Salicylic Acid
Results
Side Effects

Widely available in over-the-counter skin care products in 0.5 - 2% strength, salicylic acid helps shed skin cells as well as reduce inflammation in the skin.

It's generally recommended to apply a salicylic acid-containing product 1-2 times per day, depending on your skin's tolerance and the product type.

3.6
6049
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Compare To Other Treatments
5
32.8%
4
28.4%
3
17.3%
2
10.9%
1
10.6%

Used Salicylic Acid? Rate It:

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September 9, 2013
Product used: St. Ives (Blemish Control Green Tea Gel Cleanser)
Not so soothing

Pros:

Refreshing feeling

Cons:

Weird smells
Broke me out
Skin oily less than 30 mins

No doubt its refreshing after washing my face with this unfortunately this didnt help my acne problem, my face oiled up after less than 30mins
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September 1, 2013
Product used: Clearasil (Ultra Acne Clearing Scrub)
Yuuuuck!

Pros:

NONE!

Cons:

EVERYTHING!

If I could give it half a star or no stars for the rating I would. My mother brought me this product when I was in school and all it did to my face was spread my pimples around, give me more pimples, big red irritated red cheeks, dry skin followed by my skin freaking out and becoming super oily and left me feeling even more depressed once i looked in the mirror. If you have sensitive skin like me DO NOT USE IT! Just don't...
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August 26, 2013
Product used: Neutrogena (Rapid Clear 2-in-1 Fight & Fade Toner)
Love it

Pros:

one bottle lasts a long time (approx 4 months)
cheap and easy to find
skin feels fresh

Cons:

may be strong at first
may make skin sensitive
not for people with severe acne, dry face, or that have sensitive skin

I've used this product for over a year now and it's the best OTC toner I've ever used. You're NOT going to see results right away, just like any other product, but overtime it has made my scars nearly invisible. I can go in public without wearing makeup and not have to worry about people looking at my face. At first I used this twice a day but now since my acne is pretty much gone I use it about every other day because it will over-dry my skin. If you have mild acne/acne scars I highly recommend this product.
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July 2, 2013
Product used: Dermalogica (Clean Start)
Made my acne much worse!!

Pros:

Smells nice
Seems to clean face well

Cons:

Did not work on my face
Made horrible breakouts appear
Was not exfoliating, blackheads worsened

I'm 24 y.o. and have had breakouts for at least 10 years. I used proactiv for a couple years, but it did not work as well as I wanted, plus it smells weird and the benzoyl peroxide bleached my towels and pillow cases, so I decided to try this Clean Start system. This system broke my face out worse than it had been in years!! I followed the system as directed, never skipping washes or steps. I have since stopped using Clean Start and started a new regimen but my face has yet recovered. Previously, I only had breakouts a few at a time usually all the time, but now it is broken out all over the place, and in great quantity, and I can't get it to stop!! My dermatologist is now suggesting a try a prescription system because the beakouts are so bad. The last time she suggested was not since I went through puberty when my face first started breaking out!!! Horrible!
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June 8, 2013
Product used: Clean & Clear (Dual Action Moisturizer Oil-Free)
doesn't do much

Pros:

gentle
light and non greasy

Cons:

does not help heal current acne
does not prevent future acne

this does not clear acne. I use it all over my face to moisturize without causing breakouts. works to moisturise face without causing it to become greasy or oily . It also has a 0.5% salicylic acid which is supposed to help acne
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January 31, 2013
Product used: La Roche-Posay (Effaclar K)

Pros:

None

Cons:

Stings face
Worsens acne
Dries out skin
Makes face red
Causes skin to peel

I was desperate for a product to clear my acne so I bought this and it was the worst mistake I've made in a while. Not only did my skin turn bright red, it also peeled like crazy. My skin would sting when I touched it. I couldn't even apply make up. This product also caused my skin to break out all over my face. My face is now covered with painful pimples and I can't even recognize myself. My skin is the absolute worst it has ever been. I never thought it would get this bad. Now I need to go to the doctor and get a prescribed acne medication to clear up my skin. Please don't buy this product!
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MikaV
September 17, 2016
Same thing happened to me. My acne went from moderate to absolutely horrendous. I saw improvement for the first 2 weeks of using it. However, it all went downhill from there. A full blown breakout all over my face. I ended up being on Accutane 80 mg daily for the next 5 months.
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January 12, 2013
Product used: St. Ives (Blemish Control Green Tea Gel Cleanser)

Pros:

- Foams easily
- Non-comedogenic
- Glycerin is 3rd ingredient on list, which is great news
- Smells amazing to me, but I'm not sensitive to perfumes

Cons:

- Second ingredient is Sodium Laureth Sulfate. If you're following the regimen (like I am), this isn't great news. I found that it never bothered me.

I was in a different city visiting family, and the only facial cleanser at their house was this one. I decided to give it a quick try and loved the results. I'm about to try it again with the regimen this time around.
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January 7, 2013
Product used: Clearasil (Perfectawash)

Pros:

Clears up my acne
My face feels refreshed and clean

Cons:

Really dried out my skin

I was so excited to get this product because i'm a huge fan of clearasil, all their products have worked for me so far. But when i got the perfectawash, at first when i was using it, it was fine, but after a few days my skin was really, really dry. i haven't been using the product long enough yet to see if my skin is just adjusting to it or if it will only continue to dry out my face. my acne has never really been bad at all but my face is really dry and it's stressing me out so i'm getting more acne!
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August 9, 2012
Product used: Clean & Clear (Advantage Acne Spot Treatment)

Pros:

Clears acne within a week

Cons:

Very small amount (.75 fl oz)
Stings a lot

Works very well, super effective, but it does sting and can dry out skin.
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August 2, 2012
Product used: Clean & Clear (Advantage Acne Spot Treatment)

Pros:

I already saw a difference after the first use, and the second day my zit was gone!

Cons:

It stings when first put on.

I love it, it works.
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The right dermatologist can make a big difference to your patient experience and the success of your acne treatment plan. Here are the steps to find a dermatologist who is a good fit:

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