Beauty Elixir

The Ordinary · Serum · leave-on

Is The Ordinary Salicylic Acid 2% Solution pore-clogging or fungal-acne safe?

100%clean
Acne-safe

None of the recognised ingredients are known pore-cloggers.

Fungal-acne safe

No known Malassezia triggers among the recognised ingredients.

#IngredientPoresFungal acneIrritancy
1 Salicylic Acid 0/5 · Low Safe
2 Aqua 0/5 · Low Safe
5 Glycerin 0/5 · Low Safe
9 ingredients not in our pore-clogging database

These have no published comedogenic rating in our data. Most are preservatives, fragrance, extracts or actives that are not known pore-cloggers.

chlorphenesincitric acidisoceteth-20pentylene glycolphenoxyethanolsaccharide isomeratesodium citratesodium hydroxidexanthan gum

Ingredients rated 3–5 that appear after position 15 are usually present below about 1%, so they are shown as "Low amount" and do not trigger the pore-clog alert. Ratings come from the Fulton comedogenic scale (0–5) and published Malassezia research. They are a rough guide: the concentration and the whole formula matter, and everyone's skin is different.

Acne-safe breakdown

We found no ingredients rated 3 or higher in The Ordinary Salicylic Acid 2% Solution. The ingredients doing most of the work are Salicylic Acid, Aqua and Glycerin, which are all low-risk for pores.

Compare The Ordinary Salicylic Acid 2% Solution

vs CeraVe Resurfacing Retinol Serumvs CeraVe Skin Renewing Retinol Serumvs Minimalist Alpha Arbutin 2% Face Serumvs Minimalist Niacinamide 10% Face Serumvs Minimalist Retinol 0.3% Face Serumvs Minimalist Salicylic Acid 2% Face Serumvs Minimalist Vitamin C 10% Face Serumvs Plum 15% Vitamin C & Mandarin Glow Boost Serumvs The Ordinary Alpha Arbutin 2% + HAvs The Ordinary Azelaic Acid Suspension 10%

Full ingredient list

Salicylic Acid 2% (Acne Treatment), Water, Chlorphenesin, Citric Acid, Glycerin, Isoceteth-20, Pentylene Glycol, Phenoxyethanol, Saccharide Isomerate, Sodium Citrate, Sodium Hydroxide, Xanthan Gum.

Source: official The Ordinary product page, checked 27 Sep 2026. Formulas vary by country and change over time, so always check your pack.

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Frequently asked questions

Is The Ordinary Salicylic Acid 2% Solution pore-clogging?

Acne-safe. None of the recognised ingredients are known pore-cloggers.

Is The Ordinary Salicylic Acid 2% Solution safe for fungal acne?

Yes. None of its recognised ingredients are known fungal-acne triggers.

What is the clean score of The Ordinary Salicylic Acid 2% Solution?

The Ordinary Salicylic Acid 2% Solution scores 100% on our pore-clog and fungal-acne scan, based on 3 recognised ingredients out of 12.

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