An exfoliating acid for the body, in a stick: what glycolic and salicylic do for rough, bumpy skin

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Researched. We have not used this one long enough to give you a verdict, and we would rather say so than invent one. What follows is how it works, who it suits, and what it will not do. When we have used it properly, this page carries the verdict and the date.

The INKEY List Glycolic Acid Exfoliating Body Stick

Most of the rough, bumpy texture people want gone from their bodies has the same cause. Dead skin cells that should shed on their own stay put instead — around the openings of hair follicles, where they form small hard bumps, or over a regrowing hair, where they trap it under the surface. An exfoliating acid helps them go.

Two acids, two jobs

The listing says this stick contains 7% glycolic acid and salicylic acid, and they work in different places.

Glycolic acid is an alpha hydroxy acid, and a small molecule, so it gets to work on the surface quickly. It loosens the bonds holding dead cells together, so they shed and the surface feels smoother. At 7%, left on the skin, it is a meaningful strength for the body.

Salicylic acid is a beta hydroxy acid, and it dissolves in oil, which lets it work down into the follicle opening rather than only on the surface. That is why it is the one aimed at clogged pores and bumps around hairs. We cover it in more depth in what a BHA does, and what it does not.

Where it is aimed

The backs of the upper arms and the fronts of the thighs are where small, rough bumps most often gather — the pattern often called keratosis pilaris. We wrote about urea and bumpy arms, another way at the same texture; exfoliating acids and urea are both reasonable, and some people use one on each.

The other target in the listing is ingrown hairs, on legs, underarms and the bikini line. Keeping the surface clear lets a regrowing hair come out rather than curl back under.

Why a stick

The listing describes a solid stick you glide on and leave, with no rinsing. The format suits the job: it puts the acid exactly where you want it, on a patch of arm or leg, without coating the rest of you — and without the mess of pouring a body lotion on to one small area.

The listing also says it is fragrance-free, which matters for anything you put on freshly shaved skin.

How to use it

On clean, dry skin, a few times a week to start, then more often if your skin is happy with it. Not on skin you have just shaved or waxed — give it a day, or it will sting. Not on broken, sunburned or irritated skin.

The listing says it can go into a morning or evening routine. If you also use a body lotion with acids or retinol, alternate them rather than layering them on the same patch.

The rule that comes with acids

Alpha hydroxy acids make skin more sensitive to the sun. If you use this on arms or legs that see daylight, put sunscreen on those areas too, including during the weeks after you stop. It is easy to remember SPF for your face and forget it for your arms.

How long to give it

Smoother texture can show within a couple of weeks. Bumps that have been there for years take longer, and they come back when you stop — this keeps the texture under control while you keep using it, rather than fixing it for good.

What it will not do

It will not change skin that is rough for reasons other than build-up. It will not stop hair from growing, or fix ingrown hairs that are already deep and sore — those are worth leaving alone or having looked at. And it will not give a permanent result: texture comes back when the exfoliation stops.

The product

A leave-on body stick with glycolic and salicylic acids, fragrance-free, made to be put exactly where the rough texture is. It suits anyone with bumpy arms or legs, or a habit of ingrown hairs, who wants a targeted step rather than a whole-body one.

The one people are searching for is The INKEY List Glycolic Acid Exfoliating Body Stick.

The INKEY List Glycolic Acid Exfoliating Body Stick

We do not print prices here, because a price we typed last month is a price that is wrong today.

Written by JamieG in Garner Town, Tennessee.