the ordinary salicylic acid 2%

[anushaa62]

i started using the salicylic acid a few days ago and it’s drying out my skin SO much to the point where the dryness is visible. does anyone know what to do or if this is normal? i really want the product to work and help my skin but it’s hard when my skin looks bad from the dryness, and moisturizer doesn’t even help

[k617]

@anushaa62 Are you new to salicylic acid? Are you new to acids in general? How often are you applying the product? What are you using to cleanse your face and what are you using as moisturizer?

It took me a few months to be able to tolerate applying salicylic acid daily. Even today, I only apply once per day (in the morning). 

[anushaa62]

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k617 wrote:

@anushaa62 Are you new to salicylic acid? Are you new to acids in general? How often are you applying the product? What are you using to cleanse your face and what are you using as moisturizer?

It took me a few months to be able to tolerate applying salicylic acid daily. Even today, I only apply once per day (in the morning). 

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yeah , i am new to it and i think the strongest skincare i’ve used before the salicylic acid is a witch hazel lemon astringent. i used the salicylic acid every morning and night because that’s that was recommended on the package. 

[k617]

@anushaa62 That's too much for your skin especially if you're new to salicylic acid. Salicylic is an active ingredient/chemical exfoliant that should be worked in slowly to a routine, especially if you've not had any experience with it. Just for comparison, I've been using another salicylic acid product comparable to The Ordinary's for almost 3 years and I only use it once per day. That's more than enough for my mostly normal skin with very slightly oily t-zone.

I would recommend removing it from your routine until your skin returns to normal. Then once your skin is better, apply ONCE and wait a few days to a week before trying again. Slowly work towards daily application. Some people never get to that point either because 1) Salicylic acid or beta hydroxy acids are not suitable for their skin or 2) They get better results with 2-3x application/every other day application. Personally I don't recommend applying BHA twice per day, that's simply too much for most people.  

I know you want the product to work fast, but there is no miracle product out there and every skin care product takes time to work. You should always give a new product at least a few weeks (recommended 4 weeks, the entire skin cell turnover cycle - UNLESS you are developing a reaction to it, discontinue use IMMEDIATELY).  I think some people try new products for days or a couple of weeks and give up because they don't see results. 

Also, do you naturally have dry skin to begin with? BHA is typically for those with clogged pores or oilier skin. In general I find that people who have dry skin prefer alpha hydroxy acids (AHA) such as lactic or glycolic acid more as it helps with surface exfoliation.