Ingredient glossary / Exfoliant
Salicylic acid (BHA)
On the label: Salicylic Acid · Exfoliant · regulated as a drug in some uses
What it is
An oil-soluble beta hydroxy acid that loosens dead cells on the surface and inside pores. In the US, products that claim to treat acne with it (0.5 to 2 percent) are over-the-counter drugs; as an exfoliant it is a cosmetic.
Exfoliants: Exfoliants remove dead cells from the surface, by chemistry (acids, enzymes) or by rubbing (physical scrubs).
Wikidata: Chemical compound. Q193572 →
In the research
1,154 PubMed papers mention it with skin, cosmetics or hair; the three most recent:
- In vitro studies on the therapeutic potential of hybrid hydrogels loaded polymeric carriers - Salicylic acid and fluocinolone acetonide systems based on 3D psoriasis model · European journal of pharmaceutics and biopharmaceutics : official journal of Arb, 2026
- Naturally Derived Versus Synthetic Salicylic Acid: Physicochemical Properties, Transdermal Permeation and Macrophage Immunomodulation · Antioxidants (Basel, Switzerland), 2026
- Assessing in vitro long-term liver metabolism models to characterize intrinsic clearance determination in NGRAs · NAM journal, 2026
A paper is a paper, not a verdict: titles are listed so you can read them, and a study on cells or mice says little about a cream on a face.
Products whose label lists it
2 on the siteMatched from the ingredient list the supplier printed; the position in the list (first or thirtieth) is on each product page.
Made in the USA
Made in the USAOther exfoliants
Dew & Balm describes ingredients from the public record and makes no claim about what a product will do for you. Statements about dietary supplements have not been evaluated by the FDA. If a product causes a reaction, stop using it; a reaction that spreads or affects breathing is a call to a doctor or 911.