Index / Minimalist / 2% Salicylic Acid Serum
Minimalist

2% Salicylic Acid Serum.

Minimalist 2% Salicylic Acid Serum
Acne

About this product

A lightweight leave-on serum containing 2% salicylic acid, designed to reduce oiliness, unclog pores, and help prevent acne breakouts.

Best for

Oily skinAcne-prone skin
Acne

The Guru Index verdict

83%

Approved

Approved · 83%
4Reviewers
4Approved
0Mixed
0Skip

What the gurus are saying

The gurus who reviewed it praise how well it cuts through oiliness and tackles clogged pores and acne, especially at this price point. Those with combination skin may want to apply it only to the T-zone and moisturize the rest of the face. A few reviewers found it gentle enough to layer with other actives like retinol and AHAs, though one expert suggests starting at the lowest concentration and using it just a couple of times a week rather than daily, depending on how the skin responds.
Synthesized from 4 expert reviews

Key actives & flags

Hyaluronic acidSalicylic acid (BHA)AHAPeptidesFragrance-freeAlcohol-free

Full ingredients

Water/​Aqua, Methylpropanediol, Propylene Glycol, Dimethyl Isosorbide, Glycolic Acid, Ethoxydiglycol, Salicylic Acid, Glycerin, Sodium Hydroxide, Pentylene Glycol, Marrubium Vulgare Extract, Polylysine, Sodium Hyaluronate, Epigallocatechin Gallatyl Glucoside, Polysorbate 20, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Xanthan Gum, Lecithin, Sclerotium Gum, Pullulan, Phenoxyethanol, Lactic Acid, Oligopeptide-10, Ethylhexylglycerin, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate

Every take, in full

What the gurus are saying.

Every take we've logged from this product's reviews across YouTube. Click any row to watch the moment they said it.

All takes Approved only Skip only Mixed only Hide sponsored
Approved
"This I love love love and this is an example of when you copy and it goes right. Paula's Choice came up with this idea of a 2% leave-on salicylic acid instead of just washing off the salicylic acid, and it worked so well that virtually every brand came with their own version of 2%."
Approved
"This salicylic acid serum is wonderful. I've picked up about five or six serums from this brand and I've pretty much been happy with all of them. It's 11 bucks and it's worth checking out. This brand is really worth checking out if you like The Ordinary but not so much the prices these days."
Approved
"Salicylic acid based serum which will reduce oiliness overnight and in the morning you will have less oiliness on the face and you'll have less chances of developing acne. If you have combination skin you can apply the serum only in the T-Zone area and apply a moisturizer on the rest of the face."
Approved
"I picked it up because it was going viral and so many people had so many opinions, and I love it. My clogged pores, my acne, especially the acne that comes here, I actually use it so much on this area more than my face. Everything has improved. I've used it with everything: peptides, retinol, AHAs, BHAs, tranexamic acid, anything and everything I use this with, and I love it. It comes in three variants: 100, 300, and 700. The 100 is supposed to be for daily use, but I don't use it daily. I use it two times a week. The 300 is for using twice a week or something like that, and 700 is for using once a week or once every two weeks. I'm not going to move up to a higher level because this is enough for my skin's sensitivity. But I genuinely love this product. Retinols are made of ingredients that are actually part of your skin structure, so they are not harmful. These are cleared ingredients. There is nothing negative about it. I really like this product, so I'm going to continue using it."
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