Salicylic Acid vs Benzoyl Peroxide Acne Face Wash 

Acne problems are very common but not all acne are the same. There are various underlying issues for acne occurrence and not all of them could be tackled using the same products. 

It is important to understand the acne problem and then choose the active ingredient based on that. Salicylic acid and benzoyl peroxide are the two ingredients widely used for acne control in acne face wash. These ingredients deliver promising results in acne clearance.

Both these ingredients work well for the skin yet they have totally different modes of action. Salicylic acid is the beta hydroxy acid which works to dissolve the impurities from the pores which could result in acne. It reaches deep down the pores of the skin because it has oil soluble nature which allows it to cross the oil barriers of the skin. 

It keeps pores clear and reduces acne. Whereas benzoyl peroxide works in a totally different manner. It acts directly on the acne causing Cutibacterium acnes bacteria and kills it. It works by releasing oxygen to the acne pores which kills the bacteria. 

It is necessary to use the right ingredient for acne care in order to protect your skin and clear acne.

Cause for acne breakouts and acne types

You need to understand the cause of your acne first. Then only you can opt the best active ingredient in a face wash for controlling acne breakouts. When the hair follicles of the skin get clogged and bacteria thrives it results in acne breakouts which are tiny bumps of congested pores. 

This happens when the excess sebum, dirt, dead skin cells, makeup or other build up deposit on the skin and the pores of the skin get clogged. It makes the pores congested and the air does not pass through clogged pores making it oxygen deprived. Now acne causing bacteria thrive in an anaerobic environment so this serves the best spot for acne breakouts. This causes acne breakouts and some of them might be painful and inflamed.

Acne is majorly divided in to main types:

• Inflammatory acne 
• Non inflammatory acne

Inflammatory acne

This category of acne occurs due to bacterial infection when it gets inflamed and it can be painful

• Papules: They can be hard to touch and are red coloured bumps
• Pustules: They are filled with yellow puss and are categorised as pimples
• Cysts: They are puss filled lumps that appear under the skin layer and can be painful
• Nodules: They are painful bumps and appear under the layer of the skin

Non-inflammatory acne

These acne breakouts happen when the pores of the skin get clogged

• Blackheads: They are open comedones that occur due to deposit of dirt, dead skin cells and oil inside the pores, clogging them.
• Whiteheads: They are closed comedones which occur when the dead skin cells and sebum get trapped beneath the skin and clogs pores.

Salicylic acid face wash for acne

Salicylic acid is a gold standard chemical exfoliant for acne control. It is a beta hydroxy acid which has an oil soluble or lipophilic nature. It helps to clear the buildup from the pores of the skin which cause acne. It can penetrate deep into the pores by surpassing the oil barriers of the skin. It then clears the impurities by dissolving the bonds of dead skin cells and dirt that hold them together in the pores and helps in clearing them out of the pores. 

Salicylic acid also helps to clear the sebum from inside the pores and it breaks down the hard plugs of buildup out of the pores. It can also help to reduce the inflammation on the skin due to breakouts as it is derived from aspirin.

Salicylic acid is an ideal choice of active ingredient for getting rid of non inflammatory acne and can be used by sensitive skin very well. It helps in preventing further breakouts from happening by keeping the pores clear and congestion free. It delivers action in a moderate amount of time.

Salicylic acid is majorly meant for reducing-

• Blackheads 
• Whiteheads
• Clogged pores

Benzoyl peroxide face wash for acne

Benzoyl peroxide is a popular and ideally the most used over the counter active ingredient for acne control. This organic acid works well for dealing with painful bacterial acne breakouts. It clears acne breakouts by directly killing the bacteria.

It works by decomposing and then releases oxygen into the cells which is lethal and kills the Cutibacterium acnes bacteria because this bacteria can’t survive in an oxygenated environment. Benzoyl peroxide can also reduce inflammation and calms down the active breakouts, reducing pain.

Benzoyl acid delivers a fast action for acne clearance and clears it visibly within 2-4 weeks. This is why it is used as a quick acne clearing ingredient and is an emergency solution for acne.this might cause skin irritation in some so it is not ideal for sensitive skin. It could be the best solution for acne prone skin

Benzoyl peroxide helps in dealing with-

• Pimples
• Papules
• Cyst 
• Nodules

Summing up

Benzoyl peroxide and salicylic acid are the two widely used acne care active ingredients which have a totally different mechanism for acne clearance. Yet both these are effective. Now using a face wash based on any one of these active ingredients depends on your acne type and your skin type. Also you can use a charcoal face wash if you want gentle skin cleanse and clear rare acne breakouts.