The Ordinary

 Salicylic Acid 2% Solution, Exfoliating Serum for Acne

Most Helpful Positive Review

Helping treat my hormonal acne

Sharing my skincare journey because I was desperate for help when I was trying to figure out my skincare routine. I am 26 years old, fair skin, I have never had major skin issues (acne, oiliness, dryness, etc). I used to not wash my face at all, I would only use makeup remover to take off my eye m...akeup and that was it. Which had worked for me for literal years without any negative side effects. About a year ago, I decided to start taking care of my skin as I was noticing my skin was fairly dull. I received a free sample of Tatcha face wash so I started using this and liked it. It worked well and my skin felt good, but all of a sudden I started having extreme breakouts, mostly on my cheeks. I couldn't figure out if it was the face wash or hormonal since my physical body was going through lots of changes too. The acne would stay for months, eventually causing scarring. I switched to using Clinique face wash and lotion, which helped control the breakouts, but it wasn't reducing the scarring on my cheeks. I was also struggling with a lot of dryness around my eyes and mouth. I wanted to find a solution to the acne scarring, controlling breakouts, and dryness. I came across the Ordinary and it has helped my skin so much in the 3-4 months that I have been using it. My acne has significantly reduced, as well as the scarring reducing and my overall skin texture is much more smooth and clear. My skin is super hydrated and I feel like my skin just looks all around better. I use the Glucoside Facial Cleanser every night, sometimes in the morning if I shower. I always use a clean washrag. I let my face dry, then I apply a full dropper's worth of Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1% and massage into full face and neck. I let this dry, then I apply a single drop of Salicylic Acid 2% (only use this once every 1-2 days) to each problem acne area on my face, massage it in. Let it dry, then apply a full dropper's worth of Marine Hyaluronics and massage into full face and neck. I follow it up with either Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizer or Tatcha Dewy Skin Cream. I was worried the Salicylic Acid would dry out my skin, but as long as I follow this routine, my skin stays super hydrated. I hope this is helpful to someone. The Ordinary products are amazing and have saved my skin! So reasonably priced and straight forward.