The Ordinary’s $8.50 Lip Serum Is So Good, I’m Done Gatekeeping It

There’s a new serum by The Ordinary on everyone’s lips these days — literally. (And no, it’s not the Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1%, although that one is worth its weight in gold, IMHO.) Last year, the editor-beloved brand quietly debuted the PHA 5% Exfoliating Lip Serum, and if you ask me, the fact that more people aren’t talking about it is surprising. So let’s fix that!  The concept of lip exfoliators itself isn’t new, but the category has overwhelmingly flooded by physical exfoliators — aka, lip scrubs. And if I’m being honest, I’ve yet to meet one I truly can recommend in good faith — they’re often messy, overly abrasive, and don’t deliver much beyond immediate, temporary gratification. Until recently, my go-to method for keeping my lips in tip-top shape was a slightly damp, soft washcloth, gently buffed in small circular motions to lift away flakes. It worked, sure, but it wasn’t blowing my