SALICYLIC ACID SENSITIVITY SYMPTOMS

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How do you know if you have a Salicylic Acid allergy? If you're like me, the symptoms could be mild, and you might not clue in right away. I'll tell you what happened to me when I switched face washes recently, and what happened when I stopped using the product. (read more)

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SALICYLIC ACID SENSITIVITY SYMPTOMS - MY EXPERIENCE

I've been using a Glycolic Acid based facial cleanser for years now, at least two or three. It's always been fine, no troubles, except that it has these tiny exfoliating beads in the gel, and sometimes I'd get one stuck in my eye. It could be pretty uncomfortable, so I decided to switch to another cleanser to take care of the issue.  What I actually needed to do was rinse better, but this isn't about me admitting fault. :)

My son (who is almost 12) has a good face washing routine set up by our family dermatologist, so I decided to just go ahead and use what he was using for a face wash. It's super basic, you can find it in any store, and it's very good: Neutrogena Oil Free Acne Wash.

See, I'd used this face wash before, but it was years ago, at least 15 years, well before I had kids. Having kids ruins your memory, write that down.

What I'd forgotten about was the day I had to call in sick to work 15 years ago because I'd gotten two new shower products and used them both at once. One was Neutrogena Oil Free Acne Wash, the other was Neutrogena Oil Free Face Scrub.

I got both, took a shower that night, and used both. I figured I'd have some fabulous looking skin!

What I actually had, around 10 hours later, was a face so swollen I could barely open my eyes.

I looked like I'd gone a round with the Russian guy from Rocky.

​Oh how I wish I had a picture of that to show you!

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SALICYLIC ACID ALLERGY

At the time, it was easy to figure out I needed to stop using those two products immediately. I feel like I even read the back of the bottles and went, "Oh, I think I must have a Salicylic Acid allergy."

But, years later, when I went to switch again, the allergy never even entered my mind. And, since I was using only one product instead of doubling up, the Salicylic allergy symptoms were much more subtle, which means they went on longer because I didn't clue in to what was happening.

Once I stopped using the wash, the symptoms went away within a day or so, it was very fast.  If you have a Salicylic Acid allergy, you might experience some of the same symptoms I did, so let's talk about those.

SALICYLIC ACID SENSITIVITY SYMPTOMS:

1. Your face might feel tight. - My face felt tight and it was definitely shinier, which I believe I can attribute to the slight swelling that was going on. It was nothing like 15 years ago when I used both products, but the tightness was there.

2. Your face might feel hot. - I only used the product for a few days, but in that time frame I found myself turning the AC lower at night. I was hot and I could not figure out what was going on. 

3. Your face might feel itchy. - This was a big one for me. I kept scratching my face. My cheeks, my neck, my chin. I felt like I was touching or rubbing my face all day long.

4. Your face might swell. - If you've got a severe salicylic acid allergy, you might wake up with your eyes swollen shut, lips extra puffy, perhaps even chapped. 

For me it was mainly the top three, tight, hot, itchy, and it drove me nuts! It also made me realize something else...

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SALICYLIC ACID SENSITIVITY SYMPTOMS 
CHEMICAL PEELS

I am that person that sees an esthetician on a regular basis, probably twice a year or so. During that time I usually get a chemical peel and a round of Botox. 

The first time I got a chemical peel, she did a Vi-Peel, which is Salicylic Acid based. 

It was torture. 

My face itched so badly that I was unable to sleep. I ended up slathering Lidocaine all over my face just so I could get some rest. I loved what the peel did for me, but I hated how it felt, so I did two more over a period of two years and then just decided it wasn't worth it. 

Recently she got in touch with me about a new peel they were using in the office. It was a Glycolic Acid based peel (just like the face wash I'd been using), so I decided to give it a shot, still not putting two and two together with the Salicylic Acid allergy.

When I got to her office, I immediately asked how long I needed to wait before I could apply the Lidocaine. She looked at me and said, "Why would you do that?"

When I explained what was happening, she assured me that it shouldn't be a problem with this peel.

Guess what? It was like night and day. The Glycolic Acid peel worked just as well, but there was no irritation, none! I could not believe it! Here I was torturing myself and thinking that's just how everyone felt.

It's not. 

A few days after the peel I moved the Salicylic wash out of my bathroom and into my son's bathroom, then I went back to my beloved Body Merry Glycolic Acid wash, and I just doubled down on the rinsing to make sure I didn't leave any scrubby little beads behind. 

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SALICYLIC ACID SENSITIVITY SYMPTOMS - TREATMENT

If you're dealing with a Salicylic Acid allergy right now, you're probably not loving life. Hopefully some of these suggestions will help.

1. Lidocaine - I had some leftover from when I went through my underarm lasering phase. Just apply a bit to your fingers and smear on the affected skin. I want to say you might also be able to use Anbesol in a pinch? Double check that label, but if you've got kids and have some of this in the cupboard...

2. Benadryl - Even if it doesn't make your face stop feeling itchy and hot, it might make you go to sleep so you can't feel it. When you wake up, get rid of that face wash.

3. Cold Compress - For me, this helped a lot. My face really was unbearably hot and tight, so putting a cold, damp cloth on it helped a lot, but really if you've got Lidocaine, go that route.

Remember, there are loads of other great options for cleaning your skin. You're not the first person with a Salicylic Acid allergy, and you won't be the last, but hopefully you will never make the same mistake twice.

​Ty

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