6 replies to this topic

[FSAS]

I had someone tell me today that I should use salicylic acid to help clear my clogged pores mainly around my mouth/chin and forehead. of course I said no because it's a chemical and I want to avoid chemicals on my face as I'm already stuck wearing makeup just to go outside. Then I realized I don't really know much about salicylic acid and had me wondering what people on this board think in general about such topicals advocated around this site...is it terribly bad for the skin? if you use it..do you literally have to keep on using it..forever? does it age skin? what exactly does it do to the skin? what are the opinons on salicylic acid from the people of this board? or even BP.

I wanted to post here as I'm also very curious if other people here use it, have used it or what people more inclined to this section of the site use to clean their skin topical wise every day?

[onefatalgoose]

Here's an all natural option. Works really well, is cheap to make, and doesn't destroy your skin like most, if not all, chemical topicals

http://www.acne.org/...d-easy-to-make/

[dejaclairevoyant]

Salicylic acid was horrible for my skin. Did nothing for breakouts whatsoever and caused a lot of redness and irritation.

BP has a drying effect on acne and seemed to control my breakouts by maybe 40% or so when my acne was at its worst. It also severely decreased healing time (skin eruptions would last months or more sometimes, and I never realized that this was in part due to BP weakening my skin). It also aged my skin somewhat, I believe. It's only now, after months and months of being off the stuff and using natural skin care, that I am seeing a reversal of some of what it did. I thought my skin was just naturally aging, I didn't realize how bad BP was.

I used BP for over ten years, by the way.

[alternativista]

I had someone tell me today that I should use salicylic acid to help clear my clogged pores mainly around my mouth/chin and forehead. of course I said no because it's a chemical and I want to avoid chemicals on my face as I'm already stuck wearing makeup just to go outside. Then I realized I don't really know much about salicylic acid and had me wondering what people on this board think in general about such topicals advocated around this site...is it terribly bad for the skin? if you use it..do you literally have to keep on using it..forever? does it age skin? what exactly does it do to the skin? what are the opinons on salicylic acid from the people of this board? or even BP.

I wanted to post here as I'm also very curious if other people here use it, have used it or what people more inclined to this section of the site use to clean their skin topical wise every day?

I like salicylic acid aka bha. supposedly it works better inside the pores than other acids. you can dissolve a plain aspirin in a little water. Or buy white willow bark capsules to dissolve or blend with aloe Vera.

Another thing that's mildly exfoliating and natural is vinegar, such as a nice act diluted with green tea toner.

Edited by alternativista, 18 July 2012 - 02:12 PM.

[alternativista]

Salicylic acid was horrible for my skin. Did nothing for breakouts whatsoever and caused a lot of redness and irritation.

I wonder if your acne is mostly allergic or other inflammatory response and has little to do with impaired desquammation. I suspect that pimples that form within a day or two of consumption of a food and maybe even menstraul acne that I guess appears shortly after a hormone fluctuation, isn't the same thing at all and has little to do with skin cells that don't exfoliate normally.

[dejaclairevoyant]

Salicylic acid was horrible for my skin. Did nothing for breakouts whatsoever and caused a lot of redness and irritation.

I wonder if your acne is mostly allergic or other inflammatory response and has little to do with impaired desquammation. I suspect that pimples that form within a day or two of consumption of a food and maybe even menstraul acne that I guess appears shortly after a hormone fluctuation, isn't the same thing at all and has little to do with skin cells that don't exfoliate normally.

Yes, I think so. All of my breakouts are sudden. I will go from completely clear skin to having a huge, painful lump over the course of an hour or even minutes. When I would eat something my body doesn't like, I would break out within ten minutes some time. I'd feel it in my body. A strange sick feeling and then BAM! Breakout. Similar things happen with my menstrual cycles: I can feel my hormones shift, and the same thing happens, a sick feeling and then a breakout. I really don't think I have a problem with my skin on a surface level. In fact, it kills me, because the skin in between my breakouts has always been completely perfect, almost like baby skin.

Edited by dejaclairevoyant, 18 July 2012 - 10:22 PM.

[alternativista]

Salicylic acid was horrible for my skin. Did nothing for breakouts whatsoever and caused a lot of redness and irritation.

I wonder if your acne is mostly allergic or other inflammatory response and has little to do with impaired desquammation. I suspect that pimples that form within a day or two of consumption of a food and maybe even menstraul acne that I guess appears shortly after a hormone fluctuation, isn't the same thing at all and has little to do with skin cells that don't exfoliate normally.

Yes, I think so. All of my breakouts are sudden. I will go from completely clear skin to having a huge, painful lump over the course of an hour or even minutes. When I would eat something my body doesn't like, I would break out within ten minutes some time. I'd feel it in my body. A strange sick feeling and then BAM! Breakout. Similar things happen with my menstrual cycles: I can feel my hormones shift, and the same thing happens, a sick feeling and then a breakout. I really don't think I have a problem with my skin on a surface level. In fact, it kills me, because the skin in between my breakouts has always been completely perfect, almost like baby skin.

I've tried to find any sign that anyone was researching this, but no luck. But this might be why BHAs don't help you.