Salicylic Acid Cleanser.

Cleansers

About this product

A gentle salicylic acid cleanser formulated with glycerin, designed to cleanse while providing chemical exfoliation for oily, acne-prone, and breakout-prone skin.

Best for

Oily skin Acne-prone skin

Type

CleansersLiquid

Key actives

Salicylic acid (BHA)Vitamin E

Formula notes

Fragrance-freeNo drying alcohol

Full ingredients

Aqua (Water), Propanediol, Glycerin, Sodium Methyl Cocoyl Taurate, Cocamidopropyl Betaine, PEG-120 Methyl Glucose Dioleate, Salicylic Acid, PEG-150 Pentaerythrityl Tetrastearate, PEG-6 Caprylic/Capric Glycerides, Betaine, Zinc Pca, Phenoxyethanol, Sodium Chloride, Allantoin, Sodium Hydroxide, Coco-Glucoside, Glyceryl Oleate, Benzyl Alcohol, Coconut Acid, Ethylhexylglycerin, Sodium Benzoate, Citric Acid, Dehydroacetic Acid, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Tocopherol, Hydrogenated Palm Glycerides Citrate

Guru Score

86%

Approved

7 experts · Strong agreement

Guru Certified

Broad expert consensus

7Gurus

7Approved

0Mixed

0Skip

What the gurus are saying

This cleanser earns consistent praise for clearing breakouts and blackheads while staying gentle enough for daily use, even for teenagers new to chemical exfoliants. The salicylic acid concentration sits low (the formula contains between 0.5% and 2% depending on the variant), which means it exfoliates without the irritation risk of stronger treatments. Gurus recommend massaging it on for 60 seconds to two minutes before rinsing, and note it works well for anyone managing oily skin or wanting to maintain clear pores without harshness.

Synthesized from 7 expert reviews · most recent take December 2025

Where to buy

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How it works Independent by design. Every take comes from a creator we have no relationship with. We do not ask anyone to review, and affiliate links never move a score.

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 takes Critical takes Mixed takes Hide sponsored

Dr. Vanita Rattan

1.22M subs

✓Approved

"Go for a simple salicylic acid face wash such as The INKEY List."

Alexandra Anele

1.43M subs

✓Approved

"The Inkey List Salicylic Acid Cleanser is glycerin based and has salicylic acid, and I think it only has 1% so it's like a percentage down which is nice so I think it'll be a little bit more gentle on my skin overall. I finished this and it is great. The Inkey List is like tried and true, they have really great products and they're relatively affordable."

James Welsh

1.58M subs

✓Approved

"For oily, breakout or acne prone skin, or those wanting to maintain well-maintained pores, I think you will love the INKEY List Salicylic Acid Cleanser. It's a great daily use cleanser that contains 2% salicylic acid you massage on the face for 60 seconds to 2 minutes and rinse away. If you have a teenager just starting to break out and get blackheads, this is a great way to gently and safely introduce a chemical exfoliant into their routine. I love this one."

Caroline Hirons

251k subs

✓Approved

"I'm quite oily and I sweat profusely throughout the day, so I'm in serious trouble without salicylic acid. It's essential for me."

All 3 takes from Caroline Hirons

Colette Laxton And Mark Curry: Founding the Inkey List and Being Unlikely Entrepreneurs

"Sweat and I'm quite oily um salicylic acid and again plugging but um I'd be in serious trouble"

18: Colette Laxton And Mark Curry: Founding The INKEY List and Becoming Unlikely Entrepreneurs

"I'm quite oily and I sweat profusely throughout the day, so I'm in serious trouble without salicylic acid. It's essential for me."

S2 Ep3: Candice Brathwaite

"What's been so great for him and I'm I'm not just saying it to gas you is Inky list is it salicylic acid yeah and then we finish with your moisturizer oh amazing cleared up the black"

Cassandra Bankson

2.45M subs

✓Approved

"Inky List has some fantastic ones that are under $10. As long as it says BHA or salicylic acid it's probably a really good one."

Top Pick: salicylic acid cleanser

All 2 takes from Cassandra Bankson

How To Get Rid Of Sebaceous Filaments

"Inky List has some fantastic ones that are under $10. As long as it says BHA or salicylic acid it's probably a really good one."

Best and Worst Products From The Inkey List

"One of the products that I constantly lean on from The INKEY List is the Salicylic Acid Cleanser. This is one of the absolute best and it's at an affordable price. Salicylic acid is an ingredient that has been medically proven to help with skin inflammation, to help with acne, to help with blackheads and bacteria, and this works so well, especially if you have oily, acne prone skin. For anyone who deals with acne, whether it's whiteheads, blackheads, or even sebaceous filaments which aren't exactly acne but they can look a lot like acne, this is an absolute must. They also sell the beta hydroxy acid serum and that's good too, but this is way better and it works so well, and you get a lot of it for the price."

Hyram

4.35M subs

✓Approved

"The Salicylic Acid Cleanser is great if you struggle with breakouts or acne, to get a little bit of the exfoliation when you cleanse."

Dr Alexis Stephens

580k subs

✓Approved

"If you have skin that still wants to get the benefit of salicylic acid because of the fact that it's 0.5%, this formula is non-irritating."

Common questions

Frequently asked.

What is The INKEY List Salicylic Acid Cleanser?

A gentle salicylic acid cleanser formulated with glycerin, designed to cleanse while providing chemical exfoliation for oily, acne-prone, and breakout-prone skin.

Is The INKEY List Salicylic Acid Cleanser worth it?

Yes. All 7 gurus who reviewed it give it their stamp of approval, for a Guru Score of 86%.

What is The INKEY List Salicylic Acid Cleanser's Guru Score?

The INKEY List Salicylic Acid Cleanser holds a Guru Score of 86%. That is our read on how warmly the experts talk about it, based on the verdicts of 7 independent expert reviewers we have collected. It is also Guru Certified, our mark for products that hold broad approval across many expert reviewers.