The Ordinary

Salicylic Acid 2% Body Serum.

Body & Tan

About this product

A lightweight body serum containing 0.5% salicylic acid in a 240 ml bottle, designed to exfoliate and smooth skin across the body while helping to prevent breakouts and blackheads.

Full ingredients

Chlorphenesin, Citric Acid, Cocamidopropyl Dimethylamine, Glycerin, Phenoxyethanol, Propanediol, Sarcosine, Water

Guru Score

79%

Yay

Early verdict · Few reviews so far

3Gurus

3Yay

0Mixed

0Nay

What they liked

Thin, watery texture spreads easily
Absorbs without stickiness or film
Large 240 ml bottle lasts well

What they flagged

Needs a moisturiser on top

What the gurus are saying

This serum's thin, watery texture makes it ideal for layering under moisturiser and spreads smoothly without stickiness or tackiness. Gurus found it effective at smoothing the chest and body and preventing breakouts when used daily or twice daily, though it does not hydrate on its own so you'll want to follow with a lotion. The 0.5% strength and generous 240 ml size mean you can treat large areas of the body without running out quickly, making it a practical option for rough patches like hands and chest.

Synthesized from 3 expert reviews · most recent take February 2025

Best for

Acne-prone skin

Type

Body & TanLiquid

Formula notes

Fragrance-freeNo drying alcohol

Where to buy

Amazon → Google →

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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.

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Mad About Skin

727k subs

✓Yay

"I've been using this on the chest and on the back, just minimizes any breakouts, prevents any blackheads that might form in those areas, smooths everything out for me. You get so much, you get 240 mil, you can use this all over the body, head to toe, for that great exfoliation, get rid of that dead skin cells, get the skin and the body smooth. Great on the hands if you've got quite rough hands, particularly in winter. It's just nice to see salicylic acid in a 2% strength which is good enough to use all over the body in a good quantity. A lot of these salicylic acids we see are in like 30 mil, that's not going to do much with a body, that's not going to do a whole lot or last long. This really will. I really like it."

Sincerely Miss Ash

195k subs

✓Yay

"It did a really good job to smooth out everything on my chest and I was really pleased with that. You can use this every day, or if you choose to use this twice a day you could do that as well. I would probably start with once a day and see how it goes. This is very thin and watery and it does spread nicely. It does not dry down sticky or tacky. When this absorbs into your skin your skin just feels like your skin. I wouldn't say that it's moisturizing, it just dries down, so you will need to put a lotion or something on top if you are wanting to lock in hydration and get that nice moisture to your skin. Overall I think that this is going to benefit a lot of people, and it's fragrance free."

Nipun Kapur

408k subs

✓Yay

"The salicylic acid body serum is a really good product. It's a 2% concentration daily, so it's not a 1%, it's not a watered down formula. This is something that I have been using and obviously I'm going to use it and finish it off."

What the evidence says.

Independent of what the gurus think, this is what the published research supports about the main active ingredients here.

Frequently asked.

What is The Ordinary Salicylic Acid 2% Body Serum?

A lightweight body serum containing 0.5% salicylic acid in a 240 ml bottle, designed to exfoliate and smooth skin across the body while helping to prevent breakouts and blackheads.

Is The Ordinary Salicylic Acid 2% Body Serum worth it?

Yes. All 3 gurus who reviewed it give it their stamp of approval, for a Guru Score of 79%.

What is The Ordinary Salicylic Acid 2% Body Serum's Guru Score?

The Ordinary Salicylic Acid 2% Body Serum holds a Guru Score of 79%. That is our read on how warmly the experts talk about it, based on the verdicts of 3 expert reviewers we have collected.