Includes lactic, citric, malic, glycolic and tartaric acids.These acids are a natural derivative of fruit such as apples and grapes, sour milk, wine or sugar cane or can be synthetically made. Brighten the complexion by peeling off the dead top layer of skin and speeding up cell renewal. They are sometimes too harsh for sensitive
skins but there are new brands of cosmetics which now use very small quantities. A sunscreen should be worn when using AHAs as it makes the skin more sensitive to sun.

AHAs work on the skin by breaking down the dead skin cells to reveal smoother and newer skin. They may be too harsh for
sensitive skins and an alternative is beta-hydroxy acids such as salicylic acid which is kinder to the skin.

Examples of AHA creams on the market: Aveda Bio-Molecular Recovery Treatment, Vichy LumiActiv, Gatineau Strategic Jeunesse Intensive Wrinkle Treatment, Yves St laurent Fruit Jeunesse, Estee Lauder Fruition Extra, Estee Lauder Re-Nutrive Intensive Lifting Cream.