Addressing Back Acne and Keratosis Pilaris with BHA and AHA

You're looking to improve the effectiveness of your shower gel to help with back acne and 'chicken skin' (keratosis pilaris) by adding BHA and AHA. These are excellent ingredients known for their exfoliating properties, which can indeed help with these conditions.

• BHA (Beta Hydroxy Acid): Salicylic Acid is a common BHA. It is oil-soluble, allowing it to penetrate into pores and help unclog them, making it particularly effective for acne.
• AHA (Alpha Hydroxy Acid): Examples include Glycolic Acid and Lactic Acid. These are water-soluble and work by exfoliating the surface layer of the skin, improving texture and reducing roughness often associated with keratosis pilaris.

While the idea of boosting your current shower gel is appealing, it's generally not recommended to add active ingredients like BHA or AHA to a pre-made commercial product. Here's why:

1. Formulation Stability: Commercial products are carefully balanced. Adding ingredients can disrupt the pH, emulsification, and overall stability, potentially making the product ineffective or even harmful.
2. Efficacy: The pH needs to be within a specific range for BHA and AHA to exfoliate effectively. A shower gel's pH might not be suitable. Also, wash-off products have very short contact time with the skin, limiting how much the active ingredients can work compared to leave-on treatments.
3. Safety: Incorrect concentrations or interactions with existing ingredients can lead to severe skin irritation, redness, peeling, or increased sensitivity to the sun.
4. Preservation: Adding ingredients can compromise the product's preservative system, risking microbial contamination.

A much safer and more effective approach is to use body wash or leave-on treatments (like lotions or serums) that are already professionally formulated with BHA and/or AHA for body use. These products are designed with the correct pH, concentration, and ingredient compatibility to ensure both efficacy and safety for treating conditions like back acne and keratosis pilaris.

Although I couldn't find specific BHA or AHA ingredients in the database during my search, the general principles regarding their use in formulations and the recommendation to use pre-formulated products for safety and effectiveness still apply.