How to Use Salicylic Acid For Acne The Right Way

Yes, there are so many skincare products that contain salicylic acid these days and it can get confusing. You might have also seen this skincare ingredient in many acne kits and may be wondering what exactly salicylic acid is, how it works, and all the shebang. In this post, I will share with you, how to use salicylic acid for acne the right way so you can reap the benefits of this awesome skincare ingredient.

So grab a cup of coffee, tea, or something… and, let’s dive in

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Table of Contents

What is Salicylic Acid?

Salicylic acid is a beta hydroxy acid made from willow bark. It is a chemical exfoliant with unique properties. Unlike alpha-hydroxy acids like glycolic acid and lactic acid, salicylic acid is lipophilic( lipid loving) and so it can penetrate the lipid barrier of the skin into the pores. It is an oily skin’s best friend. It comes in cleansers, gels, lotions, and peels with over the counter strengths ranging from 0.5 – 2%

How Does Salicylic Acid Work?

Acne usually arises when the pores on our skin get clogged from improperly shed dead skin cells, excess oil produced from the oil glands, and when there is inflammation caused by the acne forming bacteria Cutibacterium acne.

When the pores get clogged they could either give rise to non-inflammatory acne (blackheads and whiteheads) or inflammatory acne ( papules, pustules, nodules, and cysts)

Salicylic acid is a keratolytic agent meaning it can dissolve the glue that holds these dead skin cells together causing them to slough off easily. It is also comedolytic meaning it penetrates deep into the pores to clean them out making salicylic acid very effective in the treatment of Comedonal acne over benzoyl peroxide which works better for inflammatory acne.

Salicylic acid also has some anti-inflammatory effects on the skin as well. So it can calm red and irritated skin.

How to Use Salicylic acid for Acne

Salicylic acid can be used in several ways to treat acne. It comes in different formulations: as a cleanser, in toners, exfoliants, gels, and lotions.

When you have sensitive skin or you are just new to using salicylic acid it is safer to start off using a rinse-off product like a salicylic acid cleanser. This reduces the contact time and leads to less irritation

You can start off using it every other day then gradually step up to daily usage.

How to Use a salicylic cleanser

Wet your face with lukewarm water
Take a few pumps of your salicylic acid cleanser and lather up unto your skin
Leave on for 1-2minutes then rinse off
Follow up with an oil-free moisturizer

How to use a salicylic acid leave-on treatment

Cleanse face with a mild cleanser
Apply the salicylic acid product thinly across the face
Follow up with a lightweight moisturizer

Salicylic acid can be very drying for some, and it could also leave your skin sensitive to sun rays. Use sunscreen with a minimum of SPF 30 during the day.

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Can Salicylic Acid Make acne Worse?

Yes, salicylic acid could make your acne worse before it gets better. Salicylic acid is a skin active that increases your skin cell turnover rate. This can bring to the surface clogged pores deep inside the skin. So it may seem like you are breaking out more than you should but worry not it’s just a purging phase.

During this time, you may also experience excessive dryness, redness, and flaking

When you are experiencing this it may be tempting to stop, but that would be the wrong move. Purging is only temporary and clears within 2-4 weeks. This varies from person to person for some this may last as long as 6-12 weeks.

How long does Salicylic acid take to Clear Acne?

Like most skincare ingredients used in the treatment of acne, salicylic acid can take up to 4-6 weeks before you see results. So use for a good amount of time before you can say for sure if the product is living up to its promise.

Skincare Ingredients to not mix with Salicylic Acid

Salicylic acid can leave your skin feeling very dry and so should not be used with other drying skin ingredients like Retinoids. Salicylic acid works well with AHAs and is available in many combination exfoliating treatments.