Alpha Hydroxy Acid: The Alpha of Your Skin Care Routine

What are Alpha Hydroxy Acids?

Alpha hydroxy acids (AHAs) are water-soluble acids coming from fruits and plants, often referred to as "fruit acids." They are natural and offer a fairly gentle cleansing effect for the skin. While considered a chemical exfoliant, the acids or enzymes included in AHAs serve as natural exfoliants, helping to buff away dead skin cells without rough interaction or scrubbing required. Because the exfoliation process completed with AHAs is more natural than that of scrubbing exfoliants, the process leads to less hyperpigmentation and more even-toned skin in the end.

Different Types of Alpha Hydroxy Acids

With several types of AHAs available, they are most often found in different foods. Six of the primary types of alpha hydroxy acids include citric acid from citrus fruits, glycolic acid found in sugar cane, lactic acid found in milk and tomato juice, mandelic acid from almonds, malic acid from apples, and tartaric acid found in grapes. There are other types as well, but these exist in the foods we eat most often. It is important to know that alpha hydroxy acids of all kinds are most often used to promote skin health and treat various skin conditions. 

Benefits of Alpha Hydroxy Acids

It is well-known and understood that AHAs help to improve complexion and provide a smoother, more even-toned appearance to the skin. They also help to treat common skin conditions like dry skin, aging skin, and acne. 

 Additionally, it is worth noting that AHAs are not helpful for everyone 100% of the time. It may take the help of a dermatologist to determine the type of AHA that will provide the best result for any individual skin type. This knowledge helps determine the most effective treatments to meet any one person's skincare goals. Some key benefits of the most common AHAs include:

• Glycolic acid, which penetrates the skin easily and tends to provide a more glowing appearance. Derived from sugar cane, glycolic acid is colorless and the smallest known AHA.
• Next is lactic acid, another popular AHA, which provides the most significant improvement to the overall tone and texture of the skin. Lactic acid helps reduce the appearance of large pores while minimizing age spots and hyperpigmentation. 
• Finally, mandelic acid is less irritating but also less active than glycolic acids. However, it is found to be best to treat hyperpigmentation or sensitive skin rather than oily skin.

 Most clinical studies have been done on these three types of AHAs, providing the most information about their positive results and thus placing them in a majority of AHA-based skincare products. But, despite the positive results provided in the medical field, it is crucial to consider your current lineup of skincare products and understand the ingredients that work best with your skin. AHAs interact poorly with some other ingredients, and given the strength of those like glycolic and lactic acids, the guidance of a dermatologist is essential.

Products that Use Alpha Hydroxy Acids

Bio France Lab's Clear Skin Control Facial Cleansing contains 10% glycolic acid and 4% lactic acid, helping renew and rejuvenate the skin. Additionally, there is 2% salicylic acid, a beta hydroxy acid, which, when combined with AHAs, helps cleanse and refine the skin by using anti-inflammatory agents to help soothe skin and prevent irritation. This combination brings about exfoliation, new skin cell production, and collagen formation to promote a radiant complexion. 

Another AHA-based product available from Bio France Lab is the Complete Eye elixir serum. With so many natural, organic ingredients and vitamins included in this serum, there is much to benefit from its use. A base of aloe vera and rose distillate water creates an ultra-moisturizing foundation before including the AHAs and fruit extracts. Those fruit extracts include citric and malic acids from lemon peel and bilberries, ascorbic acid from orange peel, glycolic and lactic acid from cane sugar, and tartaric and oxalic acids from cane sugar cranberries. All of these ingredients together, along with essential nutrients like CoQ10 and vitamins A, B, C, E, help tighten and firm the skin.

These are two of the key products from Bio France Lab that provide the many benefits of AHAs for the skin. Bio France has a lot to offer with a long list of products that provide cleansing, moisturizing, and exfoliating effects of AHAs for brighter, healthier, tighter skin.