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
Read All About Salicylic Acid
Compare To Other Treatments
5
32.8%
4
28.4%
3
17.3%
2
10.9%
1
10.6%

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January 2, 2012
Product used: Murad (Clarifying Cleanser)

Pros:

Did not dry out my skin

Cons:

Facial swelling

I am 29 years old and have always suffered from blemished skin. I read a review of this product and thought I would give it a try. At first it seemed good with a fresh feel and did not dry out the skin. There was a slight tingle to the skin which I understand is to be expected. In the morning after use, my whole face was swollen and especially round the eyes. I did not wash my eyes with the product. Total waste of money and only benefit was to plump out wrinkles which was unintended
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December 20, 2011
Product used: Biore (Blemish Treating Astringent)
I use this right after using the biore face scrub. I have never had an issue with acne so I use the astringent to prevent pimples. It works great. It really gets rid of extra dirt and makeup left behind after washing my face. Love the cooling effect and the way it makes my skin feel clean and tight.
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December 17, 2011
Product used: Neutrogena (Oil-Free Acne Wash Redness Soothing Cream Cleanser)

Pros:

- Gentle
- Cheap
- Appealing Scent
- Effective

Cons:

- Initial Breakout
- Did not improve redness

I picked up this product after trying countless cleansers ranging from $5 - $50, and this is one of my favourites so far. I've been using it for about three weeks now, and I've noticed a considerable difference. I have naturally dry, sensitive, acne prone skin (which makes finding a good cleanser tough), and though my skin was a bit irritated at first, I kept using it. For the first 1-2 weeks, I did experience a slight initial breakout (probably from the SA), but stuck with it. Now, I do not get new pimples forming and my clogged pores/blackheads seem to be reduced. The only thing, however, is that since it's redness soothing, I was expecting a bit more from it. I have quite a bit of post acne scarring and redness (especially in my cheeks), and this cleanser did not seem to do much for that. If you have dry skin, as I do, you'll want to make sure you follow up with a good moisturizer both morning and night.
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November 21, 2011
Product used: Biore (Blemish Fighting Ice Cleanser)

Pros:

-Cooling
-Clears acne at first
-Foams well

Cons:

-Stops working
-Dries skin

I've been using this for about a month now. The first week, everyday my face felt so soft, but now I have more acne than I did before.
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November 5, 2011
Product used: Aveeno (Clear Complexion Foaming Cleanser)

Pros:

-skin wasn't oily
-kept skin smooth and soft
-worked good for a while

Cons:

- didn't reduce pimples
- after a month my skin was worse than ever

at first it was gentle and my skin was under control even though it didn't really clear my skin totally up but i didn't breakout anymore. my skin wasn't oily anymore and was so soft and evened out my skin tone. i thought it was the best thing i tried so far so i kept using it after a month. then my skin started getting worse and my forehead broke out really bad. it burned and i got a rash. my skin has never been this bad until now.
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October 7, 2011
Product used: Clean & Clear (Advantage Acne Spot Treatment)

Pros:

- clears breakouts fast
- easy to apply
- doesn't dry out skin too much

Cons:

- Expensive
- Doesn't clear bigger breakouts
- Doesn't prevent breakouts
- Small package

I used this for two months and it worked at first but as I used it and expected it to work more it just didn't. I has quick results, but doesn't completely clear anything. I applied several times a day, and it didn't dry me out. It works fast. I'd recommend it to someone with very light acne and very little breakouts, maybe someone with light. It doesn't work much with more severe acne.
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August 18, 2011
Product used: Aveeno (Clear Complexion Foaming Cleanser)

Pros:

Removes some makeup

Cons:

IIt wont help with any pimples because it is a acne prevention cleanser so if you already have acne it wont help.

i dont like it
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August 13, 2011
Product used: St. Ives (Blemish & Blackhead Control Apricot Face Wash)

Pros:

It is not expensive
it has a nice smooth feel

Cons:

it broke me out more ,.,where i never had acne before
this scrub flared my pimples into cystic acne !!

i use to use this when i wasn"t acne prone,.,.and worked great because i never really broke out ,.,sometimes had a little pimple or two but when i hit puberty it was a whole different story i started to get oilier skin and was getting more pimples well i thought the st. Ives scrub was going to work because it use to work for me well it just made my acne worst made my pimples flare up and i started to break out around my mouth .,,.i don"t recommend it to people that don"t want their acne to go worse ,.I've researched that scrubs caused microscopic cuts and abrasions in the skin,and get it infected which means more bacteria and that means more acne =( i recommend to use more natural stuff like putting raw potato paste on skin .,.,potato contains potassium ,.,and potassium kills the bad bacteria on skin ,.,and it did wonders to my skin .,.,i"m also drinking green tea.,.green tea gets rid of toxins ,.,less toxins more clear skin ,.,now i don"t break out bad i get a pimple or two but NO more cystic acne !!
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August 10, 2011
Product used: Neutrogena (Rapid Clear Acne Eliminating Spot Gel)

Pros:

None

Cons:

-Stung/ Irritated my skin
-Didn't make acne go away

This is not a great product to use. It may have just been me but it did not work at all for my pimples.
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July 27, 2011
Product used: Neutrogena (Oil-Free Acne Stress Control, Power-Clear Scrub)

Pros:

-smells refreshing and really good
-clears acne a lot and fast
-calms redness (i have a lot of redness in my cheeks, etc)
-skin feels smooth and soft
-doesn't dry out the skin (my skin dries out easily to other products)
-good for sensitive skin (I have sensitive skin)

Cons:

nothing!

Okay, I didn't buy the actual Neutrogenia one. I bought the generic CVS version because it was cheaper and on sale. It was something I just wanted to try out but not spend too much money on. I got it for $4! The Neutrogenia ones are usually around $6-8. Anyway, this product is AMAZING. After a few days, my acne started clearing up! I have pretty bad acne on my cheek and now, they're almost all gone! Still a bit visible, but still A LOT clearer than before. I love this stuff! I'll be repurchasing this product for sure! I use this scrub every day, day and night with my Humphrey's Lavender Witch Hazel toner and this random korean moisturizer. If you want a good moisturizer, I suggest Clean N Clear Dual Action Moisturizer. Give the scrub a try, you'll be amazed!!
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