Why is my skin more oily when I use salicylic acid?

Question

When I treat my face normally (gentle cleanser and nothing else), my skin is neither oily nor dry, but it gets a lot of whiteheads (closed comedones) and a moderate amount of blackheads and small pimples. However, when I use a salicylic acid astringent, the acne clears up but my face produces a lot of very slick oil. I also use benzoyl peroxide along with the SA, but I doubt it has anything to do with the oiliness because when I use BP by itself it doesn't have this effect.

My layman theory is that the sebum in the comedones is liquefying and being forced out of my pores, becoming an oil slick on the skin's surface. Or maybe the irritant action of the SA makes my oil production go into overdrive... Are there any skin experts out here who know the real reason?

Answer 1

because its depriving the skin of its natural sebum and oil ,the brain tells the skin to produce more oil to compensate for the unnatural depletion of oil.thats why ,ironically ,its better to use moisturisers and oils on oily skin ,because it tricks the skin into thinking there is too much oil therefore it produces less oil naturally,reducing the risk of blemishes ,spots,blackheads etc

Answer 2

Salicylic acid has a more exfoliating effect than benzoyl peroxide.  Benzoyl peroxide is more drying to the skin than salicylic acid, so it doesn't cause this "shiny" effect.  SA is a beta-hydroxy acid; it's not making your skin produce more oil.  Oil production is almost entirely regulated by hormonal activity, with some affect determined by the number and size of sebaceous glands in your skin.  By ridding your skin of the excess cells which contribute to acne, your skin appears more "shiny", and there are fewer dead skin cells on the surface of your epidermis to absorb this excess oil.  (People with oilier skin are more prone to acne, obviously.)

Try using an oil-absorbing / mattifying facial product to control shine in addition to your SA and BP.  There is very little that will control oil production, short of Accutane.  If you can get a prescription product called Clinac BPO, it's incredibly effective at both helping with acne and controlling oil.  Good luck!