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Fri Apr 21, 2006 1:00 am  |
Reading the books Breaking Out and The Acne Cure left me utterly confused  about how salicylic acid and glycolic acid actually work in comparison to one another. Please read on to see why...
In Breaking Out Lydia Preseton claims that "unlike salicylic acid, glycolic acid is not oil soluble, so it does not penetrate sebaceous follicles to loosen comedones or prevent them from forming." I assume that by "loosen[ing] comedones" Preston means to "exfoliate the cells that build up to create comedones" which is mentioned in another part of the book when she talks about glycolic acid.
She also states that "salicylic acid cleansers are designed to exfoliate the skin's surface and reduce comedones in the follicles" by "gradually work[ing] to loosen and expel comedones."
However, in The Acne Cure, Terry Dubrow, M.D., F.A.C.S. and Brenda Adderly, M.H.A, state that salicylic acid is "not designed to remove plugs of sebum and cells that are already clogging pores; rather, its role is to cleanse the surface of the skin of excess dry cells and bacteria, not to try to remove all dry cells and bacteria. The task of digging and first loosening and then removing the 'cemented-in' plugs calls for sterner stuff, namely glycolic acid."
The The Acne Cure authors go on to say that glycolic acid "has consideralbe solvent power and can therefore dissolve any plugs it can reach. But... most of the plugs are inside closed pores and therefore not reachable. Yet glycolic acid manages to loosen and remove many of these too." They elaborate on this by saying that glycolic acid has the "magic" ability to penetrate closed pores where it dissolves the sub-surface gunk within the blocked pore. This then helps the pore to open up making the gunk more suseptible to extraction/elimination.
Do you see why I am confused? Don't get me wrong... I still recommend Breaking Out as a good comprehensive resource. I am just so confused by the contradictory claims in these books.
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early-mid 30s || oily-combination, sensitive & acne-prone skin || mild breakouts (Aczone helps a lot) || occasional eczema rashes || fine lines around eyes || very dark under eye cirlces- concealer a must || very fair neutral-warm complexion, blue eyes, blonde hair |
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Tue Apr 25, 2006 12:26 am |
I thought I would get a few responses from people on this one...
somebody?
anybody?
...please?
Well, hopefully refreshing this topic on the board will attract some new viewers who might be able to provide enlightenment.  |
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early-mid 30s || oily-combination, sensitive & acne-prone skin || mild breakouts (Aczone helps a lot) || occasional eczema rashes || fine lines around eyes || very dark under eye cirlces- concealer a must || very fair neutral-warm complexion, blue eyes, blonde hair |
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Tue Apr 25, 2006 12:56 am |
| I am sorry that I don't have an answer for you but I would also like to know which one does what as well. |
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Skin: Over 60, ex combination now sensitive, Cellcosmet |
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Tue Apr 25, 2006 2:30 am |
as far as i know, salicylic acid actually helps with removal of oil from the pores, which is why it's used in products for oily or acne prone skin, whereas glycolic acid is used to eliminate dead skin from the surface, which is why it's commonly used in anti ageing products.
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Tue Apr 25, 2006 3:58 am |
They both perform in a similar manner such as exfoliating away dead skin cells, the major difference is in how they penetrate the skin.
As you may have noted, salicylic acid is said to penetrate oily skin more effectively than glycolic acid.
Glycolic acid is generally considered to be more versatile because it works well on many different skin types. It also penetrates deeper through the layers of the skin making it a good choice for rejuvenating aging skin. |
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Sue ~ www.skincareresourcecenter.com |
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Tue Apr 25, 2006 12:50 pm |
| glycolics work on the surface of the skin, salicylic acids work deep into the skin.....that's all I know |
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Combination - dehyrdated, acne, sensitive, late 20's. |
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Mabsy
Moderator
 
Joined: 17 Aug 2003
Posts: 9644
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Tue Apr 25, 2006 6:34 pm |
| amnis wrote: |
However, in The Acne Cure, Terry Dubrow, M.D., F.A.C.S. and Brenda Adderly, M.H.A, state that salicylic acid is "not designed to remove plugs of sebum and cells that are already clogging pores; rather, its role is to cleanse the surface of the skin of excess dry cells and bacteria, not to try to remove all dry cells and bacteria. The task of digging and first loosening and then removing the 'cemented-in' plugs calls for sterner stuff, namely glycolic acid."
The The Acne Cure authors go on to say that glycolic acid "has consideralbe solvent power and can therefore dissolve any plugs it can reach. But... most of the plugs are inside closed pores and therefore not reachable. Yet glycolic acid manages to loosen and remove many of these too." They elaborate on this by saying that glycolic acid has the "magic" ability to penetrate closed pores where it dissolves the sub-surface gunk within the blocked pore. This then helps the pore to open up making the gunk more suseptible to extraction/elimination. |
I am as confused as you - unless there is some subtle wording there that I am not picking up on, this is the opposite of my understanding. In short - glycolic acid exfoliates surface but salicylic gets into the pores (but probably still has some surface exfoliation - not sure on this but I'd assume so). |
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45, NW20, combination skin |
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Tue Apr 25, 2006 8:45 pm |
I totally agree with Mabsy. What you posted is the complete reverse of what I understand too. I'm surprised.
This is from Diana Yvonne who also has a very active forum all about acids
http://dianayvonne.zoovy.com/category/16.aboutpeels
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| SALICYLIC ACID or beta hydroxy acid is derived from aspirin. This treatment is particularly helpful in clearing clogged follicles and in promoting exfoliation. Salicylic acid is lipid (oil) soluble solution and is antibacterial, thus giving acne sufferers added relief. In fact, Salicylic acid is considered one of the best peels for relieving acne. This peel is a more dramatic method in obtaining a healthy, bright, clear skin appearance. Salicylic acid works differently than Glycolic or Lactic acids. Salicylic acid works from the deeper layers of the skin and able to penetrate the comedones (blackheads) better than other acids. |
And glycolic does penetrate the skin but seems to work more on the surface I always read it decreases the "glue" that holds dead cells on the surface of the skin, but I can't find where I got that from.
In my experience this holds true; glycolic great for resurfacing, salicylic great for unclogging pores. |
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Wed Apr 26, 2006 1:55 pm |
Thank you all for your input. If anything, I wanted to know if the wording was confusing to anyone else or if I was missing something.
I appreciate your thoughts |
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early-mid 30s || oily-combination, sensitive & acne-prone skin || mild breakouts (Aczone helps a lot) || occasional eczema rashes || fine lines around eyes || very dark under eye cirlces- concealer a must || very fair neutral-warm complexion, blue eyes, blonde hair |
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Wed Apr 26, 2006 3:15 pm |
| I agree with the other posts: SA is for penetrating pores to clean them from the inside out. GA is for dissolving the "glue" that holds dead skin cells together so you can remove them easily (before they fall into pores and clog them.) Combination of the two is probably optimal. I generally use an SA on my nose for blackheads, etc. I use GA (Age-Limit serum - glycolic/lactic acid) on all other areas of my face. |
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Thu Apr 27, 2006 8:46 am |
| Jan Marini's Bioclear has both glycolic and salicylic acids in it. |
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