How to Add a Salicylic Acid Serum to Your Skincare Routine?
Trying to figure out the order in which to apply your skincare products can be more confusing than a Rubik’s Cube… different products, formulas, textures, ingredients – the list is literally endless! Don’t worry, I totally understand how difficult it can be.
That’s why today I’m going to show you the best ways to incorporate a salicylic acid serum into your daily routine.
How is salicylic acid used in skincare?
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 an excellent active ingredient for treating problematic and blemish-prone skin.
Due to its large molecular size and oil solubility, it can penetrate deep into pores and remove bacteria, product residue, dirt, and many other acne-causing contaminants. For more information on salicylic acid, see our guide to the benefits of BHA in skincare on our blog.
You can add salicylic acid to a variety of skincare products in your daily routine, including cleansers, 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 well known for its benefits and can easily dry out 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 benefit your skin and blemishes.
Wash your face. Using a face wash or cleanser is considered the best overall treatment for the skin and can be used regularly every day. The main advantage of using a rinse-off cleanser is that even at a high acidity of 2%, the product will not stay on the skin long enough to cause severe dryness or skin reactions, but it can help clean the skin and unclog the pores to remove impurities.
Washing your face or cleansing your face is an extremely important first step in your daily routine. After cleaning your skin of makeup residue, using a salicylic acid-rich cleanser will help remove all dead skin cells from the skin, allowing subsequent care products to penetrate into the lower layers of the skin faster and work faster.
Serum. Using a serum, especially in your evening routine, ensures that the active ingredients work their best. Unaffected by skin-damaging free radicals like pollution and UV rays, salicylic acid serums can be used at night to comprehensively treat any problem areas or complexions. If you find that your skin is dry and sensitive, you definitely need to avoid this product because salicylic acid is too strong to use on your skin.
However, if you suffer from a rash, the next product I’m going to share with you will help you, provided you ask your doctor or dermatologist if it’s safe to use on your skin. Topical treatments. You’ll find that
These products come in small bottles because only a very small amount is needed to be applied topically to blemishes or rash areas.
The salicylic acid content in these topical treatments is the highest you’ll find, so dryness and flaking are to be expected. To counteract this skin reaction, it’s best to reapply
A hydrating serum containing hyaluronic acid to your topical blemish treatment to help restore moisture.
Professional peels. If you suffer from 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 is actually a structured layering of ingredients that speed up the skin cell renewal process. The accumulation of dead skin cells can have devastating consequences for problematic skin, often leading to acne, blackheads, and pimples.
Below are some examples of using salicylic acid in your daily skin care routine. When first incorporating this ingredient into your routine and applying it to your skin, it is best to do a patch test to ensure that it is safe and does not cause irritation.
When should you use salicylic acid in your daily routine?
It depends on the products you use and which products contain salicylic acid. When following a skin care routine, the easiest way is to figure out the order in which the products should be applied: from thin to thick. Below you will find examples of a morning and evening skin care routine and the order in which the products should be applied.
These are some examples of a balanced skin care routine that includes the most effective amounts of skin-loving products to help fight skin problems like acne and premature signs of aging like fine lines and wrinkles.
Should salicylic acid be applied before or after moisturizer?
Generally speaking, the most effective skin care products containing salicylic acid are serums, anti-spot treatments, and cleansers, all of which should be used before moisturizer. If you want to use salicylic acid to treat your
to improve the overall appearance of your skin, you can achieve the fastest results and noticeable skin changes with serums and cleansers.
Can I use a salicylic acid serum every day?
If you use a salicylic acid-rich cleanser, you can use it every day because it has a lower concentration and rinses off the skin, so it won’t irritate or dry it out. Combine it with a product that contains moisturizing ingredients, such as
containing niacinamide and hyaluronic acid.
Not to mention the benefits of adding vitamin C to your daily routine: it promotes healthy, radiant skin. An important step in your daily routine when using salicylic acid is to use a daily sunscreen of 30x or 30x higher, as the skin’s sensitivity to UV radiation increases.
I hope this explains how to incorporate a salicylic acid serum into your skin care routine. Among the different products containing this BHA, you can find the formula that best suits your skin type.If you want to learn more about the benefits of AHAs and BHAs for your skin, you can read this guide on the Beauty Insiders blog.
