Salicylic Acid Cleanser

[MikeYribarren]

Hello there. Am I the only one experiencing itching after applying cleansers with Salicylic Acid Cleanser? I discontinued its use after noticing little bumps coming as it is burning my skin and I wonder why? I tried different brands like Cerave, Kiehls and The Ordinary. Thank you! 
#help #salicylic 

[WinglessOne]

Hi @MikeYribarren ! You did right by stopping use. Were you using a salicylic acid (BHA) cleanser and then using a regular cleanser right afterward, as a double cleanse? Or were you using just the BHA cleanser? How frequently did you use the BHA cleanser? 

Salicylic acid is an exfoliant: it removes dead skin cells from the surface of your face (and anywhere else you use it). Overusing BHA can result in over-exfoliation: you remove so many dead skin cells, you break your skin’s moisture barrier. This leaves your skin quite irritated and painful. Or, you might just be sensitive to BHA and can’t use it at all without irritation. 

Since BHA also degunks pores, it can cause purging: a sudden appearance of more acne that’s forced up to your face’s surface, because BHA’s evicting it from your skin. But since you described itching and burning, I suspect you’ve got more irritation than purging. 

It’s best to slowly introduce BHA—even in cleanser form—to your skincare route, starting with just once a week and gradually ramping up usage. Even then, I don’t recommend using BHA daily and definitely not twice a day. I’m not a doctor though, so your best recommendation there should come from your own doc. If you decide to try BHA again, wait til your skin feels better. 

If your skincare routine includes another exfoliant like AHA, PHA, fruit enzymes, a scrub cleanser or mask, a spin brush, etc., then you might’ve over-exfoliated your skin by adding BHA to the party. In that case, reduce the frequency of your other exfoliant(s) so you’re exfoliating no more than 3 times a week. In fact, you should temporarily stop all exfoliation until your skin feel better—which I hope happens soon!