I’ll be the first to admit that I don’t have a lot of experience with PHA’s. I mostly love glycolic acid which is an AHA, or salicylic acid which is a BHA. PHA stands for poly-hydroxy acid which is a kind of acid that works on the upper layers of your skin. This makes it especially good for getting rid of surface pigmentation and dealing with texture issues. Adding a PHA into your routine will be great for really making your skin nice and smooth. Retinol helps your skin exfoliate too but it works on the deeper layers of your skin. Salicylic Acid goes into the pores and combats oil, so it’s great for acne-prone skin. So you can see why it might be good to incorporate all of these into your skincare routine, depending on what kind of skin you have and what skin issues you have.
PHA’s seem to be having a bit of a moment right now. The new Ole Henrikson Banana Bright serum has 15% vitamin C and 5% PHA but I didn’t notice a whole lot of difference on my skin because of that PHA.
This Neostrata Correct Overnight Anti-Pollution Treatment has 8% PHA in it and it was concentrated enough that I could notice a difference on my skin. My skin was noticeable smoother and better hydrated when I used this lotion nightly – I used it on nights that I didn’t use my retinol and I found that it was a good balance. It also works so well with vitamin C with not too much tingling or irritation when I used the two of them together.
You can find Neostrata at Shoppers Drug Mart or online. $58.
