Salicylic Acid
Depends on dose
BHA · Beta Hydroxy Acid · Capryloyl Salicylic Acid
An oil-soluble BHA. It gets inside the pore rather than working on the surface, which is why it suits blackheads and congestion specifically.
- What it does
- Actives & treatment
- Our take
- The most useful acne active there is for most teenagers, and the reason we made a cleanser around it. We stock 0.5-2% and won't carry peels above 2%. In a cleanser it's on and off in thirty seconds, which is why a 2% wash is gentler than a 2% leave-on serum.
- What we look for
- 0.5-2%
- Suitable from
- Tween, 8+ · Teen, 13+ · Young adult, 20+ · Middle aged, 40+
- Best for
- Blemish & congestion · Oil control
- Skin types
- Oily · Combination · Blemish-prone
- Pairs with
- Fine with niacinamide. Don't stack it with another exfoliating acid on the same night.
watch the stacking
Acne routines stack badly. A 2% cleanser plus a 2% toner plus a 2% treatment is not three gentle steps, it is one aggressive one. Pick the step where you want it and leave the others alone.
find it in
What we read
- FDA OTC acne monograph, 21 CFR 333 · reviewed Sep 2026
Every other ingredient, with the same treatment.
MADE SAFE certifiednot-plastic packaging