Decoded Korea

Walk down any skincare aisle and the exfoliating acids sit side by side: a 2% BHA liquid, an 8% AHA toner, a PHA serum marketed for sensitive skin. The packaging treats them as one family. Regulators do not. We queried our database of 21,796 cosmetic ingredients across 10 markets and pulled every exfoliating acid with a regulatory entry. Salicylic acid — the BHA — is restricted in 9 of the 10 markets we track. Glycolic acid, the most common AHA, carries explicit restrictions in 3. The PHAs barely register at all, with Canada as the main exception. Same shelf, same purpose, very different rulebooks. The three acid families A quick orientation for anyone outside formulation work. AHAs — glycolic, lactic, mandelic, malic, tartaric — are water-soluble acids that loosen the bonds between dead skin cells at the surface. BHA means salicylic acid in practice: oil-soluble, able to work inside pores, which is why it dominates acne products. PHAs — gluconolactone, lactobionic acid — are chemi...