4 replies to this topic

[gforce89]

This is something that really bothers me. People say that cleansers with for example, salicylic acid don't work because the medicine doesn't stay on the skin long enough to work.

I think this is strange because these people say to stay away from cleansers with comedogenic ingredients.

So are you telling me that medicine doesn't have enough time to work and get into your skin, but others things have enough time to clog your pores? How does that make any sense?

[AndersCh1m]

This is something that really bothers me. People say that cleansers with for example, salicylic acid don't work because the medicine doesn't stay on the skin long enough to work.

I think this is strange because these people say to stay away from cleansers with comedogenic ingredients.

So are you telling me that medicine doesn't have enough time to work and get into your skin, but others things have enough time to clog your pores? How does that make any sense?

I think that they say cleansers containing salicylic acid don't work because SA doesn't work as it's supposed to. If it did, it would be able to get down into the pores and the skin. A good reason to not use these types of cleansers is because they contain harsh ingredients that hurt your skin, many people have been finding that if they stop using soaps altogether their skin is better able to handle the bacteria and balance sebum protection on it's own.

[Green Gables]

This is something that really bothers me. People say that cleansers with for example, salicylic acid don't work because the medicine doesn't stay on the skin long enough to work.

I think this is strange because these people say to stay away from cleansers with comedogenic ingredients.

So are you telling me that medicine doesn't have enough time to work and get into your skin, but others things have enough time to clog your pores? How does that make any sense?

To really get a full faceful of salicylic acid benefit, it needs to be on your skin longer than a minute or two. You may get a bit of acid left after cleansing, but not enough to help your skin a whole lot. However, a cleanser with comodogenic ingredients can clog your pores by just a tiny bit of residue left on the skin if you don't clean it all off. One clogged pore can still turn into a zit.

[gforce89]

Do you guys have any proof of this?

[Vanbelle]

I think that they say cleansers containing salicylic acid don't work because SA doesn't work as it's supposed to. If it did, it would be able to get down into the pores and the skin. A good reason to not use these types of cleansers is because they contain harsh ingredients that hurt your skin, many people have been finding that if they stop using soaps altogether their skin is better able to handle the bacteria and balance sebum protection on it's own.

The harshness of a cleanser is concerning sulfates, syndets and surfactant-containing cleansers, independent of its active ingredient. This can also be augmented by the amount of SA in the cleanser. And salicylic acid does work, make no mistake.

To really get a full faceful of salicylic acid benefit, it needs to be on your skin longer than a minute or two. You may get a bit of acid left after cleansing, but not enough to help your skin a whole lot. However, a cleanser with comodogenic ingredients can clog your pores by just a tiny bit of residue left on the skin if you don't clean it all off. One clogged pore can still turn into a zit.

This is partially true. In the 1940's (around then---not a history buff) available cleansers left residue on the skin--this is why toning became so popular. Toning was a way to counteract any residual cleanser. Today, you might not find this as much of a problem, but it still is a problem depending on the quality of your cleanser, the company etc. There's no regulation on cleanser residue.

Leaving SA on for a minute or two will do something, but not a whole lot. This is because the general concentration of SA in a medicated cleanser is between 1-3%. For an effective SA treatment that requires only 2 minutes, this is called a chemical PEEL with a concentration of over 15% SA.

Generally, SA is one of the exfoliants that work better left on. However, other cleansers medicated with chemical exfoliants work very well, like a cleanser containing 5% sulfur. Sulfur and salicylic acid are like cousins in their exfoliating properties (wiki "keratolytic").

You have to know first, WHAT is in your cleanser and HOW MUCH. Then you have to look at that specific active ingredient and note how effective it is in its cleanser vehicle, or if you need it in a serum/gel/cream/hydrosol/whatever stays ON your face.

So, a medicated cleanser is effective. You just have to know what's in it.

So are you telling me that medicine doesn't have enough time to work and get into your skin, but others things have enough time to clog your pores? How does that make any sense?

^It's just an oversimplification, but I understand where you're coming from. Basically, never have pore clogging ingredients in anything that touches your face. You're just asking for trouble. Perhaps you could get away with it--depends on how penetrating the comedogenic ingredient is and whether or not it could get trapped in your pores, and whether your cleanser itself will leave residue containing that comedogenic ingredient. Sometimes, a comedogenic ingredient is only comedogenic because it isn't penetrable and smothers the skin, so it depends on whether or not you could rinse it off. Other non-comedogenic ingredients should hopefully be rinsed of in your cleanser, which utilizes synthetic detergents for lipophilic and hydrophilic properties to be rinsed off with water. There's a name for that...but I'm blanking. Hope this is informative enough anyway, lol.

Do you guys have any proof of this?

I could write a Works Cited for you, which I'm too lazy to do, but my knowledge comes from years of reading and sifting through BS. But you're pretty much taking a gamble whenever you listen to anyone's advice on here. I'd suggest consider everyone's input, look it all up for yourself and figure it out.

Edited by Vanbelle, 26 July 2012 - 02:48 PM.