Deciem Review Series - The Ordinary - Salicylic Acid 2% solution - First Impressions

I'm back, with another first impressions review for a product from The Ordinary - in the hotseat today is the Salicylic Acid 2% solution.  If you're interested in hearing my thoughts on this budget friendly BHA offering from Deciem's no frills brand, please keep reading.

The Salicylic Acid 2% solution is a BHA (beta-hydroxy acid);  an exfoliator that works more deeply into the skin than the AHAs, exfoliating the inside of the pores to fight blemishes and improve overall skin clarity.  It can be used specifically as a spot treatment for blemishes, or applied in a more generalised fashion to improve skin clarity over time.  To be honest, when I've used products containing Salicylic acid in the past, it was specifically for blemishes and I found it to be largely ineffective for my skin.  However, I didn't experience irritation with use and have had my acne issues well managed with benzoyl peroxide for some years now, so felt quite comfortable trialling this product, aiming for greater skin clarity and elimination of the occasional clogged pores on my nose.  It's priced at AU$9.30 for 30ml of product, one of the least expensive products that The Ordinary offers.

As you can see, this product comes packaged in a frosted glass bottle with dropper.  The solution is viscous, I'd almost say gel-like.  Upon application it feels sticky, but this feeling dissipates quite quickly.  I use this in a multi-step routine and so far it appears to play well with others - I haven't noticed any pilling with it.  I've been using this sparingly over my entire face, as I'm not using it for spot treatment, but improved overall clarity.

Within a couple of days of starting this BHA, I started breaking out on my chin, with a couple of spots also on my cheek and forehead.  I'm aware that purging isn't uncommon, so I've continued use, and it seems to have settled down, though my chin is still being a little weird.  Other than the breaking out, I haven't noticed any particular sensitivity or burning.

Unfortunately, I haven't noticed any real positive effects from use as yet, though it's definitely early days.  I'm going to finish this bottle, and report back with any results, good or bad.  So far though, I suspect that my skin may just not like Salicylic Acid.

Overall, I'm undecided on this product for now, but will continue to use and will report back with my findings at the conclusion of this bottle.

Thanks for reading!