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Salicylic acid · Cypress · Peppermint
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Ingredient Spotlight: Salicylic Acid
Ingredient Spotlight · Cosmetic Active
Salicylic Acid
The benchmark beta hydroxy acid. Oil-soluble and keratolytic, salicylic acid penetrates pores to unclog them and smooth skin texture.
The portrait of an acid unlike AHAs, derived from willow bark.
Shop our salicylic acid treatments- Common name
- Salicylic acid, BHA (beta hydroxy acid).
- INCI name
- Salicylic Acid.
- Family, type
- Oil-soluble beta hydroxy acid; chemical and keratolytic exfoliant.
- Found in nature
- White willow bark (Salix alba), wintergreen leaves, certain fruits; historically derived from meadowsweet.
- How it's obtained
- Extraction from willow bark or synthesis from phenol, followed by purification to obtain a cosmetic-grade acid.
- Typical concentration
- 0.5% to 2% in consumer skincare.
- Organoleptic properties
- Appearance: white, oil-soluble crystals; Scent: slightly medicinal.
- Physical characteristics
- Oil-soluble, unlike water-soluble AHAs: it penetrates the hydrolipidic film and the inside of sebum-clogged pores1,2.
- Benefits
- Exfoliating, pore-clearing, keratolytic, smoothing, mildly soothing, anti-aging.
- Cosmetic indications
- Skin with enlarged pores, uneven texture, a tired-looking eye area; combination to oily skin.
Did you know?A little history
Salicylic acid owes its name to the willow, Salix in Latin, whose bark was chewed since antiquity to relieve pain.
Isolated in the 19th century, it became the basis of aspirin and then, in dermatology, one of the most studied exfoliants for skin with enlarged pores. Its oil solubility, unique among exfoliating acids, makes it the only one able to work inside the pore itself1.
Yon-Ka uses it in its targeted treatments, where precise action on pores and the eye area is needed.
General useAHA or BHA: what's the difference?
AHAs, which are water-soluble, work on the skin's surface. Salicylic acid, which is oil-soluble, dissolves in sebum and penetrates the pores to loosen the bonds that hold dead cells and excess sebum2.
One acid, two missions: beyond its exfoliating action, salicylic acid has mild soothing properties, inherited from its chemical kinship with aspirin.
Cosmetic useIts properties on skin
- ExfoliatingIt loosens dead cells on the surface and deep within the pore1.
- Pore-clearingIt dissolves the excess sebum that clogs pores.
- SmoothingSkin texture refines and pores look tighter.
- KeratolyticIt helps shed excess surface cells2.
- Anti-agingUsed as a course, it stimulates cell renewal and smooths fine lines.
- TargetedIts oil solubility makes it especially suited to areas with visible pores or the eye area.
FormulationSalicylic acid at Yon-Ka
Salicylic Acid
Low dose · Targeted actionA precision active in two treatments: Booster Lift +, for a tightening, smoothing effect, and Men's Repairing Eye Gel, to de-puff and refine the eye area.
In cosmeticsUses
- Tightening boosters and serums with a lifting effect;
- Eye care, to de-puff;
- A complement to a combination-to-oily skin routine.
The Yon-Ka approach
We reserve salicylic acid for targeted treatments, at a measured dose, rather than all-over face care: a precision complement to our firming and de-puffing actives, never a harsh exfoliant.
The science of the active, the sensoriality of the plant.
How to useAdding it to your ritual
- In the morning
Booster Lift + mixed into your cream, on cleansed skin. - Morning and evening
Men's Repairing Eye Gel around the eyes, with light tapping motions.
Good to knowStorage and precautions
A stable active; close your bottles tightly.
Well tolerated at the low concentrations used in our formulas. Slight tingling is possible on application. Avoid direct contact with the eyes. As a precaution, not recommended during pregnancy and breastfeeding, as with any salicylate2.
Go furtherSources
- Arif T. Salicylic acid as a peeling agent: a comprehensive review. Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2015; 8: 455-461. PubMed
- COSMILE Europe (Cosmetics Europe), cosmetic ingredient database, Salicylic Acid. cosmileeurope.eu
Selection
Our salicylic acid treatments
The Yon-Ka formulas where salicylic acid is a key ingredient.
The Phyto-Aromatic
Skincare Experience
