Salicylic Acid What it is + How to Best Use it
INGREDIENT GUIDE: Salicylic Acid is a bHA that treats adult acne with extra skin benefits
Salicylic Acid is effective for teenage, cystic, and adult acne.
It is preferred for mature skin because it does not excessively dry skin that’s already showing signs of aging.
What is Salicylic Acid in skincare?
It is a bHA (beta hydroxy acid). It is a natural ingredient that comes from Willow Bark.
- BHAs work from the bottom of a pore up.
- Alpha Hydroxy Acid (AHAs) work from the top layer of the skin down.
It works by breaking down layers of thick skin.
What does Salicylic Acid Treat?
Salicylic Acid is also proven effective as a chemical peel agent for various skin issues. [2]
Some of those skin conditions include:
- acne
- psorasis
- eczema
- dandruff
- seborrheic dermatitis of the skin and scalp
- calluses
- corns
What are SALICYLIC ACID skin benefits?
Salicylic Acid has several skincare benefits:
- It purges clogged pores without drying the skin surface.
- It does not cause the dryness or Benzoyl Peroxide or Retinol.
- Salicylic Acid also helps build collagen to heal acne scars and improve skincare texture. Collagen production is a nice perk of acne treatment!
- It can be used daily
- Even if you are not acne-prone, dead skin cells can dull a complexion. BHAs helps to prevent acne and promote a smoother, more even skin texture.
- it evens skin tone and fades acne marks.
What Ingredients work well with Salicylic Acid?
Salicylic acid works better when combined with another peeling agent.
- Using Salicylic Acid and an aHA like Mandelic Acid is proven to be highly successful in the treatment of moderate acne. [3]
- Using it with glycolic acid is effective in treating scalp conditions such as dandruff
- It should NOT be used with any scrub or Benzoyl Peroxide.
- Do not use retinol at the same time.
What are the disadvantages of Salicylic Acid?
Like any active, over use can cause skin irritation.
Best use tip: if used during the day, it should always be paired with sunscreen.
It can be drying to the hair when overused in a shampoo unless that shampoo also contains hydrating ingredients.
When possible, use a hair conditioner from the ears down after a treatment shampoo.
Why use a Salicylic Acid shampoo?
As a shampoo, it is an excellent ingredient to treat any dry or thickened skin patches on the scalp.
These patches can be caused by:
- eczema
- dandruff
- dermatitis
- psoriasis
How to Best Use a Salicylic Shampoo
It is generally used once or twice a week to maintain a flake-free scalp.
Your dermatologist may first recommend daily use to treat the problem. Then 1-2 times a week.
There are prescription strength shampoos but many over the counter shampoos can be very effective.
If yours isn’t working, another brand may work better for you. Some come in higher extra strength concentrations of 3%. Generally, 2% can be effective.
BEST USE TIP: You can leave the shampoo on your scalp for several minutes before rinsing it off to maximize the benefits.
What are Salicylic Acid Benefits for Hair?
Even if you don’t have dandruff, it can gently exfoliates the scalp by:
- loosening dead skin
- dirt
- product buildup
- excess oil
Salicylic acid helps loosen the “glue” of dry or scaly scalp skin. It also tends to smell better than many medicinal shampoos used to treat these conditions.
BEST USE TIP: It is better to use a shampoo form verses a direct SA serum application. Direct application is too drying to the scalp.
Can Salicylic Acid Grow Hair?
No. It is not known to directly grow hair.
But a clean scalp is a healthy foundation to best grow hair.
Favorite Products Using Salicylic Acid
SKINCARE USES
- Peter Thomas Roth Acne Clear Invisible Dots are tiny clear band-aid like dots with salicylic acid to spot treat acne.
- Neutralyze Exfoliating Pads combine Salicylic with Mandelic and Nitric Oxide to clean pores fast.
- Kat Burki Power Trio Radiance Oil: Combining just three oils, this treatment features Raspberry Oil which contains Salicylic Acid. It pairs nicely with the other restorative and hydrating oils to keep my skin in balance when I am not experiencing active breakouts.
- Clinique Acne Solutions Clinical Clearing Gel is highly effective on adult cystic acne when used as a pre-emptive or spot treatment.
- The Exposed Skincare line uses SA in two ways within their product range. Great for adult cystic acne.
- The Ordinary Salicylic Acid 2% Solution is a gentle but effective pre-emptive acne treatment
HAIRCARE USES
-
CeraVe Gentle Hydrating Shampoo is great for those with sensitive skin because it has ceramides to balance the dandruff treating ingredients.
-
Neutrogena T/Sal Scalp Build-Up Control Therapeutic Shampoo is great for those with sensitivities.
-
Nizoral Scalp Psoriasis Shampoo & Conditioner is a classic that is also viewed as a hair growth staple that contains conditioning vitamins E, C, and B5. It also leaves hair shiny.
How to Best Use Salicylic Acid SUMMARY
Beta Hydroxy Acids unclog pores, exfoliate the skin, and promote a more even skin tone. Salicylic acid is one of the few ingredients capable of treating adult acne without being too drying on mature skin.
If you’re new to BHAs, start slowly and be sure use moisturizer and sunscreen to keep your skin healthy and hydrated.
About the Style Chicks Ingredient Guides
The Ingredient Guides
Was this guide helpful? Then you may enjoy our other ingredient guides such as:
- How to Best Use Black Cumin Seed Oil
- How to Best Use Watercress
- Rosehip Seed Oil
- How to Use Aloe Vera
Find more skin-friendly ingredients in the Style Chicks Defining Beauty Glossary. The Defining Beauty Glossary contains many helpful ingredients for hair and skin care.
QUESTIONS or Comments?
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References
- Kessler E, Flanagan K, Chia C, Rogers C, Glaser DA. Comparison of alpha- and beta-hydroxy acid chemical peels in the treatment of mild to moderately severe facial acne vulgaris. Dermatol Surg 2008;34:45-50.
- Bari AU, Tolerance and safety of superficial chemical peeling with salicylic acid in various facial dermatoses. Indian J Dermatol Venereol Leprol. 2005 Mar-Apr;71(2):87-90.
- Garg VK, Sinha S, Sarkar R. Glycolic acid peels versus salicylic-mandelic acid peels in active acne vulgaris and post-acne scarring and hyperpigmentation: A comparative study. Dermatol Surg 2009;35:59-65.
I never had acne until i was 28! Clinique acne solut±ons saved me
Isn’t the Clinique Acne Solutions line great, Connie?
We will be covering the Clinique Acne Solutions Clinical Clearing Gel with Salicylic soon on the blog. I found it so helpful for stopping the kind of cystic acne that always leaves a mark.
Didn’t know Salicylic made collagen!
Yes! Isn’t that wonderful? Thanks for the comment, Tina!
What about a combo of salicylic and glycolic instead of mandelic acid?
Good question, Nessa!
We LOVE glycolic for many skincare needs. Some factors to consider:
Mandelic and salicylic go well together because, in combination, they clear out the entire pore. Glycolic doesn’t penetrate the skin as deeply as mandelic does, so it doesn’t purge the pore quite as effectively.
Mandelic is gentler than Glycolic, with less irritation and redness. Low levels of Mandelic can be used almost daily on even sensitive skin.
Mandelic has several other skin-friendly advantages, especially for getting rid of small mesh-like wrinkles. Take a look at some mandelic benefits here: http://www.stylechicks.com/2019/07/01/science-of-beauty-why-use-mandelic-acid-for-acne-to-anti-aging/
If you have a Glycolic you love, it can still assist by fading old acne scars, as does Vitamin C serum.
Hope that helps and thanks for the awesome question, Nessa! Our readers like you have such great ideas and insights!