Why Hypochlorous Acid Is the Bacteria Fighting Secret to Clear Skin

By IPSY Editors

Published on November 12, 2024

You probably already know this, but adding skincare acids to your skincare routine is pretty much the key to achieving all your glowy skin goals. From AHAs to BHAs, to glycolic acid, lactic acid, hyaluronic acid, and more, if there’s a skin concern on your mind, chances are there’s a skincare acid for it. While we’ve covered dozens of good-for-skin acids in the past, we’re always on the lookout for the next best thing. So when hypochlorous acid entered the chat, we decided to do a deep dive into the bacteria-fighting skincare ingredient.

Before we begin, it's important to note that hypochlorous acid comes with a pretty big disclaimer. While hypochlorous acid can be found in many of your go-to at-home cleaning products (like surface wipes, hand sanitizer, and pool cleansers), that doesn’t mean you should start using these products on your face. The hypochlorous acid found in skincare products is diluted and tested to ensure its formulation is safe to be used on your skin. Curiosity piqued? We talked to Jennifer Weiss, physician’s assistant at Marmur Medical, for the lowdown on this buzzing skincare ingredient.

Meet the Expert

Jennifer Weiss, PA, is a physician’s assistant at Marmur Medical in New York City.

What Is Hypochlorous Acid?

Hypochlorous Acid (aka HOCl), is an acid that has a low pH (a weak acid) and high antimicrobial properties, which is what makes it so efficient at killing bacteria (cue those Clorox bleach wipes sitting under your kitchen sink). In fact, according to Clorox’s website, “HOCl is a weak acid that is formed when chlorine (a gas) dissolves in water. It is used as an active ingredient in sanitizers and disinfectants because of its ability to break apart cell membranes, similar to the mechanism of action of sodium hypochlorite (bleach) or hydrogen peroxide.”

What this tells us is that hypochlorous acid isn’t just some new TikTok trend or ingredient recently masterminded in a lab either. Hypochlorous acid has been around for a while in various forms. “Hypochlorous acid is a naturally occurring antimicrobial acid that is found in our own bodies to fight off bacteria. It is created by our body's white blood cells to defend against inflammation and infection and is very effective at its job. It is not only effective against bacteria but also against fungus, biofilms, and even viruses including COVID,” Weiss tells us. So what’s the difference between HOCl in a household cleaner and the ingredient found in skincare? “The difference is in the concentration. For skin care products the concentration of hypochlorous is diluted down in comparison to that found in cleaning products,” says Weiss. This makes it gentle enough to use on skin.

What Are the Benefits of Hypochlorous Acid?

When it comes to using hypochlorous acid on skin, the list of pros is long. Besides being super gentle on even the most sensitive skin types, it checks off all the skin clearing, blemish-healing, redness reducing, all-over-glow making boxes. Here’s what else it's good for:

Treating and Preventing Breakouts

“Hypochlorous acid is great for acne because it fights the bacteria that is responsible for clogging your pores. It will help combat active acne and prevent future breakouts,” Weiss tells us.

Inflammatory Skin Conditions

“Hypochlorous acid is also great for inflammatory conditions such as rosacea, eczema, or psoriasis since it decreases inflammation, reduces flaking, and even itching. It has a soothing effect on the skin and repairs any damage caused by these skin conditions,” Weiss adds.

Barrier Repair and Wound Healing

“It really helps to repair the skin’s barrierand speed up wound healing,” according to Weiss. Because hypochlorous acid is so effective at killing bacteria without harming the body, it’s also known to be widely used in healthcare settings in cleansing solutions to help heal and treat wounds and skin infections, and in piercing aftercare solutions to help speed up the healing process.

Calming and Soothing Skin

Spent too much time in the sun? Hypochlorous acid can help. “It’s also great at calming and treating a bad sunburn,” Weiss says. You can find the ingredient in post-sun sprays because it acts as a gentle, but effective anti-inflammatory that’ll calm redness and soothe irritation.

Who Can Use Hypochlorous Acid?

While not every acid is one-size-fits-all, the wonderful thing about hypochlorous acid is that it benefits a variety of skin types and skin concerns. “One of the top reasons hypochlorous acid is so favorable is that it is very gentle on the skin. Since it is naturally made in our bodies, there are few risks to using it. If a hypochlorous acid product does produce irritation it is likely due to another ingredient such as fragrance,” says Weiss.

How to Use Hypochlorous-Acid Products

Take a look at the ingredient list of some of your go-to skincare products and you might be surprised to see hypochlorous acid listed on the back. The truth is, this skin-clearing acid is more commonly used in skincare than you might think. Here are some of our favorite ways to use it: