Exfoliating acids

A cheap, effective weekly resurfacing treatment with the acid percentages right on the label. Respect the ten-minute limit and the sunscreen rule and it does real work on the look of texture and dullness. Used carelessly it will burn, so this is a tool for people who follow directions.

The value floor for a glycolic toner: a disclosed, sensible daily dose in a bottle that lasts for months. Glycolic raises sun sensitivity, so daytime sunscreen is part of the deal.

A well-dosed BHA with a delivery twist that earns its slight premium over the bargain liquids, aimed at the look of clearer pores with less sting. A sensible pick if a straight salicylic acid runs your skin dry.

A cheap, honestly dosed way to work azelaic into a routine for the look of a more even complexion. The texture is divisive and it is a cosmetic-strength suspension, not the prescription kind. At this price, with the percentage on the label, it is easy value.

A well-built cosmetic azelaic that pairs it with a low dose of salicylic for a bit more surface work. It costs more than the bargain suspensions, and what you pay for is the smoother texture and the added acid. A tidy, tolerable pick for the look of a more even complexion.

A well-priced, mostly gentle PHA-led exfoliant with a genuinely disclosed total acid percentage and a sensible 2% niacinamide alongside it. The headline "10-peptide" and copper-peptide story is the weakest part of the label, an undosed marketing add-on rather than a real second active. Buy it for the acid blend, not the peptide claim.

The reference BHA of the category: one disclosed, well-dosed active for the appearance of clearer, more refined-looking pores, with the longest track record of any liquid exfoliant. Almost nothing does the core job better.

One of the best value plays on the whole board: a properly dosed, disclosed glycolic treatment for the price of a coffee. Ease in slowly and pair it with daytime sunscreen.

The gentle end of the acid aisle, honestly dosed and cheap. The evidence for mandelic is thinner and younger than for glycolic or lactic, so treat it as a patient, low-drama pick rather than the strongest resurfacer.

The name promises an exfoliating treatment, but the ingredient list tells a different story: the AHA, BHA and PHA acids are each present at a few thousandths of a percent, and salicylic acid is not in the formula at all, so this will not meaningfully exfoliate. What it does deliver is a well-dosed 14.5% centella extract with niacinamide in a pleasant, oil-cushioned base for the appearance of a calmer, less-reactive complexion. Buy it for the soothing base, not for the acids in its name.

A well-dosed niacinamide serum with real tranexamic acid alongside it, which would justify a mid-tier price on its own. Melasyl is the part you take on trust, and it is doing a lot of the work in pushing this toward the top of the pharmacy shelf.

A well-formulated leave-on acid serum in good airless packaging, with a broad AHA and BHA blend doing well-evidenced surface work. The price is prestige and the total acid percentage is disclosed only as a blend. If you want a nightly exfoliant and do not mind paying for the finish, it performs.

A mild, honestly low-dose BHA ampoule pitched at oily, blemish-prone skin that wants gentle daily exfoliation for the appearance of clearer-looking pores rather than a strong peel-style treatment. The matcha and neem lean calming more than active, and the peptide list at the bottom is dressing, not a real multi-active formula. Fairly priced for a light, everyday pore-and-sebum ampoule, not the pick if you want a stronger, higher-percentage BHA.

A genuine leave-on exfoliating serum at a throwaway price, with the acid level right on the label. A smart first AHA for skin that finds glycolic too sharp.

The softest way to add an exfoliating acid to a routine, with a genuine niacinamide dose alongside for tone and shine. Reach for it if AHAs and BHAs are too much, not if you want serious resurfacing.

A capable acid-plus-brightener serum that pairs exfoliation with two pigment actives, wrapped in a prestige price. The undisclosed doses and the alcohol base are the knocks, and cheaper glycolic and tranexamic options cover most of the same ground.

A soft-touch retinol built for people who react to stronger versions, wrapped in a genuine centella complex rather than a token one. It will not deliver a strong retinoid result at this dose, but as a gentle first step into retinol with built-in soothing, it does what it promises.

An unusual oil format for a salicylic acid product, and a smart one, putting a disclosed 1.5% BHA into an oil aimed at the look of clearer pores on oilier skin. The prestige price is the catch against cheaper BHA liquids, but the disclosure and the fast-absorbing feel set it apart. A likeable option if a lightweight oil suits your routine.

The glycolic acid and vitamin-C ester are dosed for real work on the look of dullness and rough texture, and the delayed-activation bottle is a legitimately clever fix for vitamin C's stability problem. The headline 'LumiReveal' azelaic acid and licorice combination is mostly a marketing hook, both come in at trace levels on the INCI. Treat it as a glycolic-plus-vitamin-C serum with a smart bottle, not a three-active pigmentation treatment, and price it accordingly.

The most crowded of the three Byoma serums, and the one with the clearest case for its price: a decently dosed niacinamide and PHA pairing plus the ceramide complex for barrier support, with zinc and blue tansy rounding it out as label appeal. Good for oily, breakout-prone skin that wants gentle exfoliation and calming in one cheap step, not for anyone chasing a dedicated blue tansy or zinc treatment.

The brand signature acid, a smooth lactic acid treatment aimed at the look of a brighter, smoother surface with less sting than glycolic. The undisclosed level and prestige price are the trade, and the dose reads gentle rather than strong. Pleasant to use daily, and it layers like a serum despite the treatment name.

A gentler, more stable route to the appearance of brighter, more even-looking skin than a straight L-ascorbic acid serum, at a fair mid-prestige price. The undisclosed concentrations are the honest gap: you are trusting Kiehl’s dosing rather than checking it yourself, and the salicylic acid reads as a supporting touch, not a second headline active.

A well-evidenced antioxidant serum aimed squarely at oilier skin, with the salicylic acid earning its place rather than padding the label. It costs like the SkinCeuticals name, and the tinted dropper still browns over time. If your skin does not get on with the richer C E Ferulic, this is the version to reach for.

A capable, well-evidenced acid-and-brightening serum aimed at texture and tone, wrapped in a clinical-brand price. The active levels are undisclosed and the arbutin is more garnish than dose. It works, but you are paying a steep premium over cheaper acids that do the core job.

A pleasant, hydrating toner that markets itself on acids it barely contains. Fine as a gentle first-step splash, but do not expect the surface work a proper AHA or BHA does.

The 3-O-ethyl ascorbic acid is the genuine, well-placed active here and does the real brightening work. The green tea enzyme, tangerine, ferulic acid and niacinamide are all present but low enough on the label to be supporting cast rather than co-stars, so treat the name’s promise of double-duty brightening and exfoliation as more marketing than dosed reality. Still a reasonably priced, gentle vitamin C option.