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[Everything You’ve Ever Wanted to Know About AHA & BHA Exfoliants!]

Next to using a sunscreen every day, a well formulated AHA or BHA exfoliant is a critical skin care product for a healthy, more even-toned complexion. Yet many of our readers still wonder which is the right choice—is BHA best, or is an AHA all you need?

Exfoliation: A Daily Necessity

Left to its own devices, your skin isn’t so great at exfoliating properly. Your outermost layer of skin is composed of dead cells, shedding on a regular basis (to the tune of 30,000+ skin cells a minute,) and it's a critical function of your skin's health. As you age, the rate of skin cell renewal changes ranging from about every three weeks through our teens and 20s, and then it slows as we age with the rate varying depending on the shape of skin. These dead skin cells shed as other cells regenerate from the lower layers travel to the surface and push them off, creating new “dead” layers of skin each time. You’re leaving bits of you all over the place!

Separate from the regeneration of skin cells in the lower layers of skin, the shedding process on the surface of skin can become inefficient, causing a buildup. Sun damage, loss of estrogen, dry skin, oily skin, and disorders such as psoriasis or rosacea can all effect how “smoothly” this natural exfoliation process takes place. Skin can become rough, scaly, thickened, discolored, and look more lined. For some, this results in breakouts, blackheads or other blemishes.

Daily use of a well-formulated (meaning pH-correct) alpha hydroxy acid (AHA, like glycolic acid or lactic acid) or beta hydroxy acid (BHA, as in salicylic acid) or even a topical scrub (though far less effective due to the way scrubs abrade skin,) helps removes dead skin cells and uncovering the “younger” looking layer hiding beneath.

Choosing Between BHA and AHA

Knowing which is right for you comes down to understanding the unique skills each possess:

AHAs are often preferred for those whose only concerns are sun-damage and/or dry skin as they exfoliate the surface of skin while working to improve its moisture content. They cannot penetrate to unclog pores, which is why they often aren’t the first choice of the breakout prone;

BHA is perfect for acne-prone skin and for treating blackheads or white bumpsbecause BHA penetrates to unclog your pores. BHA also helps normalize the lining of the misshapen pore, and allows blemish-fighting antibacterial agents to better penetrate;

BHA has anti-inflammatory and antibacterial action. Those are two more reasons to use a BHA exfoliant if you have acne or sensitive, reddened skin;

BHA is preferred for those struggling with rosacea. Experiment with a BHA product to see how your rosacea responds. It is quite likely you'll see less redness and a smoother, more even skin with fewer breakouts.

Bottom Line: If your skin is sun-damaged and you're also struggling with acne or clogged pores, add a BHA exfoliant to your routine. If your only concerns are sun-damage and dryness, AHA is a good place to look. If you'd like to use both an AHA and BHA, that is an option, though unnecessary. If you want to try both, either apply them separately (such as AM or PM) or mix them together in a 1:1 ratio.

Paula’s Choice BHAs: By the Numbers

Daily use BHA formulas from Paula’s Choice come in 1% or 2% strengths, and within these have varying formulas making them better suited towards specific skin types:

Our 1% BHA formulas is a good starting point for those with mild skin concerns (the occasional breakout, few clogged pores) or conditions like rosacea or eczema;

Those with breakouts that are more frequent, stubborn discolorations or acne should consider our 2% formulas.

We designed the liquid BHAs from Paula's Choice CLEAR Anti-Acne line specifically for oily/combination, blackhead/acne prone skin. Our Skin Perfecting Collection BHAs are recommended for varying skin types depending on the formula (for example, lotion is best for dry, gel for combination and liquid for oily skin types).

Our RESIST BHA 9 is our bestselling encapsulated, time-released 9% salicylic acid spot-treatment, for anyone with super-stubborn imperfections. For our top-rated recommendations from other brands, visit the Best BHA Exfoliants section on Beautypedia!

Do BHAs or AHAs Increase Your Sensitivity to the Sun?

Do BHA or AHA exfoliants make one more susceptible to sun exposure, thus more at risk for developing sun damage? You may come across this statement in a discussion board, and it may sound quite dramatic, as if AHA and BHA users are exploding upon stepping out into the sun (like characters from True Blood). How much truth is there to the "BHA/AHA = Sun Sensitivity" precaution?

Whenever you exfoliate, whether with a scrub, AHA or BHA formula, you remove layers of dead skin. Dead skin provides you with a small degree of UV protection on its own, and so removing this technically does make you incrementally more sensitive to the sun's rays. However, this isn't an unusual amount of sun sensitivity and what this really means is that you need to use SPF every day to protect your skin—which is what we need to do anyway for overall skin health and preserving fighting the signs of aging!

Ultimately, this means as long as you aren't skipping, or skimping on the sunscreen, exfoliating with BHA or AHA does not make you dramatically more sensitive to the sun, it just means you need to ensure you are using an SPF 15+ sunscreen every day. If you're going to spend all day outside in a UV-intensive, tropical climate (on vacation, for example), consider skipping your AHA or BHA, or applying it in the PM.

Can AHA Improve Your Breakouts?

Many have asked whether AHA exfoliants treat acne, or they have personally experienced breakouts clearing while using an AHA. While BHA is the preferred exfoliant due to its ability to penetrate clogged pores, it is better to use an AHA exfoliant than not using one at all! An AHA will still exfoliate the surface of skin, reducing the dead cells and substances that would have ended up in the pore.

For some, the exfoliation of an AHA can make a difference in their breakouts, while for most prone to breakouts the pore-penetrating skills of BHA are necessary. Paula's Choice 8% AHA Gel and RESIST Weekly Resurfacing Treatment 10% AHA are customer favorites! To see our top AHA picks from other brands, checkout Beautypedia's Best Rated AHA Exfoliants.

BHA & “Purging”

For some, treating clogged pores with a BHA exfoliant doesn't seem to improve their blackheads or breakouts. Their breakouts may even worsen—which some have asked whether this is “purging” and whether it is an expected stage of using an effective BHA exfoliant. A few important considerations when deciding whether your BHA is the culprit:

Your BHA is only as effective as your worst product. There are factors that can keep BHA from improving skin, such as using products not appropriate for your skin type (heavy moisturizers,) or those containing irritating ingredients (bar soaps, alcohol,) or not following a consistent skin care routine;

You aren’t consistent with your skin-care routine. We’re tempted to skip washing our faces at night, sometimes we forget to use our BHA, or we decide to otherwise experiment with our skin-care routine. Unfortunately, you won’t know whether the routine you are using now (especially if it’s a new routine) will yield results for a few weeks (for many, 3-4 weeks is a good measure of time). If you start swapping things around in that time, you could skew these results in any number of ways; stick with it!

You’ve never used a “real” BHA. Many BHAs are poorly formulated (they are very tricky to stabilize as most have a pH that is too high) and your skin may be experiencing an effective BHA product for the first time with Paula’s Choice. Paula’s Choice BHAs work quickly, and if this is your first "real" BHA, it may result in speeding up the process of your breakout as the BHA works to clear cellular debris and excess oil from the lining of your pores. Over time, this phase will pass (for some, it may be one to two months, depending on the severity of your breakouts);

Your breakouts had already "boarded the train." Most often, breakouts experienced after using a BHA is pure coincidence. The breakouts also may coincide with hormonal fluctuations, which is true of both women and men.

Skin shouldn't get worse before it gets better, and when it comes to BHA, for the reasons explained above it may be bad timing rather than the fault of the BHA exfoliant. The best thing to do is experiment to see if your skin gets over this bump in the road—or if matters become worse, in which case you should stop using the offending product and consider alternatives.

BHA: Active Ingredient?

Some of you have asked why our Skin Perfecting BHAs and RESIST BHA 9 do not list salicylic acid as an “active ingredient” on the label. This is because the term active ingredients refer only to products regulated as drugs by the FDA, such as benzoyl peroxide, hydroquinone skin lighteners, and sunscreen formulas.

Products marketed as acne treatments fall under the category of a drug, which is why our CLEAR BHA formulas do list salicylic acid as an active. However, our Skin Perfecting exfoliants and RESIST BHA 9 are not “acne treatments” as they have many more uses, such as improving signs of aging, reducing discolorations, irritation and more.

Will BHA or AHA Harm Skin in the Long Term?

Will using a BHA or AHA exfoliant daily use up your skin cells faster, or is there a preset genetic number of times a skin cell with renew? This is sometimes referred to as the “Hayflick Limit”, and the short answer: No, BHA or AHA exfoliation will not harm skin in the long-term. Skin’s “turnover limit” is only about what happens in the deeper layer of skin where skin cells are produced.

Removing top layers of skin doesn’t cause new skin cells to be formed; the two functions are not related. Exfoliation is only concerned with the dead surface layer of skin, and nowhere near the lower layers where new skin cells produce. This is why a tattoo won't "exfoliate out" when using an AHA or BHA, the ink is inserted beneath the outer layers of your skin.

Retinol & AHA and BHA: Do They All Exfoliate?

Retinol and exfoliants work very differently to improve skin, but complement each other when paired in a complete skin-care routine. It’s a popular misconception that the way retinol works is by exfoliating skin, so we understand why this issue has become confusing. Here are the facts:

Retinol is an antioxidant and an important cell-communicating ingredient. When retinol absorbs into skin, it can actually "tell" living skin cells to make healthier, younger cells and can enhance the production of new skin cells;

Retinol does its work by stimulating cellular-turnover from the deeper layers up—notin the topmost layers. That is where AHA or BHA steps in to help skin shed the surface layers of unhealthy, dead built-up skin cells;

Retinol in both over-the-counter and prescription-only products may cause flaking and peeling for some. Don’t mistake flaking for exfoliation, whether from retinol or AHAs or BHAs.

So there you have it! For optimal anti-aging results both on the surface of skin and in its lower layers, combine your AHA or BHA exfoliant with a product that contains retinol.

AHA/BHA + Retinol = Deactivated Benefits?

The claim of BHA and AHA exfoliants “deactivating” or reducing the effectiveness of retinol is seemingly never-ending and is a misunderstanding of how skin care ingredients work together and/or affect the structure of your skin. Truly, no credible research supports this claim. For the full details, see our article, “The Truth About Using Retinol with AHA, BHA, and Vitamin C”

What About Cleansers with AHA or BHA?

Cleansers with AHA or BHA (like salicylic or glycolic acid) may talk a big game, but unfortunately, they are relatively useless as exfoliants. There are two reasons why you’re better skipping a AHA or BHA cleanser in favor of leave on formulas:

For an AHA or BHA to perform properly, it is essential that they remain in contact with skin as their method of exfoliation occurs slowly. When formulated in a facial wash, you rinse the cleanser away before any potential exfoliation can occur. PS: You reallydon’t want to get these cleansers into your eyes, ouch!

AHA and BHA exfoliants require a low pH level to function, which is why leave-on formulas must maintain a pH level around 3.0-4.1. Cleansers, however, maintain a pH level around 5.5 (close to skin’s own pH), which is far too high to maintain stability (and that’s before you even add water)!

Bottom Line: Cleansers with chemical exfoliants have two strikes against them: They are rinsed away before exfoliation can occur, and their pH is typically too high to keep salicylic acid stable.

Post-Laser Procedure: When Can You Begin Using Your AHA or BHA?

Before reintroducing your AHA or BHA back into your routine following laser therapy or peels, we urge you to follow the post-treatment instructions your doctor or nurse provided for your specific procedure (as a light peel is certainly different than a deep peel, etc.) or inquire if they didn’t give you any instructions regarding your skin-care routine. Here are our general recommendations:

AHA: We suggest waiting until skin has returned to its normal texture and color. This may mean waiting a few days or, depending on the depth of the peel or laser procedure, it may mean waiting several weeks. Both peels and laser procedures can temporarily leave skin extra-sensitive, so if in doubt it's best to wait rather than rush things. Once you begin using your AHA exfoliant again, pay attention to how your skin responds and adjust frequency of use accordingly. Discontinue use if you notice signs of irritation (such as a stinging sensation) and try again a week or so later.

BHA: We recommend using your BHA (salicylic acid) again as soon as possible, unless your skin seems extra-sensitive—then you may want to wait and apply the BHA exfoliant a few days post-procedure. Salicylic acid is an excellent anti-inflammatory ingredient that can enhance skin's natural healing process as it works to reduce post-procedure redness.

Don’t forget: Following a peel or laser treatment, you MUST protect your "new" skin every day with a product rated SPF 15 or greater. While sunscreen is important every day, it is especially critical following a peel or laser treatment. Consider a mineral sunscreen, as titanium dioxide and/or zinc oxide have soothing, sensitive-skin appropriate qualities.

For the Science Lovers: Is Salicylic Acid Really a BHA?

You may have read or heard that from a chemistry point-of-view, salicylic acid doesn't belong in the beta-hydroxy acid family—all because of small (ha) differences in salicylic acids' molecular structure. Actually, only one study has made this claim, Salicylic Acid: Not a Beta-Hydroxy Acid from 1997 (out of print) by the two physicians who arguably discovered AHAs potential as an exfoliant (way back in 1974).

Interestingly enough from review of their research in the years since, neither doctor seems keen on acknowledging salicylic acid as an exfoliant (poor salicylic acid)! Nonetheless, salicylic acid and BHA are chemically similar, so much so even in medical and scientific research, nearly 100% of the time salicylic acid is equated with BHA (unless you were responsible for discovering the exfoliant application of AHAs, then it's all crazy talk).

Other members of BHAs family aren't very interesting (and none of which function well as exfoliants). Part of the salicylic acid molecule, the "hydroxyl group" is in a placement assigned a number "2-" (also known as the “beta” position). Therefore, it's not impossible to understand how the beta-salicylic association could have been made! Salicylic acids were categorized as a “BHA” in the ‘80s and ‘90s when facial peels became all the rage. The name stuck, and it is now truly an industry term of which most consumers are familiar

We’ve always thought this “debate” was a little odd, given that all kinds of terms are adopted by the skin-care industry and not always literally accurate. For example, “serums” isn’t a scientifically accurate word for a skin-care product; it's a medical term often applied to blood plasma—far removed from the ingredients in your vitamin C serum! Then in the late 90s, the skin-care industry thought it had a nice ring to it, and coined the term “serum” as an anti-aging product and now “serum” is inseparable from the minds of consumers.

In the end, BHA vs. salicylic acid seems a somewhat pedantic, unusual point to dispute given that the scientific and medical community has long since stopped thinking about it!

Exfoliation: a Best Friend for Your Skin!

You're on your way toward brighter, smoother, more radiant skin that will look younger, not to mention freed from acne, blackheads, and bumps! It is necessary for most skin types, and as basic as a gentle cleanser, sunscreen, and the need for skin to get topically applied antioxidants and cell communicating ingredients. Our AHA and BHA Exfoliant Collectionhas options for every need; all that’s left is for you to choose the right formula for you!

Source: Paula’s Choice

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