Did You Know

There's Disinfectant for Your Face!

Find out how hypochlorous acid can help you…

Prior to having any aesthetic procedure that breaks the surface of the skin, it’s of course essential that your practitioner disinfects the area to minimise the risk of infection. But did you know, some of the products they use can also really benefit your general skincare routine and help tackle skin conditions such as acne and rosacea? Excitement has been growing around an ingredient called hypochlorous acid (HOCI). While the disinfectant powers of the acid have been known and used for a long time, it’s only really been hyped up in the aesthetics world fairly recently.

spots can appear swollen and red, which is often distressing for many sufferers. “In my experience, HOCI will soothe the skin and speed up healing, calming down the acne’s angry appearance,” says Dr Shotter. She points out that the same principle applies for rosacea, which is characterised as redness across the nose, cheeks, forehead and chin. Sometimes sufferers can experience a burning or stinging feeling when using water or skincare products on the affected areas, so the soothing sensation of HOCI can really help. ADDING HYPOCHLOROUS ACID TO YOUR ROUTINE HOW HYPOCHLOROUS ACID WORKS “The easiest way to incorporate HOCI into your skincare routine is Used for years in the ear-piercing world, to use it as you would a toner after you have cleansed twice a day,” aesthetic practitioner Dr Sophie Shotter advises Dr Shotter. There are a few brands of HOCI available, and they explains that HOCI is a part of your body’s will usually either come in a spray bottle, allowing you to spritz the natural response to infection. “It’s basically a product directly onto your face, or can be applied with a cotton pad. powerful antimicrobial agent that helps control Dr Shotter also recommends using HOCI straight after a workout. the bacteria levels or microorganisms on the “Sweat can be a breeding ground for all sorts of bacteria, so it’s worth skin,” she says, adding, “We know it isn’t toxic keeping a bottle of HOCI in your gym bag and giving your skin a good Dr Sophie Shotter, to human skin, which means it’s great to use wipe down afterwards. Of course, when you get home you should still aesthetic practitioner, Kent & London before and after an aesthetic treatment to keep wash your face properly with a good quality cleanser,” she says. IG: @drsophieshotter the area clean, reducing the chance of infection.” The acid is produced by the white blood cells in the body to combat EXPECTED RESULTS infection and can kill bacteria, viruses, fungi and spores. To create the Studies have found successful results when used to treat acne, products that are used, Dr Shotter explains that HOCI is made from a with one noting good to excellent clinical improvement in 39 solution of chlorine and water, which forms sodium chloride. “Special patients presenting with 10-50 inflammatory acne lesions. chemical processes then convert this to HOCI,” she says. In her experience, Dr Shotter has found that improvement in the Dr Shotter adds that HOCI is significantly more effective than other appearance of acne and rosacea can be fairly quick. “With skincare, skin disinfection methods. “The gold standard was previously I always say don’t judge results until you’ve finished two cycles of chlorhexidine, which kills around 92% of bacteria in 30 seconds. a product,” she says, noting, “Most products will last two to three Alcohol is much less effective than this,” she notes, highlighting, “The months, but I have seen a difference in some people’s skin after HOCI product I use kills more than 99.9% of bacteria, viruses, fungi and just a month!” spores in 15 seconds. It’s also shown to be non-toxic and non-irritant to human skin cells.” Amazingly, studies have found that it can help to inactivate a number of viruses, including coronaviruses, in less than one minute! One study in particular said, ‘It is easy to use, is inexpensive, has a good safety profile, and can be used to disinfect large areas quickly and with a broad range of bactericidal and virucidal effects’. BENEFITS TO YOUR SKIN As well as reducing the chance of infection following injectable treatment, studies indicate that HOCI can help heal small wounds, as well as treat mild acne, dermatitis, diabetic foot ulcers and scars. Dr Shotter has found it beneficial for rosacea patients too. Focusing specifically on two of the most common skincare complaints – acne and rosacea – Dr Shotter details how HOCI can help. “Acne can be fungal and bacterial,” says Dr Shotter, explaining, “The sebum in your clogged pores can be a breeding ground for bacteria, furthering the spread of acne.” By using HOCI, Dr Shotter says you’ll be helping to regulate the bacteria levels in your skin, thus reducing the chance of exasperating the acne. Another big component of acne is that it’s inflammatory, meaning

“In my experience, HOCI will soothe the skin and speed up healing, calming down the acne’s angry appearance”

Dr Sophie Shotter

Three of the leading products available in the UK. Of course, results will often depend on the severity of the skin condition to start with, and some people will need additional, targeted treatment to see real improvement. Dr Shotter notes, “For example, if someone has really bad acne then we may also prescribe antibiotics or advise the use of vitamin A and/or salicylic acid.” However, she points out, while some ingredients such as salicylic acid can dry the skin out, HOCI doesn’t have such an impact, so can be regarded as an added benefit without any side effects. You may ask, can you overuse HOCI? Dr Shotter says she’s not aware of any studies that have indicated this, but in principal you could. “Using it too much could decrease the biomass of the microbiome, weakening our skin’s immune defences,” she explains. The only other downside, laughs Dr Shotter, is HOCI can smell a bit like a swimming pool! It’s also important to note that there are different ways of producing HOCI, so some brands may be more effective than others. Other than that, she says that HOCI is super simple to use, suitable for all skin types and affordable to buy.

PRODUCTS AVAILABLE Dr Shotter uses Clinisept+ while other HOCI products available in the UK include NatraSan and Thoclor. HOCI can be purchased through your aesthetic practitioner, with the consumer version of Clinisept+, called Clinisoothe+ Skin Purifier, directly available from the manufacturer or retailers such Boots. Scan the QR Code overleaf for more info.

WORDS: CHLOÉ GRONOW

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