Can You Use Glycolic Acid and Salicylic Acid Together?

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Glycolic acid and salicylic acid are both great peeling agents and skin exfoliators. They target different layers of the skin, so they are good to use on their own. Can you use glycolic acid and salicylic acid together?

Glycolic acid and salicylic acid can be used together as they target different layers of the skin; however, I recommend that you use them separately. They are both powerful, active ingredients, and if you use them together, it is easy to over-exfoliate and damage your skin.

Read on to learn more about whether you can use glycolic acid and salicylic acid and the benefits of each!

Also, for an excellent exfoliating face peel with glycolic acid, take a look at our top pick, the Luisa True Skincare Glycolic Acid Peel 10%:

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Can You Use Glycolic Acid and Salicylic Acid Together?

Glycolic acid exfoliates the outer surfaces of your skin effectively, and salicylic acid penetrates from the top to the skin into the deeper layers to get rid of dead skin cells. 

According to a study conducted by Bhatia AC and Jimenez F, a combination of 10% buffered glycolic acid, 1% salicylic acid, and botanical ingredients can successfully treat non-inflammatory and inflammatory acne. [1

So if you combine glycolic acid and salicylic acid with the right percentages, they could be used together in an effective manner. But it is difficult to combine them at the percentages that won’t damage your skin.

Both ingredients are very powerful, active ingredients with exfoliating and peeling agents. Using them together can be much too harsh for your skin, so we don’t recommend it.

To learn more, let’s take a look at each of these skin exfoliators.

What Is Glycolic Acid?

Glycolic acid is a water-soluble substance that comes from sugar cane. It’s an alpha hydroxy acid that could loosen up the surface of the skin, so dead skin cells can be peeled properly.

It’s a naturally occurring, colorless, odorless, and transparent crystal that can be incorporated into soaps, toners, and other facial products. Since it’s a naturally occurring substance, it’s safe even for sensitive skin.

Among all the alpha-hydroxy acids, glycolic acid has the smallest molecular size; thus, it’s the most active and bioavailable in unclogging surface skin pores more easily than the other AHAs.

What Is Salicylic Acid?

Salicylic acid is grouped as a salicylate and a keratolytic (ability to remove skin lesions, warts, and calluses) and is a beta hydroxy acid. 

It’s derived from wintergreen leaves and willow bark. As such, it is oil soluble and can penetrate deeper through the lipid (fat) layer of the skin to reduce inflammation of infected pimples or acne. 

It unclogs pores and helps cleanse the deeper skin layers by dissolving debris or sebum that clogs skin pores. 

Take note, though, that the percentage of salicylic acid used for skin peeling is at low concentrations (less than 10%). Higher concentrations can easily cause skin burns, irritation, or damage. In cases when concentrated salicylic acid is ingested, it can intoxicate you and cause serious health problems. 

As a medication, they may come in higher concentrations to treat warts, ringworm, psoriasis, ichthyosis, and acne. 

In drug manufacturing, it’s one of the substances used in making aspirin and other stomach relief medications.

Some individuals are allergic to salicylic acid. So if you have any allergy to salicylic acid or salicylates, you should not use it. If you’re not sure of this and your skin type, you have to consult first your dermatologist for her recommendation.

can you combine glycolic acid and salicylic acid together

Should Glycolic Acid and Salicylic Acid Be Used Together or Separately?

Glycolic acid works by itself well for targeting the skin surface. Likewise, salicylic acid is excellent for deeper layers of the skin. They can work effectively when using them separately, on their own, provided that they are applied properly. 

It is possible to benefit from both glycolic acid and salicylic acid together, as long as you use the correct ratio, for example, 10% buffered glycolic acid plus 1% salicylic acid, together with other added botanical ingredients. So if you use a 10 to 1 ratio of glycolic acid and salicylic acid, they can be mixed together with success.

When the percentage is not followed accurately, then the action of both substances may be heightened. This could cause excessive redness and skin irritations.

Can you use glycolic acid and salicylic acid together? What are the benefits of each? See the below video by Jenifer Jenkins, who explains both in detail:

Recommendations from Dermatologists

Many beauty experts and dermatologists agree that using glycolic acid and salicylic acid together may be too damaging for your skin. This is especially true when the concentration of each substance is not appropriate and when they are not layered properly. 

Dr. Kantikosum K, a renowned dermatologist, and a team of researchers found out in their study that the effect of acne treatment by glycolic acid, salicylic acid, gluconolactone, and licochalcone can be affected by various factors, such as cleanser, skin care, exposome, moisture, and cosmeceutical aspects. 

Also, it is best to use glycolic acid on its own to get the most out of it. The recommended glycolic acne treatment that contains their study products was found to be effective for inflammatory lesions. [2]

Dermatologist, Dr. Melda Isaac said that “glycolic acid has the ability to prevent blackheads by loosening the protein or sebum in the roots of hair follicles to eliminate dead cells from the skin.” She also stated, “glycolic acid and salicylic acid should be used separately to avoid over-exfoliating your skin.”

Dr. Doris Day, an esteemed cosmetic dermatologist, said in an interview that salicylic acid and trichloroacetic acid should not be applied starting from the forehead, as they can drip into the eyes and injure them. She also stated that “it is important to use these acids separately, on their own; otherwise, they are too strong when layered with other products.”

Benefits of Glycolic Acid

There are numerous benefits of glycolic acid on your skin. Aside from being a powerful skin exfoliating substance, it can also help remove lines or wrinkles from your face to make you appear younger. 

Glycolic acid can remove skin scarring and discoloration to produce clearer and brighter skin too. Consequently, your skin would radiate an even tone due to the hydrating and exfoliating action of glycolic acid.

It facilitates skin healing and new cell generation by triggering elastin and collagen production. Elastin and collagen are fibers supporting the skin. This action would help smoothen your skin and help you regain your glowing complexion.

Furthermore, you can use glycolic acid to treat melasma, psoriasis, and other skin disorders, as it assists in restoring proper skin function with its mild antiseptic action.

Try the Luisa True Skincare Glycolic Acid Peel 10%. for an at-home exfoliating treatment that removes dull skin, boosts collagen and improves your skin’s clarity and texture.

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Benefits of Salicylic Acid

Salicylic acid is also a skin exfoliant like glycolic acid, but it acts on deeper skin layers. Because it is oil-soluble, it can help eliminate sebum or oil substances blocking the pores of inner skin areas. Thus, it clears the skin of acne, blackheads, and whiteheads. 

 Salicylic acid is not only a keratolytic but a fungicidal and bacteriostatic agent as well. This denotes that it can be used against fungi and bacteria. 

It helps reduce oil production, reducing unwanted oils on your face that can cause pimples and acne. This is why it’s added to shampoos to help eliminate dandruff and as a preservative for food to prevent the growth of bacteria. It acts as an antiseptic for toothpaste too.

Try the Skin Beauty Solutions SALICYLIC Acid 30% Chemical Peel with Beta Hydroxy BHA for a highly effective chemical peeling treatment for clogged pores, blemishes, blackheads, and acne.

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It will help reduce excess oil from your skin and clean your pores, leaving you with healthy, radiant skin.

One benefit of using a product that combines both glycolic acid and salicylic acid is that it is more cost-effective; you get the benefit of both in one product.

If you want to try a product that combines both, try the emerginC Scientific Organics At-Home Facial Peel + Clarifying Kit , which combines pure glycolic acid with a 2% solution of salicylic acid.

Click here to see it on Amazon.

I have tried these pads and found they not only exfoliate but also soothe irritation and diminish fine lines and wrinkles.

A product like this gets the percentage right; however, this is generally rare. And even with the ratio they use, it still could be too powerful for your skin if you have more sensitive skin.

So if you do use a product that combines both, test a dime-sized amount of it on a small patch of skin under the neck or perhaps hand to ensure it doesn’t irritate it.

Conclusion – Can You Use Glycolic Acid and Salicylic Acid Together?

Can you use glycolic acid and salicylic acid together? It is safe to use glycolic acid and salicylic acid together, as long as they are combined with the right percentages.

I do, however, recommend that you use salicylic acid and glycolic acid separately. They are both powerful, active ingredients, and if you use them together, it is easy to over-exfoliate and damage your skin.

Both ingredients ensure proper hydration of your skin with the retention of adequate moisture.

They can produce more desirable results, such as; even skin tone, younger-looking skin without lines or wrinkles, and smoother and fresher skin without blackheads, whiteheads, acne, and pimples.

You may want to experiment by using the glycolic acid first for a few weeks and then the salicylic acid for an equal number of weeks. You could also try a combination of the two in a product like the Flash and Grow pads mentioned above.

After each use, jot down your observations. I’m sure you would find out which one would work best for your face.

Related Questions

What is the main difference between glycolic acid and salicylic acid? The primary difference between the two is that glycolic acid is an alpha-hydroxy acid (AHA), while salicylic acid is a beta-hydroxy acid (BHA). AHA penetrates the surface of the skin, while BHA penetrates deeper skin layers.

Is glycolic acid safe for sensitive skin? Glycolic acid is an AHA, so it’s generally a safe skin product. However, it should be applied sparingly and properly. When you use it daily, be sure to use sunscreen as well.

What skin type is salicylic acid suitable for? Salicylic acid works suitably for oily skin with blackheads, whiteheads, and acne. Of course, you can use it with other skin types, but in such cases, you should use it sparingly.

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