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| A Salicylic acid product |
Post, and provided a good overview of the types of chemicals and their uses. Over the next couple of blogs, I'll present the article in small pieces, focusing on one thing at a time.
Skin Care Acid Guide: When And How To Use Glycolic, Lactic And More
ByJulia Brucculieri 03/18/2019 05:45am ET
SOURCE
Theere are two main types of acids found in skin care products: alpha-hydroxy acids (AHAs) and beta-hydroxy acids (BHAs). Both classes of acids help exfoliate the skin, but they aren’t exactly the same.
The main difference between them is their chemical structure, which affects how each type of acid penetrates the skin. For example, AHAs are water-soluble and they exfoliate by breaking down the outer layers of dead skin cells. (Our skin is made of mostly water, after all.) Meanwhile, BHAs, like salicylic acid, are oil-soluble, so they can penetrate deeper into pores and help unclog them.
Among those two acid classes, Greenfield said the most popular acids in skin care are salicylic, a BHA, and glycolic, an AHA. But there are are few others out there, which makes choosing products both difficult and confusing. To help provide some clarity, we had dermatologists break it all down.
Salicylic Acid
What is it? Salicylic acid is a member of the BHA family. It’s really good at penetrating deep into the pores, according to both Greenfield and Dr. Robyn Gmyrek, a board-certified dermatologist with Union Square Laser Dermatology in New York City.
“As it penetrates, it can loosen dead skin cells, helping alleviate clogged pores and blackheads,” Gmyrek said via email.
Salicylic acid is also “really good at breaking apart the top layer of skin cells,” which makes it an effective acne treatment, because it can help break down pimples and comedones, according to Greenfield. Additionally, as it helps to dissolve dead skin, it promotes a more radiant, bright skin appearance, Gmyrek said.
Who should use it? Gmyrek noted that salicylic acid is especially useful for people with oily skin or who are acne-prone. She also clarified that salicylic acid is a salicylate, which puts it in the same family as aspirin.
“If you are allergic to aspirin, you should avoid salicylic acid,” she said. “However, like aspirin, salicylic acid also has anti-inflammatory properties which can calm the skin and minimize irritation.”
Many labels for acid-based products display the percentage of acid used (i.e., 2 percent salicylic acid), informing consumers of a product’s supposed strength.
Gmyrek suggested salicylic products should contain at least 1 percent salicylic, and Greenfield noted that salicylic acid is typically available in low percentages because it’s strong, so you don’t need to use as much.
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