Here's our complete breakdown comparing the ingredients, attributes, and more of The Ordinary Glycolic Acid 7% Toning Solution versus e.l.f. cosmetics Keep Your Balance Toner .
Last updated on July 18, 2023. Published on September 15, 2021
Overview
What they are
These products are both cruelty-free and reef safe toners. They have a total of 13 ingredients in common
Suited For
They're both likely to be good for dry skin, brightening skin and better texture
Free From
They both do not contain any common allergens, parabens, silicones or sulfates
We independently verify ingredients, and our claims are backed by peer-reviewed research. Spot a product that need an update? Let us know.
Toner
Toners are used as a “last-step” cleanser, a pH balancer, add moisture to the skin, or may help in reducing impurities on the skin. They have a liquid consistency and are usually used after cleansers but before treatments.
Toner
Toners are used as a “last-step” cleanser, a pH balancer, add moisture to the skin, or may help in reducing impurities on the skin. They have a liquid consistency and are usually used after cleansers but before treatments.
Ingredient Info
The Ordinary Glycolic Acid 7% Toning Solution 42 ingredients
e.l.f. cosmetics Keep Your Balance Toner 27 ingredients
Alcohol Free
This product is free of harsh alcohols 🎉
Silicon Free
This product is free of silicons 🎉
Fragrance Free
This product is free of fragrances 🎉
Sulfate Free
This product is free of sulfates 🎉
Paraben Free
This product is free of parabens 🎉
Oil Free
This product is free of oils 🎉
Not Malassezia Safe
Ingredients in this product that are not malassezia safe:
Reef Safe
This product is free of ingredients that damage reefs 🎉
EU Allergen Free
This product is free of EU allergens 🎉
Vegan
This product is vegan 🎉
Cruelty Free
This product is cruelty-free 🎉
Contains Alcohol
Ingredients in this product that are types of alcohol:
Silicon Free
This product is free of silicons 🎉
Contains Fragrance
Ingredients in this product that are forms of fragrance:
Sulfate Free
This product is free of sulfates 🎉
Paraben Free
This product is free of parabens 🎉
Contains Oils
Ingredients in this product that are types of oil:
Not Malassezia Safe
Ingredients in this product that are not malassezia safe:
Reef Safe
This product is free of ingredients that damage reefs 🎉
EU Allergen Free
This product is free of EU allergens 🎉
Non Vegan
This product is not vegan 😥
Cruelty Free
This product is cruelty-free 🎉
At a glance
Click on any of the items below to learn more
The Ordinary Glycolic Acid 7% Toning Solution 42 ingredients
e.l.f. cosmetics Keep Your Balance Toner 27 ingredients
Notable Ingredients
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Benefits
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This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
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Concerns
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
This product contains 3 ingredients that may have this attribute:
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
Benefits
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
This product contains 1 ingredient that may have this attribute:
Concerns
This product contains 2 ingredients that may have this attribute:
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This product contains 5 ingredients that may have this attribute:
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Join SkinSortIngredients Compared
Ingredients that are highlighted in purple are present in both products.
The Ordinary Glycolic Acid 7% Toning Solution 42 ingredients
e.l.f. cosmetics Keep Your Balance Toner 27 ingredients
Water • Glycolic Acid • Rosa Damascena Flower Water • Centaurea Cyanus Flower Water • Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Water • Propanediol • Glycerin • Triethanolamine • Aminomethyl Propanol • Panax Ginseng Root Extract • Tasmannia Lanceolata Fruit/Leaf Extract • Aspartic Acid • Alanine • Glycine • Serine • Valine • Isoleucine • Proline • Threonine • Histidine • Phenylalanine • Glutamic Acid • Arginine • PCA • Sodium PCA • Sodium Lactate • Fructose • Glucose • Sucrose • Urea • Hexyl Nicotinate • Dextrin • Citric Acid • Polysorbate 20 • Gellan Gum • Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate • Sodium Chloride • Hexylene Glycol • Potassium Sorbate • Sodium Benzoate • 1,2-Hexanediol • Caprylyl Glycol
Water • Alcohol • Butylene Glycol • Glycerin • Propylene Glycol • Hamamelis Virginiana Water • Sodium Hyaluronate • Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract • Hexylene Glycol • Fructose • Glucose • Sucrose • Glutamic Acid • Aspartic Acid • Hexyl Nicotinate • Alanine • Dextrin • Urea • Coceth-6 • Ppg-1-Peg-9 Lauryl Glycol Ether • Peg-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil • Sodium Citrate • Disodium EDTA • Benzoic Acid • Ethylhexylglycerin • Caprylyl Glycol • Parfum
Ingredients Side-by-side
Ingredients that are highlighted in purple are present in both products.
Learn more about what what Com. / Irr. ratings are
Ingredients Explained
These ingredients are found in both products.
Ingredients higher up in an ingredient list are typically present in a larger amount.
Water. It's the most common cosmetic ingredient of all. You'll usually see it at the top of ingredient lists, meaning that it makes up the largest part of the product.
So why is it so popular? Water most often acts as a solvent - this means that it helps dissolve other ingredients into the formulation.
You'll also recognize water as that liquid we all need to stay alive. Talk about multi-purpose! If you see this, drink a glass of water. Stay hydrated!
Learn more about WaterThe Ordinary Glycolic Acid 7% Toning Solution contains this as ingredient number 1.
e.l.f. cosmetics Keep Your Balance Toner contains this as ingredient number 1.
Glycerin is already naturally found in your skin. It helps moisturize and protect your skin.
A study from 2016 found glycerin to be more effective as a humectant than AHAs and hyaluronic acid.
As a humectant, it helps the skin stay hydrated by pulling moisture to your skin. The low molecular weight of glycerin allows it to pull moisture into the deeper layers of your skin.
Hydrated skin improves your skin barrier; Your skin barrier helps protect against irritants and bacteria.
Glycerin has also been found to have antimicrobial and antiviral properties. Due to these properties, glycerin is often used in wound and burn treatments.
In cosmetics, glycerin is usually derived from plants such as soybean or palm. However, it can also be sourced from animals, such as tallow or animal fat.
This ingredient is organic, colorless, odorless, and non-toxic.
Glycerin is the name for this ingredient in American English. British English uses Glycerol/Glycerine.
Learn more about GlycerinThe Ordinary Glycolic Acid 7% Toning Solution contains this as ingredient number 7.
e.l.f. cosmetics Keep Your Balance Toner contains this as ingredient number 4.
Aspartic Acid is an amino acid that our bodies produce naturally. It is an antioxidant.
Our body uses Aspartic Acid to help build collagen and elastin. It also plays a role in hydrating skin.
Antioxidants help mitigate damage from free-radical molecules. These are molecules that originate from external sources such as pollution, cigarette smoke, or the sun.
Learn more about Aspartic AcidThe Ordinary Glycolic Acid 7% Toning Solution contains this as ingredient number 12.
e.l.f. cosmetics Keep Your Balance Toner contains this as ingredient number 14.
Alanine is an amino acid and is already found in the human body.
Alanine has antioxidant properties and can help with anti-aging.
Alanine is used by fibrous proteins such as collagen, elastin, and keratin. These three help make a strong skin barrier. Having a healthy skin barrier leads to more plump and youthful skin.
Learn more about AlanineThe Ordinary Glycolic Acid 7% Toning Solution contains this as ingredient number 13.
e.l.f. cosmetics Keep Your Balance Toner contains this as ingredient number 16.
Glutamic Acid is an amino acid that is found in all living organisms. Our bodies use this to help nerve cells in the brain communicate with other cells.
In cosmetics, glutamic acid is a famous humectant. It draws water from the air to your skin, keeping your skin hydrated (like hyaluronic acid).
An in-vitro study from 2024 found glutamic acid to play a role in inhibiting inflammation and thus a potential skin-soothing ingredient.
Other studies show it to be have potential wound healing, skin barrier repair, and hair growth properties.
Glutamic acid has poor solubility in water and other solvents.
Learn more about Glutamic AcidThe Ordinary Glycolic Acid 7% Toning Solution contains this as ingredient number 22.
e.l.f. cosmetics Keep Your Balance Toner contains this as ingredient number 13.
Fructose is fruit/plant sugar. It can be found in apples, figs, and honey.
This ingredient is a humectant. Humectants help draw moisture from the air to your skin, keeping your skin hydrated.
The Ordinary Glycolic Acid 7% Toning Solution contains this as ingredient number 27.
e.l.f. cosmetics Keep Your Balance Toner contains this as ingredient number 10.
Glucose is a simple sugar and is the most important source of energy in all organisms. In skincare, glucose is used to hydrate the skin. It also acts as a prebiotic for our natural biome.
As a humectant, glucose draws moisture from the air and from deeper levels in the skin. This helps hydrate skin.
Our skin's natural microbiome contains many saccharides that act as prebiotics. These prebiotics help strengthen our skin's microbiome. Having a healthy microbiome helps protect our skin from harmful bacteria and other contaminants.
Studies show glucose may help with fading discoloration and pigmentation. This is because our skin metabolizes glucose into lactic acid. Lactic acid is an AHA that helps exfoliate the top layer of skin.
Plants and algae make glucose during the process of photosynthesis. It is then used to make cellulose, the building blocks of cell walls.
Learn more about GlucoseThe Ordinary Glycolic Acid 7% Toning Solution contains this as ingredient number 28.
e.l.f. cosmetics Keep Your Balance Toner contains this as ingredient number 11.
Sucrose is a natural sugar found in fruits, vegetables, and nuts. It is the main constituent of white sugar.
In skincare, sucrose is a humectant and can be a mild exfoliant.
Sucrose is hydrophilic, meaning it attracts water. This makes it an effective humectant and helps hydrate the skin.
Studies show sugars may worsen acne-prone skin due to it disrupting the skin's natural biome. We recommend speaking with a professional if you have any concerns.
In some products such as body scrubs, sucrose is used as an gentle exfoliant.
The term 'sucrose' comes from the french word for sugar, 'sucre'.
Learn more about SucroseThe Ordinary Glycolic Acid 7% Toning Solution contains this as ingredient number 29.
e.l.f. cosmetics Keep Your Balance Toner contains this as ingredient number 12.
Urea is also called carbamide and is the diamide of carbonic acid. In cosmetics, urea is used to hydrate the skin. It also provides exfoliation in higher concentrations.
As a humectant, urea helps draw moisture from the air and from deep within the skin. This helps hydrate your skin. Studies show urea is an effective moisturizer for dry skin conditions. 40% urea is typical in medications for treating eczema and other skin conditions.
Urea has the strongest exfoliation effect in concentrations higher than 10%. It is a keratolytic agent, meaning it breaks down the keratin protein in the top layer of skin. This helps remove dead skin cells and flaking skin.
In medicine, urea has been shown to help increase the potency of other ingredients, such as fungal treatments.
Humans and animals use urea to metabolize nitrogen-containing compounds. Urea is highly soluble in water. Once dissolved, it is neither acidic nor alkaline.
Learn more about UreaThe Ordinary Glycolic Acid 7% Toning Solution contains this as ingredient number 30.
e.l.f. cosmetics Keep Your Balance Toner contains this as ingredient number 18.
We don't have a description for Hexyl Nicotinate.
The Ordinary Glycolic Acid 7% Toning Solution contains this as ingredient number 31.
e.l.f. cosmetics Keep Your Balance Toner contains this as ingredient number 15.
Dextrin is used to thicken a product and helps bind ingredients together. It is created from starch and glycogen.
As an emulsifier, dextrin prevents ingredients from separating. This helps elongate a product's shelf life.
Studies show coating UV filters with dextrin prevents these ingredients from being absorbed. This helps UV ingredients last longer on the skin.
Learn more about DextrinThe Ordinary Glycolic Acid 7% Toning Solution contains this as ingredient number 32.
e.l.f. cosmetics Keep Your Balance Toner contains this as ingredient number 17.
Hexylene Glycol is a surfactant. Glycols are a class of alcohols. Hexylene Glycol is a surfactant and emulsifier.
As a surfactant, Hexylene Glycol helps gather dirt and oil on your skin to be washed away.
As an emulsifier, Hexylene Glycol helps keep water and oil together. This prevents them from separating in a product. Hexylene Glycol also thins out the texture of a product by lessening viscosity.
Hexylene Glycol has a small molecular weight.
Learn more about Hexylene GlycolThe Ordinary Glycolic Acid 7% Toning Solution contains this as ingredient number 38.
e.l.f. cosmetics Keep Your Balance Toner contains this as ingredient number 9.
Caprylyl Glycol is a humectant and emollient, meaning it attracts and preserves moisture.
It is a common ingredient in many products, especially those designed to hydrate skin. The primary benefits are retaining moisture, skin softening, and promoting a healthy skin barrier.
Though Caprylyl Glycol is an alcohol derived from fatty acids, it is not the kind that can dry out skin.
This ingredient is also used as a preservative to extend the life of products. It has slight antimicrobial properties.
Learn more about Caprylyl GlycolThe Ordinary Glycolic Acid 7% Toning Solution contains this as ingredient number 42.
e.l.f. cosmetics Keep Your Balance Toner contains this as ingredient number 26.
Here's what our community thinks of the ingredients in these two products.
The Ordinary Glycolic Acid 7% Toning Solution 42 ingredients
e.l.f. cosmetics Keep Your Balance Toner 27 ingredients
Usage
Here's some more info on how this product is used by our community.
When to use
The Ordinary Glycolic Acid 7% Toning Solution 42 ingredients
e.l.f. cosmetics Keep Your Balance Toner 27 ingredients
Reviews
Here's what our community thinks
The Ordinary Glycolic Acid 7% Toning Solution 42 ingredients
CustardBunny
Ive used this for a whileee now.
First on my face, way too harsh so i did body only. I got lots of acne and heard nothing but "an all cure for...
Ive used this for a whileee now.
First on my face, way too harsh so i did body only. I got lots of acne and heard nothing but "an all cure for everything skinwise" lol.
Well it HURTS like a bitch. God it stings.
Absolutely no difference, if anything worse skin issues. Around the buttocks area.
Best thing that couldve happened to me? African Black Soap.
tiffchikin
Didn't do anything for me
I wanted to like this product so much but after finishing one and a half bottle I still didn't see a difference on my...
Didn't do anything for me
I wanted to like this product so much but after finishing one and a half bottle I still didn't see a difference on my face. Stings a little bit so I only used it 2-3 times a week.
e.l.f. cosmetics Keep Your Balance Toner 27 ingredients
Alternatives
Our Dupe Finder has found 31 potential alternatives that have similar ingredients to The Ordinary Glycolic Acid 7% Toning Solution.
See 31 alternativesOur Dupe Finder has found 30 potential alternatives that have similar ingredients to e.l.f. cosmetics Keep Your Balance Toner.
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