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Salicylic Acid effectiveness depend of pH
“We’re aiming for a pH around 4 for this formulation. Unlike alpha hydroxy acids like lactic acid, the performance of salicylic acid is not pH dependent. This study found that a salicylic acid solution with a pH of 6.5 was still effective while being less irritating than a comparable solution with a pH of 3.12, so if you have quite sensitive skin you might benefit from raising the pH to around 5, or even higher.”
I am reading a article on bumblebeeandme” and come cross that paragraph. Kindly shed light on that is that correct information?
https://www.humblebeeandme.com/easy-2-salicylic-acid-solution/
humblebeeandme.com
What is it? Lactic acid is an alpha hydroxy acid that is used for pH adjusting and for creating skincare formulations that chemically exfoliate the skin. Humans have been embracing lactic acid in skincare for centuries—lactic acid is part of … Continue reading
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3 Replies
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I’ve seen references to this study many times here and on reddit. I guess I have to create a quick snippet to answer quickly to this question.
No, the idea that effectiveness of salicylic acid doesn’t depend on pH is not proven. First of all this study has been published as short meta-overview of several other studies in just skincare magazine which is not very reputable.
Secondly, the original studies referenced has never been found, so we can’t see the methodology (number and diversity of people, instruments used to measure, full placebo and drug composition) and can’t verify these are not marketing fake studies.
Thirdly, even if we imagine this information is true, they studied only exfoliating properties. This is useless, we don’t need SA for exfoliation, there are more safe and easy to formulate ingredients for this (AHAs). Salicylic acid is well-known for anti-acne properties, which is out of scope for the studies mentioned.
Therefore there is no reason to formulate with SA at high pH. Even more, the author of that blog removed my comment regarding this statement 🤣🤣
If you are interested in formulation with SA I have an article on reddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/DIYBeauty/comments/1d22zx8/formulation_guidelines_for_salicylic_acid_2_serum/
I also touched this study there.
Formulation guidelines for Salicylic Acid 2% serum
byu/tokemura inDIYBeauty -
Which thickening agent is most suitable for a salicylic acid (SA) serum formulated at pH 3.5? Can sodium hyaluronate serve as an effective thickener at this pH, or are there alternative rheology modifiers that would be more appropriate?
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Although some sodium hyaluronate can thicken a product, it is not a stable rheology modifier. Choose a gum or polymer instead for long term stability.
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