Why I Exfoliate With Glycolic and Salicylic Acids To Treat Acne

I’m not a professional dermatologist, but when my teenage daughter started having problems with acne, I began to read up.  Back when I was a teenager all the exfoliate products for acne skin care had salicylic acid in them.  This was the medication I was familiar with and yet, I knew it was also used for treating other types of more serious skin problems.  So, I was a bit concerned it might be too harsh on my daughter’s younger skin.  I didn’t want her to end up with red blotchy skin just to solve her acne.

However, after watching Episode #69 on DermTV, “The Difference Between Glycolic and Salicylic Acid” I not only realized there was an alternative, but that salicylic acid can be just as safe.  Dr Neal Schultz speaks in plain terms about the difference between these two medications used in skin products today.  It turns out the Glycolic acid is the most common, or as he says “the work horse”, for most skin exfoliate issues because it can be safe from a mild dose of 1 to 2% to even the more stringent dosage used at the dermatologist’s office of up to 70%.  I thought that was a bit extreme, but then again that is only used by the dermatologist.  It does make me feel much more secure in getting something for my daughter and knowing it will be safe for acne skin care and her younger skin even if the percentage is as high as 5%.

According to Dr. Schultz, salicylic acid is still the most common treatment for acne skin care, although, it can become harsh on the skin even as little as 2% of the active ingredient.Dr. Schultz did point out that it’s safe for all skin types provided that the products were used as directed.  Using a product with salicylic acid should not result in any redness or irritation, which is the last thing a teenage daughter needs when facing her friends at high school. 

In the end, when used as directed both products are safe, even on younger skin.  There may be others out there which can exfoliate the skin, but these are the two Dr. Dr. Schultz said to consider.  Glycolic is the one we’re trying now.  But it’s nice to know there are options if it doesn’t provide the kind of acne skin care we are looking for.