Description
Salicylic Acid (also known as beta hydroxy acid or BHA) is one of the most well-known ingredients for treating skin that struggles with blackheads and acne. It helps to exfoliate the skin's surface and pores, and also acts as an anti-inflammatory agent.
Unlike AHAs which are water souluble, Salicylic Acid is oil soluble. This means that it's able to exfoliate the inside of pores and reduce blackheads.
Concentrations of 0.5-2% are recognized by the U.S. FDA as an over-the-counter topical acne product.
It can cause irritation and/or dryness if one's skin already has a compromised moisture barrier, so it's best to focus on repairing that before introducing a Salicylic Acid into your routine.
In general, Salicylic Acid is a great ingredient for oily acne-prone skin.
Salicylic Acid is a somewhat common cosmetic ingredient, with about 7.59% of the products in our database containing it.
Also known as: BHA
What it does:
At a glance









Products Containing Salicylic Acid
CosIng Data
- CosIng ID: 37595
- INCI Name: SALICYLIC ACID
- INN Name: salicylic acid
- EC #: Â 200-712-3
- Ph. Eur. Name: acidum salicylicum
- All Functions: Antidandruff, Hair Conditioning, Keratolytic, Masking, Preservative, Skin Conditioning