How Hypochlorous acid (HOCL) can help your skin recover

Hypochlorous acid, or HOCl, has been a game-changer for skincare. From banishing acne to soothing irritation and even helping heal scars, HOCl offers a lot of benefits for the skin. Best of all, it’s well tolerated by virtually every skin type.

While this ingredient has only now been getting attention by beauty experts, it’s been used in health care for decades.

But what exactly is HOCl and how can it help your skin?

What is Hypochlorous Acid?

Hypochlorous acid has been in use for more than a century – 1841 to be exact. It was used to help treat wounds during World War I and disinfect medical equipment.

Hypochlorous acid is created using three simple ingredients:

• Salt
• Water
• Vinegar

To make HOCl, an electrical current is applied, which breaks the molecules apart to create two new ones:

• Hypochlorous acid
• Sodium hydroxide

HOCl is a natural disinfectant, but it isn’t harsh like bleach and other similar products. It’s a weak acid, and its gentle nature makes it perfect for treating skin conditions.

So, why are we only now seeing HOCl popping up in more skincare products and disinfecting products? Because until recently, HOCl solutions would only remain stable for 90 minutes. Now, it can be manufactured in a way that allows it to stay stable for much longer.

In some cases, HOCl can remain stable for up to 24 months. This makes it ideal for adding to skincare products.

But how exactly can this ingredient benefit your skin?

How HOCl Spray Can Help Your Skin

If you’re suffering from acne, rosacea, psoriasis, eczema or another skin condition, hypochlorous acid spray may help ease your symptoms and bring you some relief.

In fact, many people find that HOCl clears up their breakouts in just a week or two. For some, it’s the only thing that helped their rosacea and eczema.

No wonder it’s touted as one of the best things to happen to skincare in the last few years.

Let’s take a closer look at how HOCl works to help your skin.

It Acts as an Anti-Inflammatory

Hypochlorous acid acts as an anti-inflammatory, which can help with a number of skin conditions, including:

• Rosacea
• Eczema
• Psoriasis

These inflammatory skin conditions can be difficult to treat and are often characterized by red, dry, itchy patches of skin. HOCl’s ability to soothe inflammation can help ease the symptoms of these conditions by reducing redness and calming itchiness.

In fact, one study found that HOCl hydrogel helped eased itching and reduced lesions in mice with dust mite allergies. HOCl was able to reduce the secretion of inflammatory cytokines in skin tissue.

HOCl’s anti-inflammatory effects can also help the skin in other ways, such as:

• Soothing irritation caused by atopic dermatitis or other irritants
• Fighting breakouts
• Repairing skin damage
• Accelerating wound healing
• Easing sunburns and rashes

If you’re dealing with inflammation, irritation or redness, hypochlorous acid spray may help ease your symptoms.

It Has Antimicrobial Properties

Did you know that your immune system naturally produces HOCl? The body generates hypochlorous acid from your white blood cells to help fight infection and neutralize toxins.

HOCl actually has the same active ingredient of bleach, but its chemical structure is different, so it won’t harm your skin. In fact, HOCl is used in optometry and dentistry to disinfect.

It doesn’t work like an antibiotic. HOCl is toxic to microbial cells, and it can take as little as one minute to kill microorganisms. But it won’t damage healthy skin cells, so it provides truly targeted relief.

The natural antimicrobial properties of HOCl make it a great choice for healing and preventing acne. An HOCl spray is also great for preventing dermatitis caused by mask wearing.

It’s Safe for Sensitive Skin

If you have sensitive skin, you know how challenging it can be to find skincare products that don’t cause redness, irritation or even breakouts.

Hypochlorous acid is non-irritating and great for sensitive skin. It’s 100% SkinSAFE, which means that it’s free from allergy-causing ingredients.

Dermatologists often recommend it for patients who are struggling with skin sensitivity.

It May Speed Up Wound Healing

One of the oldest uses of HOCl is for wound healing. Hypochlorous acid has powerful antimicrobial properties, but it’s also incredibly gentle.

• Dermatologists use HOCl to prepare skin for injectables or for post-procedure treatment.
• Hospitals use HOCl as a disinfectant.

Many dermatologists use hypochlorous acid to heal small wounds and incisions. It’s also great for easing inflammation after dermatological procedures.

According to WHO, HOCl is highly effective at fighting bacteria and yeast that infect wounds and at reducing wound biofilms. The advantage of HOCl is that it works to reduce biofilms and kill bacteria while supporting a healthy microbiome. In other words, it only targets the bad guys.

Hypochlorous acid can also help improve blood flow to accelerate wound healing.

As far as your skin is concerned, you can use a hypochlorous acid spray to help lesions and wounds caused by acne, psoriasis, eczema and injuries.

On-the-Go Cleansing and Disinfecting

Between pollution and the dirt and grime you come in contact with every day, keeping your skin clean can feel like an uphill battle.

HOCl sprays are a simple and effective way to cleanse and disinfect your skin on-the-go.

The antimicrobial properties will help kill bacteria and other germs that can lead to breakouts, irritation, inflammation and other skin issues.

If you’re battling acne, psoriasis, rosacea, eczema or other skin issues, try using an HOCl spray. Along with easing inflammation and redness, it will kill bacteria and help heal wounds.