Salicylic Acid

Salicylic acid, a popular ingredient in skincare products, is a beta-hydroxy acid (BHA), a type of chemical exfoliant.

It works by helping the skin to shed dead cells from the top layer, decreasing redness and inflammation.

Exfoliating regularly with an ingredient like salicylic acid will keep your pores clear and prevent blackheads and whiteheads from developing.

This blemish-fighting ingredient promotes many benefits for those with oily skin to reduce and prevent blemishes by breaking down excess sebum (oil) in the pores.

You can find salicylic acid in cleansers, serums, toners, moisturisers, face masks, and direct acne treatments.

Salicylic acid can be drying, so introduce lightweight, hydrating products to use alongside salicylic acid to prevent your skin from becoming too dry.

Acne can be caused by a variety of reasons, but the most common cause is a change in hormone levels.

This is why acne is most common in teenagers, during pregnancy, and at different times during your menstrual cycle.

Hormonal changes can cause the glands next to hair follicles to produce more oil (sebum) than normal, which can change the activity of a normally harmless bacterium to become aggressive and cause inflammation and pus.

Acne can cause different types of spots to develop on the face, back and chest including:

• Blackheads: bumps that are small and black or yellowish in colour
• Whiteheads: similar to blackheads, but may be firmer and won’t be empty when squeezed
• Papules: small red bumps that may feel tender or sore
• Pustules: similar to papules, but with a white tip in the centre that is caused by a build-up of pus
• Nodules: large hard lumps that can be painful
• Cysts: large pus-filled lumps that look similar to boils and carry the greatest risk of causing permanent scarring

If you’ve got oily skin, it can be tempting to wash your face more than twice per day to remove the buildup of excess oils.

Actually, this is doing your skin more harm than good.

It will cause your skin to become dry, forcing it to produce more oil to make up for the lost moisture.

You should only wash your face twice per day - once in the morning and once in the evening with a facial wash or cleanser formulated for oily skin.

One key ingredient to look out for is salicylic acid which is a great acne-fighting ingredient, a common problem if you’ve got oily skin.