In the battle against acne, very few ingredients are known to show positive results, and salicylic acid tops that list. Due to its excellent penetrative properties, it easily reaches inner skin cells to soothe inflammation and fight acne and breakouts.
But the question still arises in most people’s minds, “what is salicylic acid, and how is this ingredient beneficial for our skin?” What makes it one of the most shopped ingredients for treating acne and pimples? What is the best possible use of salicylic acid for skincare? This magical ingredient has recently gained more attention due to awareness of its benefits. This blog post explains what salicylic acid is, its chemical structure, and its benefits for all skincare regimens.
Skin texture differs from person to person and, thus, need different approaches to be tackled. However, what unites us is our desire to have healthier, even skin that remains protected from breakouts, acne, and bumps. Salicylic acid is one of the most opted-for ingredients that show promising results on acne in a much shorter time frame.
Being the cornerstone of any anti-pimple routine, it is found in many over-the-counter medications for various skin conditions. In addition, you will find salicylic acid in various products claiming to treat acne and pimples, from moisturizers to acne-gel to face toners. It penetrates better and exfoliates the outermost layer due to its exfoliant properties. Let’s learn more about this powerful exfoliant that works as an anti-acne treatment.
Pro Tip: Try our Tea Tree Foaming Face Wash– it gently cleanses the facial skin and removes excess oil with its antibacterial action!
What is Salicylic Acid?
Salicylic acid is a beta hydroxy acid where the hydroxyl part of the molecule is detached from the acid part by two carbon atoms. Its structure makes it more oil soluble and easier to reach the inner skin cells. It belongs to the class of ingredients known as salicylates and is considered a keratolytic that makes it an ideal surface exfoliant.
When your hair follicles get blocked with sebum and dead skin layers, your skin develops blackheads, whiteheads, acne, and blemishes. Using salicylic acid-based skincare products helps dissolve the keratin plug and regulate the skin cells. If you have acne and pimples, you may have been advised to use salicylic acid-based face washes and face moisturizers.
As it finds it easy to reach deep layers of skin, it helps break down the connection between skin cells. As a result, the acid part of the molecule easily disperses some of the intracellular glue that binds skin cells together. The breaking down of skin cells encourages a healthy shedding cycle to clear out blackheads, dark patches, and acne. This is why dermatologists advise using salicylic acid for blackheads removal and clearing out clogged pores.
The structure of salicylic acid explains why it is considered a potent remedy for acne. Unlike many ingredients to treat acne, salicylic acid is one of the trusted ingredients backed by plenty of research. In addition to face cleansers or moisturizers, it has become a common ingredient in face masks and sheet masks. This highly beneficial chemical compound is best known for fixing unhealthy sebum levels in the skin and clarifying the pores.
A regular application of salicylic acid-based skincare products benefits people with sensitive and oily skin. Its anti-inflammatory properties keep infections and soreness away. To explore it more, we have discussed some of its underlying benefits ahead.
Benefits of Salicylic Acid
Most skin troubles grow on the unclean skin surface where sebum secretion goes beyond a certain level. Salicylic acid has deep cleansing properties that help draw out impurities and dust more effectively. As a result, it prevents skin congestion, clogged pores, and acne formation. To see salicylic acid before and after results, consider using it regularly.
Salicylic acid is full of wonders, including treating acne and enlarged pores.
Sworn by people with acne-prone, it has enjoyed praise for being the leading participant of many skincare products. However, the question is how it is helpful and what qualities it possesses.
Here is the various salicylic acid uses you should know about:
Helps combat acne and pimples
Oily skin is prone to skin woes such as acne, pimples, and congested pores. Getting rid of such concerns would be effectively treated with the assistance of salicylic acid. Using it with the right ingredients helps prevent acne breakouts by breaking the cell bond. In addition, it is lipophilic, and it thus deeply penetrates the topmost skin layer to sweep out excess oil. It regulates sebum production and helps reduce acne and pimples.
A powerful astringent
Enlarged pores are a sign of an unhealthy skin barrier. For such a concern, salicylic acid can be an absolute game-changer. As a powerful astringent, it helps tighten the pores and regulates sebum production. In addition, it targets open or blocked pores and helps lighten blemishes. Thus, look for a face toner with salicylic acid to give your skin a surge of hydration.
Works on premature aging
Salicylic acid helps clear clogged pores and helps reduce wrinkles and visible lines on the skin. In addition, it is enriched with skin healing and repairing properties, so most skin experts suggest adding it to your anti-aging regime.
It also has skin-brightening properties, which help deliver youthful and even skin, defying sun damage and acne marks. So, one of the most critical salicylic acid uses is to remain protected from premature aging.
Lays anti-inflammatory benefits
Salicylic acid is enriched with an anti-inflammatory that promotes skin healing. Our skin often gets caught in the influence of bacterial infection, triggering acne and pimples. This beta-hydroxy acid helps heal redness, swelling, and inflammation if used in the right concentrations. In addition, its calming effects treat the skin’s sensitivity and keep the skin woes away.
Reduces excess sebum
Excess sebum buildup traps the pores with dirt and dead skin cells that usually form acne and pimples. Salicylic acid promotes the skin’s natural shedding cycle, forming healthier skin cells and the shedding of immature ones. In addition, the topical application helps break down the fatty acids on the skin’s surface, which helps manage sebum levels and reduce excess oil.
Helps reduce blemishes
One of the leading benefits of this beta hydroxy acid is its ability to work on blemishes and pimple marks. Using it topically helps break apart the links between the outer layers of the skin, thereby unclogging the pores that may lead to blemishes. Its astringent qualities also assist in reducing the dark patches on the skin, thus making skin even and blemish-free. Using salicylic acid before and after cleaning the face helps encourage healthy and clear skin barriers too.
Did you know? Salicylic acid is also used as a food preservative!
Salicylic Acid-Backed Products that Target Acne, Pimples, & Breakouts
Tea Tree Foaming Face Wash with Salicylic Acid and Tea Tree
Give your skin the goodness of gentle foam and the deep-cleanse formula with our Tea Tree Foaming Face Wash. It comes enriched with the cleansing properties of Neem and Salicylic Acid and the antibacterial goodness of Tea Tree Oil. They help clarify pores, cleanse deep-rooted dust, and lock in moisture to give soft, plump skin. In addition, it also yields great results on blemishes and dissolves sebum, making it an ideal choice for oily skin.
Trending Product
Leaves of Clarity Essence Serum with Neem & Salicylic Acid
Pave the way for skin that is clearer, healthier, & glowing with our Salicylic Acid Serum. Its concentrated water-based product grants skin nourishment and hydration on a cellular level. Combining the potency of Salicylic Acid, Neem, Japanese Cherry, and Hyaluronic Acid is all you need in your anti-acne regimen. This serum targets clogged pores, pigmentation, and dullness while boosting cellular turnover.
Pro tip: Use it on damp skin and lock in its nourishment by applying a nourishing face gel or moisturizer afterward.
Trending Product
Bye Bye Acne Cream With Willow Bark & Salicylic Acid
Are pimples and acne giving you a hard time? With our Bye Bye Acne Cream, acne stands no chance. It amalgamates the goodness of Willow Bark, Salicylic Acid, Neem, and Soybean, all known to be acne enemies. This face cream soothes inflammation, reduces acne formation, and regulates oil production. In addition, it also assists in collagen production and protects the skin against UV rays.
Tea Tree Beard Oil With Tea Tree & Salicylic Acid
Isn’t a well-groomed beard on your wish list? Designed to boost beard growth, this beard oil contains many high-performing ingredients. It features Tea Tree Oil and Green Tea Seed Oil that treat beardruff and stimulate growth. It also has castor oil that nourishes the beard hair with antioxidants. Not to mention, Salicylic Acid helps prevent oil buildup and dandruff while unclogging pores.
Trending Product
In a nutshell
Skin irregularities are a common concern in skincare. Be it acne, breakout, or enlarged pores, and oily skin makes skin look uneven. However, it is also one of the powerful yet safe chemical exfoliants that treat many skin conditions, owing to its hordes of skin benefits. Thus, using salicylic acid for pimples is among the most promising solutions most people trust.
Not just for acne and blackheads, this beneficial chemical compound also helps reduce dandruff and seasonal dryness. Seeing its effectiveness, we have crafted a full range of salicylic acid-enriched ranges that grant skin a lot of care and protection. In addition, Mamaearth strives to incorporate gentle and nature-approved solutions to defy skin problems.
As Asia’s first MadeSafe-approved brand, we believe in employing toxin-free solutions with our skin and hair care range. From face scrub to serum to sheet mask, put your faith in our products and experience the wonders they have in store for you! So, relax your skin cells with the gentle, toxin-free product ranges.
FAQs
What is salicylic acid?
Salicylic acid is a beta hydroxy acid, obtained from wintergreen and willow bark. It is usually used as a safe and gentle skin exfoliator that triggers the shedding of the upper skin cells. It is best known for treating acne, blackheads, non-inflamed breakouts, etc.
It belongs to a class of medication agents called keratolytic. Enriched with penetrative properties, it reaches deep into the pores to avoid skin clogging and promote a healthy skin barrier.What does salicylic acid do to your skin?
Salicylic acid is a keratolytic medication that causes softening and shedding of the outermost skin cells. It can get deep into the skin pores to flush out the toxins from the skin. This quality makes it such a potent ingredient for treating acne-prone skin. As an oil-soluble ingredient, it penetrates easily through the lipid layers between the skin cells. Once it penetrates the skin, it effectively dissolves toxins that clog the skin pores and thus helps treat pimples and blemishes.
Does salicylic acid remove dark spots?
Yes, salicylic acid works positively on dark spots and blemishes. It is keratolytic, so it breaks down keratin, triggering skin shedding. This effect renews your skin and helps lighten dark spots and blemishes.
Does salicylic acid whiten skin?
Salicylic acid is an exfoliant that helps shed the outermost layer of the skin cells. Using salicylic acid-based skincare products helps make the skin brighter. This chemical compound doesn’t whiten the skin but does help reduce blemishes and dark patches. So, salicylic-enriched products would be the best choice if you are looking for an effective and promising remedy to brighten your complexion.
Does salicylic acid remove tan?
Yes, it does. Salicylic acid is a popular keratolytic agent. This makes it a potent ingredient to clear up bacteria and sebum that leads to clogged pores, breakouts, and blackheads. In addition, it also helps easily remove dead skin cells and makes the skin surface even.
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