Allergic to The Ordinary Salicylic Acid - allergic to all acids?

[NerdyBird]

Hi all, I'm looking for some help with acids. Until recently I was using The Ordinary Salicylic Acid with no probs. I then had a reaction to Duac cream that I'd been prescribed and since then I've become allergic to the SA.

What I'm wondering is if I'm now likely to be allergic to other acids like glycolic or azaleic? I'd rather not have to try it to see! My face is currently red, bumpy, puffy and sore ☹️

Thanks for any help!

Are you sure the salicylic isn’t temporarily exacerbating the reaction you’ve had to the cream?

(What is Duac btw?)

I had a really bad reaction to TO Salicylic, after using it for months. I now use glycolic only and have no probs, so you might be fine - probably worth letting your skin settle and then trying a tiny patch though!

That's interesting swift, and glad you can get on with glycolic. I will leave it a good few weeks before trying anything else.

haworthia the reaction to Duac was in January I think, I stopped using most things while my skin recovered. I then reacted to some facewipes so I waited for that to go, then I had a flare of what I think is rosacea and that has cleared so I tried the SA. Duac is a prescribed cream with antibiotic and benzoyl peroxide, to treat acne.

My skin didn’t respond at all to Duac, no improvement and it wasn’t comfortable to use- not a reaction as such, but not good. I’m fine with glycolic acid, I use the Aldi Pixi Glow dupe. It felt a bit tingly the first time I used it and I was worried, but no reaction at all.

Oh, benzoyl peroxide. I remember coating my face in the stuff in my teens and twenties. It didn’t work. I wish retinol/roaccutane was more widely known/available back then - would have saved me extensive scarring

Anyway, back to acids. IIRC lactic is considered the mildest, so might be worth a try?