Does Salicylic Acid work?

Salicylic acid is a common ingredient in acne products.  It’s used to help fight acne breakouts but does salicylic acid work?

Acne busting ingredients

There are 2 very common acne controlling ingredients in skin care products.  Which one have your tried?  One is Benzoyl Peroxide and the other is Salicylic Acid.  One may be harsher than the other.  Find out:  Does salicylic acid work?

Benzoyl peroxide

This ingredient kills bacteria and can clean out pores.  It is regarded as safe.  You’ll see this in many spot treatment creams and they do work.  As soon as you see a pimple starting, you can dab a little bit of this on.  Within a few hours, many people will see a noticeable difference in the size of their pimple.  However, there are some cons to this ingredient.

Cons of Benzoyl Peroxide

It can be irritating to people with sensitive skin, especially depending on the concentration of it.  If the amount of benzoyl peroxide is 10% (or more), it could cause redness because it is drying out your skin.  Some people can’t tolerate it.  You might have to try something else or try a product that contains less than 10%.

The second con of benzoyl peroxide is that it will bleach fabric.  So, if you happen to get it on your clothing, it could ruin it.  Suggestion:  wear white that day!  Also remember that if you apply at night, it will get on your sheets and could bleach your sheets.  Just be mindful when using any product that contains benzoyl peroxide, especially if it is something like a cream that isn’t washed off until the next time you wash your face.  Up next:  Does salicylic acid work?

Does Salicylic Acid Work?

Salicylic acid is a kerolytic agent which means that it can remove the proteins in skin cells.  This is a beta hydroxy acid and it is very common in acne products such as soaps and spot creams, as well as corn and callus removers.  The nice thing about this ingredient is that it can get under the skin layers and it’s oil-soluble so it can get into the pores to get dead skin cells out.

Another benefit of SA is that it’s anti-inflammatory so you can use it every day – it’s great for even the most sensitive skin.  It’s great to help with the redness you’ll get with pimples.

Cons of Salicylic Acid

The bad news is that it takes a long time – about 3 months for the debris to be removed.  That’s a long time to wait for clear skin.  Most of us want results right away.

So, if you have ongoing acne, it’s not really worth your time or money on products that contain this ingredient.  But, if you have generally clear skin and want to keep acne at bay by keeping your pores clear, you may want to put this in your skin care regimen.  Just remember that you’ll need to use it daily to prevent future pimple eruptions!

Conclusion

Both ingredients are good.  It just depends on your needs.  If you have very mild acne, use salicylic acid regularly to keep your skin clear.  I do like the benzoyl peroxide for spot treatments but I do not like them in the face washes.  The face washes, in my opinion, are too harsh for most people.  If you’ve ever used these and noticed redness soon after, you know what I’m talking about.

Many products contain salicylic acid but do they work for you and your skin?  Does salicylic acid work for you?  Hopefully the information I have provided here can help you make that determination.  Good luck!

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