Walgreens 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant with Salicylic Acid — Efficacy 3.8/5.0, Safety 4.6/5.0 | DemythSkin
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[ DemythSkin Verdict ]
Walgreens 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant with Salicylic Acid
Walgreens

Walgreens 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant with Salicylic Acid

ExfoliantExfoliation
Efficacy
Solid
3.8 / 5.0
Safety
Safe
4.6 / 5.0
System Verdict
This is a brutally minimal but technically solid 2% BHA exfoliant that should work well if the pH is in the acne-effective range. Efficacy is driven almost entirely by salicylic acid, which is listed high enough to plausibly be at 2% in a very short INCI, supported by solvent humectants and a basic chelating system, but we lack explicit pH disclosure so there is some uncertainty about whether it consistently sits in the optimal ~3–4 range needed for maximal pore-decongesting performance.
Active Ingredients Detected
S Tier: Gold StandardsHigh Clinical Proof | Skin-Transformative
Salicylic Acid
B Tier: Supporting IngredientsPromising Ingredients
Camellia Oleifera Leaf Extract
What Each Ingredient Does
Water (Aqua)
Solvent base
Methylpropanediol
Solvent and penetration enhancer
Butylene Glycol
Humectant and solvent
Salicylic Acid
Exfoliating beta hydroxy acid
Polysorbate 20
Solubilizer and emulsifier
Sodium Hydroxide
pH adjuster for acid
Camellia Oleifera Leaf Extract
Botanical antioxidant extract
Tetrasodium EDTA
Chelating agent for stability
Full Ingredient List (INCI)

Water (Aqua) , Methylpropanediol , Butylene Glycol , Salicylic Acid , Polysorbate 20 , Sodium Hydroxide , Camellia Oleifera Leaf Extract , Tetrasodium EDTA

Frequently Asked

Is Walgreens 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant with Salicylic Acid worth it?

Walgreens 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant with Salicylic Acid scores 3.8 out of 5.0 for efficacy (Solid) and 4.6 out of 5.0 for safety (Safe) on DemythSkin's independent ingredient analysis. This is a brutally minimal but technically solid 2% BHA exfoliant that should work well if the pH is in the acne-effective range. Efficacy is driven almost entirely by salicylic acid, which is listed high enough to plaus

What are the key active ingredients in Walgreens 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant with Salicylic Acid?

Walgreens 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant with Salicylic Acid contains these gold-standard actives with strong clinical evidence: Salicylic Acid.

Does Walgreens 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant with Salicylic Acid contain fragrance or known irritants?

DemythSkin's analysis found no flagged irritants in Walgreens 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant with Salicylic Acid. It scores 4.6 out of 5.0 for safety.

How is Walgreens 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant with Salicylic Acid scored?

DemythSkin grades every product on two independent axes: efficacy (whether the ingredients have clinical evidence of working) and safety (irritation and sensitisation risk). Ingredients are classified S through D against a database of over 3,000 compounds. No brand pays for a score.

Analyze on DemythSkin →

Analysis last updated: 2026-08-26. DemythSkin is an independent ingredient analyzer. Scores are computed by a deterministic rubric from published clinical evidence — no brand pays for a score.