Acids are excellent for skin care. Acids are not something very new. Famous Queen Cleopatra used to bathe in sour milk for her glowing skin, which actually contains Lactic acid. And Honey imparts a lovely glow to the skin and its rich in polyhydroxy acid. Here we talk about 2 important acids. Lactic acid, which can be from milk. Salicylic acid originally produced from willow bark is now synthetically derived.
Let's Jump right into the comparison,
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AHA |
BHA |
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Dissolves Dead Skin cells |
Dissolves Dead Skin Cells |
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Hence avoid/ lessen Future breakouts |
Hence avoid/ lessen Future breakouts |
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Water Soluble |
Oil Soluble |
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Exfoliates outer layer |
Exfoliates outer layer + can also enter pores and can unplug any blockages |
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**Does offer good Hydration |
Does not offer Hydration. But for Hydration, you can use another moisturiser |
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Product pH should be 4 or less hence can be not suitable for damaged skin barrier |
**Product pH can be 3.5 to 6, hence can be used by people who cannot tolerate low pH |
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Can make skin a little sun sensitive. If you use sunscreen on a daily basis you should not worry about this. |
**No need to worry about Sun sensitivity. But wearing sunscreen is always a good practice. |
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**If you are prone to Dark spots after acne (Post Inflammatory Hyperpigmentation), the Lactic acid helps with that. |
Less effective than Lactic Acid to treat Dark Spots. But still good enough. |
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Is slightly Antibacterial |
Is slightly Antibacterial |
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Causes less inflammation than Glycolic acid |
**Good Anti-inflammatory |
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Good for Acne |
Good For Acne |
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**Good For Pigmentation and dark spots |
OK for Pigmentation and Dark Spots |
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Good For Dry Skin |
Good For Dry Skin because you can always use a good moisturiser |
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Not Suitable for Sensitive skin |
Suitable for Sensitive skin |
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Use of Sunscreen is a must. Else you might be more prone to sun damage and wrinkles |
**No Sun Sensitivity Issues |
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Apply in the Evenings |
**Can be applied whenever |
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Wait for 5-10 before applying the next product |
**You can apply moisturiser immediately |
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Seem to work slower on acne but over the period of 1 month both can have same Results |
Works faster on acne but over the period of 1 month, both can have same Results. |
Conclusion :
Salicylic Acid is good for almost all skin concerns. But Lactic Acid a bit extra good for dark spots, pigmentation. One more thing to keep in mind is Lactic hydrates skin while Salicylic acid dries skin a bit but if you use extra hydration Salicylic acid should be good enough.
It can be a tough decision for anyone, I use both. Some days Lactic and some Days Salicylic acid. Lactic really helps with fading dark spots it also brings lovely glow and fresher complexion. But since I don't want to completely rely on lactic acid for my exfoliation I also use salicylic acid. This way I can make my skin less sun sensitive.