How To Use AHAs, BHAs and Vitamin C Together

Are you in need of bright and revitalized skin? Then you’re in the right place. AHAs, BHAs, and vitamin C together are great for healthy skin. We all know the benefits of vitamin C for the skin, including protecting your skin from environmental stressors and brightening your appearance. But most people aren’t aware of the benefits of AHAs and BHAs as they don’t use them in their skin care routine. We will get into how each of these products works independently and when combined.

What Are AHAs?

Also known as alpha hydroxy acids, AHAs are water-soluble acids derived from sugary fruits (or honey). The main purpose of AHAs in your skin care routine is to peel away the skin surface and expose a smoother-looking layer. Unlike physical scrubs, AHAs work to bind and dissolve build-up without scrubbing your face, which can sometimes irritate your skin (if sensitive).

What Are BHAs?

BHA, alternatively known as beta hydroxy acid, is oil-soluble and more penetrating than AHAs. This means they can go deeper into the skin to exfoliate it and remove excess natural oils on the skin. If your skin is dry, be careful when using BHAs or the frequency of use since they are a little stronger and can cause some irritation on sensitive skin or an imbalance of oil production. 

What Is Vitamin C?

Before we get into mixing AHA, BHA, and vitamin C together, we need to understand vitamin C and its role in your skin care journey. It is the most sought out skin care ingredient in the beauty industry. With the correct vitamin C products, the ingredient has won the hearts of many fans and experts. Here are some uses of vitamin C:

• Protects the skin against environmental stressors, thus good for sun lovers
• It leaves your skin looking plump and rejuvenated 
• It can minimize the appearance of dark spots to promote healthy-looking skin. 
• It brings out a natural glow to your skin.

Can I Use Vitamin C with AHAs and BHAs?

Yes, you can, but only if you establish a skin care routine. AHAs and BHAs are great at making your skin look plumper. AHA is great for reducing how wrinkles appear, while BHA helps balance the skin’s natural oils and unclog pores.

Even though both products are amazing on their own, you can’t slather them together on your skin. You need to use one in the morning and the other in the evening mixed with vitamin C for effective results—you also may not want to use multiple hydroxy acids in one day as that can be a lot of exfoliation for your skin. 

When it comes to AHA, BHA, and vitamin C together, you can use products with these ingredients in the same skin care routine but you’ll want to be mindful to apply specific products at their recommended times, not overdo it, and to not mix them too much.

For example, you find vitamin C present in a lot of serums and face oils. So if you’re using an exfoliant that is rich in AHA (like lactic acid) in the evening, the following morning you can use your vitamin C serum. Same goes for using a toner that may be rich in BHA (like salicylic acid), the next morning you can use your serum that has vitamin C. You will, of course, want to use your face oil moisturizer over your serum and then finish with sunscreen, as your skin will be more sensitive to sun from using a BHA or AHA the night prior.

Depending on the percentage of AHA or BHA in the product, these may be ingredients to incorporate weekly or twice a week and to not mix together in the same skin care session. Remember, you don’t want to strip your skin. You’ll want to check with the manufacturer on how to best use this product just to be on the safe side.   

Since AHA, BHA, and vitamin C together are strong, they may irritate sensitive skin. To counteract this, you can stop using all the products at once, then, later on, introduce them slowly, using the acids and vitamin C on alternating days. It is best to introduce them slowly into your skin care regimen if you want lasting benefits without irritation. 

If you’re new to all this and it’s getting a bit confusing, peruse our Wild Alchemy Collection—our luxury line of biocompatible formulas made with organic and wildcrafted ingredients—which features products with vitamin C (like our Wild Fruit Serum and Brighten from our Concentrated Boosting Elixirs) and AHA in the form of honey-derived lactic acid (like our Resurfacing Facial Exfoliant).

How To Use AHA, BHA and Vitamin C Together

As mentioned before, you can use all these three powerhouses in your skin care routine. However, if you experience any dryness when using them together, we recommend allowing more time between uses. Also, when using any hydroxy acids, always ensure you follow it up with an organic serum rich in hyaluronic acid, saccharide isomerate or tremella extract for the best and most hydrating results. Then you can finish your routine with your moisturizer and sunscreen.

The following post How To Use AHAs, BHAs and Vitamin C Together was first published on Annmarie Skin Care.