Underrated Ingredients in Skincare: Sulfur
What is sulfur used for?
Sulfur, sometimes spelled sulphur, is known to have antifungal, antibacterial and keratolytic properties (i.e. exfoliating).
Kate Somerville describes it as a "pungent natural mineral" (I think that's a great description).
It smells really bad, often described as a "rotten egg" smell, but it can be useful in the management and treatment of acne, dandruff, rosacea, psoriasis, and seborrheic dermatitis.
Basically, sulfur is a good ingredient to explore for inflammation. In fact, 16 sulfur is recognized by the FDA S as a drug active for many of the conditions noted above.
The Sulfur Molecule
Who can argue with royalty? Pretty cool how the sulfur molecule is a crown shape.
My Experience With Sulfur
Personally speaking, I haven't found sulfur effective enough to battle breakouts and rosacea by itself.
But, it has a purifying and oil control effect on my skin that is more immediate than salicylic acid, and less annoying than benzoyl peroxide (assuming you can tolerate the smell).
However, sulfur can be quite aggressive and drying, so I feel it is best used as a spot treatment, in wash-off mask, or in a cleanser. I've had experiences with higher concentration products that have completely destroyed my skin barrier.
Sulfur Products I’ve Tried
My first experience with sulfur was with these awesome spot treatments. Sometimes those painful, larger spots, just need sulfur to zap them. I still think these are a great option! But, they are especially drying, and definitely best for targeted pimples.
Drying spot treatments
Pictured:
Kate Sommerville EradiKate Acne Treatment 30ml, $46.00, MECCA
Mario Badescu Drying Lotion 30ml, $30.00, MECCA
Neutrogena Stubborn Acne Spot Drying Lotion
Acne Treatment Nighttime 14ml, $43.00, MECCA
Sulfur spot treatments also come in easier to use more "elegant" formulations. These are also good for pimple clusters or general areas of congestion.
Spot treatments
Products pictured:
Dermalogica Deep Breakout Liquid Patch, $48.95, Adore Beauty
Naturium Sulfur Spot Treatment 8%, $17.95, Amazon
Saturn Sulfur Spot Treatment, $33.00, MECCA
Sensitive Skin? Short Contact Therapy Might be Good For You
Short contact therapy is a great way to introduce sulfur into your routine: via a cleanser or face mask. The only sulfur cleanser I've used regularly is Kate Somerville EradiKate.
This is fairly gentle, doesn't smell tooo bad, and isn't too drying. Features 3% sulfur, which is the minimum OTC concentration for acne claims.
Sulfur masks
Masks:
Origins Out Of Trouble 10 Minute Mask 75ml, $58.00, MECCA
MECCA MAX X-ZIT STRATEGY Clarifying Mask 50ML, $25.00, MECCA
DRx Blemish Solutions™ Clarifying Mask, $46.00, MECCA
Peter Thomas Roth Therapeutic Maximum Strength Sulfur Acne Treatment Mask, $78.60, Amazon
My Personal Top Sulfur Pick
The only pleasant, effective, love to use, leave-on sulfur product I've found is the 111Skin 3 Phase Anti Blemish Booster.
This isn't super strong, so I wouldn't suggest it for extremely active skin, but when I was experiencing consistent levels of congestion (and inflammation from that), this product was incredibly calming and clarifying.
It is very pricey, and therefore difficult to call it a must-try, but if you feel like you've tried everything, this could be worth a shot.
Summing it up
Overall, I think sulfur is a great team player and I think it can improve symptoms of some major skin conditions pretty quickly. A mask is probably my recommended avenue to try first as you don't need to leave it on for every long, and you can control the frequency of use pretty easily.
Check Out Sam’s Post:
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