Salicylic acid is a prominent acne treatment ingredient that is used in many acne treatments on the market. Salicylic Acid is a Beta Hydroxy Acid found on a willow tree. It is extracted from the bark of the extract to produce a compound called Salicin. The conversion of this substance into a sugar and upon oxidation becomes Salicylic Acid.
It is common found in acne treatments that come with pads as applicators. However, it is also found in acne lotions, creams, cleansers, gels, and even in toners. Salicylic Acid causes the skin to exfoliate and prevent further pores from clogging up. This exfoliating action on the skin helps prevent acne from forming by eliminating dead skin cells. Believe it or not, its powerful chemical base is used to treat other skin disorders including dandruff, psoriasis, calluses, corns, warts, and more.
How it Works
Salicylic acid treats acne by exfoliating away dead skin. It also has the ability to penetrate the pores of the skin. These two actions allow the dead skin cells to be exfoliated and keep the follicles clear. Helping keep the pores clear of debris like dead skin cells, it reduces the pores being blocked and prevents the breakout of acne.
Some common products containing salicylic acid include:
- Oxy products
- Noxzema Anti-Acne Gel
- Noxzema Anti-Acne Pads
- Stridex products
- Dermalogica Medicated Clearing Gel
- Does Salicylic Acid Produce Any Side Effects?
One of the major downfalls of using Salicylic Acid is because this harsh chemical has properties to treat acne, but it also produces a host of harmful side effects. Common side effects are irritations and dryness on the skin, but more severe side effects has also been reported. In fact, using salicylic acid in conjunction with other acne treatments Retin A, Differin, or benzoyl peroxide based products like Proactiv, increased irritation, dryness, peeling, or stinging can occur.
Salicylic Acid has been known to cause the following side effects:
- Stinging
- Burning
- Skin Peeling
- Scaling
- Rashes
- Itching
- Dryness
- Redness
- Severe Irritation
- Swelling on the Face
- Vomit
- Fatigue
Our Conculsions
Salicylic Acid is a mediocre acne treatment ingredient that lacks the power that other ingredients have and also brings a host of different side effects with it. The major downfall of using Salicylic Acid is mostly due to the fact that this harsh chemical can irritate and cause dryness on the skin. The good news is that there are just so many more ingredients out there that doubles the power of Salicylic Acid and does not produce any side effects. In fact, there are many all natural acne treatment ingredients that will help improve the condition of your skin while getting rid of acne. For these reasons, we feel there are better acne treatment ingredients that you should pursue and think twice about Salicylic Acid.
