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Get to know these skin heroes.

Tawni Bannister / Byrdie

Radiant, bump-free, and nearly pore-less skin.

Close up of the bubbles in a skincare bottle

Tawni Bannister / Byrdie

Gritty face scrubs of the past, begone!

Don’t get it wrong thoughAHAs and BHAs are two completely different groups of exfoliants.

Meet the Experts

What Are AHAs?

AHA stands foralpha-hydroxy acid.

Other popular AHAs are lactic, citric, andmalic acids.

The Benefits of AHAs

What Are BHAs?

BHAwhich stands forbeta-hydroxy acidis a topical chemical exfoliant that works to balance oily skin and clear breakouts.

That ever-popular acne-busting ingredient,salicylic acid?

Yep, it’s a BHA.

Markowitz explains that AHAs and BHAs, and their strengths, depend on the mode and formula.

You don’t necessarily have to pick one or the other.

As mentioned above, many skincare products combine both AHAs and BHAs.

It’s about finding a formula with the right percentages of each for your skin key in and goals.

For the face, we recommend SkinMedica’sAHA/BHA Cream.

For the body, we love Skinfix’sAHA/BHA Renewing Cream.