AHA and BHA: Combine for better skincare
Do you also want to get baby-soft skin by exfoliating and achieving a deep glow? Ask any professional skin therapist, your new best friend will be chemical peels with AHA and BHA. It may sound intimidating with the words "chemical" and "peel" in the same sentence, but chemical exfoliants are among the best things you can add to your skincare routine. Their effect is proven to provide a serious glow, baby-soft skin, and clearer skin with smaller pores.
Skin therapists have recommended AHA and BHA for decades, and today it is an increasingly common ingredient in at-home skincare products simply because of its fantastic results. Before we get more into how to use it, it's good to take a look at what it actually is!
What is AHA?
AHA stands for "Alpha Hydroxy Acids" which consists of several different acids. For at-home skincare products, these are usually found in natural forms like mandelic acid, lactic acid, or Glycolic Acid. Lactic acid is also antibacterial and therefore great against visible pores, acne, and pigmentation spots caused by the sun.
How does AHA work?
AHA acids are used to even out your skin tone and texture while eliminating old skin cells. The acids work by dissolving lipids in the skin that hold the cells together to penetrate deep down and loosen bonds of dirt. This improves the skin's ability to stimulate and retain moisture and provides an improved structure, reduced visibility of lines, wrinkles, and pores, and improves smoothness and radiance. An example of an effective product containing AHA is AHA Antioxidant Serum from Cicamed.
Another benefit of the acids is that they speed up cell renewal by clearing away pigment that has built up on the surface. This process makes the skin's barrier against irritants stronger by making the cells denser and more compact. However, AHA is not something that removes wrinkles or spots entirely, as they sometimes lie deeper in the skin than the products can reach.
What is BHA and how does it work?
BHA stands for "Beta Hydroxy Acids" and is actually another name for Salicylic Acid. The acid penetrates deep into the pores and dissolves fats, removes impurities, clears clogged pores, and suppresses sebum production. Therefore, it is especially great for impure skin. It also has an anti-inflammatory effect, so it even suits those with blemish-prone skin or rosacea since it is relatively mild.
What is the difference between AHA and BHA?
The main difference between the two types is that AHA is water-soluble while BHA is fat-soluble. This makes the combination of these two excellent for cleansing the skin from dirt and oil while removing dead skin cells and contributing to cell renewal. If you have very oily skin, BHA is preferable, whereas if you are more looking for cell renewal and evening out the skin tone, AHA is better. Ideally, however, a combination of these two in your skincare routine is best.
How you should use AHA and BHA
Here you will find a simple list of the main benefits of the two acids so you can choose the right one. We recommend a combination of the two, for example in a cleanser with AHA/BHA.
Benefits of AHA
- Reduces pigmentation, sun damage, and uneven skin tone
- Reduces lines, wrinkles, unevenness, and scars
- Provides radiance and binds moisture
- Exfoliates the skin and increases cell renewal
Benefits of BHA
- Dissolves fat in the pores
- Anti-inflammatory properties
- Reduces redness
- Exfoliates the skin and increases cell renewal
- Effective in treating acne and blackheads
Cleansing with AHA and BHA
Something you can do t