Does Salt Water Help Acne? | How To Make Salt Water For Acne
The popular TikTok hack of using salt water for acne has some pretty compelling before and after videos and some that are just flat out silly. It started when @leacrylics realized her acne improved after swimming in the ocean and the trend went viral.
The acne skin care hack is to spray a DIY mix of sea salt and water on your face twice a day. Since it’s gained some momentum in the skin care community, we decided to find out what Dermatologists and other skin care experts think about whether salt water helps acne.
The acne skin care hack is to spray a DIY mix of sea salt and water on your face twice a day. Since it’s gained some momentum in the skin care community, we decided to find out what Dermatologists and other skin care experts think about whether salt water helps acne.
For most of us, it’s what we eat that causes acne. Sugar, cow’s milk, heavy oils, and processed foods play a huge role in inflammation and how hormones function. This changes the consistency of sebum in our pores and we end up with clogged pores, too much acne-causing bacteria, and inflammation. This is where all the microbiome, probiotic, prebiotic talk comes in.
But everyone on an acne diet also needs a good acne skin care routine. So let’s explore whether or not salt water helps with acne.
FREE 7 Day Acne Diet Meal Plan & Access To 400+ Recipes!
Does Salt Water Help Acne?
Maybe. But using salt water to help acne should not be considered a long term solution. Salt water may temporarily reduce inflammation and excess oil in some people but it is more likely to cause dry and irritated skin over time. Following an acne diet and using a good acne skin care routine will get rid of acne long-term.
Salt Water Might Help Acne Short-Term
Salt water might help acne improve for a little while. But it’s not for the reasons touted on TikTok. The 2 main reasons people think salt water helps acne is that it “balances pH and kills bacteria.”
Balances pH
According to Board Certified Dermatologist Dr. Andrea Suarez (@drdrayzday), “Salt water is not going to balance the pH of your skin. The pH of salt water is roughly around 8, whereas your skin has an acidic pH. Therefore you’re better off sticking to traditional skincare products that are pH appropriate for the needs of your skin barrier.”
Salt water is not going to balance the pH of your skin. The pH of salt water is roughly around 8, whereas your skin has an acidic pH. Therefore you’re better off sticking to traditional skincare products that are pH appropriate for the needs of your skin barrier.
Hydroxy acids, like glycolic and salicylic acid, are a much better option than salt water for acne-prone skin. Since acne prone skin also has a pH of 8, it makes sense that you want to add a topical that will make skin more acidic. This makes it harder for acne-causing bacteria to overgrow and cause breakouts.
Kills Bacteria
The idea that salt water kills bacteria is just simply not true. P. acnes is the bacteria on skin that gets trapped by inflammation and thick sebum, starts to grow out of control, and leads to acne. But does salt water pack enough of a bacteria-killing punch to actually stop this virulent bacteria?
Cosmetic Chemist Ginger King says, “Sea salt water does have an antimicrobial effect, but not one strong enough to kill acne.”
“Sea salt water does have an antimicrobial effect, but not one strong enough to kill acne.
The best way to keep inflammation down and sebum thin and watery is through a good acne skin care routine and an acne diet which is low sugar, no milk, and adds in probiotics and acne-fighting vitamins.
Why It Might Actually Work
Ok, so using salt water shouldn’t be a long term solution for acne. But TikTokers have some pretty compelling evidence that it’s working for them. So is there any merit at all to these claims?
Reduces Inflammation
Sea salt has an anti-inflammatory effect that will temporarily reduce your skin’s response to inflammation-causing triggers, like certain foods, alcohol, and stress.
But the same effects can be achieved from actual skin care products, like aloe vera, green tea, and colloidal oatmeal E based moisturizers. These should be part of a good acne skin care routine.
Eating anti-inflammatory foods should be part of your acne routine, too.
Ocean Water Has Natural Minerals
The TikTok trend started with TikTokers noticing they had less acne after swimming in the ocean. Well, newsflash, the ocean has a lot more naturally occurring minerals than any homemade DIY saltwater concoction is going to offer.
Sea water, from the ocean, has magnesium, calcium, and potassium, which have huge benefits for your skin. And most skin care products have these minerals in their ingredients list. A good acne diet also has them.
If you’re going to forge ahead and try salt water for acne then at least make sure it’s magnesium-rich dead sea salt, not normal table salt. The San Francisco Salt Company makes a decent one.
This is the one recommended by Self Magazine, AHAVA Liquid Dead Sea Salt, just make sure you rinse it off.
Natural Physical Exfoliation
Sea salt is a natural physical exfoliator that can get rid of dead skin cells on the surface of skin. This clears the way for your skin care products to work better and for brand new, healthy cells to grow and take centerstage. Weekly exfoliation gives you that lovely glow.
But, as with all mechanical exfoliators, they need to be very, very gentle and fine grain. You can actually cause more inflammation to your skin by using a harsh exfoliator that leaves micro-cuts on cells.
Better to use an actual skin care product with a sea salt base, like AHAVA Facial Mud Exfoliator, or something similar.
Salt Can Absorb Excess Oil
Salt absorbs excess oil. In people with very oily skin, it can help get rid of all that extra oil without overdrying. But using salt to absorb acne-causing oil is reserved for people with very oily skin. For the rest of us, it’s going to cause overdrying.
Common Problems Using Salt Water for Acne
It’s Drying
Spraying salt water on your skin is going to end up making it more dry than it was before. It can end up feeling tight and getting flaky and visibly dry.
“If you spray sea salt water on your face the water is going to evaporate and it’s going to pull more water out of your skin. That’s going to lead to dryness, irritation, and subsequent worsening of the acne later on.” says Dr. Suarez.
If you spray sea salt water on your face the water is going to evaporate and it’s going to pull more water out of your skin. That’s going to lead to dryness, irritation, and subsequent worsening of the acne later on.
Causes Irritation
Dr Shari Marchbein, a Board Certified Dermatologist, who was interviewed by Allure Magazine, cautions that using sea salt for acne can lead to worse skin problems in the future, like hyperpigmentation and scarring.
"Sea salt water at best may help with mild skin inflammation and redness; I certainly do not consider this a viable treatment for acne nor would I recommend it," Dr. Marchbein warns. "I worry that those who do use this as treatment may end up delaying proper care from a board-certified dermatologist and get additional hyperpigmentation and potentially scarring as a result."
I worry that those who do use this as treatment may end up delaying proper care from a board-certified dermatologist and get additional hyperpigmentation and potentially scarring as a result.
It can also make other conditions, like rosacea and eczema, worse.
Doesn’t Play Well with Common Skin Care Ingredients
If you’re using retinoids, benzoyl peroxide, or AHAs, like glycolic or salicylic acid, then salt water can cause overdrying of the skin more than if you're not. A good acne skin care routine should have these products. And if you're skin gets irritated by them, then it will probably get irritated by salt water, too.
How To Make DIY Salt Water for Acne
Now that you understand the risks and benefits of using salt water to help with acne and decide to forge ahead, make sure you use the right salt. A good DIY sea salt water solution for acne includes using magnesium-rich dead sea salt because it most closely matches the types of minerals found in actual sea water.
Boil 2 cups of tap water combined with 1 tsp of magnesium-rich dead sea salt. Do not use coarse salt or salts with iodine.
Let the mixture cool completely and wait for the sand to settle to the bottom.
Pour into glass spray bottle and store at room temperature.
Spray on face up to twice a day after cleansing.
Final Thoughts
Unfortunately, medical science does not support using salt water to help acne. It may provide some temporary improvements for some people, but will cause overdrying, flaking, and tight-feeling skin over time. The best ways to get rid of acne is through an acne diet rich in probiotics and acne-fighting vitamins, and without sugar, cow’s milk, processed foods, and heavy oils.