If you wish to level up and take your skincare regimen a notch higher, AHA (pun intended), you’re at the right place! From hyperpigmentation to fine lines, the best AHA products have the potential to be your skin’s new best friend and reduce all its worries. In our never-ending quest for the perfect skincare, AHA serums, toners, cleansers, and face creams come as the best-kept secret to end multiple skincare woes with one ingredient. The best part? These acids are mostly naturally derived from plants or animals!

AHAs or alpha hydroxy acids are the superheroes of skincare. They are the easiest and safest acids to exfoliate and revamp your skin. The fact that they are acids might seem terrifying to many. But fret not, because they are dermatologically approved to tackle skin issues. They smoothen fine lines and wrinkles, unclog pores, promote collagen production, brighten skin, and even improve product absorption on the skin. Long before AHAs became accessible to us from the shelves of drugstores, they were the secret ingredient found in professional chemical peels that you might have been offered at the super-plush salon or the pocket-pinching dermatologist.

These unprocessed and unadulterated acids are sourced from nature and can be your greatest arsenal in skincare. Facial acids are your personal exfoliators that can help your skin eliminate older cells and regenerate at a cellular level. Including the magic of AHAs in your daily skincare routine will not only rid your skin of those dead, dull skin cells but will also remove the nasty buildup that causes acne (and spoils your perfect skin just before a party). This is a game-changer to gradually transform dull skin into fab. Among all the AHAs on the market, glycolic and lactic acids are the most used AHA products on the block. They are present in the majority of over-the-counter (OTC) AHAs because they cause little to no discomfort to the skin.

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  Best Soothing Formula

  Paula's Choice Skin Perfecting 8% AHA Gel Exfoliant

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You can count on this refreshing gel exfoliant by Paula’s Choice to soften the appearance of wrinkles, fine lines, and age spots, so your skin can age gracefully and keep its natural beauty intact. Adding to that, the glycolic acid-based formula also shrinks enlarged pores and relieves them of dirt and sebum plugs, so your skin becomes smoother, cleaner, and more radiant. Besides, after trying this product out, we fell in love with the cooling sensation it provides to the skin, unlike other abrasive exfoliators that inflame the skin even more. All in all, this is a holy grail product that caters to multiple skin problems.

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Best for Pigmentation

Mario Badescu Glycolic Acid Toner

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Specially formulated for people with dark spots, hyperpigmentation, and acne scars, this glycolic acid toner by Mario Badescu has a miraculous toning effect on the skin! The hero AHA infused in the formula is bolstered with the properties of grapefruit extracts and aloe vera extracts, which make it a multitasking and invigorating product. While the product exfoliates effectively, you can trust it to support your skin by delivering adequate hydration and nourishment. Besides, you don’t need to use this product is much quantity or too often to get the best results out of it.

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Best for Oily Skin

Tatcha The Texture Tonic

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Calling it the “Texture Tonic” is the best way to describe this AHA liquid exfoliant by Tatcha as it miraculously smooths out the skin surface, making it feel baby-soft that you just can’t get your hands off it! That’s not all as the product also relieves your skin’s pores of oil, debris, and clogged-up blackheads and whiteheads to improve its overall health and appearance. With this, the product keeps acne and zits at bay. Plus, the formula is rich in humectants that deliver a steady supply of moisture to your skin.

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Best for Acne-Prone Skin

Botanic Tree Glycolic Acid 10% Exfoliating Cleanser

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Cleansers are known to be a must-have in your beauty cabinet. This cult favorite exfoliating cleanser with 10% glycolic acid and salicylic acid offers an organic skin cleansing experience that you cannot miss. The sulfate-free cleanser is made with shea butter, bamboo, and tea tree extract that helps in achieving clear, smooth, and radiant skin naturally. The product also works effectively to fight off acne and blemishes and is a great choice if you’re struggling with acne-prone skin.

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Hypoallergenic Formula

REN Clean Skincare Ready Steady Glow Daily AHA Tonic

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To clear out hyperpigmentation and acne scars on your skin for a flawless complexion, you’ve got to try out this AHA toner by REN Clean Skincare. By leveraging the power of fruit acids, the product smoothens your skin and helps it achieve a natural glow. Owing to the fact that it contains mostly natural ingredients and has a clean formulation, it is suitable for all skin types — oily, dry, combination, acne-prone, and sensitive. Exfoliating your skin with this holy grail tonic would be super gentle and refreshing, so you can bid adieu to abrasive, harsh scrubs!

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Best Value for Money

The Ordinary Peeling Solution and Hyaluronic Acid Face Serum

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The Ordinary provides an affordable chemical peel in a bottle with its blood-red peeling solution that contains salicylic acid, glycolic acid, and lactic acid. The heavy-hitting AHAs and BHAs work together to clear blackheads and pores and help in anti-aging and skin renewal. All that in just ten minutes! This comes with a hyaluronic acid serum that helps in hydrating and securing supple skin. It is a really effective solution that can be used at home. Often, these are the ingredients that aestheticians use in their uber-plush clinics to give you a straight-out-of-Hollywood look.

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Alpha Skincare 12% AHA Renewal Body Lotion

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For those looking for complete body exfoliation, this glycolic alpha hydroxy acid is a great deal. It visibly reduces the appearance of aged skin and evens out the skin tone. The body lotion works to remove dead cells and regenerate new cells, leaving your skin feeling fresh and healthy. Why should your face have all the fun? As we all know, the skin is the largest organ in the body, we shouldn't really be discriminating.The skin on hands and legs is often ignored, but we should be mindful that hands are one of the first places to show signs of aging.

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Best for Sensitive Skin

First Aid Beauty KP Bump Eraser Body Scrub 10% AHA

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This quick-acting KP body scrub, which combines the effects of a chemical peel and a microdermabrasion treatment will rid you of those bumps on your arms and legs. The pumice beads in it smoothen out rough and scaly areas while the lactic acid and glycolic acid work together to renew the skin’s top layer. If you’ve got strawberry legs, this is your best friend. It reduces those pesky red bumps that spoil your little-black-dress look. The glycolic acid also prevents ingrown hair from resurfacing and improves the texture of the skin for a healthy and smooth appearance.

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Best to Boost Radiance

Murad Daily Clarifying Peel

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With a potent blend of the strongest chemical exfoliants — glycolic acid and salicylic acid, this clarifying AHA liquid exfoliant by Murad is perfect to retexturize and deep-cleanse your skin. When swiped across your skin with a cotton pad, the formula penetrates the pores and relieves them of blackheads, whiteheads, excess sebum, and other impurities to prevent and treat lesions. Adding on, it melts away dead skin cells from your skin’s surface, thereby enhancing cell renewal and paving the way for a smoother, fresher complexion.

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Body Merry Glycolic Acid Exfoliating Facial Cleanser

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A perfect cleaning combination for skin with jojoba beads and alpha hydroxy acids. The ingredients in the Body Merry Glycolic Acid Exfoliating Facial Cleanser have a handful of natural oils like tea tree oil, organic aloe oil, and organic rosemary extract oil that cleanse the pores and remove dirt and infuse the skin with vitamins C and E. This cleanser guarantees results that would be hard to miss. If at all you find yourself at a loss from the product, Body Merry offers a return policy. If you have not found the results promised by the product within 3 months' time, you can avail of the 90-day return policy.

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Touch 20% Glycolic Acid Face Pads

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Imagine being able to just come back home from a long day and getting done with your skincare in two swipes. That's how easy skincare is with these pads that are packed with 20% glycolic acid treatment. It exfoliates problematic skin effortlessly and is a simple and secure substitute for aggressive chemical peels. It doesn't even get you messy! Anti-irritant ingredients like chamomile, cucumber, and green tea extracts are an added skin indulgence that the glycolic acid pads offer.

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Olay Vitamin C+ AHA Resurfacing Peel

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It’s a party for your skin with the two-step skincare that includes the essential vitamin C and AHAs. The citrusy scrub and honey-like serum duo work in tandem to remove dead skin cells and polish away the skin’s impurities. The Resurfacing Treatment with Vitamin C and the AHA Peel with Hydrated Silica give you a spa-like experience at home. There is nothing more gratifying than seeing the results of your skincare instantaneously, and this resurfacing peel will certainly give a satisfying experience as soon as you’re done peeling it.

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InstaNatural 7% Glycolic Acid Toner

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For significant reduction of the appearance of pores and uneven texture sans any irritation or dryness, this 7% glycolic acid AHA/BHA toner, can be used as part of a nightly skincare routine to assist the skin's renewal process. To give exfoliating effects while functioning as a pore minimizer for flawless skin, this face toner is formulated with moisturizing hyaluronic acid, vitamin C, glycolic acid, and calming ingredients. The toner also reduces hyperpigmentation with continued usage and reduces the appearance of uneven skin.

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Best for Brightening

ISDIN Night Peel Exfoliating Serum

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If you want to feel like a scientist and simultaneously make your skin glow, the ampoules in the package will give you a wholesome experience. The ISDIN night peel vials come packed with glycolic acid, alpha complex, and hydraboost. The application of the serum will provide overnight nourishment to the skin and improve its texture dramatically. The serum will exfoliate and renew your skin to make it look younger, brighter, and nourished.

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Best for Dull Skin

Honest Beauty Sleep Resurfacing Serum

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If beauty sleep came in a bottle, this is what it would look like! The Honest Beauty Sleep Resurfacing Serum is made with the favored glycolic acid and lactic acid in addition to malic, citric, and tartaric acid. These AHAs work with hyaluronic acid as you sleep to give you a perfect and glowing  #Iwokeuplikethis look. Serums are like the night’s watch—they work hard all night long when you’re getting your zzzs. They repair your skin and hydrate it from within to prevent early aging.

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Aveeno Positively Radiant MaxGlow Peel-off Mask

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If you are someone who looks for a nature-infused treatment for your skin, this Aveeno peel-off is just the one. Formulated with AHAs, soy, and kiwi, the peel-off mask pulls out impurities from the skin and renews it in just one peel. If you have an important event to get to where you want to look your best, Aveeno’s Positively Radiant MaxGlow Peel-off maks is your genie. It will prep your skin and add a glow to your face. For the lazy ones, here’s good news for you — this moisture-rich peel-off does not even require a post-rinse!

If you’re a newbie to AHA skin town, we’ve got you covered with exactly when and how you should use AHAs to your skin’s benefit. Although each AHA product will have its own guidelines, there is a general thumb rule of usage for AHAs.

The potency of the composition of your chosen AHA product and your skin's sensitivity are strong determinants of how often you should include AHAs in your daily skincare.

• Always check the directions of usage mentioned on the cover of the product to understand how the particular AHA is meant to be used. 

• In the beginning, start gradually to understand how often your skin requires the usage of AHAs. For some skin types, frequent usage may work while for others, once a week would do the trick. Using the product once every two days or on alternative days is the ideal strategy when initially starting to gauge the skin's response. 

• Once your skin's appetite has been built up for the AHAS, it is time to increase the usage after a few weeks.
• If you are using other skincare products, be careful not to mix them up. Some AHAs don't work well with Vitamin C and Niacinamide.

The alpha-hydroxy masks are for users of AHAs who have already introduced the acids to the skin and have understood how the skin reacts to them.

• Never, and we repeat, Never, use any other product immediately after using an AHA mask unless it’s a skin-calming moisturizer.
• Usually, once a week is the most recommended number of usage of AHA masks. But, some milder products may have the potential to be used more than once a week.
• Be sure to hydrate your skin well after exfoliating with an AHA mask.
• Be mindful of using only one exfoliant at a time. Mixing different exfoliants might result in negative reactions on the skin.

Why should your face have all the fun? You’ll be taken by surprise when you see for yourself the wonders of AHA body lotion. The lotion will exfoliate your skin and reduce the appearance of strawberry skin (also known as Keratosis Pilaris) and can even help with eczema and flaky skin. 

• Regular usage of AHA body lotions will improve skin texture and brighten the skin.
• Like any body lotion, use AHA body lotion after you have showered and washed up with a water-soluble body wash. Make sure your skin is dry when you apply the lotion.
• Introduce the lotion gradually to your skin and check for any reactions. The mantra to remember with AHA products is to never overdo it. 
• Consider the price and the quality of the body lotion before buying because you would require a larger quantity than the AHA product used for the face.

Now that you know the numerous benefits of including AHAs in your skincare, these best AHA products should be your new skincare must-have. If your skin concerns are exfoliation, hyperpigmentation, anti-aging, acne, and basically any other woe that can befall the skin tissues, AHAs are your magic wand to eliminate these. You can include AHA serums, toners, and creams in your daily skincare routine, and your skin will thank you for taking care of it.