Spot-on advice?
Dr. Sasha Haddad is sharing three hacks she’s learned since becoming a family medicine physician, including how to prevent acne after a sweaty workout session.
In a 10-second TikTok set to “Fireball” by Pitbull, Haddad recommends spraying hypochlorous acid on your face after going to the gym, treating sunburns with cicaplast balm and taking magnesium citrate to ease constipation.
Her Saturday clip was not the first time she’s dished “health basics” to her 1.1 million TikTok followers. In a video last month, Haddad recommended ginger for nausea, oatmeal baths for eczema and spearmint tea for hormonal acne.
Hypochlorous acid after the gym for acne
Hypochlorous acid is produced when chlorine gas dissolves in water. The body’s white blood cells naturally create it to combat bacteria and infection.
“Hypochlorous acid is a powerful killer of bacteria, viruses and even fungus,” Dr. Jaimie DeRosa, a double board-certified plastic surgeon, told Allure this month.
The chemical compound is used in wound care, food safety, water treatment, surface cleaners and facial cleansers.
The antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory benefits of hypochlorous acid were touted at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic and they continue to be popularized on TikTok.
“I see so many uses for it,” Dr. Sheilagh Maguiness, a dermatologist and president of the Society for Pediatric Dermatology, told CBS News in May. “After the gym, after sweating, they can use it just to gently spray on their face and boom, they’ve cleansed (and) haven’t needed a sink.”
Research from 2018 found that hypochlorous acid can improve acne, diabetic foot ulcers and scars.
Applying the substance to the skin “appears to be well tolerated and safe, without any major adverse events reported,” study authors wrote in the Journal of Clinical and Aesthetic Dermatology.
Cicaplast balm for sunburns
Haddad raves about La Roche-Posay’s Cicaplast Balm B5 for Dry Skin Irritations, which targets cracked, chapped and chafed skin.
One of the cream’s main ingredients is dimethicone, which has moisturizing and softening properties.
“Dimethicone is gentle and non-comedogenic (won’t clog pores), making it an effective and safe moisturizing ingredient for use by all skin types on the face and body,” board-certified dermatologist Mark Strom told NewBeauty in May.
The cicaplast balm also contains vitamin B5 (moisturizes), shea butter (soothes), glycerin (hydrates) and madecassoside (nourishes).
Magnesium citrate for constipation
Magnesium citrate — sold under the brand name Citroma — treats constipation by drawing water into the bowels to soften stool, so it’s easier to move.
Sara Barthel, a clinical nutritionist and functional medicine health coach, suggests taking 400 milligrams of magnesium citrate at night.
Up that dose by 200 milligrams until you experience loose stool, then taper off, Barthel told Forbes.
Side effects include allergic reactions that can cause a rash, confusion or drowsiness from too much magnesium, diarrhea, nausea, stomach pain and vomiting.
