AHA and BHA acids: exfoliate with care and with skin tolerance

AHA and BHA acids are often chosen when skin feels rough, dull, or a little congested. AHA ingredients such as glycolic acid and lactic acid focus more on surface smoothing, while BHA, usually salicylic acid, is more often linked with oilier and more pore-prone skin.

These ingredients are useful, but they are still exfoliants. That means the main question is not how strong the bottle sounds. It is how much your skin can comfortably handle. A sensitive or dry routine can become irritated quickly if the acid is used too often or combined with several other active products.

For most people, one acid product is enough. It is usually better to keep the rest of the evening routine calm and give the skin time to show whether the product is actually helping. If redness, stinging, or flaking builds up, the routine is asking too much.

Because exfoliating acids can make skin more reactive to sunlight, sunscreen remains part of the routine. That is especially important when the product is used regularly rather than only once in a while.