Random acne breakouts occurring on your face as well as body can often be frustrating. Managing acne can be even more difficult when people need to get immediate relief from acne breakouts. So people often look out for fast acting products for acne control.
But not all of them work correctly so it is wise to choose the right choice of ingredients which help in clearing out the acne breakouts without damaging your skin. Also no product can deliver overnight complete acne clearance.
Salicylic acid is one of the best recommended ingredients to get rid of acne because of its deep pore cleansing action. This is a chemical exfoliant which can dive deep into the pores of the skin and clear out the buildup of impurities from the pores because of its oil soluble nature.
By clearing out the impurities from the pores it clears out blackheads, whiteheads and other pimples from the body and prevents further breakouts. But no ingredient can deliver complete clearance of acne immediately, it requires proper consistency and time. So using a salicylic acid soap on a daily basis could help in clearing out acne.
The reason behind acne flare-ups
Acne is mainly a result of clogged hair follicles which occurs due to deposition of impurities inside the pores. Sebum when produced in excess can deposit inside the pores. The buildup of dead skin cells when they do not shed along with dirt, pollutants and makeup deposition can also settle into the pores of the skin.
This buildup forms a hard plug inside the pores and results in an oxygen deprived environment. Acne causing bacteria can thrive in this environment and result in acne breakouts.
Acne breakouts are more likely to occur on the face, back and chest and can be quite persistent.
The science behind salicylic acid for acne clearance
Salicylic acid is considered the gold standard ingredient for acne clearance. Salicylic acid is a powerful chemical exfoliant and belongs to beta hydroxy acids. It is more efficient than other chemical exfoliants as it is oil soluble in nature. This allows salicylic acid to cross the oil barriers of the skin and reach into the pores.
It then performs a keratolytic action by dissolving the cellular bonds of dead skin cells and helps in clearing them out of the pores. It also loosens the hard plugs of oil and other impurities and wipes them off from the pores. It also helps in reducing the inflammation due to acne because of its anti-inflammatory properties as it is a derivative of aspirin.
Salicylic acid is the best ingredient to be incorporated in anti-acne soap as it helps in getting rid of impurities that result in acne breakouts on the body and prevents further breakouts as well.
The real timeline for delivering results
Using salicylic acid in an acne soap will help in getting rid of acne breakouts but the timing matters as well. It is not a miracle and no product can work immediately to give complete acne clearance so you need to be patient to get results. You can notice some changes in acne clearance with time.
- After 24 hours: After using salicylic acid soap on body and face you can notice an immediate change as the swelling and redness on active breakouts decrease within 48 hours because of the anti-inflammatory action of salicylic acid.
- After 1 or 2 weeks: The impurities start getting cleared as the chemical exfoliation works, the blackheads start to reduce as the plugs of impurities loosen. You can notice a better texture on the skin due to clearance of oil and impurities.
- After 4 to 6 weeks: The skin also regenerates in 28 to 40 hours and the impurities get cleared due to salicylic acid which clears out the acne and reveals new skin cells which shows visible acne clearance.
So you need to be consistent in building a routine around a body acne soap containing salicylic acid to get the best results with time.
Choosing the right concentration
The concentration of salicylic acid also matters in your soap so it is best to select the most safer concentration in order to get results without affecting your skin.
- For beginners it is best to stick to a low concentration of 0.5% to 1%.
- For people with highly acne prone and oily skin it is best to choose a soap with 2% to 3% of salicylic acid in their soap.
For a soap up to 3% of salicylic acid is ideal and not more than that.
Stepwise guidelines to introduce salicylic acid soap in daily routine
For face
For body
Final thoughts
Salicylic acid helps greatly in dealing with acne breakouts but in a given timeline. It would help in reducing the inflammation and redness immediately but it takes time to completely clear acne breakouts. It is best to use an acne soap in your daily routine in safe concentration to get the best results with time.