The Ordinary Salicylic Acid 2% Mask: a Guru Score of 87%

What the experts use it for.

The concerns the experts tie this product to, in their own words. Paid and founder takes don't count.

Clogged or visible pores5 experts

“I use it in the T-zone to really kind of help clear out those pores.”

Doctorly, watch at 6:58

Breakouts and acne4 experts

“It's got salicylic acid which is great for pores, fighting acne, fighting breakouts. Really great for that.”

No BS Beauty, watch at 7:22

Excess oil and shine2 experts

“I like this product for people with more oily skin.”

Doctorly, watch at 2:09

Rough or uneven texture2 experts

“It contains charcoal and clay which help unclog the pores and further improve the texture of the skin.”

The Budget Dermatologist, watch at 11:38

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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No BS Beauty

89k subs

✓Yay

"The Ordinary Salicylic Acid 2% Mask is a really nice acne fighting, oil absorbing mask. It's got a slight physical exfoliant benefit for it as well. So it's really nice occasional mask to use. It's got salicylic acid which is great for pores, fighting acne, fighting breakouts. Really great for that. It's got kaolin which soaks up extra oils on the skin. It's got charcoal powder which gives it the little bit of abrasiveness."

Top Pick: salicylic acid mask

All 8 takes from No BS Beauty

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"I really enjoy this one. [...] It absorbs oil but it also does a nice job with a little bit of exfoliation physically and chemically. [...] I've already got a backup of it."

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"The salicylic acid two percent mask is amazing, it's really wonderful. It's charcoal, so it applies like a big thick heavy charcoal base, but it's got some salicylic acid in there. You leave it on for a few minutes, rinse it off, and your skin feels really really really nice. This is my favorite."

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"You can apply it to your skin in your evening routine, applying to wet skin and not leaving it on [...] for more than 10 minutes. I typically leave it on for like five or six minutes and then rinse it off and it's a nice gentle exfoliant that leaves your skin feeling soft and smooth. [...] The salicylic acid in there [...] occasionally is a nice exfoliant that leaves your skin nice and glowing and soft. It's 13 bucks and it's really nice."

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"I repurchased this, this is probably my fourth bottle of it, so it's one of my favorites because it's super affordable. Some masks you can spend upwards of 100 more on, and for something you're going to rinse off, save money on that and spend money on a good sunscreen or a good moisturizer that you like, because it doesn't spend much time on your skin and it goes down the drain in the end, just like cleanser."

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"It's a charcoal based mask. It's 14 bucks. It's got salicylic acid, kaolin, squalane, and then charcoal powder. So it's meant to be oil absorbing as well. So it kind of soaks up all the oils on your skin and just leaves skin feeling nice and clean. It's got a little bit of a grit to it, but not too much. [...] I usually leave it on for five minutes. Use once or twice a week."

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"The Ordinary Salicylic Acid 2% Mask is a really nice acne fighting, oil absorbing mask. It's got a slight physical exfoliant benefit for it as well. So it's really nice occasional mask to use. It's got salicylic acid which is great for pores, fighting acne, fighting breakouts. Really great for that. It's got kaolin which soaks up extra oils on the skin. It's got charcoal powder which gives it the little bit of abrasiveness."

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"Their salicylic acid mask is really nice. It's charcoal and salicylic acid, and it kind of does a nice job gently exfoliating skin without being too harsh."

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"It's got a small amount of salicylic acid at the amount of 2%. [...] You apply it to your skin. [...] It's very dark. You leave it on your skin for about 10 minutes and then rinse it off and your skin feels nice and soft and exfoliated but not dry or anything like that. A lot of charcoal or kale based masks will leave your skin feeling dry. This one doesn't do that. [...] I've repurchased it three or four times now and it is wonderful."

Nipun Kapur

413k subs

✓Yay

"You have the Ordinary salicylic acid mask, black color, otherwise you have the Innes free volcanic clay mask"

Translated from the guru's original language.

Mad About Skin

734k subs

✓Yay

"I promise you in like 3 or four months you'll definitely notice the difference when it comes to your pore if you use this every single day I love it"

Dr. Somji Skin

361k subs

✓Yay

"It's at lower concentration so you're very unlikely to damage your barrier unless you're using this not according to the instructions that are written on the pack and you're overusing it. You can use this product according to the pack daily and [...] it's very difficult to ruin your skin with this. Stuff in the High Street is at lower concentration and that might be better for you if you've got sensitive skin types because medical grade products might be too strong."

All 4 takes from Dr. Somji Skin

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"It's at lower concentration so you're very unlikely to damage your barrier unless you're using this not according to the instructions that are written on the pack and you're overusing it. You can use this product according to the pack daily and [...] it's very difficult to ruin your skin with this. Stuff in the High Street is at lower concentration and that might be better for you if you've got sensitive skin types because medical grade products might be too strong."

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"The salicylic acid mask is really cool and using this two or three times a week is going to be great. You apply this on freshly cleaned and dried skin, you want to put it on for around 10 minutes over the nasal area and then wash off. [...] If you've [...] got darker skin types, the salicylic acid mask from the ordinary is fantastic."

Doctor Recommends The Ordinary for Acne Solutions

"If you've got a little bit more congestion, if you've got kind of open and closed comedones so the blackheads or whiteheads, you may want to use the salicylic acid mask [...] once or twice weekly with an adequate gap in between."

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"If you've got like mild to moderate acne and you want to really get a little bit more exfoliation of those pores and you've got those sort of sebum trapped within those areas with white heads blackheads then use a salicylic acid mask once or twice weekly and that's used immediately after cleansing, then you clean the salicylic acid mask off and then you continue with your niacinamide and natural moisturizing factors."

Sincerely Miss Ash

196k subs

✓Yay

"The Ordinary Salicylic Acid 2% Mask is great if you have acne prone skin, you have texture, you have bumps, and you have blackheads. It's also amazing to use if you have oily and combination skin. [...] You might want to use it a couple of days a week and leave it on for 5 to 10 minutes and rinse off."

Gothamista

683k subs

✓Yay

"From The Ordinary, their Salicylic Acid 2% Mask is something I use as a spot treat. I can also use it all over if I want. I leave it on for about five to ten minutes and my skin just feels so clean and fresh afterwards."

Doctorly

3.59M subs

✓Yay

"I kind of mix in once a week in addition to all this [...] The Ordinary salicylic acid mask. I use it in the T-zone to really kind of help clear out those pores. It's got the 2% salicylic acid, which will give you a little bit of an extra boost, so you don't need to use the pore strips as often or at all."

All 2 takes from Doctorly

The Ordinary Salicylic Acid, Which Is Best? | Doctorly Reviews

"I like this product for people with more oily skin. [...] Not only can the salicylic acid remove some of the oils and break down the oils on your skin, but then the clay we've talked about before can have a bit of a drying effect. [...] For someone with really oily skin it's a pretty strong addition."

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"I kind of mix in once a week in addition to all this [...] The Ordinary salicylic acid mask. I use it in the T-zone to really kind of help clear out those pores. It's got the 2% salicylic acid, which will give you a little bit of an extra boost, so you don't need to use the pore strips as often or at all."

The Budget Dermatologist

725k subs

✓Yay

"The Ordinary 2 percent salicylic acid mask is great for acne prone skin because of the salicylic acid ingredient, which is a great treatment for acne. It contains charcoal and clay which help unclog the pores and further improve the texture of the skin. This is super affordable and really easy to incorporate into your routine because you only need it once or twice a week."

What the evidence says.

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

Salicylic acid

Salicylic acid dissolves in oil, so it can get into a pore rather than just working on the surface. That is why it has long-standing evidence for blackheads and milder acne.

Source: DermNet

Humectants and emollients

Ingredients like these draw water into the surface layers and slow how fast it leaves. The evidence is for comfort, softness and hydration rather than for changing the structure of the skin.

Source: DermNet

Frequently asked.

What is The Ordinary Salicylic Acid 2% Mask?

A charcoal and clay mask with 2% salicylic acid designed to exfoliate, absorb oil, and help clarify acne-prone and oily skin.

Is The Ordinary Salicylic Acid 2% Mask worth it?

Yes. All 8 gurus who reviewed it give it their stamp of approval, for a Guru Score of 87%.

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

The Ordinary Salicylic Acid 2% Mask holds a Guru Score of 87%. That is our read on how warmly the experts talk about it, based on the verdicts of 8 expert reviewers we have collected. It is also Guru Certified, our mark for products that hold broad approval across many expert reviewers.

Who is The Ordinary Salicylic Acid 2% Mask best for?

The Ordinary Salicylic Acid 2% Mask is generally suited to oily skin and acne-prone skin.

What is The Ordinary Salicylic Acid 2% Mask good for, according to the experts?

In their reviews, experts say The Ordinary Salicylic Acid 2% Mask is good for clogged or visible pores (5 experts), breakouts and acne (4 experts), excess oil and shine (2 experts) and rough or uneven texture (2 experts).

Is The Ordinary Salicylic Acid 2% Mask good for clogged or visible pores?

5 experts who reviewed The Ordinary Salicylic Acid 2% Mask say it is. Doctorly put it this way: “I use it in the T-zone to really kind of help clear out those pores.”