AHA stands for alpha hydroxy acid. AHAs are chemical compounds and well known for their use in the cosmetics industry. AHAs are a series of acids, mostly derived from plant and animal sources, although some are synthetically produced. Well known AHAs such as glycolic, mandelic and citric acid can be found in a variety of skincare products such as toners, exfoliators and serums. AHAs are water soluble, meaning they can’t penetrate through the skin’s natural oils. For this reason, they’re mostly used for their exfoliating properties on the skin’s surface, or stratum corneum. [1]https://www.harpersbazaar.com/uk/beauty/skincare/a16570239/how-to-use-skincare-acids/.
According to the Mayo Clinic[2]https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/acne/in-depth/acne-products/art-20045814?pg=2, it can take two to three months before you start to see significant improvements and acne may look worse before it gets better. It’s important to be patient while the products work to relieve acne over time. You also need to use the products consistently—skipping daily treatments makes it take longer for the ingredients to work.