If you’re reading this, you know that AHAs can have a dramatic impact on your skin (in a good way). But what are the best AHA products to use and what does aha do for skin, you wonder? We’re here to answer that question and simplify the process of picking which AHA products to add to your skin care routine and when to use them. Consider your routine—and your skin—forever changed.

The Best AHA Products to Incorporate into Your Routine

Everyone’s skincare routine usually consists of a few non-negotiable skincare products including a cleanser and a moisturizer. For those of us who are admittedly skin-obsessed, this extends a bit further to include products such as toner, serums, and masks too. If you are looking to combat certain skin concerns, like blemish scars, clogged pores, or visible sun damage, it really is advisable to incorporate these skin care products into your routine as well.

To reap all the wonderful aha skin benefits such as an even, radiant skin tone, and reduced fine lines we suggest using AHA-containing products regularly.

Cleanser

Let’s start with a skin care product everyone, regardless of age, gender, or skin condition uses: cleanser. If you’re looking for a simple way to incorporate AHAs into your routine, look no further than our Micro Polish Cleanser. This gently exfoliating face wash contains both glycolic acid from pineapple and lactic acid so you get the benefits of both the great AHAs. A cleanser that utilizes exfoliation is perfect for blemish-prone skin because it helps remove dead skin cells. Because of its exfoliating nature, you should only use this cleanser in place of your regular cleanser two to three times a week, or less if your skin is prone to irritation. The results? Your skin will appear brighter and radiant and your pores and fine lines will be visibly reduced. Magic? No, AHAs. Keep in mind that it is not advised to use another AHA product following a cleanse using the Micro Polish Cleanser.

Toner

One of the very best AHA products that we believe everyone should have in their skincare repertoire is a gentle, everyday toner such as our Ready Steady Glow Daily AHA Tonic. This powerful tonic is formulated with lactic acid (a gentle AHA) and boasts seven major skin benefits; it exfoliates, brightens, tightens, and hydrates, and leaves behind a smooth, even, and glowy complexion. Use it daily on clean, dry skin and follow with sunscreen when you use it in the morning. This is the recipe for a gorgeous glow. For more sensitive skin, saturate a reusable cotton pad with water before saturating it with tonic to dilute the formula. Traveling? There’s no excuse to miss a day thanks to the Ready Steady Glow Daily AHA Tonic 100ml size.

Serum

While we think all your products should be personally tailored to what your skin needs, a face serum is the part of your skincare routine that is meant to target specific skin concerns. Serum usually contains a more potent amount of a certain active ingredient, or a combination of several powerful active ingredients, in a watery or oily formula that can slip right beneath the skin’s surface and work its magic. If you struggle with tired-looking, dull skin, a Vitamin C serum such as our Radiance Perfection Serum is the perfect complement to your AHA products.

It’s safe to say that between cleansing, toning, applying serum, and moisturizing morning and night, the skin on our face receives a lot more attention than the rest of our skin. Do your body a favor and add an AHA body serum to your routine as well. Apply our AHA Smart Renewal Body Serum to clean skin all over to reveal smoother skin that has a natural glow to it.

Mask

This list wouldn’t be complete without a skincare mask. Masks can come to our rescue when our skin freaks out or when we want it to look its best for a special occasion, or when we just need a little extra self-care. Another one of the best AHA products is a mask with glycolic acid. Glycolic acid is smaller in size and thus goes a bit deeper in the top layer of the skin, so it’s not as gentle as lactic acid, but it’s a bit more powerful, making it an ideal ingredient in a mask that’s meant to be used every so often.

Our Glycol Lactic Radiance Renewal Mask won the Cosmopolitan Skin Awards for a reason. With a blend of glycolic, lactic, citric, and tartaric acid that’s four different AHAs—it reduces the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles, and dark spots restores radiance and evenness in skin tone, and leaves your skin texture feeling softer and smoother.

There you have it, these are the best AHA products to add to your skincare routine to see results both instantly and over time.

About the Author

Camille Poggi is a doctor in Pharmacy (PharmD.) and is passionate about skincare and how the skin works in general. She specializes in the cosmetic industry and worked for renowned companies in France like L’Oréal and Chanel before moving to London. After being a training manager for 4 years, Camille is at ease with explaining how products work in the skin and how to adapt her speech according to the audience.

She joined REN in January 2020 as International Training Manager and moved to the Research & Development team earlier this year to be the new Scientific Education Manager. A tailored-made role where she assesses and leads all technical communication and ensures scientific compliance is always met. She’s also involved in new product development from the earliest stages. Finding a way to create sustainable skincare products and making sure the message is properly delivered and understood is definitely a big challenge but also her favourite part working for REN.