As for using salicylic acid with hyaluronic acid and niacinamide the best way of applying the all effectively is starting with a exfoliating toner containing salicylic acid, followed with hyaluronic acid to hydrate and prevent skin irritation, then finally niacinamide to regulate the production of sebum of the skin.
Hyaluronic acid is a skin hydrator, not an exfoliant like salicylic acid. You can definitely use both. In fact, applying hyaluronic acid with your salicylic acid is a very good idea. Salicylic acid can be a little drying to the skin because it's job is to absord excess oil.
Salicylic acid is ideally applied to dry skin while hyaluronic acid is ideally applied to damp skin and followed with a heavier moisturizer/occlusive to lock in moisture. Damp skin is more permeable which means that skincare ingredients find it easier to penetrate your skin's barrier.
By using a salicylic acid enriched wash after cleansing the skin of any remaining makeup, you are helping to rid the skin of any dead skin cell build-up allowing any nourishing products applied afterwards to absorb quicker into the lower layers of the skin and show results quicker.
Salicylic acid may be used morning and night. Because it's so gentle, it may also be applied as a midday spot treatment.
You'll want to use your BHA product first, not only because BHAs are lower in pH but also because they are oil soluble and AHAs are not.
But overall, stick to using water-based products and serums together. AHAs and BHAs, such as glycolic, salicylic, and lactic acids should never be used with Vitamin C. Vitamin C is an acid, too, and is unstable, so the pH balance will be thrown off by layering these ingredients together and might as well be useless.
The key difference between salicylic acid and hyaluronic acid is that salicylic acid is a monomeric substance, whereas hyaluronic acid is a polymeric substance. Moreover, application-wise, salicylic acid is used as a medication in treating warts, dandruff, acne and other skin disorders.
“Damp skin is more permeable than dry skin,” says facialist Debbie Thomas. “So technically you should get... better absorption of your products if applied directly after cleansing. You don't want it to be wet, but my advice is to apply your products within a minute of cleansing or washing your skin.”
"If salicylic acid is an ingredient in your cleanser, it is fine to use it every day." However, if you are using an exfoliant that salicylic acid in the formula, Dr. Hu advises only using the product three times per week, to avoid over-exfoliating the skin and drying it out.
Can niacinamide and salicylic acid be used together? The simple answer is yes. They complement each other well. Being oil soluble, salicylic acid can penetrate deeper into the skin layers, but it can also dehydrate and irritate skin.
Can I use hyaluronic acid with BHA and niacinamide? Absolutely! Hyaluronic acid and niacinamide are both effective hydrating ingredients that both provide humectant properties.
Second, avoid anything with harsh ingredients like alcohol and fragrance, or anything with a high acid concentration. “The majority of over-the-counter (OTC) cosmetic creams, lotions, and serums are water based and contain less than 2 percent hyaluronic acid,” Frey explains.
Hyaluronic acid and Niacinamide are a great pair as both are water-based treatments. When used together, always go with applying hyaluronic acid first, followed by Niacinamide. By following this, you would be able to attract plenty of hydration first.
According to the experts, the hero ingredient actually needs to be applied to damp skin in order to work. In fact, applying it to a dry face can have the opposite effect of what is intended, and actually leave skin more dehydrated. "Hyaluronic acid is a moisture magnet," says Allies of Skin founder Nicolas Travis.
While hyaluronic acid can't fill in visible acne scars, it can help reduce redness and the visible appearance of acne. In addition, hyaluronic acid can help protect the skin, which is especially helpful for acne-prone skin, as it typically doesn't have a very strong lipid barrier.
It is considered the best idea to apply niacinamide before salicylic acid. This is because the humectant traits of niacinamide ensure the natural skin barrier contains the correct levels of water. When the skin barrier is moisturised and healthy it can keep itself protected from exposure to free radical damage.
Niacinamide tends to work best in an environment with a neutral pH and because salicylic acid is, well, an acid it does not have a netural pH – it has an acidic one. If you want to use them both one after the other, the best thing to do is apply your salicylic acid, wait 10-30 minutes then apply your niacinamide.
Using both together will however can become too much for the skin and lead to irritation, rashes, redness, flakiness and all-round discomfort. Much like vitamin C and niacinamide, if you are wanting to use both separate the products completely and apply salicylic acid in the morning and retinol for the evening.
In general, Marmur says to use salicylic acid in moderation until you know your skin can tolerate it. Start off applying it every few days, and take note of how your skin reacts after each application. "The key is to listen to your skin," Mudgil advises.
You want to make sure that you're not using a product that has too high of a concentration of salicylic acid. Gels should have no more than 5% acid. Lotions that are applied once or twice a day should have 1–2% salicylic acid, and solutions like cleansers or toners should have 0.5–2% salicylic acid.
Although salicylic acid is considered safe overall, it may cause skin irritation when first starting. It may also remove too much oil, resulting in dryness and potential irritation. Other potential side effects include: skin tingling or stinging.
I Don't Have Acne. Should I Still Use Salicylic Acid? In a word, yes. It not only offers a whole slew of therapeutic benefits for treating skin conditions like warts and psoriasis, but it also helps with more superficial concerns, namely, signs of aging.
Salicylic acid is the preferred ingredient for treating blackheads and whiteheads because it breaks down the materials that clog pores: excess oil. dead skin cells.
You can test this yourself with a well formulated exfoliant: at night, apply your AHA or BHA as usual after cleansing and toning, and do a "split-test." Wait 20 minutes before applying your serum and/or moisturizer to one side, but the other side of your face, apply those next steps immediately.