Topical Keratolytic
Acne.org’s Real World Take
Easy to find and with low side effects, but don’t be surprised if you are left wishing for better results after using it for a while. Any acid on its own is unlikely to dramatically clear acne.
Topical Keratolytic
How to Get It
This is an over-the-counter treatment. Here are some places you can find it online.
Used Salicylic Acid? Rate It:
Choose from 1 to 5 stars
December 2, 2015
Product used: Stridex (Maximum Pads with Salicylic Acid, Alcohol Free)
Great solo spot treatment/mild acne
These pads are def good at disinfecting and taking care of some clogged pores and mild acne. I would caution anyone who decides to get them to not overuse ..they can be VERY drying, especially if used every day. I personally wouldn't use them all over my face very often, since I get dry skin pretty easily if I over-treat. They are medicated enough for me to wipe on as a gentler/easy-to-travel-with spot treatment, or when my face is totally gross and I'm too lazy to wash it.
November 18, 2015
my favourite exfoliator.
i love this, have used it for a few years and although i can't say this has improved my skin (as i use several treatments at the same time) it certainly gives your skin a good scrubbing and leaves it feeling clean. i wouldn't recommend it for sensitive skin but if you have tough skin like me then it is perfect. reasonably priced too - would always recommend.
September 26, 2015
Product used: Clean & Clear (Advantage Acne Spot Treatment)
its alright
i have teen acne and it works at first but after a week or so it doesnt seem to make a difference on my pimples. but for drugstore i think tis work the money so im glad i bought it, i just have to apply it more often(every few hours)
September 22, 2015
Product used: Neutrogena (Body Clear Body Wash)
So far so good
I have had acne on my back (clogged pores, blackheads, whiteheads) for a really really long time now and I also have a skin picking problem which only happens when I am stressed, I've been trying to stop lately which has helped alot. Also I have been able to clear my back completely for a couple of months until I went swimming in the pool 2 months ago (chlorine) which caused my skin to become a disaster again! I guess I have really sensitive skin. Now I'm back at trying to clear it up again and I've read so much good reviews about his product that I thought I should give it a try and now that I purchased this product a couple days ago and Been using it, I have seen a difference in my skin just from using it for 4 days. I am excited to see how things get because I've been soo depressed because of my back and I just hope this product works well as I continue to use it :)
September 17, 2015
Product used: Clean & Clear (Advantage Acne Spot Treatment)
pretty good and doesn't dry out skin!!
I have VERY oily skin and putting this on with my moderate/severe acne time to time it really reduced the size and inflammation. To be honest, most clean and clear products are false advertisement (trust me, I've tried almost everything), but this one worked well for me! I've also had my first bottle since the beginning of the year and there is still at least less than half left. that's pretty amazing.
August 2, 2015
Product used: Dermalogica (Clean Start)
Great stuff!
I began getting acne when I was 13 years old and it was horrible. I would break out all over my forehead with huge red pimples, and on my jaw line a lot of tiny pimples. What made it even worse was that I had extremely oily and sensitive skin. I literally tried everything on the market, Neutrogena, Clean and Clear, Mario Badescu, Dr. Murad etc. Nothing cleared up my skin and some products just made it worse. I began to lose hope until one day I went to Ulta and saw the system. It was (and still is) a bit pricey but I decided to try it anyways. It was one of the best decisions i ever made! I have been using it for a couple months and I began to see my skin clear up in about 2-3 weeks. My forehead, temples, and jawline are finally clear. I still sometimes get a couple pimples on my cheeks, but it is most likely due to hormonal reasons. Overall it has been super gentle on my sensitive skin and has helped A LOT.
July 15, 2015
Product used: Biore (Pore Unclogging Scrub)
Deep Clean Machine
I have been using this scrub for a few months. The previous scrub I was using was the Clean & Clear Blackhead Eraser Scrub. That scrub I didn't like very much because I hadn't had acne on my forehead since I was 16 years old and it caused me to get small little whiteheads on my forehead. I wanted a scrub that would clean out my pores but without the harsh abrasiveness of scratching my skin. This scrub does exactly what it says! Its a gentle and creamy exfoliant so its different than a lot of other face. you have to lather it up good before putting it on your face because of the consistency. Just make sure you rince it off your face good. Some people suggest using it in the shower so you can get the little beads off your skin. It does leave it a minimally dry I found so just use a good facial moisturizer. But its not rough against my skin like the St. Ives. Apricot scrub which cleans but can lead to inflamed acne which is not good. I would definitely recommend this product and you can find it at Walgreens, or a CVS pharmacy near you.
July 2, 2015
Product used: Clean & Clear (Dual Action Moisturizer Oil-Free)
Satisfied
I use this product in the morning to hydrate my skin and prevent my pores from clogging. I'm using it with The Regimen and I'm getting better results. I think 2% would be to strong to use with benzoyl peroxide (before going to bed), but 0.5% salicylic acid is just perfect in this case. You should give it a try. I don't not use it right after applying benzoyl peroxide ! Just early, in the morning. When I apply BP I use a different moisturizer like Cetaphil or Cerave.
June 2, 2015
Product used: Clean & Clear (Advantage Acne Spot Treatment)
Not too shabby!
This works pretty well for me in helping keep acne at bay! I spread a thin layer on my trouble areas after washing and toning, then I use my moisturizer and tadah, super soft clear skin that i can't stop touching! Although most of the suppleness is due to the other 4 ingredients in my regimen, this is still a valuable soldier in my acne fighting army!
May 6, 2015
Have hope in this cleanser. Gentle low percentage of salicylic acid (1%)
I believe and have hope in this cleanser because its a low percentage of salicylic acid (1%) and since it comes from a natural source (willow bark). I don't believe this cleanser has any irritating ingredients so thats a plus. If you have mild to severe acne I doubt this cleanser by itself will clear up your acne but I believe if you combine it with the acne.org benzoyl peroxide treatment the use of these two should work well in fighting acne. I've been using this cleanser and I stick to a strict regiment just like acne.org suggest: Washing my face gently twice a day (morning & night), using the benzoyl peroxide treatment (after my morning & night cleanse), and ALWAYS moisturizing with a non pore clogging moisturizer. I also take the vitamins acne.org suggest: zinc, vitamin a, vitamin d3 (search for the vitamins article here on acne.org and read the whole article so you know what you're doing). So far doing this regiment daily strictly has helped me stay 90% acne clear. I will once in a while get a pimple or a zit but applying a coat of benzoyl peroxide on it over night or throughout the day helps in getting rid of it.