Salicylic Acid - Hayley Faria

Figure 1. Product Containing Salicylic Acid! Source: Faria, Hayley. “Neutrogena Face Wash.” 2014.

Most-if not all- of us have used some type of face wash, lotion or cleanser to help remove imperfections and blemishes, to get rid of the dreaded pimples and spots that so rudely appear at the most inconvenient times. But few of us have taken the time to read what is in these products that claim to give us flawless skin. A key ingredient found in most acne face washes is actually an acid! Salicylic acid is commonly used in acne medications because of its antiseptic, disinfectant, anti-fungal and keratolytic properties . Keratolytic, put simply(1), is a process which allows for the removal of dead skin cells by increasing the amount of water in your skin, thinning it and loosening the outer layer which can then be shed(1). Although it can be useful in the treatment of acne, salicylic acid also has a dangerous side. In high concentrations, it can have toxic side effects, ranging from eye and skin irritation to convulsions, coma, or even death(2). You can relax though, it would be nearly impossible to reach toxic levels through using it in acne cleansers: the LD50 (the amount that kills 50% of sample population) for rats when salicylic acid was applied to the skin was found to be 2000 mg/kg(3) which means you would need to use many bottles of acne cleanser at once. It is important to know that there is a natural form of salicylic acid called salicin that is found in poplar and willow trees(1), and so if you are uncomfortable using the synthetic salicylic acid there are more natural alternatives such as willow bark extract which are less concentrated and not so harsh. Overall, the majority of people who use salicylic acid find that it works well in the
treatment of acne and have no problems using it. Personally, however, I find that the salicylic
acid is too harsh on my skin, leaving it dry and irritated. So, if you think that you’ve got sensitive
skin but still want to strive for flawlessness, I recommend using sensitive skin formulated
cleansers. Overall, it pays to look into the products you are using, and be informed!

1. Salicylic Acid and Related Compunds. Kirk-Othmer Encyclopedia of Chemical Technology [Online]; Wiley & Sons; Posted Online January 27, 2006.http://library.mtroyal.ca:2014/store/10.1002/0471238961.1901120920081513.a01.pub2/asset/salithom.a01.pdf?v=1&t=htrbi8pp&s=19ef76e7d097d50aea57bd9cce8f458dcf485f42 (accessed April 8,2014).
2. Material Safety Data Sheet Salicylic Acid; MSDS No. 20315 [Online]; Fisher Scientific: Fairlawn, NJ, March 28, 2012. http://! library.mtroyal.ca:2226/msds/pdf/fisher_client/6246753.pdf (accessed April 8, 2014).
3. United States National Library of Medicine. Salicylic Acid, 2010. ChemIDplus Advanced. http://chem.sis.nlm.nih.gov/chemidplus/rn/69-72-7 (accessed April 8, 2014).