AHA BHA PHA on Skincare - Everything You Need to Know

The Asian Glow, the Glass Skin, Honey Skin, we’ve been obsessing about skincare fads for far too long that it’s been part of our daily lives. We follow our skincare routines like Religion especially nowadays when we have nothing else to do. We come across all of the holy grails our favorite K-idols usually go for and when we see the prices of them we instantly drop our jaws making us think that perfection is totally unattainable.

With all of the products we see in the market, we can find some products good enough if not better than those high-end ones we want. We’re breaking down the Juicy ingredients you need in your skincare products.

From the A to B to P - HA!

What is AHA?

Alpha Hydroxy Acids, or more known as AHA, are a group of acids that are found usually in milk, fruits, plants, sugarcane, and etc. The level of exfoliation AHA provides varies differently where glycolic acid is mostly concentrated. This means that AHA helps to effectively stimulate the cell regeneration process of your skin. This could mean a lot if your main skincare goal is to either look younger or stay younger looking.

The exfoliating effect of AHA helps to smooth out fine lines, wrinkles, and also target pigmentation deep within the skin. Dealing with dry skin? Choose a lactic acid as it will help to lock moisture into your skin. Mandelic acid is also a part of this Hydroxy Group, and its anti-inflammatory properties make it great for anyone dealing with sensitive skin. 

What is BHA?

Beta Hydroxy Acids or BHA is a group of acids commonly known as salicylic acid. This acid is naturally occurring in white willow trees. BHA contains anti-inflammatory properties that help soothe redness and also soluble in fat which makes it great for oily skin with blocked pores, or acne-prone skin.

Salicylic acid works deep into the pores to bring dirt into the surface, remove blackheads, and dissolve sebum. This means that this is the ingredient you should be looking for if you have sensitive and oily skin.

What is PHA?

PHA, or Poly Hydroxy Acids is a group of acids that considered second-generation AHAs. Gluconolactone, galactose, and lactobionic acids are the most common PHAs. PHA has a larger molecular structure than AHA, which means it penetrates the skin much slower.

Although slow, these mild acids are perfect for all skin types leaning towards sensitive and/or dry skin. The benefit of antioxidant properties present in PHA protects the skins’ natural collagen from breaking down.

We have AHA BHA and PHA. Three different acids that have different benefits. You can look at your drugstore brands and do your research before trying out a new product on your skin or even better, before giving in on splurging for skincare products, you can check first if the ingredients in them match what your skin needs. You can check out AHA, BHA, PHA 30-day Miracle Toner by Some by Mi which has all these benefits in a one-step toner.

Happy Hunting, Beauts!