Using Salicylic Acid with Retinol or Benzoyl Peroxide can dry out the skin, causing flakiness and redness. Mixing Salicylic Acid with Niacinamide can be very effective for treating acne. Hyaluronic Acid can help counteract the dryness caused by Salicylic Acid.
Retinoids or retinol and salicylic acid
Generally, it's recommended you don't mix retinol and salicylic acid in your skincare routine due to the risk of redness or potentially irritating side effects [3].
The advice I've been given for dissolving the salicylic acid is to first dissolve in ethanol. Add KOH to water until I get a pH of 12, then add the dissolved salicylic acid to the water.
SALICYLIC ACID is a carboxylic acid. Carboxylic acids donate hydrogen ions if a base is present to accept them. They react in this way with all bases, both organic (for example, the amines) and inorganic.
When you pair hyaluronic acid with salicylic acid, you're balancing the oil-reducing and pore-cleansing benefits with a much-needed hydration boost. This combination ensures that while salicylic acid is taking care of acne and oiliness, hyaluronic acid is there to fill your skin with plumping, hydrating goodness.
If you've recently started using a product containing retinoids or chemical exfoliants such as glycolic or salicylic acid, there's a good chance your skin is feeling the purge. These ingredients work quicker by helping bring impurities to the surface and small red bumps can actually be a sign the product is working.
Layering of salicylic acid
Layering too many products or using too many actives at once is doing more harm than good. Listen to your skin always. The best way to use Salicylic acid is as cleansers, which I would suggest using twice a day maximum.
The best way of dissolving salicylic acid powder is with a mixture of alcohol, water, and propylene glycol. If you are finding this difficult to find, it is thought that vegetable oil makes a good substitute for propylene glycol.
To avoid irritation, do not let this medication come into contact with your eyes, nose, mouth, groin, or any broken skin (such as cuts, scrapes, rashes). If you do get the medication in those areas, flush the area with cool water for 15 minutes.
For that reason, mixing peptides and glycolic acid is not recommended. Why shouldn't these acids be mixed with peptides? The reason peptides and salicylic acid as well as peptides and glycolic acid aren't efficacious ingredient combinations is because peptides are susceptible to hydrolysis when exposed to acids.
Vitamin C usually has a pH of 3 or lower. If you are not cautious, mixing vitamin C with salicylic acid can reduce the effectiveness of vitamin C. Mixing the two together may also cause irritation for sensitive skin. To avoid this, it is best to use the two at opposite ends of your skincare routine.
Niacinamide and Salicylic Acid
Both Niacinamide and Salicylic acid are water-soluble and go perfectly well when layered together. Both these active ingredients have anti-aging as well as anti-acne action. Salicylic acid, being oil-soluble too, can penetrate the skin cells and reach the deeper skin layers.
Retinol and Salicylic Acid
Both of these ingredients are two of the most potent blends in the plethora of skincare products. Combining both of these together will act as a super charged, double intense skin nightmare resulting in severe dryness, sensitivity and an increase in skin photosensitivity.
Salicylic Acid is considered to be one of the most effective peeling agents. Using Salicylic Acid with Retinol or Benzoyl Peroxide can dry out the skin, causing flakiness and redness.
Dilute acids with Distilled water. Salicylic is special – dilute that with Alcohol.
There can always be too much of a good thing and salicylic acid is no different. The main negative side effect when overused is it can irritate and cause excess dryness. If you have sensitive skin, choose your formula carefully as some products contain denatured alcohol, which can be additionally drying.
Yes. Salicylic acid for skin is considered one of the best treatments for acne scars and marks. It is an excellent exfoliant that helps to remove acne-causing bacteria, slough dead skin cells and fade dark spots or marks. In addition, it evens the skin tone and treats skin discoloration.
Dr. Engelman advises against using salicylic acid in conjunction with other strong exfoliants like glycolic acid. Doing so may lead to over-exfoliation. “For patients who are interested in using both of these ingredients, I recommend using them at different times of the day, or on different days,” she says.
Salicylic acid can be drying to the skin, so it's important to moisturize your skin after using it. Look for a moisturizer that is lightweight, non-comedogenic, and free of fragrances and other irritants. Moisturizing after using salicylic acid can help to soothe the skin and prevent dryness and irritation.
When purging your skin, you'll typically see blackheads and small, flesh-coloured bumps rather than inflamed pustules, nodules or deeper cysts. But this is not an absolute rule. Overall, acne caused by skin purging often tends to appear and then disappear much faster than classic breakouts.
If the skin purging stage is really troublesome, it can be helpful to decrease the frequency of your actives by alternating days of use. Stick with it - in time, things will likely improve. When the frequency of new spots starts to reduce, increase the frequency of your actives again.