The Effects of Salicylic Acid as Acne Medication
The chemical Salicylic Acid is an over-the-counter medication against acne. It can be found in many skin treatments and cleansers like creams and lotions.
Most salicylic acid preparations do not work in curing acne. Used on its own, that is. As an over-the-counter topical product, salicylic acid is not an acne medicine. What it does best for acne treatment is helping keep breakouts at bay as well as preparing the skin to absorb more potent acne medication.
How it Works
Salicylic acid is a beta-hydroxy acid (BHA) that works as a great exfoliant, removing layers of dead skin cells when applied on the face. It can penetrate deep into the skin, entering oil-clogged pores to reduce the blockage. Facilitating less congestion on the skin openings, it serves as a good solution for preventing further acne breakouts.
What the Benefits are
Because it removes layers of unwanted oil and dead cells, skin feels smoother and cleaner after an application, leading others to believe it helps remove blackheads, whiteheads and other acne lesions. As with many skin care remedies you can get off the shelf, what feels good on your skin is not necessarily optimal for your acne condition.
Over-the-counter salicylic acid is most frequently used as primer for medicine like benzoyl peroxide and resorcinol that more actively treats pimples. Some brands combine salicylic acid with the powerful medications in one preparation for a single-application system.
Stronger Salicylic Acid Preparations
Stronger concentrations of salicyclic acid, however, can prove more potent than your ordinary drugstore preparation. They can be prescribed by physicians and will do more than give you an exfoliation. Apart from leaving your skin smoother, it will work directly in helping remove comedonal acne, helping clear out blackheads and whiteheads.