Patch Test Your Salicylic Acid Solution

The day before you perform your home peel, you should patch test your solution to make sure it won’t harm your skin. Dab a small amount of the solution onto your cheek or neck, near your ear, with a Q-tip. Wait five minutes, then wash the spot with plain cold water. If the skin appears normal the next day, and you haven’t experienced any redness, inflammation, stinging, blistering, or burning, then your chemical peel can be safely applied.

Gather Your Supplies

You’ll need about half an hour to complete your home chemical peel. Gather together some Q-tips, rubbing alcohol or witch hazel, gauze pads, petroleum jelly, tap water, a clock for timing, a hair band (if you need it to keep your hair off of your face), and, of course, your peel solution. You’ll also need a good skin cleanser.

Prepare Your Skin

Prepare your skin for the chemical peel by washing and drying it thoroughly. After drying, wipe down your skin with rubbing alcohol or witch hazel to make sure you have removed all natural oils from the surface. Use a Q-tip to apply petroleum jelly around the nostrils, eyes, and lips. Chemical peeling agents should not be allowed to touch these sensitive spots.

Apply the Chemical Peel

You can apply your peel solution with gauze pads, a paper towel, or Q-tips as you like. Starting from the top of the nose, spread the salicylic acid across your cheek to your ear. Spread it across both sides of the forehead, one at a time, starting from the middle and working toward the temple. On the bottom of the face, spread the acid from the middle of your chin to your ear on both sides. Finally, spread the salicylic acid beneath your nose, being careful not to get it on your lips. If you would like to chemically exfoliate your neck, you can spread salicylic acid there at this time.

You may experience mild stinging or burning. If it becomes severe or if you begin to notice reddening of the skin, wash the peeling solution off right away with plain cold water. Otherwise, wait ten minutes for the salicylic acid to do its work, then rinse it away with cold water.

Moisturize

After your peel, apply a gentle moisturizer to the treated area. Avoid anything that contains AHAs, BHAs, retinols or other acids for at least 24 hours. Wear sunblock on the treated area to protect the new skin from sunburn.

Where is Salicylic derived from?

Salicylic acid is derived from willow bark and sweet bark trees and is a beta hydroxy acid. This compound is used both for topical acne treatments and for making skin peeling agents. It works by removing the sebum from the pores and by conferring anti-inflammatory properties. Continued use gives sun protection because its ability to absorb ultraviolet rays.

Where is Glycolic derived from?

Glycolic acid is derived from sugar cane and is an alpha hydroxy acid (AHA). The tiny molecules penetrate the skin and dissolves the bonds that attach dead cells the skin’s surface. Additionally, it has exfoliating abilities because it stimulates the growth of new skin cells and the formation of collagen.  The new layer of skin is softer, smoother and healthier-looking. The regenerated collagen reduces the appearance of fine lines. Consequently, glycolic peels are also recommended for skin that is showing signs of aging such as solar spots, fine wrinkles and dark marks. It also works well to restore the skin on the hands.

Comparing the two acids

A point by point comparison of these two chemical peels reveals further differences in their action on the skin.  Salicylic peels tend to diffuse deeper into the skin glands than do glycolic peels because of its fat-soluble characteristic. Salicylic acid also causes less inflammation and irritation.  Some dermatologists prefer to prescribe salicylic peel for treating acne and glycolic peel for lightening the skin.

How to apply a skin peel

Skin peels should only be applied for a few minutes, as advised on the package instructions; otherwise they can cause skin damage. For beginners, it’s best to start with a low concentration and graduate slowly to a stronger one. Since facial peels uncover new skin that’s very sensitive, ensure that you apply sunscreen of at least SPF 15 when you expect to be outdoors. Avoiding cigarettes is also recommended for the same reasons.

Expected results of a chemical peel

Within two weeks you should start seeing visible benefits to your skin if using chemical peels. It’s important that you stay with the program and not get impatient for quick-fix results. Also, the skin treatment instructions before and after are very important. For instance, the skin must be thoroughly cleaned before and after treatment. A moisturizing lotion or serum is advisable after a chemical peel.

Skin types

Neither glycolic nor salicylic peels are suitable on very dry, damaged or highly sensitive skin as they can irritate the condition further. Consult a dermatologist in such cases.  Studies also show that both facial peels work best when combined with another acne treatment such a prescription ointments or antibiotics in very severe cases.

To enjoy the full benefits of chemical peels, carefully follow the instructions on the package and use common sense so as to ensure minimal side effects. When you do this, glycolic and salicylic acid peels will give you younger-looking skin, fewer scars, less oiliness and reduced acne.

Salicylic acid is a gentle beta hydroxy acid (BHA) used across the beauty industry to control acne and maintain skin’s appearance. Salicylic acid chemical peels can be effective for controlling acne breakouts, reducing the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles, and scarring, and lightening skin. But, like any medical procedure, salicylic acid peels carry risks and complications.

One of the primary risks specific to a salicylic acid peel is the risk of allergic reaction due to salicylate hypersensitivity. Many people are allergic to salicylates, such as aspirin or salicylic acid. You shouldn’t use salicylic acid if you’re allergic to aspirin or other salicylates. You could experience anaphylaxis, a severe and life-threatening allergic reaction.

You shouldn’t use salicylic acid if you are pregnant or breastfeeding, either. The acid’s penetrative properties mean that it can seep into your bloodstream through your skin. If used during pregnancy, salicylic acid chemical peels can cause birth defects in your unborn baby. Nor should you use them while breastfeeding, since salicylic acid can pass through your milk and into your developing baby’s body.

People with certain skin conditions should use caution with salicylic acid peels. If you have oral or facial herpes or cold sores, a salicylic acid peel could cause a flare-up of your condition. If you have eczema or rosacea, salicylic acid could irritate your skin more than it otherwise would, and even cause injury. Salicylic acid is widely used to treat melasma; nevertheless, salicylic acid peels can sometimes worsen melasma, if they’re not done properly by a professional.

Salicylic acid peels also carry the same risks as other chemical peels. The deeper the peel, the higher the risk. Your skin could turn out lighter or darker than it was before. You could have demarcation lines around the treatment area. Infection and scarring can also occur when chemical peels are improperly performed or when recovery is mismanaged.

Salicylic acid is a gentle beta hydroxy acid, or BHA, derived from willow bark. It’s great for exfoliating the skin and has anti-inflammatory properties. As a chemical peel, it can effectively minimize the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles, hyperpigmentation and mild scarring.

However, salicylic acid isn’t for everyone. It shouldn’t be used during pregnancy or breastfeeding. If you’re allergic to aspirin and other salicylates, salicylic acid can cause an allergic reaction. Here are some alternatives to salicylic acid, for those who can’t or don’t wish to use it.

Alpha Hydroxy Acids

Alpha hydroxy acids, or AHAs, are usually derived from fruits. Lactic acid, a popular AHA, is derived from milk. While these acids don’t share all the beneficial properties of salicylic acid, and can be more irritating to the skin, they are still gentle and effective ways to rejuvenate your appearance. They can also help speed up your skin’s natural exfoliation process to help keep the dirt, oil, and debris that cause acne from accumulating in pores. If you’re looking for a way to keep your youthful appearance and control acne breakouts, AHA peels or other products can be useful.

Dermabrasion

If you’re considering a chemical peel for its anti-aging or scar diminishing effects, then you might also want to consider dermabrasion. Dermabrasion is a process by which the upper layers of the skin are surgically scraped off. Dermabrasion can treat deep scarring and deep wrinkles. Results are generally more dramatic than with a chemical peel.

Dermabrasion, however, carries higher risks and typically has more side effects than a salicylic acid chemical peel. Because dermabrasion involves scraping off the surface of the skin, you’ll experience more pain, swelling, and inflammation, and need a longer recovery time. You’ll run a higher risk of infection and scarring. While salicylic acid is considered safe for those with darker complexions, darker-skinned people may be more likely to experience discoloration of the skin after dermabrasion.

Trichloroacetic Acid

Trichloroacetic acid, or TCA, is typically used to administer medium-depth chemical peels. It’s stronger than salicylic acid, and using it carries higher risks of infection, scarring, pigmentation changes, and demarcation lines. A TCA peel can require up to two weeks’ recovery time. Your skin may be bright pink afterward, and may not return to its normal color for several weeks. You’ll need to use sunblock until the pinkness recedes.

The results of a TCA peel, however, can last much longer than the results of mild peels. A TCA peel can offer dramatic improvement in the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles, sun damage, and mild scarring, with less risk than a more invasive treatment like dermabrasion.

Laser Resurfacing

Laser resurfacing is another skin rejuvenation alternative to salicylic acid. Laser resurfacing uses ablative lasers to remove the surface layers of the skin by burning. Laser resurfacing makes it easy to rejuvenate key areas while leaving others untouched. Side effects generally include swelling, discomfort, and mild bleeding. You may need up to ten days to recover. Treated skin may remain bright pink for several weeks after the treatment. Again, you’ll need to use sunblock until your skin returns to its normal shade.

Salicylic acid is a beta hydroxy acid, or BHA, used in mild and medium depth chemical peels. Salicylic acid’s ability to clear pores, reduce inflammation, kill bacteria, and exfoliate the skin make it a weapon of choice in the skin care arsenal. One of salicylic acid’s many characteristics is that it can help other peeling and skin care agents penetrate more deeply into the skin.

Adding other ingredients to salicylic acid chemical peel (skin peel) can make those ingredients more effective and enhance the results of the salicylic acid peel.

Glycolic and lactic acid are alpha hydroxy acids, or AHAs, typically included in many salicylic acid chemical peels. Other common AHAs include tartaric acid, citric acid, and malic acid. AHAs help to exfoliate and rejuvenate the skin. They can complement salicylic acid’s ability to clear oils, dirt, and debris from the pores.

In turn, salicylic acid can help AHAs penetrate your skin more deeply, for better chemical peel results. You may find that a peel that contains salicylic acid leaves your skin even firmer, brighter, and smoother than a peel that does not.

Since both AHAs and BHAs are gentle on the skin, this combination can be used to perform a mild chemical peel with little irritation and few side effects. Because salicylic acid has inherent anti-inflammatory properties, it can help soothe any irritation caused by AHAs like lactic or glycolic acid. Salicylic acid may also help to absorb ultraviolet light, preventing further sun damage to your skin and therefore helping to enhance and extend the results of your chemical peel.

Resorcinol, a chemical peeling agent derived from phenol, is a bit stronger than salicylic acid. It’s used in medium-depth and deeper peel solutions, such as the Jessner’s solution. When combined with resorcinol, a salicylic acid peel can penetrate deeper into the skin for more dramatic, longer-lasting results.

Salicylic Acid for Acne

Salicylic acid is a popular acne treatment because it has the ability to penetrate pores to keep them clear. Salicylic acid helps break down dead skin cells to exfoliate skin, and it can remove dirt, debris, and dead skin cells from inside your pores. Salicylic acid can be applied topically in low concentrations to treat and prevent acne. Regular mild chemical peels with salicylic acid can also help prevent and treat acne.

Salicylic Acid for Anti-Aging

Dermatologists have recently discovered that salicylic acid is an effective chemical peeling agent, capable of reducing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. Salicylic acid is a beta hydroxy acid that can gently penetrate and exfoliate the upper layers of the skin’s surface. Once these upper layers of skin have been removed, new skin can grow in their place. The new skin will be firmer and smoother, with fewer lines and wrinkles.

Salicylic Acid for Skin Lightening and Sun Damage

Salicylic acid has also been shown to be effective at lightening skin and reversing sun damage. Salicylic acid can be combined with hydroquinone in mild and medium-depth peels to lighten skin and treat hyperpigmentation problems like melasma or sun spots. Salicylic acid is well-tolerated by those with darker complexions.

Salicylic Acid for Scar Removal

While salicylic acid isn’t the first choice for removing large or deep scars, it can improve the appearance of mild scarring, particularly mild acne scarring. Medium-depth peels have the fastest, most dramatic results, but even mild peels can reduce the appearance of mild scarring if they are performed repeatedly.

Salicylic Acid Helps Control and Prevent Acne

Salicylic acid has been found to be effective at keeping pores clean. Most acne occurs because dirt, debris, and skin oils accumulate in the pores and clog them. As we know, clogged pores lead to acne. Salicylic acid, whether applied topically or as a regular chemical peel, can help to keep pores clean and prevent or reduce acne and acne scarring.

Salicylic Acid Improves Skin’s Appearance

Salicylic acid chemical peels are known to improve the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. Salicylic acid can gently remove the upper layers of your surface skin. The skin left behind is tighter, firmer, brighter, and smoother.

The process by which salicylic acid removes the surface layers of your skin is an exfoliation process. It’s basically the same process by which your skin naturally sheds dead cells. The difference is that a salicylic acid peel speeds that process up. Rather than shedding dead cells slowly, you can remove them all at once with a salicylic acid peel. This can improve the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. It can also help to limit the appearance of sun damage as you age.

Salicylic Acid is Gentle and Safe

Salicylic acid is gentle enough for use on all skin types. Those with oily, dry, normal, and even combination skin types can enjoy the benefits of a salicylic acid peel. Salicylic acid is believed to be gentler than alphahydroxy or glycolic acids. Dermatologists can achieve the same chemical peel effects with salicylic acid as they do with glycolic or alphahydroxy acids, but they’re able to use lower concentrations of acid. This makes the skin peel safer, and lowers the risk of irritation, dryness, or other side effects.

Salicylic acid is a gentle beta hydroxy acid, or BHA. It’s derived from willow bark, and has been used medicinally for thousands of years. Since the time of the ancient Greeks, salicylic acid’s pain relieving, anti-inflammatory, and fever reducing qualities have been invaluable to medicine.

Today, salicylic acid is used as an acne treatment and a chemical peeling agent. Its ability to break down and exfoliate dead skin cells makes it a great treatment for other skin conditions, like warts, psoriasis, and eczema, that involve the build-up of dead skin on the skin’s surface. It can penetrate deep into your pores to clear them and keep them from clogging. Salicylic acid can help the other active ingredients in many products penetrate your skin more deeply.

Many chemical peeling agents and acne treatments can further dry and irritate sensitive skin. The good news about salicylic acid is that it’s safe for sensitive skin. Salicylic acid isn’t as caustic as similar peel agents like lactic or glycolic acid. Some dermatologists feel that a salicylic acid peel can achieve the same effects as a glycolic or lactic acid peel with as little as one-fifth of the active ingredients. And, because salicylic acid has anti-inflammatory properties, it can help to soothe the skin at the same time.

That said, salicylic acid can dry and irritate skin. If you have sensitive skin and would like to include salicylic acid in your skin care regimen, you might consider starting slowly. Use products that contain the lowest concentrations of salicylic acid, and work your way up to stronger concentrations as your skin becomes accustomed to it.

Myth: Salicylic Acid is Only for Acne

Fact: It’s true that salicylic acid is the active ingredient in many acne treatments and that it’s useful for helping keep pores clean to prevent breakouts. But salicylic acid isn’t just for acne. Salicylic acid is also used to treat a number of other skin conditions that involve the build-up of dead cells on the skin’s surface, such as warts, psoriasis, or eczema.

Salicylic acid is also used in chemical peels. A salicylic acid chemical peel can gently remove the upper layers of your skin’s surface. New skin will grow in its place, and that new skin will be firmer and smoother, with fewer fine lines, wrinkles, and blemishes.

Myth: Salicylic Acid is the Same as Other Mild Chemical Peeling Agents

Fact: Salicylic acid is a beta hydroxy acid. Other mild chemical peeling agents, such as lactic or glycolic acid, are alpha hydroxy acids. Alpha hydroxy acids are quite gentle, but beta hydroxy acids are gentler. Salicylic acid may be the gentlest peeling agent in use today. It doesn’t irritate the skin as badly as AHAs can, and it can achieve the same effects in lower concentrations.

Myth: Salicylic Acid Hurts When You Apply It

Fact: Many people are concerned about using salicylic acid, whether as a topical medication or a chemical peel, because they worry that it might hurt their skin. Salicylic acid is an acid, and you might feel some burning or stinging, even when applying it in low concentrations. However, this discomfort is generally mild. Even mild chemical peels with salicylic acid typically burn and sting only while the treatment is being administered, for no longer than ten minutes.

Myth: Salicylic Acid Isn’t Safe for Sensitive Skin

Fact: Salicylic acid is safe for sensitive skin. In fact, since it has anti-inflammatory properties, salicylic acid can actually help to soothe the skin while simultaneously exfoliating. Salicylic acid can dry and irritate skin, but that doesn’t mean you can’t use it if you have sensitive skin. Just use less of it at first, and increase your dose as your skin becomes accustomed to it.

Home Peels Are Cheaper than Office Peels

One of the biggest perks of performing your chemical peel yourself at home is the price. Home peel kits are generally much, much cheaper than in-office peels. So, if you’re looking to maintain your appearance with regular, mild chemical peels, you might want to go with a home peel, instead of breaking the bank on monthly maintenance peels.

In-Office Peels are Safer than Home Peels

Any way you slice it, in-office peels are safer than home peels. That’s because in-office peels are administered by qualified, trained professionals who know exactly what they’re doing. That’s not to say that you can’t safely give yourself a chemical peel at home. But if you’re giving yourself a home chemical peel, use a low concentration peeling formula, and be careful.

In-Office Peels Can Be More Effective than Home Peels

That’s because in-office peels can safely penetrate deeper into your skin to remove more of the skin’s surface and provide more dramatic, longer-lasting results. While it’s safe to give yourself a mild chemical peel at home, the results may not be quite as dramatic as you’d like and they may not last as long as you’d prefer. If you want a deeper peel, you should have it done in-office. Your dermatologists is qualified to safely administer medium depth and deep peels while minimizing your risks of scarring, demarcation lines, and pigmentation changes.