All scans / Exfoliants / Walgreens 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant with Salicylic Acid
Walgreens 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant with Salicylic Acid ingredients: is it worth it?
This is a brutally minimal but technically solid 2% BHA exfoliant that should work well if the pH is in the acne-effective range.
This is a brutally minimal but technically solid 2% BHA exfoliant that should work well if the pH is in the acne-effective range.
READ MORE
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.
We may earn a commission from qualifying purchases. Links never influence scores.
DemythSkin rates Walgreens 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant with Salicylic Acid 3.8/5 for efficacy and 4.6/5 for safety.
ACTIVE INGREDIENTS BY TIER
Gold Standards
High clinical proof | Skin-transformativeReliable
Proven resultsPotent
Developing evidenceOverhyped | Marketing
Hype | Limited dataDocumented Irritants
Evidence-backed flagFORMULATION BASE (6)⌄
FULL INGREDIENT LIST⌄
Water (Aqua) , Methylpropanediol , Butylene Glycol , Salicylic Acid , Polysorbate 20 , Sodium Hydroxide , Camellia Oleifera Leaf Extract , Tetrasodium EDTA
WHAT EACH INGREDIENT DOES (8)⌄
- 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
EXTERNAL CITATIONS
Salicylic Acid: Kligman DE et al. Oral and Topical Use of Salicylic Acid. J Am Acad Dermatol. Evidence supports 2% topical salicylic acid as effective for comedonal acne and mild exfoliation at acidic pH.
DISCLAIMER: THIS ANALYSIS IS FOR INFORMATION ONLY. NOT MEDICAL ADVICE. AI-GENERATED DATA BASED ON PUBLICLY AVAILABLE INGREDIENT LISTS. VERIFY WITH A MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL.
A cheaper exfoliant with a close formula
51% formula match, by ingredient list. Labels don't state amounts, so strengths may differ.
Walgreens 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant with Salicylic Acid: common questions
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 (Modest) and 4.6 out of 5.0 for safety (Very Gentle) 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.
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 scores: efficacy (whether the ingredients have clinical evidence of working) and safety (irritation and sensitisation risk). Ingredients are graded S through D against a database of over 3,000 compounds. Brand and price are not part of the score, and no brand pays for one.
Free scores for every product in the database, or see them on Sephora, Ulta and Amazon with the Chrome extension.