AHA or BHA? The $64,000 Question

     The title is exaggerating. It's actually not that difficult of a question to answer. What is your skincare issue? Clogged pores and breakouts? Tough uneven skin? Enlarged pores? Use a BHA. There's only one BHA: Salicylic acid. A normal strength would be 2%. If your skin is sensitive to BHAs, use a 1%. If your skin is less sensitive and it tolerates acids well, try going up to a 4 or 5% several times a week. The more severe your skin problems are, the more often you need to use your BHA. If that means using a weaker strength so you can apply morning and evening, do that. You need to be applying it to your face regularly for you to see a change in your skin. I use a 2% gel in the morning and rotate between a 4% and a 9% in the evening. I always purchase my BHAs from Paula's Choice. I prefer the gel formulation when given an option.

     Having problems with dry skin? Signs of premature (or mature?) aging? Dealing with Rosacea or Psoriasis? Dark spots, scars, or hyperpigmentation? AHAs are going to be your product. Y'all are lucky because there are multiple AHAs available, the most common ones being Glycolic acid, Lactic acid, Malic acid, Citric acid, and Tartaric acid. The most studied AHAs are Glycolic and Lactic. You should probably start with one of those. Skincare experts used to say that Glycolic acid was a better choice because it has a higher bioavailability, due to its smaller molecular size, and therefor could penetrate the skin more efficiently. The flipside is that Glycolic acid is more irritating since it penetrates so quickly. Lactic acid is a larger molecule that penetrates slower. This means less irritation. Lactic acid also some added benefits of increasing skin hydration. Lactic acid products are harder to find, and usually more expensive, but it's worth trying to find one if you are struggling with a skin issue and have very sensitive skin. Concentrations of AHAs are going to be somewhere in the 4-10% range. As before, use as high a concentration as you can use without causing dryness or peeling. I definitely "feel" an AHA more than BHA on my skin. There is a tingling and mild burning, even at normal concentrations. The feeling goes away after a few minutes, and it is never painful, but I thought I should warn you.

     The good news is that it won't hurt you to use the wrong one. And if your skin type leads you to a BHA, it's a good idea to throw an AHA on a few times a week. I use a BHA twice a day and I've currently added in a Lactic acid AHA twice a day as well. YOUR SKIN MAY VARY!!!!! Just because my skin handles that much exfoliation does NOT mean that your skin will. And I had to work up to this level. Use as much as your skin can handle and no more. If you are still having the original skin issues (and no irritation from the acid) after a few months of acid treatment, slowly start increasing your concentration. But ONLY if you are still having problems.

     As per my earlier blog post, the most important thing to consider when using an acid is pH! Make sure your acids are well below 7, usually in the 3-4 range. Look online for websites that give you pHs of various products. Acid product reviews on Beautypedia usually list the pH. If it doesn't have an acidic pH, your acid is no longer an acid and you're wasting time and money.