Salicylic Acid

We're back with another acne-fighting star!

Oh, man! We've been waiting for this post! Salicylic acid is one of the best ingredients in skincare, especially when it comes to acne. In our recent post, "Acne 101", we explain everything about the skin condition. If you checked it out before coming here, you probably learned about the different types of acne too. But, let's do a quick recap of what we went over in that post. Acne is a skin condition where the hair follicles become clogged. This can happen when dead skin cells and sebum (oil our skin produces to protect against dryness) clog the pore, which is the area where the hair follicle resides. And... that's acne in a nutshell.

Now, in that post, we talked about different types of acne. A lot of these bumps and pimples fall into two categories: inflammatory acne and non-inflammatory acne. Though there are millions of acne treatments in the world, they can all target different types of pimples. So, knowing this information is helpful to know what type of acne you have. Is it more inflammatory, or non-inflammatory, or is it a combination of both?

When it comes to non-inflammatory acne, salicylic acid is the way to go! Non-inflammatory acne doesn't normally include swelling or painful bumps, whereas inflammatory acne does.

Salicylic acid is great at preventing blackheads and whiteheads, basically helping you to fix those clogged pores. So, how does this powerhouse of an ingredient work its magic?

Salicylic acid is a type of chemical exfoliant. In contrast to physical scrubs and such, chemical exfoliants tend to work on a more cellular level. Now, you might be thinking: "Here comes the science-y stuff". Not at all. It's actually quite simple. So much so, that we don't even need to simply much. You see, exfoliants are substances that can help you to buff the skin's surface by removing dead skin cells and dirt. And, that's exactly what salicylic acid does. As it works to treat acne by unclogging blocked pores, it breaks down the bonds between dead skin cells. This allows the breaking down of sebum and also decreases the skin's sebum production. All of this will lead to fewer breakouts and much happier skin!

Product Recommendations

Salicylic acid can be introduced to your skincare routine in different ways. Actually, there are two different treatment methods you can choose: a leave-on or a wash-off. When you want to leave on the salicylic acid treatment, you can opt for creams and gels. These are usually applied once or twice a day on the areas where you are breaking out. Sometimes, it can be the whole face in general. It all depends on the product. However, you can also choose a cleanser or foam for a quick wash. We do recommend that you leave it on your face for about 1 to 2 minutes for the treatment to start working on the skin. Then, you could wash it off and go on with the rest of your skincare routine!

There are a lot of different products for salicylic acid. There are so many things to consider here. Is the brand trustworthy? Are the ingredients ALL safe? Is this the one I should be using... or this one? Don't worry about a thing. Here at That NutriGenius, we did the research so you don't have to. Down below, we recommend some products that can be leave-ons or wash-offs. And yes, these are also favorites for many dermatologists.

Leave-Ons

La Roche-Posay Effaclar Duo Dual Action Acne Spot Treatment Cream

Paula's Choice SKIN PERFECTING 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant

Wash-Offs

CeraVe Renewing SA Cleanser

The Inkey List Salicylic Acid Cleanser

La Roche-Posay Effaclar Medicated Gel Cleanser