BHA and AHA question
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Wed Mar 28, 2007 1:37 pm

Hi there

I was told that you can use BHA 5% 1 week and then AHA 30% the following week and rotate this as a skin care routine for a 6 week period and then a break and repeat. What are the advantages and disadvatages in doing this? Is it even a good idea?

Michael

free skin care · Wed Mar 28, 2007 1:48 pm

for me personally I need to use 5% BHA daily or every other day or I have clogged pores. BHA works on clogged pores AHA does not.

I would not want to use a 30% AHA daily on my face to harsh for me (and probably most people) though using AHA 30% once a week would work better, but if it is Glycolic or if you are sensitive that can still be to harsh. But I would still have to be careful not to over irritate certain areas of my face.

I personally prefer a 10% Lactic AHA daily or every other day depending on your skin type, condition, time of year. No irritation or dryness at all, yet i still get the AHA benefits.

Same benefits as once a week 30% AHA but generally less harsh.

Ocassionally I still add in a stronger AHA course for 6 weeks to spot treat specific areas, or just do a general overall deeper peel. But I have not needed to do this for a while.

Much would depend on your personal preference.

free skin care · Wed Mar 28, 2007 3:45 pm

Everyone's skin has a different tolerance to it. I can only use the 10% lactic acid twice a week. You need to see what works with your skin.

free skin care · Wed Mar 28, 2007 4:03 pm

Quote:

Everyone's skin has a different tolerance to it. I can only use the 10% lactic acid twice a week. You need to see what works with your skin.

Definitely!! Smile

I've been using BHA/AHA for a few years now & I can only tolerate 2% BHA/4% AHA. And I only use it every other day. If I use the stronger ones, my face gets irritated & breaks out.

free skin care · Wed Mar 28, 2007 9:35 pm

Tangal wrote:

BHA works on clogged pores AHA does not.

Could you flesh this out? Thanks.

free skin care · Wed Mar 28, 2007 9:57 pm

Quote:

Could you flesh this out? Thanks.

BHA penetrates the pores to cleanse them from the inside. It exfoliates the inside - that's why it works best on blackheads/acne.

AHA does a surface exfoliation - so it doesn't do anything for blackheads. It mostly gives the skin a 'glow', and can help diminish fine lines, age spots, hyerpigmentation, etc.

free skin care · Thu Mar 29, 2007 5:26 am

Is this due to a difference in ability to penetrate? Do you know what accounts for that?

I had always seen glycolic acid touted for its small molecule size and consequently superior penetration, but also read the bha vs. aha claims I'm reading hear about getting into the pores vs. not, and still don't understand why this would be.

free skin care · Thu Mar 29, 2007 5:59 am

BHA is lipid/oil soluble. This means it can easily pass through (is not slowed in penetration) by skin oils. All skin, even dry skin, has oil in the skin surface and in the pores. BHA can move through this oil into the pores easily, where it can exfoliate inside the pores and in the pore wall lining. It does not do as much surface exfoliation.

AHA can not easily penetrate oils, so especially in regards to pores, it is very limited in it s ability to move into the pore, and reach the pore wall to exfoliate.
So it is mostly a surface exfoliate.

Glycolic acid is smaller, which makes it more irritating. So it actually can create more irritation then a similar acid like Lactic. It cannot penitrate oils. It cannot move into pores well.

Lactic has some ability to penetrate oils, not as nicely as BHA, but better then Glycolic. So a well formulated Lactic AHA, can penitrate as well as Glycolic, though at a slower rate. But this also makes it less irritating to the skin, so better tolerated by many.

free skin care · Thu Mar 29, 2007 7:10 am

Got it. Thank you, Tangal and Kim! What are your own prefered BHAs? (I will go check earlier posts in case you posted them earlier here).
Thanks again -- great info.

free skin care · Thu Mar 29, 2007 7:28 am

I have used a number of AHA and BHA products, I personally prefer the I Feel pretty line. Well formulated, effective percentages and pH, and decent cost.

You can also check my signature, you will see the other products I use.

Kim also uses the IFP line, since she is the creator/owner of that line.
www.ifeelprettyproducts.com under exfoliants

There are also some reviews of the products in that line, in the Small Home Business Product reviews section.

free skin care · Thu Mar 29, 2007 7:31 am

OK, I have no further questions or comment at the moment, except to say that you guys rock. Smile

free skin care · Thu Mar 29, 2007 7:35 am

I think 30% AHA is to harsh for daily use. Maybe once a week is better.

free skin care · Thu Mar 29, 2007 8:07 am

Tangal wrote:

I have used a number of AHA and BHA products, I personally prefer the I Feel pretty line. Well formulated, effective percentages and pH, and decent cost.

You can also check my signature, you will see the other products I use.

Kim also uses the IFP line, since she is the creator/owner of that line.
www.ifeelprettyproducts.com under exfoliants

There are also some reviews of the products in that line, in the Small Home Business Product reviews section.

I use IFP as well!!! I love the line (as many of you know, Laughing

!)

I started out with 2% BHA/4% AHA and tolerated it well (went through a whole bottle. Now I'm on the 5% BHA and am doing just fab...I hope to move up to the 5%BHA/10%AHA

I love these products and use a couple of others in the line as well! They are inexpensive and more effective than the pricier products I've tried.

Thu Mar 29, 2007 2:30 pm

Thanks for all the replies.

I did not mention I was going to use AHA 30% once a week and then the following week 5% BHA. Not on a daily basis. I've used AHA 30% for 6 weeks now and am pleased with the results. Would switching the two from week to week still be effective or would it diminish the results of both? Should I stick with 30% AHA on a weekly basis.

Thanks

Michael

free skin care · Thu Mar 29, 2007 2:34 pm

Personally, I think BHA works best when used consistently. I'm not sure using it daily for a week, then off for a week would be considered consistent. I think it works best when used daily or every other day.

If you're just using the 30% AHA once a week, there's no reason you can't use that along with the BHA. Just skip the BHA on the day you do the AHA peel.

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