This article was written by The Zillennial Zine’s fall editorial intern Alayna Thomas. Find her on Instagram at @ratatoolie. If you would like to share an article with The Zillennial, send us an email at thezillennialzine@gmail.com.
As someone who struggles with the occasional breakout, I am always looking at ways to keep them at bay. I love using French skincare, get ocassional skin treatments from Beauty Collective and use retinol daily. These things help tremendously, but I still keep an eye out for products because you never know what can work. Recently, I have been getting a lot of videos on my social media feeds about hypochlorous acid and its wonders. And I can’t lie, the videos might be working on me. Many of them highlight the benefits of using hypochlorous acid for face and in general. Let’s learn more about hypochlorous acid, how it works, if it can be used for your face, and some products on the market.
What is Hypochlorous Acid?
Hypochlorous acid is an acid molecule that is comprised of hydrogen, oxygen, and chloride. It’s a highly useful and integral acid in our lives. Not only is Hypochlorous acid an ingredient in cleaning products such as bleach, it also occurs naturally in our bodies. Our white blood cells produce it to fight off diseases, and our skin produces it to promote healing.
To make hypochlorous acid, you must combine electrically charged water, salt, and vinegar. This is called electrolysis. Unsurprisingly, you can find a machine to electrically combine these items online so that you can make it at home.
Uses for Hypochlorous Acid
There are quite a few uses for hypochlorous acid! I was surprised to learn that it was safe to do all of these things with it.
Firstly, you can use it to clean and disinfect just about anything. You can clean hard surfaces and counters, disinfect groceries, wipe down door knobs, or scrub your toilet. Hypochlorous acid penetrates the cell wall of bacteria and viruses which destroys them. It is even effective against Covid-19.
Hypochlorous acid is also strong enough to kill mold and fungus. Similarly to bacteria and viruses, it is strong enough to penetrate the mold’s cell walls. If you have any mold growing anywhere, you can spray it directly with hypochlorous acid.
Additionally, you can spray your fresh produce with hypochlorous acid to disinfect it. Although you should not ingest the acid directly and should rinse your fruits and veggies off before eating them, hypochlorous acid is gentle enough for food.
This compound is also safe enough to use on your skin. It’s effective against bacteria and fungus that can harm your skin, so it’s a well known wound wash. It promotes healing. Hospitals in the United States use hypochlorous acid, so if you’re getting stitches or treatments for burns, your doctor is most likely applying it to your wounds. This is because it also occurs naturally in your body.
This brings me to the big reason why the internet loves hypochlorous acid: skincare.
Hypochlorous Acid For Skincare
Recently, hypochlorous acid has been gaining a lot of popularity due to its acne-killing properties. It’s good at killing germs responsible for creating those pesky blemishes!
Furthermore, it can also soothe inflammation and irritation which can help skin conditions such as psoriasis or eczema. Hypochlorous acid is so gentle, it won’t further exacerbate symptoms and can be used on all skin types.
Are There Any Risks With Using It?
Not really. You just have to make sure that the product you are using indicates that it’s safe to use for skin. You might also want to steer clear of fragranced products if that irritates your skin. But otherwise, there are no serious risks that I have seen associated with using it.
Can I Make My Own Hypochlorous Acid?
Yes! As mentioned, you need a special machine in order to make it. Blogger Julie Hasson says that she mixes one liter of water, two grams of kosher salt, and one teaspoon of distilled white vinegar. Once the mixture is made, it is usable for about two weeks. After that, it is no longer hypochlorous acid and it is just regular old water, salt, and vinegar in a bottle. Compare this to formulas that you buy in the store or online, these can last up to two years.
The hypochlorous acid that you make on your own can be used by itself or can be mixed with other things. It’s safe to spray on your face, your produce, and your floor!
Popular Sprays
The Think Smarter spray is the one I have seen the most online, especially on TikTok. It is advertised as an all purpose spray, so this one you can spray on your body or on your kitchen counter. I have seen nothing but rave reviews.
Another popular spray is by Tower 28. I personally love their products (especially their tinted sunscreen), so I would definitely look into this spray. It’s also pH balanced!
Briotech is another brand offering hypochlorous spray, but what I love is that they sell a large amount of it. You can buy two gallons of the stuff so that you won’t run out of it for at least a year.
Other Products
You don’t just have to spray your face, there are serums and creams with hypochlorous acid too!
Tower 28 also offers a serum. You can double up and use the spray and the serum if you have a particularly bad flare up. You can also layer this serum with other treatments such as retinol or vitamin C.
Active has a great hydrating serum! Not only does it have hypochlorous acid, it also has hyaluronic acid. This ensures that your skin is hydrated and that your skin barrier is protected.
Say Hooray has a gentle serum that is also good to use on minor cuts and scrapes!
What do you think? What is a good hypochlorous acid spray for face? Would you use hypochlorous acid as part of your skincare routine? Let us know in the comments below!
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