clearing clogged pores: diy salicylic acid toner

A crucial ingredient in this regime is the salicylic acid toner (and masque, but that's for another post). Salicylic acid is a beta-hydroxy acid. It encourages the shedding of dead skin cells within the follicles, keeping them clear of debris that might cause sebum to clog. Sebum is an oily substance produced by the sebaceous gland within each hair follicle. It sort of slides out of each pore onto the skin, keeping it moisturized and healthy. It can easily become trapped with the pore, though, if there's some stuff going on (dead skin accumulation, pollutants, etc.), and can become riddled with bacteria, causing breakouts. If it can't find a way out, it will become an enlarged ugly cyst. If it gets big enough, it will rupture and push bacteria ridden yuckiness into the surrounding area underneath the skin. Salicylic acid helps keep the pore free and open, minimizing the clogged sebum horror.

Licorice Salicylic Acid Toner: Results!

Licorice: Glycyrrhiza glabra

A month ago I posted a recipe for licorice extract toner (Glycyrrhiza glabra root extract) to see if it would:

a. lighten my sun damage

b. NOT clog my pores!

 
It takes four weeks for skin cells to completely renew, so anything you try is going to take at least that long to work.

Here are the before pictures:

And here are the after pictures:

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

I took these at the same time of day, hoping the lighting would be similar, but alas, it wasn't meant to be. The sun sets earlier now than it did a month ago. 

Results!

Lightening:

That being said: I think it worked. You can see it best in the picture of the right cheek. The freckles have faded and my skin looks more monochromatic. O, plus my face is totally a different color than the rest of my body now. Lighter. I'll never have plain skin, but this is better! This is good! I'm going to keep going.

Clogging:

I did experience a couple of clogs. Two were relatively serious, but did not become inflamed and did not grow larger. The rest, maybe 3 or 4, were minimal and came out with a good hemp oil cleansing. I'm not sure if the licorice extract caused it, but it's the only thing that I've changed, so take that any way you want. Personally, if I was still experiencing the kind of clogged skin I was a few months ago, I'd hold off on the licorice extract until my pores were completely clear. No sense exacerbating the situation! 

To sum it all up:

Lightening: Yes!

Clogging: Maybe, but not too bad. 

It works, but wait till your pores are clear before you start on this, just to be safe.