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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March 4, 2013
Product used: Neutrogena (Oil-Free Acne Wash, Pink Grapefruit)

Cons:

Did not clear up my acne
VERY drying

I have very oily skin.After seeing advertisements, I thought I would try it. I began using this with the Clarisonic, and within one day my skin was dried out. So then I stopped the Clarisonic and just used the wash. It was still very drying. My skin is so oily that I cannot use a moisturizer, but I did use one just on the dry areas. My skin was still peeling after. Not a good product.
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December 29, 2012
Product used: Clean & Clear (Advantage Acne Spot Treatment)

Pros:

It zaps zits overnight.
Doesnt smell bad.
Fast working.
Has a funny tingle which I like.......

Cons:

For couple days it will sting because your skin is still getting use to this products, it does have 2% salicid acid.

I love this product I literally worship it. Right now I barely have any acne left because of this product. I recommend this to anyone literally i've told all my friends and family about this and it has helped them. If you havent boughten this product already go buy what are you waiting for because it will change your life and your face. Trust me on this.
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December 5, 2012
Product used: Neutrogena (Oil-Free Acne Wash, Pink Grapefruit)

Pros:

Good for a cleanser

Cons:

-Does not clear blackheads or acne
-Smell now makes me feel sick

good if you want a cleanser but it does not help acne at all
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November 5, 2012
Product used: Neutrogena (Oil-Free Acne Wash, Pink Grapefruit)

Pros:

Good as a gentle daily cleanser

Cons:

Doesn't smell good after awhile
Does NOTHING for acne
Dries skin out

Don't waste your time on this one...
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October 30, 2012
Product used: Stridex (Maximum Pads with Salicylic Acid, Alcohol Free)

Pros:

Easy and quick to use - literally takes 10 seconds to apply
No bleaching like BP products
Plenty of product on each pad
Able to be very gentle applying because it has water consistency
Helps exfoliate/remove dead skin cells
Clears mild acne very well
Probably clears moderate acne decently

Cons:

Smells weird - i think they were trying to make it smell "clean" but it just smells like chemicals (which it is so whatever i guess)
Stings if applied to an open/popped pimple
Seems to make popped pimples take longer to fully heal because it is constantly stripping away the dead skin that covers it up to let it heal underneath. I would recommend not applying it to a popped pimple until it has fully healed.
Leaves my skin very tight, but not flaky like BP does so not so this isnt too b

i would recommend this to anyone who simply doesnt like using BP because of all of its downsides (dry/flaky skin, bleaching fabrics, length of time it takes to apply, etc.). This is a good product that is very quick and easy to use after cleansing and before moisturizing. i have mild acne and it works great for keeping my face pretty clear. Only real downside is that i dont think it would really work if you have severe acne (cysts and lots of pustules/papules). I randomly got one cyst right before i started using this product and it just doesnt seem to do anything for it at all. i eventually had to resort to popping the cyst and now it just is taking forever to fully heal (like cysts generally do if popped). I would definitely recommend this for anyone with mild-moderate acne. much better than using BP in my opinion. overall a good product but you need to use a gentle cleanser to clean your face before applying, and moisturizer is a must afterwards because of dryness.
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September 11, 2012
Product used: Clean & Clear (Advantage Acne Spot Treatment)

Pros:

-works really well
-doesnt have smell
-works wonders overnight
-oil free yay!
-doesnt dry
-takes away the redness
-barely no more acne on some spots

Cons:

-you have to let it dry to put makeup
-small size for the price
-stings for like 5 seconds

I love this spot treatment its not like $60 this works wonders and its under 10 bucks! The first night i used it some of my acne went away and it reduce the size and redness on many of them. I dont use any other clean and clear products i just put some hydrogen peroxide before then add this on and it works great!
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July 29, 2012
Product used: Sea Breeze (Actives Deep Clean Astringent)

Pros:

-smells nice
-makes your skin feel clean
-worked for my boyfriend really well
-cheap

Cons:

-It didnt seem to work for me but I still say give this a shot, it seemed to have almost all positive reviews

Really really really wanted to love this product. I'm at the end of my rope and hoped this would be the last thing I would need to purchase to save my skin.I feel like i'm getting a lot more whiteheads and pimples on my cheeks which I never got before. Idk if i believe in 'purging the skin but I dont know how much longer it needs to 'purge', been about a week now. I ordered some black soap off amazon and until that arrives i'll continue using this and hope to see a change. While to others they may not see my acne as all that bad it is my own biggest insecurity and I now hate to wear make-up because I just feel like I draw more attention to the problem. My boyfriend really likes this product though, he has nice skin to begin with but it does look even better. I say give it a shot, if you're like me what do you have to lose? I feel like all the reviews I read before I purchased were positive. Hopefully I can re-review it soon and will have changed my mind.
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July 17, 2012
Product used: Stridex (Maximum Pads with Salicylic Acid, Alcohol Free)

Pros:

-Gets the job done
-Affordable
-Doesn't smell
-Alcohol free!

Cons:

-Nothing so far!

I've been breaking out pretty badly whenever I shaved, sometimes it got better, other times it got so inflammed I just wasnt able to look at myself. I got rid of all of my acne but then my beard spot was the only place that made me self conscious. I kept using oxy pads, noxema, any acne pads and they didn't work. Later I realized that alcohol isnt good for acne prone areas because of irritation, despite it getting rid of bacteria and such, so I tried these alcohol free pads. All you really need is salicylic acid. It works wonders. I definitely recommend it.
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June 27, 2012
Product used: Clean & Clear (Advantage Acne Spot Treatment)

Pros:

Cleared my acne
Had clearer skin each day
Reduces redness and size of pimples
Cheap
Doesn't smell
Works great over night

Cons:

Stings a bit

Works great. I had really bad acne, and every morning I woke up after using this my face was more clear. It reduces the size of my acne and the redness!
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June 3, 2012
Product used: Aveeno (Clear Complexion Daily Moisturizer)

Pros:

Gives skin a nice color.

Cons:

Increases acne increases redness does the opposite of what is said

I'm 14 years old and I used to have pretty bad acne, but it went away about a year ago. I was using "Aveeno Fresh Essentials" before this and it worked wonders on my skin. I was stupid enough to switch and now I regret it. I had one breakout on my cheek, and it turned into a bunch of really red really bumppy ones! I want my money back!
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