How to Add a Salicylic Acid Serum to Your Skincare Routine?
Trying to figure out the order in which you should apply your skincare products can be more confusing than a Rubik’s Cube…different products, formulas, concentrations, ingredients, the list is literally endless! Don’t worry, I totally understand how difficult this can be, which is why today I’m going to show you the best ways to incorporate a salicylic acid serum into your daily routine.
How to Use Salicylic Acid in Your Skincare Routine?
Salicylic acid belongs to the beta-hydroxy acid (BHA) family and is the only truly known and commonly used BHA acid. This acid, extracted from willow bark, has a variety of antimicrobial properties, making it the best active ingredient to combat problematic and blemish-prone skin. Due to its large molecular size and oil solubility, it can penetrate deeper into the pores to help remove bacteria, product residue, dirt, and many other acne-causing impurities. For more information on salicylic acid, check out our guide to BHA skin care benefits on the blog.
You can incorporate salicylic acid into your daily routine with a variety of skincare products, such as face washes, serums, and scrubs. This will determine how you incorporate it into your daily routine. You should also consider your skin type to avoid unnecessary irritation or dryness, as salicylic acid is known for its effects and can be very drying to the skin and cause reactive symptoms in sensitive and dry skin.
As I mentioned earlier, there are many products that contain salicylic acid. Here are some examples and how they can help your skin and blemishes.
Face Wash
It is understood that using a face wash or cleanser is the best overall skin care method that can be used regularly every day. The main advantage of using a rinse-off wash is that even with a high acidity of 2%, the product does not stay on the skin for too long to cause severe dryness or skin reactions, but it cleanses the skin and unclogs impurities in the pores. A face wash or cleanser is the first and very important step in your daily routine. After cleaning the skin of makeup residue, using a salicylic acid-rich cleanser can help remove dead skin cells from the skin so that any treatment products that are applied afterwards can penetrate into the lower layers of the skin faster and see results faster.
Serum
When you use a serum, especially in your evening routine, you are giving the active ingredients the best time to work. Applying a salicylic acid serum at night, free from skin-damaging free radicals like pollution and UV rays, will fully treat any problem areas or complexions. If you have dry and sensitive skin, you should definitely avoid this product, as salicylic acid is too strong to use on your skin. However, if you suffer from some rashes, the next product I’m about to share with you may be able to help you, as long as you consult your doctor or dermatologist to make sure it’s safe for you to use on your skin.
Topical Spot Treatments
You’ll notice that these products come in small bottles, as only a minimal amount is needed to be applied topically to the area where the blemish or rash appears. The percentage of salicylic acid in these topical treatments is the highest you’ll find, so expect some dryness and flaking. To counteract this skin reaction, it’s best to follow up your topical spot treatment with a hydrating serum containing hyaluronic acid, which will help restore moisture.
Professional Peels
If you find yourself with severe cystic acne, a professional peel may be the solution. The salicylic acid content is medical grade and should only be used by trained professionals. The name “exfoliation” may sound scary, but it’s actually a methodical layering of ingredients to speed up skin cell turnover. It’s no secret that a buildup of dead skin cells can wreak havoc on problematic skin, often leading to pimples, blackheads, and whiteheads.
Here are some examples of using salicylic acid in your skincare routine. When first introducing this ingredient into your routine and onto your skin, it’s best to do a patch test to make sure it’s safe and won’t cause irritation.
When should you use salicylic acid in your daily routine?
That depends on the products you use that contain salicylic acid. When using a skincare routine, the easiest way to think about it is to determine the order in which you apply the products: from thin to thick. Here are examples of morning and evening skincare routines and the order in which you apply the products.
Morning Skincare Routine
Cleansing Products
Toner
Serum
Eye Cream
Spot Treatment
Moisturizer
Facial Oil
Sunscreen with SPF 30 or Higher
Evening Skincare Routine
Cleansing Products
Toner
Serum
Eye Cream
Spot Treatment
Moisturizer
Retinol
Facial Oil
These are some examples of a balanced skincare routine that includes the most effective amounts of products that benefit the skin and prevent skin problems, like breakouts, and premature signs of aging, like fine lines and wrinkles.
Should salicylic acid be used before or after moisturizer?
Generally speaking, the most effective skin products containing salicylic acid are serums, anti-blemish products, and cleansers, all of which are used before moisturizer. If you want to use salicylic acid to improve your overall skin tone, serums and cleansers will give you the fastest results and make a noticeable difference to your skin.
Can I use a salicylic acid serum every day?
If you use a cleanser with salicylic acid, you can use it every day because it is in a lower concentration and then rinse it off your skin so it doesn’t become irritated or dry. Combine it with products that contain moisturizing ingredients such as niacinamide and hyaluronic acid. Don’t forget the benefits of using vitamin C in your daily routine to give your skin a healthy, radiant glow.
When using salicylic acid, an important step in your daily routine is to use a sunscreen with SPF 30 or higher every day due to the skin’s increased sensitivity to UV radiation.
I hope this clarifies how you can incorporate salicylic acid serums into your skincare routine. With different products containing this BHA, you can find the best formula for your skin type. If you want to learn more about the benefits of AHA and BHA for skin, you can check out our guide on the Beauty Insiders blog.
Don’t miss out on more skincare tips and expert advice on our Instagram, so follow us!
