Previously, I wrote about how to exfoliate your skin and exfoliation methods. There are different types of exfoliation methods including physical exfoliation and chemical exfoliation. Physical exfoliants including face scrub, konjac sponge, and cleansing brush. On the other hand, chemical exfoliants including AHA, BHA, and Vitamin C.
In this article, we are going to discuss about BHA.
What is Salicylic Acid/BHA?
Salicylic Acid also is known as beta hydroxy acid (BHA) is derived from the metabolism of salicin. It is colorless and commonly found in anti-acne skincare products. It works best for blackheads and whiteheads because salicylic acid will unclog your pores and remove dead skin cells.
Salicylic Acid (BHA) Benefits
- unclog pores
- remove dead skin cells
- dissolving dirt and oil
- prevent breakouts
Salicylic acid is a potent ingredient, especially on acne skin types. It is oil soluble, so it can penetrate deeper into your skin and dissolving oil and dirt from your skin. It unclogs pores and removes dead skin cells. Excessive oil production clogs our pores and leads to problems like blackheads and whiteheads. Both are mild acne but can potentially develop into acne if you ignore them for a period of time. Blackheads and whiteheads form when our pores are plugged with dead skin cells, bacteria, and sebum. That being said, salicylic acid helps banish skin problems like blackheads and whiteheads.
Can You Use Salicylic Acid Every Day?
From all the skin benefits that I’ve mentioned above, salicylic acid seems like a powerful teammate to add to your skincare routine. I mean, most people have blackheads or whiteheads on their skin and salicylic acid sounded like a miracle cure to those skin problems.
The short answer is yes, salicylic acid is safe to use every day on most skin types. However, you have to be smart when it comes to skincare. There are many types of salicylic acid products available for you, but you have to pick the one that is safe for your skin type to use it every day.
Well, it is true that salicylic acid can unclog pores and reduce blemishes but it also has its drawbacks too. Salicylic acid can trigger an allergic reaction to some skin types. Moreover, it might dry and thin your skin.
Salicylic acid can dissolve oil and mildly exfoliating your skin. Therefore, if you use a high percentage of salicylic acid every single day, your skin might be dry and flaking. Your skin barrier might be compromised if you use it for a long period of time. So, be careful when selecting your products that contain salicylic acid.
If you have oily and acne-prone skin
With that being said, if you have oily and acne-prone skin, salicylic acid is the perfect ingredient for you to help control sebum and unclog pores. If you have oily skin types and using a very mild percentage (0.5%) of salicylic acid, it will probably not a big deal for your skin.
However, if you have dry skin or sensitive skin, it’s best to limit your usage to avoid dryness and flakiness on your skin.
In addition, always moisturize your skin as salicylic acid can cause dryness on the skin. I have dry skin and experience flaking and dryness on my skin when I use it twice daily for a week. Please keep on reading for my personal experience using salicylic acid on my dry skin every day.
Last but not least, don’t forget to put on sunscreen because salicylic acid can increase your skin’s sensitivity to the sun.
How to Choose Salicylic Acid Products For Your Skin Types
Typically, most skincare products that are formulated with salicylic acid contain 0.5% to 2% of salicylic acid. Even though it sounds like a really low percentage, this ingredient can still work effectively on your skin. I personally recommend products that contain 0.5% to 2% of salicylic acid because they are effective yet safe to use it on your skin every day.
Be very careful with products that contain more than 2% salicylic acid because it can be quite irritating for many skin types. If you are using a product with more than 2% salicylic acid, do not use it every day as it might seriously dry and thin your skin.
I personally feel 2% of salicylic acid is quite strong and effective on my skin. Therefore, I’ll not recommend anyone use any products that contain more than 2% of salicylic acid.
Some articles suggested that you should apply salicylic acid on top of your skin for the best result. That being said, products like toner, serum, and face cream that contain salicylic acid are more effective than a cleanser or wash-off mask.
From my personal experience, I think cleanser that contains salicylic acid works just as well even though it only stays on your skin for a minute or two. It still unclogs my pores and speeds up the healing process of acne. It takes two to four days to see results on my acne when I use a salicylic acid cleanser twice daily.
Make sure you moisturize your skin regularly. Salicylic acid could dry your skin and cause flakiness, tightness, and itchiness if you don’t moisturize your skin enough. You can use a serum or moisturizer to rebalance your skin.
I’m using the salicylic acid cleanser from The Inkey List. It contains 2% of salicylic acid that works effectively on my skin.
When it comes to face acid, you should always do a patch test before you apply it on your face. Although salicylic acid is deemed to be a safe ingredient, it might still cause burns and breakouts on very sensitive skin.
Salicylic Acid Products
There are numerous skin care products that are formulated with salicylic acid. From cleanser to the face mask, salicylic acid can act as a gentle exfoliator to cleanse and reduce breakouts.
You can also easily spot this ingredient on anti-acne skincare products. For example, anti-acne serum from Mario Badescu and Pore Therapy Salicylic Acid 2% Acne Treatment from Obagi. Both can help reduce blemishes, relieve clogged pores, and clear your skin effortlessly.
