The Weird Skincare Acronyms You Need To Know

- SEP 20, 2018 THURSDAY

Skincare can be complicated to understand at the very best of times. If you’ve heard terms like “hydroxy” and “benzoic”, and thought they were made up words, or said “bless you” to the person saying them, you’re definitely not alone. In particular, AHA’s and BHA’s are a mystery to everyone who is not well-versed in the skincare world, or people who just don’t like acronyms all together. Apparently they’re actually pretty good for our skin – who woulda thunk that?!

Here’s everything you need to know about our beloved little AHA’s and BHA’s and why we should be using them:

AHA’s:

So, as it turns out, AHA is not just a passive-aggressive way of laughing at someone over chat. Could’ve fooled me to be honest. AHA stands for Alpha Hydroxy Acids. AHA’s come from plant, milk, and fruit sugars, and are a type of chemical exfoliant. But what’s a chemical exfoliant? Great question. Ten points to you. Chemical exfoliants are layered with ingredients to defy aging and refine your skin, and – in this definitely biased person’s opinion – are better for your skin than physical exfoliants. Physical exfoliants have little bits and pieces in them that feel a little like tiny rocks.

Physical exfoliant = rocks. Chemical exfoliant = no rocks. We think.

AHA’s work to break down dead skin cells to leave your skin glowy, like you’ve got your recommended 8 hours of sleep a night, when in reality we know you binge-watched season 4 of Brooklyn 99, went to sleep at 2am, and woke up four hours later for work.

Sounds good doesn’t it? No! Well, okay no it is really good. But do not, I repeat, DO NOT overuse the AHA’s! While they do give you all the glow of a Victoria’s Secret model, they also make your skin more sensitive to the sun and can increase your skin’s sensitivity. Yes, they do strip away your dead skin cells but you skin only has so many layers. If you’re using three products with AHA’s in them every night, you’re going to look like you have the skin of a pre-pubescent nine-year-old, BUT you’ll also end up with a dry, shiny, irritated-from-the-inside face. Not. Good. For the love of clear skin do not go nuts on the AHA’s. Use one product with AHA’s 2-3 times a week and gradually build up a tolerance to it.

Here are some of our favourite products packed with AHA’s:

Go-To Exfoliating Swipeys

Biore Blemish Fighting Ice Cleanser

KORA Organics Age Defying AHA Facial Exfoliator

BHA’s:

Now over to BHA’s. The first difference they have from AHA’s is that they start with a B. If you picked that up, well done. You’ve clearly been watching your Sesame Street. But the differences don’t stop there. BHA stands for Beta Hydroxy Acids. Some of our favourite BHA’s include salicylic acid, and benzoic acid.

Confused? We get it!

Basically, Salicylic acid dissolves all those nasties that clog up your pores and cause breakouts. Benzoic acid comes from raspberries, anise, and cherry bark. It smooths, moisturises, and repairs your skin. BHA’s will clear most mild acne without drying out your skin, and is much less irritating than AHA’s.

What it won’t do is hang out your washing or stop you from taking that extra tequila shot. But we’re working on that.

It’s best used for acne-prone, oily skin, and for all of your lovely faces with those not-so-lovely blackheads and blemishes.

TRY THESE BHA PRODUCTS NOW :

Clinique Acne Solutions Clarifying Lotion