INTO THE MIST
Hypochlorous acid is all the rage on TikTok, purported to help clear up all kinds of skin conditions. We asked dermatologists to wade through the hype
Usually when you spritz a face mist, you expect a soft scent that conjures, say, a garden of roses, a south of France vineyard, a five-star spa, or there may be nothing to smell at all. But a whiff of public pool?
Hypochlorous acid is blowing up on social media, despite smelling kind of … bad. It has more than 55 million views on TikTok, and it’s been dubbed “the skin care ingredient you didn’t know you needed,” by Toronto’s own Dr. Geeta Yadav, founder of Facet Dermatology.
Its hint-of-bleach scent comes from the fact that the ingredient is part of the chlorine family (more on that below), and as such, it’s being touted online for its bacteria-fighting benefits, especially compared to harsher alternatives.
“Hydrogen peroxide damages tissue and triple antibiotic ointments cause allergy. Then what the heck are you supposed to put on minor cuts, rashes and scrapes?” quips dermatologist Dr. Muneeb Shah on TikTok, where he’s known as DermDoctor to more than 18 million followers. “Instead, spray on hypochlorous acid, which is a molecule naturally produced by the skin. This kills bacteria and improves wound healing. Oh, and it doesn’t damage tissue.”
Outside using it for minor skin injuries, hypochlorous acid’s antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties promise to help with acne, eczema and psoriasis. These are pretty big assertions for a spray that smells like chlorine bleach and costs as little as $15. So, can hypochlorous acid live up to the hype? We asked a panel of experts.
Is hypochlorous acid the same as bleach?
Two seemingly conflicting things that are both true: first, your white blood cells naturally produce hypochlorous acid and, second, its formed when chlorine dissolves in water.
But there are some key differences between hypochlorous acid (a.k.a. HOCl) and straight-up bleach, explains American skin care chemist Gloria Lu of Chemist Confessions, co-author of “Skincare Decoded.” “Commercial bleach is typically five to six per cent sodium hypochlorite — the ‘salt’ form of hypochlorous acid — at a very basic pH of around 12,” she says.
(Quick science-class recap if you need it: The pH scale ranges from 0 to 14 with 0 being the most acidic, 7 being neutral and 14 being the most basic. Pure water has a completely neutral pH of 7, while skin is slightly acidic at around 4.7.)
In skin care, hypochlorous acid is used at an incredibly low concentration — typically between 0.01and 0.02 per cent at a pH of around 3.5 to 6. “Diluting bleach can give you some level of hypochlorous acid so long as the solution is pH adjusted and salt is added to help stabilize it — but this is definitely not something you should do at home.” Please put down the Clorox.
What are the benefits of using a hypochlorous acid formula?
Because hypochlorous acid acts like a disinfectant, aestheticians often use it to clean skin before cosmetic treatments that cause punctures like Botox, fillers and microneedling. They may even recommend taking it home to spritz on your face as you heal.
Hypochlorous acid formulas — most often sold as face mists — are also marketed for acne, eczema, psoriasis, redness, sunburns, bug bites, cuts, rashes and more due to the ingredient’s potential to kill bacteria, support healing and fight inflammation. “If you reduce inflammation, you help the skin heal,” says Marie Bertrand, a.k.a. @theskinscientist, a microbiologist and founder of SkinScience laser clinic in Calgary. She notes that hypochlorous doesn’t “treat” skin conditions (a drug claim that’s regulated by Health Canada), but that it can still play a role. “I’ve seen it work over and over for people who pick their acne. But is it going to fully make it go away? No.”
Who shouldn’t use hypochlorous acid?
Despite its association with household cleaners like bleach, hypochlorous acid is well tolerated at the right concentration and should be safe for anyone to use. “It’s not going to dry out the skin,” says Ber- trand. “I’ve had people use it every day, twice a day, and I’ve never seen any problems. Of course, there are always going to be 99 per cent of patients who do well with some- thing and 1 per cent who don’t, but I’ve never seen it myself, and I’ve sold thousands of bottles over the past two years.”
How often should I use a hypochlorous acid formula?
You can use it as much as you want on your body, spraying it on eczema flare-ups, cuts and scrapes and even on skin to prevent bacne and folliculitis if you don’t have time to shower after a workout.
For your face, stick to once or twice per day on bare, cleansed skin and let the spray dry before applying other skin care products like moisturizers and sunscreen — and you’ll want to be especially careful about your antioxidants.
Does hypochlorous acid deactivate vitamin C?
It sure does. Vitamin C is an antioxidant, which means it neutralizes unstable free radicals (caused by pollution, UV rays, a bad diet, etc.) in the skin by giving them electrons. Hypochlorous acid is an oxidant, which means it oxidizes other sub- stances by taking away their elec- trons. If you pat on your vitamin C serum, then spray your face with hypochlorous acid, they’ll basically cancel each other out, says Ber- trand.
“If you like to use a vitamin C serum in the mornings, I’ll usually recommend using HOCl at night.”