The Ordinary SerumSalicylic Acid 0.5% Body Serum
Works for
Anti-blemishSalicylic acidWorks well
“An exfoliating body serum for blemish-prone skin to help minimise the appearance of pores, smooth uneven texture and balance the look of uneven tone.”
This product can help reduce breakouts and clogged pores because it contains the following ingredient: salicylic acid. This ingredient is used for treating acne and can have a noticeable effect.
ExfoliationSalicylic acidWorks well
“An exfoliating body serum for blemish-prone skin to help minimise the appearance of pores, smooth uneven texture and balance the look of uneven tone.”
This product can help exfoliate the skin. In other words, it helps break down the bonds between dead cells on the surface of the skin and speed up the skin turnover. Skin often appears softer and brighter after exfoliation, but overdoing it can result in disrupted skin barrier. The following ingredient is doing the exfoliating job in this product: salicylic acid.
Evens skin toneSalicylic acidNot delivered
“An exfoliating body serum for blemish-prone skin to help minimise the appearance of pores, smooth uneven texture and balance the look of uneven tone.”
This product might help improve the skin tone through exfoliation. In other words, it helps to speed up the shedding of cells from the upper layer of the skin, and this might help reduce hyperpigmentation.
MoisturizingSide benefit · Sarcosine, GlycerinWorks
This product contains good ingredients to attract water to the upper layer of the skin. These ingredients are called "humectants": glycerin, sarcosine.
When humectants are on the surface of the skin, they “pull in” the moisture from the outside environment, or from within deeper layers of the skin. If the air is dry, humectants can speed up the moisture loss from the skin. This is why it is a good idea to use another product on top of this one to help "seal in" the moisture (look for ingredients like dimethicone, squalane, oils and butters).
Can it cause trouble?
Irritancy4 flagged ingredientsLow risk
ComedogenicClean of flagged comedogenic ingredientsNone flagged
User reviews
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Ingredients
Filter by role to see what each ingredient is doing.
Water~40–60%
Propanediol~4.6–6.9%
- Irritation risk
- Low
Acts as a solvent for other ingredients. Speeds up the absorption of other ingredients into the skin
More about PropanediolSarcosine~3.4–5.1%
- Irritation risk
- Low
Helps to enhance the penetration of other ingredients and attract water to the upper layer of the skin
More about SarcosineSalicylic acid~1.1–1.6%
- Irritation risk
- High
Used for skin exfoliation. It has an anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial effect, helps to unclog pores, prevent blemishes and speed up healing of the existing ones. Sometimes referred to as a BHA (beta-hydroxy acid)
More about Salicylic acidGlycerin~1.8–2.6%
- Irritation risk
- Low
One of the best moisturizing ingredients. Naturally present in skin. It attracts water to the upper layer of the skin working as a humectant
More about GlycerinCocamidopropyl dimethylamine~0.6–1.35%
- Irritation risk
- High
Helps oil and water mix together. Can work as a cleansing agent. Can be irritating
More about Cocamidopropyl dimethylamineCitric acid~0.35–0.8%
- Irritation risk
- Medium
Can work as an exfoliant but is typically used to adjust the product pH
More about Citric acidPhenoxyethanol~0.15–0.6%
- Irritation risk
- Low
A preservative. It helps prevent bacterial growth in cosmetic products
More about PhenoxyethanolChlorphenesin~0.05–0.3%
Ingredient list view
Water, Propanediol, Sarcosine, Salicylic acid, Glycerin, Cocamidopropyl dimethylamine, Citric acid, Phenoxyethanol, Chlorphenesin
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Worth comparing, line by line.
Match % combines shared ingredients, the first five ingredients, shared actives and hero ingredients, irritancy (lower counts in the alternative's favour), texture and body area. Only products in the same routine step are compared.
| The OrdinarySerumSalicylic Acid 0.5% Body SerumYOUR PRODUCT | Revolution SkinClear Canvas 5% Niacinamide & 2% Salicylic Acid Clarifying Serum | psaLIQUID CLARITY BHA & Bakuchiol Blemish Recovery Booster | colibri skincare2% BHA Peeling | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Match | — | 84% | 84% | 84% |
| Price | — | $10.00 | $31.00 | — |
| Shared key ingredients | — | 2 of 3 | 2 of 3 | 2 of 3 |
| Key difference | — | Niacinamide | Bakuchiol | Camellia Sinensis Leaf Extract |
| Irritancy | Low | Low | Low | Low |
| Drying alcohol | — | — | — | — |
| View product | Shop | Shop | Shop |
More alternatives: PSA Skin Liquid Clarity BHA and Bakuchiol Blemish Recovery BoosterREVOLUTION SKINCARE Salicylic Acid & Niacinamide Serum
Product summary
"The Ordinary - SerumSalicylic Acid 0.5% Body Serum" is effective for: Anti-blemish and Exfoliation
This product could be helpful for: Moisturizing, but its actives are not the most effective or are not well-studied.
Ingredient callouts
- Salicylic acid (1.10% - 1.60%). This is an oil-soluble exfoliating acid. Because of this property, it can work inside pores and help reduce the congestion. It has an anti-inflammatory effect and is used to treat acne. Because it is a quite strong exfoliator, be careful with using this product too often: it could result in over-exfoliation.
- Humectants (glycerin 1.80% - 2.60% and sarcosine 3.40% - 5.10%). These ingredients help attract water to the upper layer of the skin and improve the skin hydration.
Sources cited in this review
Every concentration estimate and effectiveness label is anchored to one of these 6 studies and safety reviews.
- 1Salicylic acid as a peeling agent: a comprehensive reviewncbi.nlm.nih.gov
- 2Beta Hydroxy Acidsfda.gov
- 3A review of toxicity from topical salicylic acid preparationssciencedirect.com
- 4
- 5
- 6
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