and give you a slight flush. Makes your skin tingle a bit.
• Dextrin: A carbohydrate that acts as a texture enhancer and film former.
• Citric Acid: Another AHA that helps with pH adjustment.
• Polysorbate 20: An emulsifier that helps mix oil-soluble and water-soluble ingredients together.
• Gellan Gum: A thickener that gives the formula body and makes it feel more luxurious instead of just watery.
• Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate: Chelating agent that binds to metal ions in the formula to keep it stable and prevent oxidation.
• Sodium Chloride: Salt, which is here as a viscosity adjuster. Helps get the texture exactly where they want it, not too thick or too thin.
• Hexylene Glycol: A solvent and texture enhancer that also has some preservative-boosting properties.
• Potassium Sorbate: Preservative that prevents mold and yeast from growing in your toner.
• Sodium Benzoate: Another preservative doing the same job.
• 1,2-Hexanediol: A solvent and preservative booster that also has some moisturizing properties.
• Caprylyl Glycol: Humectant and preservative booster that makes the formula feel nice on your skin. Also helps other preservatives work better so they can use less of them overall.

WHICH FORMULA IS BETTER?

Both The Ordinary Glycolic Acid 7% Toning Solution and The Inkey List Glycolic Acid Toner have simple formulas that let the acid do the bulk of the work. But The Ordinary has plenty of amino acids for extra hydration and more soothing ingredients to counteract the drying effects of exfoliation. As for The Inkey List, it only has glycolic acid and little else.

And that little else is alcohol and witch hazel. Or should I say, alcohol and alcohol. Witch hazel is so problematic because it’s often distilled in alcohol… All this alcohol is here to help glycolic acid better penetrate skin so it works at its best. But is alcohol bad? Not if you moisturise well afterwards. Skip this step, and it can dry out and irritate your skin. Alcohol isn’t as bad as it’s made out to be. I’m just disappointed that The Inkey List hasn’t added anything to their toner to counteract its drying effect.

Related: The Truth About Alcohol-Free Skincare Products

What’s The Texture Like?

The Ordinary Glycolic Acid 7% Toning Solution is basically water. So when you’re pouring it onto a cotton pad you gotta be careful or it’ll just run everywhere. Sometimes it looks a bit bubbly or foamy in the bottle which is kinda weird but whatever, that’s just how it is. Goes on your face and sinks in immediately, doesn’t leave your skin feeling sticky or gross afterwards.

The Inkey List Glycolic Acid Toner is super watery and thin too. Pours out fast so don’t go crazy with it or you’ll waste half the bottle. Absorbs quick, no weird residue. This one tingles more because it’s got more glycolic acid in it – 10% instead of 7% – so it hits harder.

What’s The Packaging Like?

The Ordinary Glycolic Acid 7% Toning Solution comes in a clear bottle, super basic. t’s got this pointed nozzle thing at the top that makes it way easier to control how much you’re squeezing out, which is actually pretty smart. You can see through the bottle so you know when you’re running low. Comes in two sizes, the small one and a bigger one if you’re really committed. The whole aesthetic is like “we don’t care about looking pretty, we just want the formula to work.”

The Inkey List Glycolic Acid Toner comes in a black and white bottle, totally ripping off The Ordinary’s whole minimalist thing but whatever. You can’t see through it so you have no idea how much is left until you pick it up and realize it’s almost empty. Just has a regular opening at the top, not a nozzle, so it’s really easy to pour out way too much by accident. Only comes in one size. The packaging’s fine, nothing special, just very no-frills and functional.

How To Use Them

Use both of these at night, not in the morning, because glycolic acid makes your skin way more sensitive to the sun and you don’t want to deal with that during the day. If you’ve never used acids before, start with like 2 or 3 times a week and see how your skin handles it before you go using it every single night. After you wash your face, put some on a cotton pad and wipe it all over your face and neck, just stay away from your eyes because getting acid in your eyes is not fun. Let it sit there and dry, don’t rinse it off.

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Which Of The Two Should You Go For?

Sorry, The Inkey List! The Ordinary Glycolic Acid 7% Toning Solution wins hands down here. It may be a little less powerful with its 7% glycolic acid compared to The Inkey List’s 10%, but it has all those extras thrown in, which help soothe your skin and keep it hydrated while the glycolic acid is doing its thing. The Inkey List is basically just glycolic acid and witch hazel, which is fine if that’s all you need, but it doesn’t have much going on to counteract the potential irritation or dryness that can come with using a strong acid like this. Remember: when it comes to exfoliation, gentler is better than powerful.

Related: How To Choose The Right Exfoliant For Your Skin Type

Availability

The Inkey List Glycolic Acid Toner ($15.00): Available at Asos, Cult Beauty, Look Fantastic, Sephora, SpaceNK, and Ulta

The Ordinary Glycolic Acid 7% Toning Solution ($13.00): Available at Beauty Bay, Cult Beauty, The Ordinary, and Ulta

Is The Inkey List Glycolic Acid Toner A Dupe For The Ordinary Glycolic Acid 7% Toning Solution?

I wouldn’t call them dupes. It may be hard to believe, but The Inkey List Glycolic Acid Toner is an even more basic version of The Ordinary Glycolic Acid 7% Toning Solution. Unfortunately, it’s more irritating, too.