How to use BHAs in your routine, step by step

Getting BHAs right takes four weeks of pacing, not a perfect product. Here is the full method.

How to apply it

Typical strength is 1–2% salicylic acid in most leave-ons. Use it evening.

Start two to three nights per week.

Typical sensation: mild tingle, then smooth skin. Timeline for visible results: four to six weeks.

2–3 nights weekly for most.

Stinging or flaking? Drop one session per week and add moisturizer. Do not combine with layering with AHAs the same night.

If nothing happens after the full timeline, check product strength and whether you are protecting skin with SPF.

Skin type changes how quickly you can build up, so use these starting points as a guide.

Here is how BHAs could slot into a simple day, given that it is best used evening.

Evening, after cleansing and before moisturizer.

A thin layer — more does not speed results and raises irritation risk.

Continue as normal; never double up.

Not quite: they make pores look cleaner and smaller by removing debris, but pore size stays largely genetic.