There are different skincare ingredients on the market, but none are as effective at targeting breakouts or congested skin quite like salicylic acid.
An active ingredient that gets to work on clogged pores while soothing inflammation, it’s perfect for acne-prone skin and those struggling to keep oil under control.Â
What is salicylic acid?
Derived from willow bark, it belongs to a class of ingredients called salicylates. An oil-soluble ingredient, which means it can penetrate the pores of the skin more easily than water-soluble products. The topical use of salicylic acid is as acne’s enemy. It treats those unwanted black and whiteheads by reducing swelling, and redness and unplugging blocked pores to allow pimples to shrink.Â
What does it do?
Getting deep into the skin, it softens dry, scaly skin so dead skin can be removed easily, to bring back your luminosity. The breakdown of skin also promotes exfoliation which is superior in bringing back youthful skin.Â
Is it suitable for me?
Suitable for most skin types but especially those prone to oily skin. Concentration is important as it may cause irritation in sensitive skin without appropriately building up your skin’s tolerance. It is recommended to get started with a cleanser, cream or serum with a low percentage, and work from there.Â
Can I use it with other ingredients?
As an oil-soluble ingredient, it works well in tangent with water-soluble products to give you the benefits of both and improve the exfoliation efficiency. Using moisturizers with glycerin and marshmallow extracts also helps to reduce redness, and tightness and rebalance the skin.Â
What products should I use?
With so many cleansers, toners, serums, and lotions available on the market which contain salicylic acid, these are our top picks of the best categories to search for.
Cleanser
This Purifying Cleansing PasteÂ
Toner
2% Salicylic Acid Toner
Serum
Willow Bark Extract
Lotion
Overnight Targeted Blemish Lotion
MoisturiserÂ
Anti-Blemish Boost
