Salicylic Acid cleanser doesn't seem to help with my acne, any alternatives?

Hello was wondering if there are any alternatives to salicylic acid cleansers that I can use?

I did TCA Cross on some pimple scars and was advised by my derma to use sunscreen, sadly, that sunscreen clogged my pores and caused a breakout on my chin and temples, they were small comedones at first,which then turned into big cystic pimples.

Throughout the week after the TCA cross I was using Cerave’s acne control cleanser, I thought the cleanser was supposed to help unclog and clean my pores but didn’t seem to do so.

I would only be using very gentle products after a chemical peel. A salicylic acid cleanser could be disturbing your barrier after the peel, which might be why your skin is reacting!

I met my husband when we were both 16 years old and started out as friends. He had wicked acne and was trying all these products and nothing worked. I got him to see a doctor who told him an antibiotic was his first suggestion and after that, if it didn’t work, a dermatologist.

He went with the antibiotic and his skin cleared up 100% within a month. It was a long time ago.

I found this in a search:

Antibiotics for Acne Treatment

Antibiotics are commonly prescribed to treat acne, but their mechanism of action is often misunderstood. While they can kill acne-causing bacteria, they have multiple benefits including their anti-inflammatory effects, as well as antimicrobial properties.

By reducing inflammation, antibiotics help alleviate the symptoms of acne, such as redness, swelling, and pus.

Sub-Antibacterial Dosing

Interestingly, studies have shown that antibiotics can be effective against acne even at sub-antibacterial dosing levels.

This means that the antibiotic’s anti-inflammatory effects can occur without necessarily killing all the bacteria associated with acne."

My husband rarely has taken antibiotics again so there was no danger in doing one round of Tetracycline and man did that work fast.

Good luck

I think this is probably not relevant to my comment.

Also worth noting that antibiotics are over prescribed in the states, so should only be taken when indicated!

I addressed the fact antibiotics were not to be overused and that my info was very old but by looking up how we found a solution I was able to find a more up to date solution which was a combined low dose antibiotic that focuses on anti-inflammatory treatment.

So I shared. We don’t even eat meat that might contain antibiotics. When we eat meat it’s 100% organic, antibiotic-free, pasture-raised, no grain feed, and does not involve slaughterhouses in their production processes- so I am very aware of the overuse of antibiotics.

I was trying to help since Dermatologists today focus on selling topicals and are more interested in treating age than curing an inflammatory desease or infection. That’s where they profit most.

I haven’t tried double cleansing yet, but I’m seeing good feedback, will definitely give it a go. Will it also help if I already have closed comedones on my face?

Try a Succinic acid-based cleanser.

I like the in key list’s Succinic acid one and Deascal’s daily face cleanser

I would try a 2% salicylic acid treatment instead of a cleanser. However after a chemical peel, you should use any actives like that for a couple of days or so. Was your skin irritated when this incident occurred?

Great actives for acne besides salicylic acid:

  1. Benzoyl peroxide (2.5% leave on treatment recommended)
  2. Adapalene (Differin) or tretinoin (prescription only)

It wasn’t irritated but I noticed that comedones (closed ones) started appearing, it was probably because I was using a thick sunscreen (didn’t do my research sorry) and was unable to exfoliate because of the scars around my face hence the breakout. I’m currently on Benzac and it dried out the big ones in a couple of days. I’ll look into adapalene, thank you!

Hi there!

It seems like you’re looking for information about TCA peels. In some cases, TCA peels can be quite useful. However, TCA peels are very strong and should be undergone with extreme caution.

TCA peels are NOT for beginners or even those with intermediate peel experience. In fact, a TCA peel is usually unnecessary for most people as they see significant results at beginner or intermediate levels of peels.

TCA peels should be done by a dermatologist or plastic surgeon as they have the most knowledge and experience with this procedure. If you choose to do an at-home TCA peel, you risk SEVERE complications.

The possible complications are:

  • Severe itching, burning and irritation
  • Persistent redness and swelling
  • Eye damage or injuries
  • Damaged skin barrier: bacterial, herpes and candida infections
  • Impaired wound healing: delayed healing, scarring, changes in texture and milia
  • Pigmentation changes: hyperpigmentation, hypopigmentation (loss of pigment), line of demarcation between treated and nontreated skin
  • Bad reactions to peel: breakouts, allergic reaction and toxicity

Severe complications are more likely if…

  • You’re dark-skinned
  • You tend to get PIH (post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation)
  • You’re sensitive to the sun
  • You have sensitive skin, or a history of atopic dermatitis (eczema)
  • You’re using drugs or skincare that make you more sensitive to the sun
  • You have recently taken isotretinoin
  • You’re outdoors a lot
  • You have a history of herpes infection, keloids or poor wound healing
  • You tend to have unrealistic expectations

(Source)

Because of these risks, ScA does NOT recommend doing at-home TCA peels. Please be careful with your skin and your health!

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