Salicylic acid is the only beta hydroxy acid there is ... alpha hydroxy acids are from natrual ingredients ... the two off the top of my head are glycolic acid which comes from sugar cane and lactic acid which comes from lactose (or milk)
For breakouts, beta hydroxy acid is preferred over alpha hydroxy acid b/c it is oil soluble ... which means it can exfoliate INSIDE the lining of your pores ... but some people can't use BHA so AHA is the next choice
In my uses of these acids, I have found that AHA works better for softening redmarks and smoothing out your outer layer of skin ... how you use BHA and AHA is something you just gotta try out and see