Happening now in your feed: The making of a DIY acne mask that starts with crushed-up aspirin. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Yes, the latest viral aspirin face mask for acne trend is claiming to clear acne<\/a>\u2014but how did this become a thing<\/em>? Some ingredient label sleuthing reveals that aspirin is derived from salicylic acid<\/a>\u2014the same all-star ingredient in your favorite acne cleanser, toner and more. Is this hype? Or a true hack? Let\u2019s do a deep dive on salicylic acid\u2014from what does salicylic acid do to the best way to use it on your skin\u2014with board-certified dermatologist, pharmacist, former acne sufferer and founder of Murad Skincare, Dr. Howard Murad.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n Salicylic acid (also known as ortho-hydroxybenzoid acid) is an anti-inflammatory, antibacterial and anti-keratolytic beta hydroxy acid found naturally willow bark and derived from an active called salicin. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Willow bark has been a source of medicinal pain relief and fever reducer for thousands of years. The Sumerians are credited with discovering the analgesic property of willow plant and Roman author and naturalist Gaius Plinius Secundus (also known as Pliny the Elder) often is credited as the first to use willow bark to treat skin conditions like calluses and corns. Fast forward to the 19th<\/sup> century: German physician Dr. Paul Gerson Unna ultimately gets credit for the most comprehensive therapeutic uses of salicylic acid for medical skincare benefits. <\/p>\n\n\n\n It\u2019s used to topically treat skin disorders like oily skin<\/a> and acne because it exfoliates away layers of pore-clogging dead skin cells, and can penetrate past excess surface oils into clogged pores to clean out debris that can trigger acne. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Thanks to its exfoliating and pore-clearing abilities, salicylic acid can be an efficient treatment that can help clear and prevent acne, acne lesions, blackheads and whiteheads. \u201cSalicylic acid is also an antiseptic that helps with various conditions,\u201d says Murad. \u201cObviously we know it helps with acne but we can use it to treat other issues like keratosis pilaris, cystic acne,<\/a> skin roughness and acne scars<\/a>.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n What does salicylic acid do for signs of aging skin, like wrinkles<\/a> and hyperpigmentation<\/a>? While it\u2019s not as renowned as glycolic acid for improving signs of aging, it shouldn\u2019t be underestimated: Salicylic acid\u2019s exfoliating action encourages cell turnover, which ultimately contributes to diminishing the depth of wrinkles and fading dark spots. <\/p>\n\n\n\n According to Dr. Murad, \u201cIt depends on the formula. It\u2019s not enough to seek out salicylic acid cleansers<\/a> or salicylic acid skincare serums<\/a> because it\u2019s not a cure-all ingredient. Yes, salicylic acid targets acne\u2014but just like you, your skin is more than that acne bump.\u201d <\/p>\n\n\n\n Murad continues, \u201dThe entire landscape of your skin will be healthier if it\u2019s treated with salicylic acid, while also being supported with hydration<\/a> and antioxidants. Salicylic acid is an active ingredient made more efficacious by the ingredients it\u2019s formulated with. Without those ingredients, skin could be more susceptible to conditions that trigger even more acne, like extreme dryness, irritation and barrier damage.” When asked, “Is salicylic acid good for acne scars?”, Dr. Murad replied salicylic acid can be part of an acne scar treatment<\/a> solution thanks to its exfoliating and resurfacing benefits that will help smooth scar texture and scar depth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As a pharmacist (internal medicine) and dermatologist (external medicine), Dr. Murad sits at the intersection of internal and external biology. That\u2019s why he strongly recommends taking an inside-out approach to clearing your skin by boosting cellular health. \u201cAcne is often treated as an external skin disease but the skin absorbs internal signals like stress hormones, which can drastically shift its homeostasis.\u201d He recommends supporting healthy skin with a skincare regimen and supplements<\/a> like zinc<\/a> and burdock root<\/a> to help clear acne from inside out. <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cI don\u2019t think it\u2019s the best thing you could do because it could be irritating and could be harsh on your skin,\u201d says Murad. \u201cIt\u2019s not hard to understand why people would think, \u2018salicylic acid: same ingredient, same benefits.\u2019 Aspirin is an anti-inflammatory and acne is an inflammatory skin disease. If anything, the aspirin is taking down the inflammation of the breakout, which makes the skin look<\/em> like it has less acne.\u201d Since social media trends move faster than the clinical trials can validate or debunk them, aspirin face mask dangers are somewhat up for debate. That’s why it\u2019s best to stick to doctor\u2019s orders. <\/p>\n\n\n\n References for this information:<\/strong> Happening now in your feed: The making of a DIY acne mask that starts with crushed-up aspirin. Yes, the latest viral aspirin face mask for acne trend is claiming to clear acne\u2014but how did this become a thing? Some ingredient label sleuthing reveals that aspirin is derived from salicylic acid\u2014the same all-star ingredient in your […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":21,"featured_media":7650,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-7480","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-skin"],"metadata":{"_edit_lock":["1762894598:21"],"_edit_last":["21"],"adobe_analytics_repeatable":["a:1:{i:0;a:2:{s:4:\"name\";s:0:\"\";s:5:\"value\";s:0:\"\";}}"],"show_featured_image":["1"],"_show_featured_image":["field_609ee1cf1ce13"],"primary_category":["5"],"_primary_category":["field_608c33bdd26d5"],"mobile_image":[""],"_mobile_image":["field_60bf7692abe28"],"_post_views_count":["field_6107dfafd6a27"],"sidebar_products_use_global_default":["0"],"_sidebar_products_use_global_default":["field_63a349a11086a"],"sidebar_products_title":["Related Products"],"_sidebar_products_title":["field_6408d62123449"],"sidebar_products_items":[""],"_sidebar_products_items":["field_63a349a110878"],"sidebar_products":[""],"_sidebar_products":["field_63a349a0dadad"],"_yoast_wpseo_content_score":["30"],"_yoast_wpseo_estimated-reading-time-minutes":["4"],"_yoast_wpseo_primary_category":["5"],"_yoast_wpseo_metadesc":["What does salicylic acid do? And what's the real deal with that viral aspirin face mask for acne? We asked a top derm for answers."],"_thumbnail_id":["7650"],"_yoast_wpseo_focuskw":["what does salicylic acid do"],"_yoast_wpseo_title":["What does salicylic acid do? These facts will surprise you | Murad"],"_yoast_wpseo_linkdex":["67"],"post_views_count":["9106"]},"aioseo_notices":[],"acf":{"show_featured_image":true,"primary_category":{"term_id":5,"name":"Skin","slug":"skin","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":5,"taxonomy":"category","description":"","parent":0,"count":238,"filter":"raw"},"mobile_image":false,"sidebar_products":{"use_global_default":false,"title":"Related Products","items":""},"post_views_count":"9106"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/wellconnected.murad.com\/api\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7480","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/wellconnected.murad.com\/api\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/wellconnected.murad.com\/api\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wellconnected.murad.com\/api\/wp\/v2\/users\/21"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wellconnected.murad.com\/api\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7480"}],"version-history":[{"count":39,"href":"https:\/\/wellconnected.murad.com\/api\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7480\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":8004,"href":"https:\/\/wellconnected.murad.com\/api\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7480\/revisions\/8004"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wellconnected.murad.com\/api\/wp\/v2\/media\/7650"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/wellconnected.murad.com\/api\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7480"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wellconnected.murad.com\/api\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7480"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wellconnected.murad.com\/api\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7480"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}What is salicylic acid? <\/h3>\n\n\n\n
How was salicylic acid discovered? <\/h3>\n\n\n\n
What does salicylic acid do? <\/h3>\n\n\n\n
How does salicylic acid benefit skin? <\/h3>\n\n\n\n
What\u2019s the best way to use salicylic acid in a skincare routine? <\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Tip: Don\u2019t just rely on topicals <\/h3>\n\n\n\n
And finally: Should you be making an aspirin mask for acne? <\/h3>\n\n\n\n
International Aspirin Foundation Website, <\/em>Chemistry<\/a>
Italian Journal of Dermatology and Venereology,<\/em> 2020, volume 155, issue 6, pages 744-748<\/a>
Healthline Website<\/em>, Skincare<\/a>
British Journal of Haematology<\/em>, 2017, volume 177, issue 5, pages 674-683<\/a>
Journal of Cardiovascular and Thoracic Research<\/em>, 2021, volume 13, issue 2, pages 179-180<\/a>
Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology<\/em>, 2015, volume 8, pages 455-461<\/a>
The Journal of The European Academy of Dermatology & Venereology<\/em>, 2020, volume 34, issue 9, pages 1980-1899<\/a> <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"