BHA and AHA are types of ingredients added to skin care products for skin treatments. The two classes of acids help to eliminate dirt and dead skin through a process called exfoliating. In terms of relevance or use, one category of acid does not function better than the other because they are incredibly potent in dealing with exfoliating concerns on the skin. Therefore, base on the fact of equal potency, one can draw the conclusion that they both provide shared usefulness. In this article, you will learn the difference in both categories of acids, their shared functions, and their differences.
Shared functions
The two types of acid can:
- Reduce inflammation that primarily causes rosacea, acne, and other skin problems
- Bring down the look of large pores appearance and wrinkles
- Boost total skin feel
- eliminate dead cells
- Smooth the skin tone
- unblock skin pore to avert acne
The difference between BHAs and AHAs
The first obvious difference is in their names. AHA stands for alpha hydroxy acid, while BHA stands for beta hydroxy acid. That settled, now for more significant differences.
One is soluble in water while the other isn’t. Alpha hydroxy acids are water-based ingredients produced from sugary plants or fruits. The acid assists in shedding off the skin surface so that more baby soft and smooth skin will show up.
Whereas BHAs are oil-based, hence easily blend with oil. Unlike AHAs, they penetrate the skin deeper to the pore to take away excess oil or sebum and damaged skin cells.
Which acid is best for you?
You are in a better position to pick the type of acid for your skin. To help you make the best decision, below are more info about each category of acids.
Main uses of AHAs
Primarily, AHAs are utilized for gentle hyperpigmentation works such as melasma, age spots, scars, big pores, wrinkles, rough skin tone, and fines lines. Even though the product label declares AHAs as harmless for people with various skin types, be careful how you apply it, always conduct a patch skin test before you use it, specifically if your skin type is sensitive and dry.
BHAs on the other hand are mainly utilized for sun-damaged skin and acne. The product under BHAs penetrates deeper through the hair follicle to unblock the pores, remove too many oils and damaged skin cells. Because of these benefits of BHAs, they are best for oily or combination skin types. A reduced concentration could be applied to smooth the skin.
If your objective is to fight acne, go for BHAs, but if you need anti-aging and skin relief benefits, choose AHAs.
All AHAs provide ideal exfoliation function, yet the uses and effects can vary slightly between the acids you select. The maximum composition for aha is ten to fifteen percent.
Types of AHAs include glycolic, tartaric, malic, lactic, citric, and mandelic acid.
Using BHAs
They are created for the day-to-day application, however, use it less than three times weekly initially, and gradually build up to daily use. The acid does not cause sun reaction like AHAs but is always put on UV protection daily, as this will avert further sunlight damages.
Salicylic acid is a type of BHA. It has a concentration level of 0.5% – 5%, base on the type of products. Generally, it is a trusted ingredient for fighting acne, and it can also soothe inflammation and redness.
Treat your skin to the best care with AHAs and BHAs.
