I Have been reading the posting on the board I realize that I may need both of these, but for the life I of me. I don't know what brands to get or where to get them. Anyone have any recommendations?
I would say BHA. It has gotten rid of like 99% of my blackheads and is clearing me up wonderfully. Paula's Choice is what I use. SHe has a website so just look her up. From what I gather from reading BHA is used mostly for acne and AHA for sunburn and flakey skin. But from my experience BHA is some really good stuff.
hope this helps
fj
BHA is salicylic acid. This will unclog your pores and allow dead skin to flake off. You can find salicylic acid products at ANY major drugstores or grocery stores- cleansers, spot treatments, toners, you name it.
AHAs do the same as BHA but BHA does it faster. AHAs help w/ ph balance too. Also I don't think AHA's help with acne but I could be wrong.
Depending on how sensitive your skin is I would NOT recommend using BHAs and AHAs together- this will cause SOOO much irritation. Unless you have skin of steel or something you might want to use an AHA/BHA product with something gentler.
Never use an AHA and a BHA at the same time, although you could use one at night and the other during the day. If you want to get deep into the pore and work on removing blackheads and keeping them from forming, definitely go with the BHA. Paula's Choice l% lotion is gentle and very effective.
Originally posted by mudpixie: AHAs do the same as BHA but BHA does it faster. AHAs help w/ ph balance too. Also I don't think AHA's help with acne but I could be wrong.
I respectfuly disagree.
BHAs (aka alicylic acid, like you said) can penetrate oil and can go into pores to clean them out. They are good for the prevention of acne.
AHAs (Alpha Hydroxy Acids), chemically exfoliate the surface skin cells only. AHAs are good for getting rid of red marks leftover from breakouts.
So you see, both are good for acne-prone skin, but for different reasons.
I also agree that they should not be used at the same time. Alternate them one in the morning and one at night, or every other day.
Tough on your skin? It's really good for it! At first, you might experience some burning, but this is only temporary and disappears as your skin quickly becomes accustomed to it.
one last question about the AHA products. Am I lkking for the anti wrinkle cream? because that's all I am seeing. Feels weird to walk up to the cashier wrinkle cream. yeah she's hot
Originally posted by poreoilyme: Never use an AHA and a BHA at the same time, although you could use one at night and the other during the day. If you want to get deep into the pore and work on removing blackheads and keeping them from forming, definitely go with the BHA. Paula's Choice l% lotion is gentle and very effective.
I've never heard that... infact, Neutrogena Multi-Vitamin Acne Treatment... Neutrogena Pore Refining Cleanser... and Neutrogena Pore Refining Toner, all contain AHA and BHA... infact, most AHA products i've noticed also contain BHA.
[This message has been edited by chemicaldreamer (edited 06-07-2003).]
Originally posted by AllGood: one last question about the AHA products. Am I lkking for the anti wrinkle cream? because that's all I am seeing. Feels weird to walk up to the cashier wrinkle cream.
Yeah, the Alpha Hydrox enhanced creme, and many other AHA products are aimed towards wrinkle reduction, since AHA exfoliates the surface skin and can get rid of minor wrinkles faster.
chemicaldreamer, I think it is different if a product is formulated to incorporate the BHA and AHA together. The products that we're talking about are formulated so that the BHA and AHA work seperately, and are therefore usually more effective.
In my experience, Neutrogena products always let me down. They ususally are not in the correct pH range to be effective, and usually contain irritating ingredients such as fragrance, coloring, and alcohol. http://www.healthboards.com/ubb/t_down.gif
Like I previously noted, I base my claims on my personal first-hand experiences with the products.
I also base them on the fact that fragrances, colorants, and alcohol (whether they are in Neutrogena products or other brands' products) have been proven to be irritants and the cause of break outs for many people.
OK guys ... I'm still not quite sure about the deal with using AHA and BHA together ... is it that you just shouldn't do this b/c it irritates your skin too much ... or that the two (AHA/BHA) work BETTER when used seperately .... I'm just trying to figure out how to use my AHA (For redmarks, dry skin) my BHA (For clogged pores/blackheads) and my BP (Probably don't need to say what this does ) All together ... I know for sure that BP is nightime ... last night I used BHA (small amt.) let it dry and then put BP on and it was like my outer skin layer just peeled off and my skin flaked real bad ... slight irritation as well ... maybe it's cuz my BHA was 2 % (my Paula's Choice 1 % is on the way) So, I was thinking maybe alternate BP and AHA at night and just use BHA (when it gets here) during the day ... Tim Dream... you said the 1 % has a matte finish and you don't need any moisture on top, right ??? Well, if this is so then I hope to be the same way ... looks like I'm gonna have to do some experiments to see how it goes ........
Jim, I think that the main purpose of using the AHA and BHA seperately is to reduce the possibility of irritation.
Yes, the PC 1% does dry matte, and personally I don't need an additional moisturizer. Some people do apply moisturizer afterwards, though. Paula's Choice also has some good moisturizers that you can ask for samples of. I also hear that Complex 15, sold in drugstores, is a good lightweight moisturizer for acne-prone skin.
I think your plan of alternating BP and AHA at night, and BHA in the day sounds good. Sometimes the use of BP and BHA at the same time also leads to irritation and drying, so it might be better to keep them seperate. Eventually, you might not need the BP at all!
Like I previously noted, I base my claims on my personal first-hand experiences with the products.
I also base them on the fact that fragrances, colorants, and alcohol (whether they are in Neutrogena products or other brands' products) have been proven to be irritants and the cause of break outs for many people.
Well, you said the Neutrogena products are not in the correct ph range to be effective... and that AHA and BHA products are formulated differently to work together and to work as stand alone products. I'm just wondering where you're getting these from.
And the Neutrogena products i use, don't have any sort of fragrance that i can tell... at least compared to the Clearasil or even Sageskincare products.
BHA AHA which what to get 
