BY NICA DOBLES
AHA, BHA, and other ingredients to upgrade your skincare routine
So you’ve figured out the basics of your skincare routine — you’ve found a gentle cleanser, a moisturizer that’s just right for your skin type, and a powerful sunscreen — and are thinking about adding actives to the mix. Here’s what you need to know!
What are actives?
Actives refer to both ingredients that are scientifically proven to actively and directly affect your skin, and the products that contain these ingredients. They target specific issues like acne, hyperpigmentation, and aging.
How do I add them to my skincare routine?
Don’t try to incorporate actives all at once — remember that these will literally change your skin, so it’s best to tread carefully. Plus, the actives that work for your best friend might not work for you. So introduce them to your routine one product at a time, and wait a few weeks to gauge the effectiveness.
Actives should be applied after the cleansing steps of your skincare routine, before any hydrating steps. This is primarily because of pH — most actives, specifically acids, need to work at specific pH levels to be effective, and applying more products on your face will change its pH level. The general rule of thumb is to apply actives from low pH to high pH requirements, and to wait 15–20 minutes between applying products with different pH levels.
That said, using too many actives can seriously irritate your skin, even if you follow this order and waiting time, so you can also try using different actives at different times — say one active for your AM routine, and another for your PM routine. This will also cut down on time since you don’t need to wait as much.
What are the different actives?
We’ve rounded up four of the most commonly used actives in skincare:
Alpha Hydroxy Acid (AHA)
AHAs are water-soluble chemcial exfoliants—basically, they loosen the bonds between the cells on the surface of your skin, making the process of purging dead skin cells faster. This makes AHA ideal if you’re targeting wrinkles and/or hyperpigmentation, and are looking for brighter, smoother, and more even skin. They also have humectant properties, meaning they’re good for dry skin.
The most common AHAs are glycolic acid and lactic acid, usually derived from fruit sugar and milk. Glycolic acid’s small molecular structure allows it to work more effectively on the cells, but this also makes it more likely to irritate your skin. If you have sensitive skin, it’s best to go with the gentler lactic acid. Other common AHAs are mandelic acid (derived from almond extracts), tartaric acid (derived from grape extracts), and citric acid (derived from citric fruit extracts).
AHAs increase photosensitivity, so if you add them to your routine, it’s extra important to use sunscreen.
Beta Hydroxy Acid (BHA)
BHAs are also chemical exfoliants, but unlike AHAs which work on the surface of your skin, oil-soluble BHAs go deeper into your skin, dissolving oil and clearing out your pores. They’re especially recommended for oily, acne-prone skin types who are looking for clearer, calmer skin.
Salicylic acid is the most common BHA, and is known as an anti-acne treatment — it’s anti-inflammatory and dissolves skin-clogging sebum. It can be quite harsh though, so if you’re looking for something gentler, another BHA option is betaine salicylate.
BHAs can also be drying since they don’t have humectant properties like AHAs, so make sure not to skip the hydrating steps of your skincare.
Retinoids
Retinol is a skincare superhero — it’s a Vitamin A derivative that boosts skin cell turnover for younger-looking skin. It increases collagen production, reduces wrinkles and fine lines, and clears out your pores.
While you can get retinoids over-the-counter (most commonly in the form of retinol), stronger concentration retinoids like tretinoin require prescriptions. Note that when you first start using them, your skin may go through an adjustment period with dryness and flakiness, so proceed with caution — load up on moisturizer and sunscreen.
It’s recommended to avoid using retinoids and AHAs/BHAs at the same time. That many chemical exfoliants can damage your skin’s moisture barrier, plus they have different pH levels. If you must use both, like we suggested above use one in the morning and one in the evening, or on alternate nights.
Vitamin C
Vitamin C (also known as L-ascorbic acid) is a powerful antioxidant that will brighten up and even out your skin tone. It also helps protect your skin from free radicals and other environmental toxins.
This active needs a low pH environment to work effectively, so you’ll need to use it first (right after your cleansing, before BHA and AHA). Vitamin C serums are also pretty sensitive and can oxidize when exposed to a lot of light or heat, so look for good packaging and store in a cool dry place when you aren’t using it.
Already using actives in your skincare routine? Let us know your holy grail products in the comments section below! Shop more skincare on ZALORA Philippines.