Salicylic Acid is known as a Beta Hydroxy Acid. In fact Salicylic Acid is the Beta Hydroxy Acid. So what is it? What does it do? Well it’s an oil-soluble Keratolytic, an exfoliant, and actually one of my favourite cosmetic ingredients, it’s in my skincare, it’s even in my shampoo and conditioner. It originates from the bark of the White Willow but these days it tends to be artificially produced.

Salicylic Acid breaks down and loosens the bonds between dead skin cells. An often accompanying motion then proceeds to remove the cells such as, rubbing, sweeping with a cotton pad or massaging. Furthermore, it’s a bactericide and is therfore beneficial for anyone suffering with surface skin complaints such as Acne Vulgaris, a widespread hyper-production of p.Acne bacteria.

So why is it useful? Due to changes in diet, quality of food, stress and environment, most people could benefit from a boost in natural keritisation. This can be ahieved using manual exfoliators, beaded or grained scrubs, but these can be too harsh for our skin’s delicate surface and ‘rip’ away skin cells often damaging the fresher cells underneath. Salicylic Acid ensures that the dead skin cells are weakened and fresher skin cells remain relatively safe. Therefore this is a great ingredient for anyone with dry skin concerns.

• Removes dead surface skin cells
• Fights bacteria
• Unblocks pores
• Reduces further outbreak
• Blemish healing time is reduced
• Allows easier absorption of treatment serums and moisturisers

What precautions do you need to take? Well look at it in the same way you do a manual exfoliator. When you remove dead surface skin, you expose newer cells that will immediately start to loose moisture so it’s important to hydrate the skin with both oil and water (depending on skin type) to restore the skin’s moisture barrier.

Salicylic Acid is the feature ingredient of many popular, liquid exfoliators such as Clarins Gentle Exfoliator (they call it a toner, yet it’s listed on their site under ‘exfoliators’?) and Clinique Clarifying Lotion. These are not in fact toners, the mistake made by most, they are genuine exfoliators which should often be used twice a day. The times I have heard how drying Clinique Clarifying Lotion is astounds me when in most cases, it’s due to it being used very incorrectly, trust me. With these products, never use them like toners. Instead, still using a cotton pad or ball, apply one splash of product and then sweep across the face, avoiding the eye area and never going over the same area twice. Otherwise you are risk of over-exfoliation which will cause dryness, redness and often itching/burning. This would be exactly the same if you went berserk with your favourite granule scrub.

The latest range from Aveda, Invati, uses lashings of Salicylic Acid to help restore hair volume. It works by helping to unblock pores on the scalp, blockages which often prevent weaker and thinner hair from coming through. When the scalp is well exfoliated hair is able to move more freely and appears infinitely more volumised. Cool right?

So what about the bad? We all know that there are many scare-mongering tactics used in cosmetics, for the very reason that if a brand ‘circulates’ that a particular ingredient is bad, they then magically bring a product to market that is formulated without this ‘bad’ ingredient, it’s likely they’re going to sell a lot. Also the chemists will often use other ingredients to outweigh any side-effects. For example Sodium Laureth Sulfate, a cleansing surfactant, can cause dryness in high doses, therefore most products containing it are formulated with moisturising agents that will usually cancel out these effects, but it differs from person to person.

Salicylic Acid in cosmetics (we’re not talking Acid Peels here) is usually formulated at around 2-3% concentration which is quite mild. Often hyaluronic acids and glycerin et al are never too far being in products formulated with SA to combat any drying effects, instantly replacing moisture lost. So here are some great products to start with that harness the power of Salicylic Acid:

• Clinique Clarifying Lotion
• Clarins Gentle Exfoliator
• Aveda Invati System
• Origins Super Spot Remover
• Elizabeth Arden 8 Hour Cream

Which are your favourites?