Works for
Anti-blemishSalicylic acid, Glycolic acidWorks well
“Fight Breakouts and Reduce Excess Oil.”
This product can help reduce breakouts and clogged pores because it contains the following ingredient: salicylic acid. This ingredient is used for treating acne and can have a noticeable effect.
The following ingredient (ingredients) in this product might be helpful, but there is no evidence to confirm that it actually works: glycolic acid
Evens skin toneGlycolic acid, Lactic acid + 1 moreWorks well
“Gently removes dead skin cells from the surface to help your skin appear brighter and improve the appearance of skin texture and pigmentation.”
This product can help reduce hypepigmentation and even out the skin tone because it contains the following effective ingredients: glycolic acid, lactic acid, salicylic acid
Keep in mind that you would need to apply any topical skincare targetted at hypigmentation consistently for a couple of months to get a result. No topical skincare product can help get rid of hyperpigmentation (including post-acne marks and age spots) instantly.
ExfoliationGlycolic acid, Lactic acid + 1 moreWorks well
“A blend of exfoliating alpha hydroxy and beta hydroxy acids that penetrates beneath the surface of the skin to help unclog pores, fight blackheads and reduce excess oil and breakouts.”
This product can help exfoliate the skin. In other words, it helps break down the bonds between dead cells on the surface of the skin and speed up the skin turnover. Skin often appears softer and brighter after exfoliation, but overdoing it can result in disrupted skin barrier. The following ingredient is doing the exfoliating job in this product: glycolic acid, lactic acid, salicylic acid.
Anti-agingSide benefit the brand mentions · Glycolic acid, Lactic acidWorks well
“This is great choice for oilier skin as its anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial properties can help calm breakout prone skin.”
This product can help reduce and prevent fine lines and wrinkles, improve skin elasticity and firmness because it contains glycolic acid.
These ingredients in the product can also be helpful, even though there is less evidence for their effectiveness: lactic acid.
Keep in mind that it typically takes at least 6 weeks to notice any results because the changes that are needed to improve fine lines and elasticity happen in the deeper layers of the skin. No topical anti-aging product can “erase” wrinkles or fully reverse signs of aging.
MoisturizingSide benefit · Glycerin, Lactic acid + 1 moreWorks
This product contains good ingredients to attract water to the upper layer of the skin. These ingredients are called "humectants": glycerin, lactic acid.
When humectants are on the surface of the skin, they “pull in” the moisture from the outside environment, or from within deeper layers of the skin. If the air is dry, humectants can speed up the moisture loss from the skin. This is why it is a good idea to use another product on top of this one to help "seal in" the moisture (look for ingredients like dimethicone, squalane, oils and butters).
Can it cause trouble?
Irritancy5 flagged ingredientsLow risk
ComedogenicClean of flagged comedogenic ingredientsNone flagged
User reviews
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Ingredients
Filter by role to see what each ingredient is doing.
Water~40–60%
Glycerin~4.8–7.2%
- Irritation risk
- Low
One of the best moisturizing ingredients. Naturally present in skin. It attracts water to the upper layer of the skin working as a humectant
More about GlycerinDextrin~3.5–5.3%
- Irritation risk
- Low
A sugar that is used to stabilize the product formulation. Can help attract water to the upper layer of the skin
More about DextrinGlycolic acid~2.7–4%
- Irritation risk
- High
An alpha-hydroxy acid (AHA) that helps to remove the dead skin cells on the surface of the skin reveling a more even, smoother complexation. It is also able to stimulate collagen production with long-term use. Could help to reduce pore congestion. It can be irritating to the skin. Apply sunscreen daily if using products with glycolic acid
More about Glycolic acidLactic acid~1.9–2.9%
- Irritation risk
- Medium
An exfoliating and moisturizing alpha-hydroxy acid (AHA). Typically causes less irritation than other AHAs, for example, glycolic acid. At high concentrations (about 15%), lactic acid can help reduce lines and wrinkles. Recent studies show that lactic acid can support the "good" bacteria living on skin's surface (healthy skin microbiome)
More about Lactic acidCitric acid~1.4–2.1%
- Irritation risk
- Medium
Can work as an exfoliant but is typically used to adjust the product pH
More about Citric acidSalicylic acid~0.4–0.95%
- Irritation risk
- High
Used for skin exfoliation. It has an anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial effect, helps to unclog pores, prevent blemishes and speed up healing of the existing ones. Sometimes referred to as a BHA (beta-hydroxy acid)
More about Salicylic acidPolyacrylate crosspolymer-6~0.45–1%
- Irritation risk
- Low
Hydroxyethylcellulose~0.2–0.8%
- Irritation risk
- Low
Used to thicken product formulations and create gel-like textures
More about HydroxyethylcelluloseHydroxyacetophenone~0.1–0.3%
Ingredient list view
Water, Glycerin, Dextrin, Glycolic acid, Lactic acid, Citric acid, Salicylic acid, Polyacrylate crosspolymer-6, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Unknown, Hydroxyacetophenone
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Worth comparing, line by line.
Match % combines shared ingredients, the first five ingredients, shared actives and hero ingredients, irritancy (lower counts in the alternative's favour), texture and body area. Only products in the same routine step are compared.
| SOUL APOTHECARYAHA + BHA SerumYOUR PRODUCT | FacileThe Buzz Brightening Exfoliating Facial Treatment with AHA & BHA | Deviant SkincareGentle Resurfacing Liquid | Erno LaszloAHA Resurfacing Sleep Serum | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Match | — | 99% | 99% | 99% |
| Price | — | $35.00 | $52.00 | $78.44 |
| Shared key ingredients | — | 4 of 4 | 4 of 4 | 4 of 4 |
| Key difference | — | Lycium Barbarum Fruit Extract | Gluconolactone | Hexanoyl Dipeptide-3 Norleucine Acetate |
| Irritancy | Low | Low | Low | Low |
| Drying alcohol | — | — | — | — |
| View product | Shop | Shop | Shop |
More alternatives: colibri skincare Exfoliate BoosterGlossier Solution
Product summary
"SOUL APOTHECARY - AHA + BHA Serum" is effective for: Anti-aging, Evens skin tone and Exfoliation
This product could be helpful for: Moisturizing, but its actives are not the most effective or are not well-studied.
Ingredient callouts
- Exfoliating acids (lactic acid 1.90% - 2.90% and glycolic acid 2.70% - 4.00%). In this concentration, they will have a noticeable exfoliating effect. They can also have an anti-aging effect and stimulate collagen production in a long-run. Lactic Acid can also help to attract water to the upper layer (works as a humectant).
- Salicylic acid (0.40% - 0.95%). This is an oil-soluble exfoliating acid. Because of this property, it can work inside pores and help reduce the congestion. It has an anti-inflammatory effect and is used to treat acne. Because it is a quite strong exfoliator, be careful with using this product too often: it could result in over-exfoliation.
- Humectants (glycerin 4.80% - 7.20%). These ingredients help attract water to the upper layer of the skin and improve the skin hydration.
Sources cited in this review
Every concentration estimate and effectiveness label is anchored to one of these 10 studies and safety reviews.
- 1
- 2
- 3Glycolic acid peel therapy – a current reviewncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- 4
- 5Epidermal and dermal effects of topical lactic acidncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- 6Dual Effects of Alpha-Hydroxy Acids on the Skinpdfs.semanticscholar.org
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