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Salicylic acid is a gift of nature for our skin, especially for treating the skin of the foot. This active ingredient is found in nature, e.g., in the bark of the white willow, and has served as a herbal remedy for thousands of years. It continues to be appreciated in modern pharmacology and is found in a wide variety of products: from pain relievers to dermatological applications for the removal of warts, calluses and corns.
The weakly acidic nature of salicylic acid means that it moderately alters the pH of the skin: this is important for the keratolytic and exfoliating effects of salicylic acid. A weakly acidic environment promotes the spontaneous removal of dead cells from the superficial layer of the epidermis thereby rejuvenating the skin and softening thickened areas like calluses and corns that often appear on the foot.
The chemical composition of salicylic acid is also responsible for the penetration of the active ingredient into the skin: a property that proves decisive for the treatment of ailments affecting the outermost layer.
When the active ingredient is applied on the wart, usually by means of a swab in an occlusive plaster, it helps remove the outermost layer of infected skin by gently exfoliating dead cells. Salicylic is allowed to act for a variable amount of time, depending on the severity of the wart and the individual response to treatment, and it softens the outer layer of the wart promoting progressive exfoliation. As the outer layer of the wart comes off the salicylic acid continues to remove the underlying infected tissue and promotes healing.
Thanks to its properties salicylic acid is a valid remedy for the treatment of hyperkeratosis, which is the scientific name for some of the ailments that affect the skin of the foot like calluses and corns. These common conditions are the result of an increased concentration of keratin in the skin, making it harder and thicker. Hyperkeratosis can be brought on by a variety of factors, such as repeated injury, constant friction and chronic irritation of the skin of the foot. The exfoliating effect of salicylic acid facilitates the removal of the excess layer of epidermis and helps skin cells regenerate faster, improving the "texture", if we can call it that, of the skin.
