WishCare AHA + BHA Body Lotion

WishCare AHA BHA Body Lotion — the rough bumps on upper arms and thighs that never quite go away are usually keratosis pilaris — keratin plugging the follicle. Scrubbing makes it redder, not smoother. Chemical exfoliation is what actually works on it.

This lotion runs 10% AHA with 1% BHA — lactic and glycolic acids across the surface, salicylic acid down into the follicle — in a moisturising base rather than a drying one.

Best for

Keratosis pilaris, rough elbows and knees, body acne, and dull or uneven body skin.

How to use WishCare AHA Lotion

Apply at night to clean, dry skin, starting every other night. Not immediately after shaving or waxing.

Do not forget

Acids increase sun sensitivity. Anything you treat and then expose — arms, chest, legs — needs sunscreen the next day.

What is in it

AHA

Alpha hydroxy acids work on the surface. They dissolve the bonds holding dead cells to one another, so the dull, rough layer lifts away instead of sitting there. Glycolic acid is the smallest of them and penetrates most readily, which makes it effective and also the most likely to sting. AHAs suit rough texture, dullness and uneven tone better than they suit active spots — that is BHA territory. Background reading on alpha hydroxy acids if you want the chemistry behind it.

BHA

Salicylic acid is oil-soluble, and that single property is why it is the standard answer for blackheads and congestion. It travels into the pore lining rather than working only across the surface, clearing the mix of sebum and dead cells that blocks it. It is also mildly anti-inflammatory, so it tends to calm the redness around a blemish rather than aggravate it. Most well-judged leave-on products sit around two percent.

Keratin

Keratin is the structural protein hair is actually made of, and damage — heat, bleach, friction — is largely keratin loss. Applied topically it cannot rebuild the fibre from within, but hydrolysed keratin is small enough to sit in the damaged gaps along the cuticle, which measurably reduces breakage and smooths the surface. The effect is real and it is temporary, renewed each time you use the product.

What to use it with

Body skin responds to the same logic as facial skin — actives, then moisture, then protection. From the rest of our range, WishCare Under Arm Roll On Serum and WishCare Daily Tinted Fluid Sunscreen L101 are sensible companions, and both are stocked with the same cash-on-delivery terms.

Where it fits in your routine

Body lotion works best on skin that is still slightly damp, within a couple of minutes of a shower, because that is when there is water at the surface for it to seal in. Pay attention to shins, elbows and upper arms, which dry out first. If the lotion contains an active — an acid, a retinoid, a vitamin — treat it like a facial product: introduce it gradually and wear sunscreen on anything the sun reaches.

Before you start

Exfoliating acids increase sun sensitivity, so daily sunscreen matters more than usual while you are using this. Do not layer it with a retinoid on the same night until you know how your skin handles each on its own.

Common questions

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