Salicylic acid: hailed as the fixer-upper for everything acne. It’s become a household name, claiming to tackle active acne, breakouts, excess oil, and dead skin cells, like a pro. But with great power comes great responsibility—or in this case, potential overkill. While it works hard to target acne, it’s also notorious for leaving the skin high and dry (literally), often bringing irritation, dryness, and even a burning sensation along for the ride.

But before we jump to conclusions, let’s take a closer look at what salicylic acid really is—and why it might be more harmful than helpful.

What is Salicylic Acid? 

Salicylic acid is derived from the bark of willow trees and is chemically classified as a beta-hydroxy acid (BHA). Being oil-soluble, it can penetrate deeper into the skin, making it a staple in many skincare products. It’s one of the most common ingredients used to address acne and oily skin.

What Salicylic Acid Supposedly Does

Salicylic acid has certainly gained recognition for its role in addressing acne and often appears in routines for keratosis pilaris (charmingly referred to as "strawberry skin," thanks to those tiny, rough bumps on the arms, thighs, or cheeks). Its oil-soluble nature means it can dive deeper into pores than the water-based exfoliants, breaking through layers of excess oil and pushing out debris. Additionally, it helps control oil production and promotes the shedding of dead skin cells, which can leave your skin feeling smoother over time. It all sounds wonderful, right? It is––until your skin starts sending out an SOS.

Which brings us to our next point.

What Salicylic Acid Actually Does

Salicylic acid is often hailed as the gold standard for acne, but here's the catch: it only goes skin-deep without targetting the root cause–like putting a band-aid over a deep wound. While it puts up a decent fight on the surface, it's missing the greater battle underneath. Acne isn’t just a surface issue; it runs much deeper.

Salicylic acid essentially works by targetting all bacteria on your skin. The problem? Not all bacteria on your skin are bad. Your skin’s microbiome has both good and bad bacteria. But instead of going after only the troublemakers (acne-causing bacteria), salicylic acid wipes out both the good and the bad bacteria—kind of like tossing out all your food because of one expired item. The good bacteria, which work quietly to maintain pH balance, strengthen your skin’s barrier and prevent skin conditions, end up as collateral damage.

When this happens, the balance of your skin’s microbiome is disrupted. And a disrupted microbiome is like an unprotected neighborhood: it weakens your skin’s natural defenses, leaving you vulnerable to irritation, dryness, and—you guessed it—even more acne. Ironically, the very thing you were trying to avoid.

But wait, there’s more—while salicylic acid may seem effective at first, it often ends up throwing your skin out of balance, leading to dryness, irritation, and itching. This constant disruption further weakens your skin’s protective barrier, creating a cycle where breakouts return, because the deeper causes of acne remain untreated.

Expert Insight: Dermatologists caution that while salicylic acid is known for fighting acne, it can be excessively harsh on the good bacteria within the skin's microbiome. This can result in reduced skin resilience and heightened sensitivity to external irritants, impacting overall skin health.

Still think using salicylic acid is a good idea?

Out with Salicylic, In with TT2: The New Gold Standard in Acne Management

Using Salicylic acid is like cutting down a forest to get rid of a few weeds; a little too extreme and ends up doing more harm than good. But thankfully, it isn’t the only way to target acne. Wondering how to get rid of acne without damaging your skin? Meet our TT2 Technology—a revolutionary skincare solution grounded in nine decades of research. This multi-patented technology is more than just advanced; it's intelligent. Perfected with thymol and terpineol, this technology has been co-created with dermatologists and works intelligently to distinguish between acne-causing bacteria and good bacteria. It specifically targets the harmful bacteria while preserving the good, gently restoring balance to the microbiome without damaging your skin.

Here’s what sets it apart from salicylic acid: while salicylic acid works only on the surface, TT2 goes deeper, targeting the root cause of acne. It specifically attacks the bad (acne-causing) bacteria while leaving the good bacteria—and your skin’s microbiome—intact.

How Does the TT2 Technology Work?

This formula packs a double punch. Thymol acts like a cop breaking down the bacteria’s defenses, while terpineol follows as the backup team, making sure the bacteria can’t escape or fight back. They’re efficient, ruthless, and targeted… but only where it matters. You don’t have to take our word for it—try it and see for yourself.

Expert Recommendation: Experts advise switching from salicylic acid to TT2 for a smarter and more balanced approach to managing acne. This technology targets only the bad bacteria, preserving your skin’s natural microbiome and promoting overall skin health.

Using TT2 in Your Skincare Regimen

Ready to introduce TT2 into your acne care routine? We have exactly what you’re looking for.

Step 1: Begin with our Acne Deep Clearing Cleanser. Formulated with 0.35% thymol and terpineol, this cleanser not only visibly reduces active acne in 6* washes** but also targets blackheads and whiteheads. It cleanses effectively while preserving your skin's natural oils, making it ideal for even sensitive skin, thanks to dermatologist collaboration.

Step 2: Following your cleanse, it’s time to bring in the Acne Clearing Serum. Developed alongside dermatologists, this formula combines 0.1% thymol and terpineol in a lightweight, quick-absorbing serum that effectively reduces sebum and clears acne from day 3.** It has also been tested to be non-comedogenic and works to target acne while restoring balance to your skin’s microbiome.

Step 3: Apply your favorite moisturizer.

Step 4: Top it off with a broad-spectrum sunscreen.

The Bottom Line

Salicylic acid may have held the throne for a while, but it’s time to call it what it is––a tyrant. Clearing acne shouldn’t feel like taking a wrecking ball to the face. And with our revolutionary TT2 technology, it no longer is. This targeted solution goes straight for the acne-causing bacteria without dragging down your skin’s good bacteria. Keep salicylic acid where it belongs—as far away from your skin as possible.

*over a period of 3 days

**cleanser: clinical study, 2017

**serum: clinical study, 2021