Exfoliant ingredients, for short

Editorially verified for the Oct 18, 2026

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A skincare exfoliant bottle labeled with AHA, an abbreviation for alpha hydroxy acid.

Clue explained

AHA is short for alpha hydroxy acid, a family of ingredients used in some exfoliating skin-care products. These acids help loosen the bonds between dead surface cells so they can shed more easily. Because the clue asks for ingredients in the plural, the abbreviated answer is AHAs.

Clue type:
Abbreviation

USA Today Crossword

This clue's Sunday, October 18, 2026 appearance

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Across

  1. 1"So?"
  2. 4Baby buggy?
  3. 9"___ Gotta Have It"
  4. 13TV explorer
  5. 15Pandemonium
  6. 16Layer of paint
  7. 17"The Woman King" and "How to Get Away With Murder" star considered to be one of the greatest actors of all time
  8. 19___-bitty
  9. 20Changes the subject, perhaps?
  10. 21Passover ritual
  11. 23I've got your number! (Abbr.)
  12. 24Renovates
  13. 26Soy sauce alternative
  14. 28Some undergrad degrees
  15. 29Neon garments for crossing guards
  16. 33Rolled corn chip brand
  17. 34Had a big fight
  18. 36___-cute (rom-com trope)
  19. 37California Eagle owner-editor who foiled a KKK plot and ran for U.S. vice president
  20. 40Very damp crawl space?
  21. 41Dangers
  22. 42Dogs and cats, but not puppies and kittens
  23. 45Like stags and roosters
  24. 46Many a wall flower?
  25. 49Parts of courses
  26. 51Stew made with dal and tamarind
  27. 53"Firstly . . ."
  28. 54Floor plan sections
  29. 57Like the joke "What do you call a fake noodle? An impasta!"
  30. 58Face coverings
  31. 60"All About Love" and "The Will To Change" author who paved the way for intersectional feminism
  32. 62Friend, in Spanish
  33. 63Radiate
  34. 64"The Price of ___"
  35. 65Matching groups
  36. 66Skip it!
  37. 67___ Moines, IA

Down

  1. 1Part of speech of "truly"
  2. 2"I don't know!"
  3. 3"Star Wars" robots
  4. 4TV type
  5. 5Exfoliant ingredients, for short
  6. 6Party with kandi bracelets
  7. 7Null and ___
  8. 8That's useful!
  9. 9The S in STEM (Abbr.)
  10. 10Some unpopular opinions
  11. 11Filling stations?
  12. 12One might be paid to change the locks?
  13. 14Palo ___, CA
  14. 18Letter sign-off
  15. 22Pet rodent
  16. 25Peddle
  17. 27Some parents
  18. 30Pig food
  19. 31Sacred clan symbol
  20. 32Kama ___
  21. 34Takes a tumble
  22. 35Word yelled before a coin flip
  23. 37Spy's moniker
  24. 38Take care of someone's place
  25. 39It lightens things up
  26. 40Grapefruit cocktails
  27. 43Trunk
  28. 44Word before "Caps" and "Balls"
  29. 46In another country
  30. 47Irritate
  31. 48Lovers' meetups
  32. 50Not drunk
  33. 52Sounds from stock characters?
  34. 55Officewide email
  35. 56Piece of paper for parental permission
  36. 59Metric units of weight (Abbr.)
  37. 614G ___

The answer to “Exfoliant ingredients, for short” in the USA Today crossword is AHAS — a 4-letter word. It most recently appeared in the USA Today crossword on October 18, 2026, a Sunday puzzle, at 5-Down. Below you'll find why that fill fits, every other answer we've recorded for this clue, and links into the puzzle it came from.

“Exfoliant ingredients, for short” answer

AHAS (4 letters)

Reveal the solution one letter at a time with the tiles above if you'd rather nudge yourself toward it than see the whole word at once. Just want it outright? The answer is AHAS.

When else has “Exfoliant ingredients, for short” appeared?

USA Today reuses clues across dates, sometimes with a different answer depending on the grid. Here's where this exact clue has shown up, and what the answer was each time — handy when you're checking whether today's fill is the only one.

October 18, 2026 (most recent) → AHAS. We haven't indexed another appearance of this exact clue yet.

Frequently asked questions

What is the answer to “Exfoliant ingredients, for short”?

The answer is AHAS, a 4-letter word. It most recently appeared in the USA Today crossword on October 18, 2026.

How many letters is the answer to “Exfoliant ingredients, for short”?

4 letters: AHAS.

When did this clue appear?

Most recently in the USA Today crossword on October 18, 2026 (a Sunday puzzle), at 5-Down.

Can “Exfoliant ingredients, for short” have a different answer?

Yes — USA Today sometimes reuses a clue with a different solution to fit the grid. The answers we've recorded for each date it appeared are listed above when available.

Where can I find the rest of this day's USA Today answers?

The full grid for October 18, 2026 is on the USA Today answers page, with every clue and answer from that puzzle.

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