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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July 27, 2011
Product used: St. Ives (Blemish Control Green Tea Gel Cleanser)

Pros:

-Cleanses well
-smells great (not chemically)
-prevents breakouts
-helps breakouts
-evens skintone
-not over drying

Cons:

-NONE

i use this everyday along with the st. ives scrub...and my skin looks great. they work well together...with the ponds moisturizer. WONDERFULLLLL
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July 17, 2011
Product used: Clearasil (Ultra Acne Marks Wash and Mask)

Pros:

Faded marks
Easy to use
Felt nice
Cleared some zits initially

Cons:

Caused new breakouts
didn't completely fade marks

While this cleared a few zits in the beginning and did fade some of my marks significantly, it caused more breakouts than it cleared. I never used to get oily, but after I started using this product my face would be shiny within four hours of washing. I didn't have to use moisturizer while I was using this product (it didn't dry my skin), which is something I'll miss, but overall this didn't work.
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July 12, 2011
Product used: Clearasil (Daily Face Wash, Sensitive)

Pros:

Old formula worked great

Cons:

New formula with salicylic acid made my face break out

The new version doesn't work
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July 1, 2011
Product used: Solvere (Acne Clearing Cleanser)

Pros:

+Works well (for me)
+Doesn't dry out skin

Cons:

+Hard to find

This product has the same active ingredient (2% salicylic acid) as 95% of acne cleaners that you can buy in the drug store but - for whatever reason - it works a hundred times better. This is the only "acne clearing" cleanser that I will use. I also sometimes use it in conjunction with Purpose's Gentle Cleanser (Solvere in the morning, Purpose at night) but recently I've been using only this, twice a day, and my skin is not any drier than it was when I was using it with Purpose. A little background on why I like this product so much: I never really suffered from acne until I was about 19. Right after my acne started getting bad enough that I was considering a dermatologist visit, I went on the BCP and my acne cleared up. When I was 22, I stopped taking the pill and my acne came back within a few months so I finally went to the dermatologist. He prescribed Minocycline as well as Epiduo and he suggested that I buy this cleanser from his front desk so I did. My acne cleared up within 4 weeks of using all 3 treatments as directed but I was convinced that it was the Minocycline that had really done it. I was sure that the Solvere cleanser wasn't really better than anything that you could buy in the drugstore. So imagine my surprise when my skin stayed clear for an additional 4.5 months after I stopped taking the Minocycline but broke out within 2 weeks after I finally used up my bottle of Solvere and tried to switch back to a generic version from the drugstore. I learned my lesson. That was almost a year ago and I have used this product consistently ever since: I would not consider switching. It's certainly not a cure-all: I still use Epiduo every night and, even so, I am not completely acne-free. But I do feel like I've finally found a combination of topical products that keep my acne manageable and this cleanser is an integral part of that routine. I can't guarantee that this product will help your a
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June 25, 2011
Product used: Clean & Clear (Advantage 3-in-1 Foaming Acne Wash)

Pros:

Smell wonderful
Cheap
Cleans off Make-Up

Cons:

None!

Do not use this product if you have dry/normal skin. Its fantastic for people with oily skin,but you still have to moisturize, its key to always moisturize in your skin regime no matter what! I switched from expensive brand Clinique to this and it works just as great if not better!!
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June 9, 2011
Product used: Neutrogena (Oil-Free Acne Wash Redness Soothing Cream Cleanser)

Pros:

I love the smell. The way it feels on your face. I love how it makes my face nice and soft after and no redness. I have a really white complexion and my face gets red after washing my face but with this product it doesn't. You don't need to apply a lot which I like. I will continue buying this product.

Cons:

The only con I have is that I wish the tube was bigger.

Everyone has different kind of skin types but for me my face is very sensitive and a little on the dry side. Little tip I love to do is after I wash my face I apply jergens extra dry lotion as a moisturizer and I loveeeeee the way my face feels and look everyday. I would use this product twice a day morning and night works wonders for me. No acne, no redness =)
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May 26, 2011
Product used: Clearasil (Daily Face Wash, Sensitive)

Pros:

Old formula worked well.

Cons:

New formula contains salicylic acid which is ineffective. Does not kill bacteria.

I was livid when I bought my usual brand of Daily Face Wash Sensitive Formula and discovered that it was a new formula with salicylic acid instead of triclosan. I am 50 years old with oily acne skin and keratosis pilaris on my upper arms. This kept everything under control for me for ten years or so. You know, if it ain't broke don't fix it! I tried many things with salicylic acid and found it to be ineffective. You lost a long-time customer.
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May 25, 2011
Product used: Neutrogena (Oil-Free Acne Wash Redness Soothing Facial Cleanser)

Pros:

got rid of all my acne
feels really clean
reduced redness!!

Cons:

dries up skin
blackheads still there

I have terrrrrible acne on my nose and have tried about everything to get rid of it and nothing worked. OMG! after I used this cleanser, it was ALL gone except for a few blackheads which I don't mind because they aren't very noticable. Great product, recommend it to people with oily, acne-prone skin, because it can be drying.
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May 22, 2011
Product used: Clean & Clear (Advantage Mark Treatment)

Pros:

-Cleared Up Pimples DRAMATICALLY
-Didn't Dry Up My Skin

Cons:

-Smells Funny

I use this and the ACNE SPOT TREATMENT and they're my two favorite acne products. Nothing ever worked for me but these 2 products. It smells really weird but its worth it. I used to have like 100 small little pimples on my forehead but they were gone in a WEEK! Love this!
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May 22, 2011
Product used: Clean & Clear (Advantage Acne Spot Treatment)

Pros:

-Cleared Up Acne DRAMATICALLY
-Left me with 0 pimples
-Didnt Dry Skin
-Smells good to me

Cons:

-Too small

I loved it! All my acne was gone in about 1 week and a half. It never dried up my skin & prevented acne from popping up. This seemed like the only product that would work for me too! The only thing i had left to deal with after using the product were my acne scars!
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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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