Salicylic Acid and Desquamation

Learning to live with acne prone skin can be difficult, and it does not get easier when you are duped into buying sub-par products that can actually worsen a skin condition. When you're trying to choose an acne treatment regimen, it's usually smart to use products that contain helpful beta-hydroxy acids like salicylic acid.

Salicylic acid is great at fighting acne, and it's a weak agent and not suited to treat your skin harshly or harm it in any way -- Unless of course you have a hypersensitivity to salicylic acid, which is not common, but possible. (Ask your dermatologist if products using salicylic acid or other beta-hydroxy acid treatments are right for your skin type.) Salicylic acid fights acne in a number of ways - it helps your epidermis shed faster, yet still remaining safe and gentle. It also helps keeping your pores unclogged, letting your skin "breathe", so to speak.

Desquamation is the process your skin goes through naturally, replacing old dead skin cells on your outer layer with new ones. Some beta-hydroxy acids like salicylic acid can improve the rate and efficiency of your desquamation process, while gently cleansing and protecting your skin. Acne prone skin types have an abnormal desquamation process, and need regulation using beta-hydroxy acids.

Products that use salicylic acid normally boast the ability to help cure (or completely cure) cases of mild acne, dandruff, and psoriasis, among others. Since it is extracted from willow bark, salicylic acid is considered an organic ingredient in many aspects and is a key ingredient in many natural skincare products, as well as shampoos, conditioners, and acne-friendly moisturizing products as well. When this ingredient was extracted at first, it was used to help ease pain of injury and illness, giving us what aspirin is today. Aspirin is made by utilizing a reaction that occurs within salicylic acid, so using aspirin based recipes for your skin can also greatly improve an existing condition like acne.

Salicylic acid not only helps to rid your skin of acne and other bad skin conditions, but it also is a natural exfoliating agent, able to gently rid your pores of bacteria and dirt while promoting new cell growth. There are many products using salicylic acid on the market today, and most are very gentle on your skin. Some of them are also very affordable, such as Clean & Clear's Deep Action Cream Cleanser, and Oxy Maximum Strength Cleansing Pads.

As I mentioned before, be sure to ask your dermatologist or doctor if you believe your skin to have certain sensitivities before using products heavy in beta-hydroxy acids. Also, try to find products using the most natural ingredients possible, free of anything with the "poly" prefix. Cherish your skin, and try to keep it as naturally clean as possible!

Useful Information at :
(About.com/Acne)
(Salicylic Acid vs. Acne)