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%

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October 7, 2011
Product used: Biore (Pore Unclogging Scrub)

Pros:

+ Smells very good
+ Gentle but effective
+ A little bit goes a long way
+ Cleared my acne scars on my BACK!
+ Reduced the break outs and cut down on time it took the break out to heal

Cons:

- It's not advertised for body use

I picked this up after staring at acne products in Walmart for 30 minutes. I decided this is the last time i throw away money on a treatment before i try either murad or proactiv. I'm extremely pleased by the results i had dark scars and break outs over my shoulders on my back lower and up right where your spine is. I started using this in July and by October i've realized it gave me amazing results! It was cheap too, and a little bit goes a long away. So if you suffer from back acne try this please! Use it every time you shower or once a day!
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October 3, 2011
Product used: Clean & Clear (Blackhead Clearing Scrub)

Pros:

-Cleans the face well
-Works well on whiteheads

Cons:

-Doesn't do much for blackheads(It's supposed to do the opposite!)

This cleanser cleans the face leaving no oil and clears whiteheads, but doesn't get rid of blackheads. I used a whole tube and not one blackhead was gone.
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September 26, 2011
Product used: Noxzema (Triple Clean Anti-Blemish Pads)

Pros:

Very effective at preventing pimples
Salicylic acid instead of benzoyl peroxide
Affordable

Cons:

Strong smell (I kind of like it)

I went off of oral contraceptives about 6 months ago (after 5 years of use) and my skin broke out immediately afterward. I tried products with benzoyl peroxide and broke out in hives on my face and neck (I think I'm allergic...). Anyway, the Noxzema pads use salicylic acid and have really helped to prevent new pimples from coming up. I use them wherever I tend to break out (e.g. face, chest, back, shoulders) twice a day since they are pretty cheap. I still get pimples around my period, but that's normal, and they are minor breakouts. Overall, the improvement was like night and day even after only a couple of weeks of regular use!
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September 15, 2011
Product used: SkinCeuticals (Blemish + Age Defense)

Pros:

Nothing!

Cons:

Made acne multiply, turn red, stay for WEEKS and leave scars!! :(

This is the worst acne treatment out there. I used it along with the skinceuticals facial cleanser and it made my acne 90X worse. DONT USE IT! :(
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September 11, 2011
Product used: Dermalogica (Clean Start)

Pros:

is a good way to keep your skin fresh and clear, improves acne and smells nice + bedtime for breakouts is great

Cons:

using every one of the products can leave your skin dry, mainly the toner and hit the spot pimple cream

its a good product but it doesn't clear your skin dramatically or completely, at least for me it didn't, i still have break-outs and always a few pimples here and there. i tend to just use the bed time for breakouts and the mask/exfoliator makes your skin feel fresh and soft after but then usually leads to a breakout :/ it helps your skin but isn't the solution to getting rid of acne forever
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August 25, 2011
Product used: Oxy (Daily Face Wash)

Pros:

Removes grease without making skin dry
Smells nice
Gentle exfoliant

Cons:

Didn't actually stop spots appearing

Read an article about this range of Oxy products saying that it helped with acne because of its "seaweed extract" and decided to try it. I used it twice a day for a couple of months, in combination with the more intense once-a-week scrub in this range which includes sea salt. It has a few larger exfoliating beads and also finer particles to get rid of dead skin. It smells really nice (a bit like a fresh aftershave, but don't worry it doesn't scent your skin!) so is pleasant to use. It does get rid of grease but isn't really harsh so didn't leave it dry or tight. The only problem is that it didn't actually clear my acne, but that could be because it is caused by hormonal factors. I do still use it because at least I know it doesn't actually cause more spots for me like some face washes do. Also this range of Oxy products is marketed as being "engineered for male skin" but this doesn't mean it's unsuitable for females.
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August 19, 2011
Product used: Neutrogena (Oil-Free Acne Wash Redness Soothing Cream Cleanser)

Pros:

-smells great
-leaves skin feeling smooth and refreshed
-gets rid of acne
-prevents acne

Cons:

n/a

i have very mild acne and only get a couple pimples on my face, but i wanted to clear them up, so i began using this product. it got rid of my acne in a couple days, and whenever i use it, i rarely have any breakouts. it works well for other people that i've recommended it to as well.
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August 14, 2011
Product used: Neutrogena (Oil-Free Acne Wash, Pink Grapefruit)

Pros:

-smells good
-looks nice

Cons:

-gives you weird rash
-not good for moderate acne
-Cheap

I didnt have that bad of acne and I thought hey, why dont I try this since I only need a light wash, its cheap, and it smells good. Well great, I go home and try it every morning and night for the next three days and... well, nothing happens, I guess it was good for getting off my makeup, but other than that, my face wasnt clearing up with the few zits I had. Fourth day rolls around and lone behold HUGE "mosquito" red, puffy bumps ALL over my forehead. I didnt know WHAT was causing this! This was horrible! I check the reviews, look in the mirror, and realize its the wash! I stoped it a couple days ago and the bumps are going down, but OH. MY. GOODNESS! PLEASE! SAVE YOURSELF THE HUMILITY! Baking Soda mask here I come :S
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August 4, 2011
Product used: Neutrogena (Oil-Free Acne Wash Cream Cleanser)

Pros:

Cleans oils
Leaves face feeling fresh
Helped dry out some of my acne

Cons:

Doesn't clear all the acne
I still continued to get pimples while using the product.

I've been using it for about 3wks so far, and it seems to have dried out some of the acne but not all. I like how it leaves my skin feeling fresh. I use it about 2-3 times a day. Every morning in the shower, and at night before going to bed. Sometimes mid day. I haven't tried to many skin care products becasue i'm scared of the aftermath once i stop using the product. i haven't stopped using this and i'm going to continue it for another 2 months, i'm going to give it a chance. i read more bad reviews on Proactive so i'm sticking to Neutrogena.
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August 2, 2011
Product used: Neutrogena (Oil-Free Acne Wash, Pink Grapefruit)

Pros:

lathers up nicely
smells good
removes oil

Cons:

HUGE IRRITATOR
willlll make skin red and itchy after 2nd day.
makes pimples worse and much flakier
makes blackheads blacker
makes pimples bigger

this product was being advertised alll over tv. so i though, hey, why not give it a try? i took a trip to my local target and found it on sale, great huh? i couldnt wait to try it. i washed my face before going to sleep, and indeed it did remove excess oil from my face. when i woke up the next day, i used it again and did my daily routine. however, throughout the day, i realized my skin was itchy, flaky and dry. i immediatly put moisturizer on it and left it alone. i washed my face as soon as i was ready to sleep. when i woke up the next day, my face was red and itchy allll over ! i felt as if i was sitting out in the sun for hoursssss. the couple pimples i had turned flaky and white and swollen. its been 2 days since ive stopped using the product, and im still red and flaky all over :/
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