I want I had recognized about salicylic acid after I had been a teen. Again then, I spent hours irritating scrubbing my face and drying out pimples with toothpaste (I learn in a magazine it labored 🙄 ) after which questioned why my pores and skin regarded like a large number.

Salicylic acid is the skincare hero each lady (and man) with oily pores and skin wants. It kicks pimples off your face. Soothes the redness. Brightens your complexion. What are its superpowers? How can it do all this – and with out irritating pores and skin like so many different pimples remedies do? Right here’s all the things it’s essential to find out about salicylic acid for shiny and acne-prone pores and skin:

What Is Salicylic Acid?

Salicylic acid is the one member of the Beta Hydroxy Acid household utilized in skincare merchandise. For that reason, it’s usually known as BHA, too. Salicylic acid is of course discovered within the bark of the willow tree, however the sort utilized in your lotions and potions is often made in a lab. Nothing unsuitable with that. It retains the prices down with out hurting your pores and skin.

Struggling to place collectively a skincare routine that banishes shine, pimples, and blackheads? Obtain your FREE “Finest Skincare Routine For Oily Pores and skin” cheatsheet to get began (it options product suggestions + proper utility order):

Salicylic Acid Advantages

Salicylic acid is a multitasker. Right here’s all the things it does to your pores and skin:

1. Salicylic Acid Exfoliates Pores and skin

Salicylic acid is a strong, if mild, exfoliant. Like all sorts of chemical exfoliants, it really works by dissolving the “glue” that holds pores and skin cells collectively. Dermatologist Ellen Murmur explains: “It works by growing the quantity of moisture within the pores and skin and dissolving the substance that causes the pores and skin cells to stay collectively. This makes it simpler to shed the pores and skin cells.”

Wish to know what occurs if you exfoliate the floor of your pores and skin? As outdated, broken useless cells go away strategy to new, brighter ones, your complexion feels softer to the contact. Mild higher displays onto your pores and skin, making you glow. And even your wrinkles look smaller. Common exfoliation is a fast strategy to look youthful and more healthy.

Plus, if you take away useless cells out of your pores and skin, they will’t get caught in your pores and trigger clogs that result in pimples. When you have oily or acne-prone pores and skin, utilizing salicylic acid as a part of your routine helps to maintain breakouts at bay.

2. Salicylic Acid Treats Pimples

I do know all of you need to use glycolic acid as a result of it’s an anti-aging celebrity, however you probably have oily pores and skin, salicylic acid is the higher possibility. Earlier than I let you know why, right here’s a reminder of how pimples types.

When your pores and skin produces an excessive amount of oil, the surplus will get caught in your pores, the place it mixes with useless pores and skin cells and different particles. This combination will get caught within the pores, inflicting clogs that result in blackheads, whiteheads, and (if the combination will get infected with micro organism) pimples.

So what makes salicylic acid higher than glycolic acid to deal with pimples? Salicylic acid is oil soluble. Whereas glycolic acid (and all its AHAs siblings) solely exfoliates the floor of your pores and skin, salicylic acid is ready to get by your pores and skin’s lipid barrier and into your pores. As soon as in there, salicylic acid shortly removes all of the crap, like extra sebum and useless cells, which are clogging them earlier than they erupt in pimples. 

Its skill to exfoliate the pores from inside additionally makes it a professional at each stopping and treating blackheads (and whiteheads). Whereas pore strips solely take away the black tip of the blackheads, salicylic acid additionally removes their tail too. When you don’t eliminate that, it’s solely a matter of time earlier than the blackheads pop up onto your face once more.

Associated: AHAs Vs BHA: Which One Is Proper For You?

3. Salicylic Acid Reduces Pore Measurement

Unhealthy information first: the scale of your pores is genetically decided. You may’t make it smaller.

Excellent news: clogs in your pores stretch your pores, so they give the impression of being greater to the bare eye. Take away these clogs and your pores return to their pure dimension.

It is a job for salicylic acid. The one exfoliant that will get deep into your pores, it could take away all of the clogs which are stretching your pores. Within the course of, it removes pimples and blackheads, too. Whats up, clear pores and skin! Goodbye pore craters!

4. Salicylic Acid Has Anti-Inflammatory Properties

Salicylic acid belongs to the identical household has aspirin, so it has anti-inflammatory properties. This implies it could scale back the redness that at all times tags together with pimple, relax infected pimples, and soothe pressured and irritated pores and skin. This makes it perfect for acne-prone and delicate pores and skin sorts.

Associated: 9 Methods To Soothe Irritated Pores and skin

5. Salicylic Acid Has Anti-Bacterial Properties

Salicylic acid additionally has antibacterial properties that weaken P. Acnes, the micro organism that causes pimples. It’s simply not so good as killing it as benzoyl peroxide. I wouldn’t depend on salicylic acid alone to make your pimples disappear, however it ought to positively be a part of your anti-acne toolkit. Each little bit helps.

Associated: Salicylic Acid VS Benzoyl Peroxide: Which One Ought to You Use?

6. Salicylic Acid Treats Hyperpigmentation

Hyperpigmentation is a elaborate means for darkish spots. Any darkish spots, from melasma to the darker discolourations pimples typically go away behind after they heal. Any exfoliant can lighten darkish spots by eradicating the uppermost (most broken!) layers of pores and skin and exposing these extra even-toned layers beneath.

By itself, Salicylic Acid isn’t the perfect at treating hyperpigmentation. If you wish to fade away darkish spots, I wouldn’t advocate it as your first plan of action. However that doesn’t imply it’s not up for the job. Based on a research revealed within the Journal of medication in dermatology, reveals that the mix of 0.5% ellagic acid and 0.1% salicylic acid produces comparable outcomes to 4% hydroquinone, the gold normal for treating hyperpigmentation.

It’s additionally extra appropriate for folks of color. Whereas Glycolic acid, an exfoliant that belongs to the AHAs household, is more practical at fading away hyperpigmentation, it might additionally trigger erythema and worsen darkish spots in some circumstances. Salicylic acid is safer for darker pores and skin tones.

What Pores and skin Circumstances Can Salicylic Acid Deal with?

Listed below are all of the pores and skin situations Salicylic Acid can deal with:

• Pimples (together with blackheads and whiteheads)
• Calluses
• Dandruff
• Giant pores
• Psoriasis
• Solar harm
• Warts

When you’re experiencing any of them, salicylic acid is a valuable ally in your skincare routine.

How To Use It

I like to recommend utilizing Salicylic Acid each different evening, proper after cleaning. The nearer to your pores and skin you utilize it, the higher outcomes you’ll get. After which notice how your pores and skin reacts to it. “The secret’s to hearken to your pores and skin,” dermatologist Adarsh Vijay Mudgil recommends. “If it’s getting irritated, you’ll must take a day or two off and maybe be a bit extra vigilant with moisturizing.”

Can You Use Salicylic Acid As A Spot Remedy?

Sure, you’ll be able to. However Salicylic Acid is such a beautiful exfoliant, why wouldn’t you need to use it throughout your face? When you have pimples pimples, you would use Salicylic acid throughout your face each different nights. On the nights in between, you would apply it as a spot therapy. This fashion, you eliminate the pimples quicker with out irritating the remainder of your face.

Can You Use Salicylic Acid Every day?

Until prescribed by a dermatologist, utilizing salicylic acid every day is simply too drying and aggravating for pores and skin. The exception? Salicylic acid cleansers. They’re mild sufficient for use ONCE a day. The catch? Salicylic acid works quite a bit higher when left on the pores and skin for a number of hours. In a cleanser, it simply finally ends up down the drain along with grime. I like to recommend you utilize a salicylic acid cleanser solely you probably have delicate pores and skin that may’t tolerate the acid in your pores and skin for a number of hours.

Who Ought to Use Salicylic Acid?

All pores and skin sorts can use salicylic acid. However, because it’s the ONLY exfoliant that may unclog pores, it’s perfect for shiny and acne-prone pores and skin (together with dry AND acne-prone pores and skin). When you have pimples, blackheads, whiteheads, clogged pores, a propensity to pimples, or oily pores and skin, you want Salicylic Acid. No different exfoliant will work as effectively for you. Interval.

Who Shouldn’t Use Salicylic Acid?

Salicylic acid is superior, however it’s NOT for everybody. You shouldn’t use it if:

• You don’t have pimples or oily pores and skin: Glycolic or Lactic acid could also be higher exfoliating choices for you.
• You need to fade away darkish spots: Whereas salicylic acid can assist fade away darkish spots, it does so very slowly. When you don’t have pimples and fading darkish spots is your principal concern, go along with Glycolic acid as an alternative.
• Are on sure medicines: It may possibly intervene with sure medicine, like blood thinners.
• Are pregnant or breastfeeding: Taken orally in low doses may cause beginning defects. Small doses ( <2% ) utilized topically to the pores and skin are protected for mum and child, however simply to be on the protected facet, keep away from salicylic acid peels.

Associated: Which Skincare Elements Ought to You Keep away from Throughout Being pregnant?

How Typically Ought to You Use It?

The best frequency is each different evening. It offers sufficient exfoliation to deal with and forestall blackheads, whiteheads, and pimples with out irritating pores and skin. In case your pimples may be very extreme and your pores and skin very oily, chances are you’ll get away with utilizing salicylic acid daily and even twice a day, morning and evening. However I solely advocate this in extreme circumstances till the pimples has healed. To maintain pores and skin clear after that, each different evening is greater than sufficient. As a rule, for those who’re experiencing dryness, irritation, and redness, in the reduction of utilization.

What Ought to You NOT Use It With?

Though you would use salicylic acid with different exfoliants, it’s NOT a good suggestion to take action. An excessive amount of exfoliation irritates pores and skin and dries it out. The one exception? When you use a product, like Drunk Elephant T.L.C. Glycolic Night time Serum, formulated with a combination completely different exfoliating acids. They’re designed to provide the correct quantity of exfoliation you want – and quite a bit safer to make use of than you mixing a number of bottles or utilizing a unique exfoliant daily. This additionally means you shouldn’t use salicylic acid with scrubs, konjac sponges, sonic cleansers and the rest that might exfoliate pores and skin.

It’s additionally not a good suggestion to make use of salicylic acid similtaneously retinoids. This mix is simply too harsh. As an alternative, alternate them. Use salicylic acid one evening and retinol or tretinoin the subsequent. You’ll get the perfect of each world with out irritating your pores and skin.

How A lot Salicylic Acid Do You Want?

You know the way I at all times say that for those who solely add a sprinkle of an ingredient in a cream or lotion, it’s not gonna do a lot for you? Salicylic acid is the exception to the rule. It really works effectively even at 1 or 2% concentrations. The truth is, right here within the EU, you’ll be able to’t use greater than 2%.

Acids are superior, however for those who abuse them, they will wreak some critical havoc in your pores and skin. And you understand human nature. When one thing is nice, you need to use a ton of it to get higher outcomes after which marvel why your pores and skin seems to be like a large number. When you can’t use greater than 2%, you’ll be able to take pleasure in its advantages with none nasty unintended effects.

Associated: 5 Skincare Therapies That Can Injury Pores and skin IF Abused

Is Salicylic Acid pH Dependant?

A few of the greatest skincare actives, together with Glycolic acid and Vitamin C, are pH dependant. What does this imply? Easy. They work solely at a sure, often low, pH. If it’s too excessive, chances are you’ll simply as effectively splash water in your pores and skin.

Hearsay has it, salicylic acid is pH dependant too. If it’s increased than 4, it received’t work. That is NOT true! Research present that it’s an efficient exfoliant even with a better pH. That is nice information for delicate pores and skin. Low pH = increased likelihood of irritation. By holding the pH at a skin-friendly stage, you get the advantages of exfoliation with out the irritation.

Salicylic Acid VS Benzoyl Peroxide: Which One Is Proper For You?

Like Salicylic Acid, Benzoyl Peroxide is a well-liked pimples therapy. So which one do you have to use?

Benzoyl Peroxide works otherwise. Whereas it has a light peeling motion, it largely works by killing P.Pimples, the micro organism that causes pimples. The very best half? The micro organism doesn’t develop immune to it. However, it’s a lot harsher on the pores and skin and causes dryness and irritation.

Based on a overview in Scientific Therapeutics, “Comparative research of salicylic acid have proven it to be superior to benzoyl peroxide in decreasing the overall variety of pimples lesions,” and it’s gentler on the pores and skin besides. FYI, that is true even in terms of cleansers. A salicylic acid face wash works higher at treating pimples than one with benzoyl peroxide, in line with a research revealed in Scientific Therapeutics.

I like to recommend you begin with Salicylic Acid and, if you would like serving to hand, use Benzoyl Peroxide as spot therapy solely.

Salicylic Acid VS Glycolic Acid: Which One Is Proper For You?

Glycolic acid is a part of the Alpha Hydroxy Acids (AHAs) exfoliating household. Like Salicylic Acid, it dissolves the “glue” that holds pores and skin cells collectively, to allow them to slough off and reveal the brighter pores and skin beneath. However Glycolic acid doesn’t get inside your pores, so it could’t do something to your pimples.

As an alternative, glycolic acid has two completely different superpowers: it hydrates pores and skin and fades away darkish spots. When you have dry pores and skin otherwise you’re extra involved about fading away darkish spots than eliminating the off blackhead, glycolic acid is for you. However you probably have any sort of pimples, doesn’t matter what your pores and skin sort is, salicylic acid will you provide the greatest outcomes.

Facet Results Of Salicylic Acid

Though Salicylic acid is gentler than different exfoliants (*cough* Glycolic Acid *cough*), it could nonetheless dry out and irritate pores and skin for those who use an excessive amount of. Overexfoliation isn’t good. Useless cells are there for a motive. To guard the newer pores and skin beneath that’s not absolutely developed and able to come to the floor but. A bit exfoliation brightens pores and skin. An excessive amount of exposes uncooked pores and skin – it’s ugly and painful.

Like all exfoliants, Salicylic Acid can even enhance pores and skin sensitivity to the solar. For that reason, it’s greatest to make use of it at evening, when the solar isn’t round.

Lastly, Salicylic Acid might trigger purging. A purge is completely different from a breakout. A breakout occurs if you use substances that clog pores and provide you with pimples. Take away the offender and you’ve got clear pores and skin once more. A purge occurs when your pores and skin is already clogged beneath the floor. On this case, exfoliation brings all that crap, within the type of pimples and blackheads, to the floor sooner, so it may be cleared up.

When you’re experiencing a breakout after utilizing salicylic acid, it’s regular. Salicylic acid isn’t providing you with extra pimples. It’s clearing each layer of your pores and skin, so you’ll be able to take away all of the gunk in a single go and revel in stunning pores and skin afterwards. Relying on how clogged your pores and skin is, it could take as much as 6 weeks to finish the purging course of.

What Are The Finest Merchandise With Salicylic Acid?

Decide one product. In case your moisturizer has salicylic acid, you don’t want a separate exfoliant. When you exfoliate with salicylic acid, you don’t want it to be in your toner, too. You get the purpose. Now that’s out of the way in which, listed below are my fave skincare merchandise with salicylic acid:

• Drunk Elephant T.L.C. Framboos Glycolic Night time Serum ($90.00): Don’t let the title idiot you. This exfoliant has each salicylic acid to unclog pores and glycolic acid to fade away the darkish spots pimples typically go away behind. Out there at Cult Magnificence, Sephora and SpaceNK.
• Paula’s Selection Pores and skin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid ($29.00): The cult exfoliant from the model, it unlclogs pores and treats blackheads and pimples. The feel’s a bit sticky, however for those who can take that, this is among the greatest salicylic acid exfoliants on the market. Out there at Cult Magnificence, Dermstore, Web-A-Porter, Paula’s Selection, Sephora, and SpaceNK.
• The Inkey Checklist Beta Hydroxy Acid (£9.99): A easy, no-frills salicylic acid exfoliant for folks on a price range. Out there at Cult Magnificence and Sephora.

The Backside Line

When you have oily, combo or acne-prone pores and skin, it’s essential to add salicylic acid to your skincare arsenal now. It’ll vanish blackheads, fade darkish spots, banish pimples and soothe your pores and skin. What extra might you ask for?

About Gio

Hello, I am Gio. I am a no-nonsense, tell-it-like-it-is pores and skin coach and author on a mission that will help you obtain your greatest pores and skin day ever – daily. I bust skincare myths and debunk advertising jargon that will help you work out what’s definitely worth the splurge and what’s greatest left on the shelf – utilizing science, not hype. I additionally supply skincare consultations that will help you create the perfect skincare routine to your distinctive wants.