Finding the right salicylic acid product

Are you struggling with acne breakouts?  Salicylic acid can help but finding the right salicylic acid product is what will prove to be the most difficult.

Acne in my 30’s

If you’re in your 30’s or 40’s and still suffer from acne problems, it can be really frustrating.  Adult acne is one of those things that you feel shouldn’t even be a thing – yet it is.  Adult acne happens for a number of reasons and it’s how you deal with it that can make all the difference.  For some, diet can be the key.

Diet and acne

There have been countless articles about if diet contributes to acne.  At the end of the day, what we put into our bodies can have an affect on how our bodies and skin look and feel.  If you’re constantly eating junk food or processed foods, your body needs to get rid of those toxins.  One of the ways this happens is by acne breakouts.

Maybe you’re not a junk food junkie but you eat / drink a lot of dairy.  For some, dairy poses a big problem – especially if it is not organic.  Everyone is different and they react differently to certain foods.

Hormones

Another common cause of acne, especially chin acne, is hormones.  When it is about that time of the month (say, about a week), you may start noticing chin breakouts prior to the start of your period.  Fun.  But, when you see a chin breakout, it’s most likely a sign that your period is about to start.

Either way, how you deal with your breakouts is important but it can be hard to know what to do.

Finding the right salicylic acid product

Surely you’ve seen salicylic acid products that claim to help acne.  But, finding the right salicylic acid product can be difficult.  Many over the counter (OTC) acne treatments that contain salicylic acid are usually referred to as a beta hydroxy acids.  But, that isn’t exactly true so don’t be fooled.

In truth, it is very hard to find a product that contains salicylic acid that actually works and doesn’t cause sensitivity.  The reason is because many of the products that contain salicylic acid also contain alcohol.  The problem here is that alcohol can make acne worse.  If you have acne prone skin and use a product with alcohol, you may have thought that the salicylic acid in the product isn’t effective.  But, look closer – it most likely contains alcohol (or another ingredient) that has aggravated your skin condition.

So, finding the right salicylic acid product is hard.  For these treatments to be effective, they should have 2% salicylic acid and a pH of 3-3.5.  Many products don’t list the percentage of acid along with the pH so it won’t necessarily be easy.  But, at least now you know to look for it and stay away from any products that don’t clearly identify the amount of salicylic acid and the pH.