BlueCatBaby says…Today I saw my dermatologist. When I told him that for the past 10 years I have been using salicylic acid which keeps me from getting pimples, he told me that it is now known that sal. acid does absolutely nothing to help acne. I haven’t heard this before, and honestly it seems that I get a few pimples whenever I skip a few days of using a Paula’s Choice sal. acid product. (Is it placebo effect?) Has anyone else heard about this?
The Left Brain responds:
I did a quick search of PubMed literature for recent (2010-2012) peer reviewed scientific journal articles on the subject of acne and sal acid. Any new discoveries about this trusted ingredient no longer working would certainly be reported here. Here’s what I found:
One article (entitled Management strategies for acne vulgaris) said “Mild acne responds favorably to topical treatments such as benzoyl peroxide, salicylic acid, and a low-dose retinoid.”
Another, (Salicylic Acid Peels Versus Jessner’s Solution for Acne Vulgaris: A Comparative Study) said “In terms of noninflammatory acne lesion counts, sites treated with salicylic acid showed significant improvement.”
And a third (Topical antimicrobial treatment of acne vulgaris: an evidence-based review) looked all the way back to 2004 and reported…”Although they have not been extensively studied, alternative agents including dapsone, salicylic acid, azelaic acid, and zinc are safe and efficacious when combined with traditional therapies.”
There seems to be nothing that contradicts the conventional knowledge that salicylic acid is an effective anti-acne agent.
The Beauty Brains bottom line
I’m not sure where your derm is getting his or her information but until I see evidence to the contrary, I say that salicylic acid is still effective against acne.
References:
- Clin Cosmet Investig Dermatol. 2011;4:41-53. Epub 2011 Apr 26. Management strategies for acne vulgaris. Whitney KM, Ditre CM.
- Dermatol Surg. 2012 Nov 2. doi: 10.1111/dsu.12018. [Epub ahead of print] Salicylic Acid Peels Versus Jessner’s Solution for Acne Vulgaris: A Comparative Study. Bae BG, Park CO, Shin H, Lee SH, Lee YS, Lee SJ, Chung KY, Lee KH, Lee JH.
- Am J Clin Dermatol. 2012 Jun 1;13(3):141-52. Topical antimicrobial treatment of acne vulgaris: an evidence-based review. Gamble R, Dunn J, Dawson A, Petersen B, McLaughlin L, Small A, Kindle S, Dellavalle RP.
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{ 10 comments… read them below or add one }
Sometimes derms tout their expensive skin care line and will try to sell it at any cost. I find it annoying. Did he try to make you buy a skin product?
Whew! I was going to have to have my head examined if you’d said it didnt really work. Because I swear by it to keep my skin clear
Rozy, he didn’t mention any skin care product, he actually spent a lot of time telling me how to check for skin cancer.
Maybe what he meant was that because sal. acid doesn’t affect the p. acnes bacteria, it is not effective against pimples (inflammatory acne) as the only treatment. I don’t know why he said it the way he did. He’s a really nice person, so I’m giving him the benefit of the doubt. Maybe it was the end of a stressful day.
It would be stressful to deal with people that have skin cancer!! A deadly disease.
Your interpretation is definitely the best I could guess at!!
I use salicylic acid daily. I find it’s one of my most helpful chemicals to use against acne.
Paula’s Choice salicylic acid lotion seems to help a lot in keeping my face clear. I’ve been using it for about 10 years. It keeps me from getting clogged pores. I’ve some of Neutrogena’s salicylic acid products and they’ve worked well too.
Salycylic acid is it a preference? I am surprise and do appreciate this article. Its of great information for those with problems in acne. An eye opener also for those who would want to resolve acnes issues.
are the 20% and 30% treatments safe? all the formulated products (paula, aveda, mary kay, etc.) are 1-2%. i am trying to help my son’s poor face but don’t want to burn him!
joanv,
You need to work with an esthetician who is an acne specialist to help your son. Most OTC products are merely 1-2% as to not harm the public. I dispense at least a 7% salicylic for home care at my practice.