How do those Baby Feet foot masks work? The kind where you soak your feet for 45 mins and a week later all your hard skin peels off. What’s the science behind it?

Question

How do those Baby Feet foot masks work? The kind where you soak your feet for 45 mins and a week later all your hard skin peels off. What’s the science behind it?

In: Biology

Answer 1

They use salicylic acid, which is a chemical that breaks down your skin and helps it shed off faster than it normally would on its own. The same chemical is used in greater concentrations to treat plantar warts (Compound W or similar treatments), however those are targeted applications. Foot peels use the same chemical in a lower concentration over the whole foot.

Salicylic acid can also help your skin reduce the amount of sebum, or skin oil, it puts out. Excess sebum is a cause of acne which is why you also see it in acne treatments.

EDIT: Since this is getting a lot of attention and questions, let me say this: I am not a dermatologist, so if you have questions about “can salicylic acid be used to treat X” I can’t really answer that any better than Dr. Google can. If you’re unsure whether it’s safe, consult a medical professional!

EDIT 2: /u/llustrous_llama added a helpful comment below:

>To piggyback on your edit, r/skincareaddiction could tell people what salicylic acid can be used for, and what might help with X. They’re also not doctors, but man do they do their research.