Active ingredient
Salicylic Acid
INCISalicylic Acid
Last reviewed by BIOSAR Scientific Team, PharmD, Cosmetic Chemistry, Pharmacy practice on .
Salicylic acid is a lipid-soluble beta-hydroxy acid used in skincare to unclog pores, refine the appearance of comedones, and gently exfoliate. Its lipophilicity lets it penetrate the sebum-rich follicular environment and dissolve corneocyte adhesions inside the pore. Pairs with niacinamide. Layer carefully with retinol or benzoyl peroxide. Alternate routine days to limit irritation.
Use with caution — consult your clinician.
ACOG and Mother to Baby consider low-percentage topical salicylic acid (≤2%) on limited areas acceptable during pregnancy and lactation. High-percentage chemical peels and oral salicylates are avoided throughout the perinatal period.
What Salicylic Acid does
Beta-hydroxy acid. Oil-soluble exfoliant used inside the pore to help remove sebum and dead keratinocytes. Standard pharmacy active for blemish-prone skin. Pregnancy use: topical Salicylic Acid at low cosmetic concentrations is considered acceptable during pregnancy when applied to limited areas and without occlusion. Consult your doctor for your specific situation.
What the research says
- n = 500Salicylic acid gel (2%) vs adapalene in mild-moderate acneA multicentre trial in 500 people with mild-to-moderate acne: after 12 weeks, 51% improved markedly with a salicylic acid hydrogel (2%) and 43% with adapalene gel, a difference that was not significant. No vehicle group.A clinical study in patients, in a medical setting. It is shown for the science of the ingredient, not as an example of cosmetic use.Read the study →J Cosmet Dermatol 2024 (Ye et al.)
Use Salicylic Acid carefully alongside
These ingredients work well in a routine but are best applied at different times of day or on alternating days to limit irritation.
Where it helps
Concerns Salicylic Acid addresses
Acne
Acne is rarely just acne. It is the anxiety before a meeting, the photo you skip, the makeup routine that started as "a little" and is now…
Explore the concernAging
The first time you notice it is rarely a wrinkle. It is a quality of light — the way your skin catches it differently in a morning mirror,…
Explore the concernDryness
Dryness is a barrier dysfunction in which skin loses water faster than it can retain or replenish it, presenting as flaking, tightness,…
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Dull skin is the visible loss of luminosity, where the surface appears flat, grey, or fatigued instead of light-reflective. The underlying…
Explore the concernHair Loss
For the months you have been finding more hair on the pillow than the comb. For the part line that has slowly widened. For the new mother,…
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Across Fitzpatrick III–V skin tones — the majority of darker skin tones — the most common consultation is the same: the patch on the…
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Sun damage is the cumulative photoaging caused by ultraviolet radiation, presenting as solar lentigines, irregular pigmentation, fine…
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