On June 20th, Leanna, a TikToker that goes by the username @leacrylics, posted a TikTok about using sea salt to clear acne on her face. Since then, numerous users have posted about their experiences using a spray bottle filled with a combination of sea salt and water in an attempt to clear their own acne.
Leanna initially noticed that salt from the ocean helped clear up a breakout when she was on vacation. That prompted her to order sea salt off of Amazon and make her own sea salt water spray. Leanna mixed a teaspoon of sea salt with half a cup of warm water and then sprayed it on her face every night. In the video she says, “and you can see— I’m about to start my period and I don’t have any breakouts. And the ones I did have completely went away.”
Another TikTok user that goes by @drspf reviewed Leanna’s TikTok and said that, “Sea salt is primarily sodium chloride. Multiple sources say that NaCl is comedogenic and thus it may worsen your acne.”
After watching multiple videos and doing some research, I found that there were people who supported the claims that acne would clear up, and there were also opponents of the claim who said the sea salt combination would not do much and results could be from other life changes.
The recommendation to not use sea salt on the face did not stop users from posting their experience with the trend, and it prompted me to take a chance. While I do not have cystic acne, I do tend to have breakouts on my cheeks from wearing a mask all day at work and I get annoying, little bumps on my forehead that can not be popped.
I started using the sea salt and water solution on my face twice a day— once in the morning and once at night. After letting the solution dry on my face in the morning, I continued to add sunscreen to protect my skin. I did this for about two weeks and have since noticed that many of the small bumps on my forehead have disappeared and instead of having 3-5 breakouts on my face, I usually have one or none at all. I did not change my diet or add any other products to my skincare routine.
While there are some who claim this method is not worth it, I found it to help my acne and it has increased my confidence when leaving my apartment. However, I know my skin is not overly sensitive and handles most products on my face well, so that is why I took a chance. If you feel your skin may react negatively or do not want to risk any irritation, then maybe the trend isn’t for you. You know yourself best and I encourage you to think everything through before trying.
Best of Luck :)