In the acne community two ingredients always get mentioned as being very effective in treating acne, and those two ingredients are salicylic acid and benzoyl peroxide. But if these two powerhouses had to go into a boxing ring together, salicylic acid vs benzoyl peroxide, which one would come out on top as the world champion? To answer this question I have put the pros and con of these two acne treatments below.
Salicylic Acid Pros
1. Anti-Inflammatory
2. Reduces Redness
3. Oil-Soluble - Helps to get inside the pore and clear oil reducing the chance of getting zits and blackheads
4. Kills P.acnes bacteria. This is the bacteria that turns your acne into big red inflamed pimples
5. Removes dead skin cells
6. Clears pores.
Salicylic Acid Cons
1. Makes skin sensitive to the sun.
2. Can irritate skin when on first few uses.
3. Have to continue use or acne can return to the condition before using salicylic acid.
These are the main pros and cons I have found when I used salicylic acid for my acne. There may be many more that I have left out. If there are any important ones not in the list please leave a comment below stating which one's and I will add them to the list.
Benzoyl Peroxide Pros
1.Kills p.acne bacteria
2. Prevents future breakouts
3. Clears dead skin cells
4. Absorbs excess oil
Benzoyl Peroxide Cons
1. Dryness
2. Irritation
3. Will bleach clothing
4. Allergies - Allergic reactions are rare with benzoyl peroxide but can occur in some people.
These are the pros and cons I have found when I used benzoyl peroxide to help clear my acne. Again of there are any other common pros or cons I have left out please leave a comment below.
Conclusion: Looking at and comparing the pros and cons of both salicylic acid vs benzoyl peroxide they are both very evenly matched with no real winners. But for the benefit of this post I am going to say that I find benzoyl peroxide better for my acne, but then there are also may people who would disagree and go with salicylic acid as being better at treating acne. So if you have never used either treatments I would suggest you use on for 30 days and monitor your results and then switch doing the same. By doing this you can see which one works best for your skin and then stick with that to treat your breakouts.
If you do track your progress on the two 30 day tests please stop by and leave your results.
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ReplyDeleteBenzoyl peroxide always leaves my skin feeling extremely dry and irritated. However, I have noticed a significant decrease in the amount of breakouts over time. Salicylic acid on the other hand, has virtually no effect on my skin. I get nothing out of the use of it. That's why I switched to Benzoyl, though I would strongly suggest applying a moisturizer to your skin after using this product. Benzoyl has actually caused my skin to peel and flake-off multiple times, which is not good. Dehydrated skin causes your glands to produce more oils to try and counter the dryness, which can also clog up your pores. It all depends on the type of skin you have. I have come to the conclusion that I have very sensitive skin. I can only use Benzoyl on certain areas of my face, otherwise I literally get burned by it. So like Joe said, try out both medications for 30 days each and then decide which one works best for you.
ReplyDeletecan i put benzoyl all over my face?
ReplyDelete