How does a Salicylic Acid Treatment for Acne Work?
Salicylic acid works as a “keratolytic” which basically means it has 2 advantages. Firstly it softens the keratin (a major component of the skin) which means that excess skin and dead cells are shed easily which in turn reduces blockages and environments where bacteria thrive. Secondly, it reduces the production of skin which in turn means that there are less blockages in the hair follicles and clears the way for other active ingredients to kill bacteria and remove excess sebum which is the cause the oily skin. In short, it works as an antibacterial exfoliate eliminating 2 of the 3 main causes of acne thus elimminating the symptoms that occur (as can be seen in the Causes of acne page on this website) There are also some anti-inflammatory properties to a Salicylic acid acne treatment. This means that not only will it help reduce the frequency of your acne symptoms but will also stop the pimples that you have from becoming larger, inflamed and red as infection sets in.
