Caredermis

Salicylic Acid

Severity 4/10

exfoliant · anti-acne · also known as bha, beta hydroxy acid

Is Salicylic Acid safe?

Salicylic Acid carries moderate concerns worth knowing about (irritation).

In plain language

The pore-clearing BHA exfoliant. Not for young children (salicylate absorption), used cautiously in pregnancy at low leave-on concentrations, and drying for compromised barriers.

A Caredermis plain-language explanation to help you read the label — not a regulator statement. The sourced facts are the classifications and status shown on this page.

Documented concerns

Each concern below is drawn from official data — see the cited sources ↓

Irritation

4/10

Dryness and peeling at exfoliating concentrations (0.5–2%).

Official regulatory status

Pulled directly from official regulatory datasets and expert reviews — not our own judgement.

EU-permitted preservative (max Salicylic acid: 0,5 % (acid) Salicylic acid salts: 0,5 % (ac)CIR: safe as used (with qualifications)EU cosmetics: RestrictedEU CLP: Repr. 2

EU SCCS safety opinions

  • · Opinion concerning Restrictions on Materials listed in annex VI of Directive 76/768/EEC on Cosmetic Products,Position paper on the Safety of alpha-Hydroxy Acids
  • · Updated position paper concerning consumer Safety of alpha-hydroxy acids
  • · OPINION ON salicylic acid (CAS 69-72-7) Submission I
Read SCCS opinions ↗

Guidance by skin profile

Caredermis editorial guidance based on the concerns above — checked against the official records on every build, but not itself a regulator statement.

  • Sensitive skinUse with caution
  • Oily & acne-proneNo specific concern
  • Dry skinHigh caution
  • PregnancyUse with caution
  • Babies & kidsBest avoided
  • Eczema-proneHigh caution

Sources

Each authority below is shown only because our ingested copy of its data lists Salicylic Acid — not because we asserted it. Follow a link to verify the classification or regulation directly.

CIR conclusion from the Cosmetic Ingredient Review (CIR) Quick Reference Table — cir-safety.org (snapshot in data/sources/)(point-in-time snapshot; CIR's live record may have been updated since).

See our methodology for how these map to concern levels. Informational only — not medical advice.

Products in our library containing Salicylic Acid

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