Rating: 4/5
Quick verdict: The Ordinary Salicylic Acid 2% Masque is essentially a face mask that every person with oily, acne- and blemish-prone skin should have in their bathroom cabinet.
Now, the detail-oriented among you would like to know why I love this masque/mask. Well, glad you asked!
It comes in a small travel-friendly tube, and you only need a little at a time.
It cleans deeply and minimises pores
You would expect a deep cleanse from a mask specifically formulated for oily skin, especially one that contains kaolin and charcoal powder as listed ingredients, and The Ordinary Salicylic Acid 2% Masque does that. According to their website, this mask targets “signs of congestion, textural irregularities, and dullness.” In my experience, it does all of the above. And then…
It gives an unmistakable glow
This I did not expect. The masks that I’ve used in the past, primarily charcoal-based ones, have largely been about absorbing the oil and leaving the skin feeling clean and fresh, though somewhat dry. Masks that deliver oil control do not necessarily leave your skin glowing. But this one did. And that may just be my favourite thing about The Ordinary Salicylic Acid mask.
It leaves your skin feeling soft and supple
Another pleasant surprise. Cleansed, glowing, AND soft and supple skin? In the middle of Queensland summer? In high humidity? Basically conditions antithetical to my oily skin? Yes, yes, and yes!
What can I say, I fell in love with my skin after washing off the mask. I started using this product in Australian summer, and I imagine the results will be even better in winter. I do see myself using it regularly.
I did notice some redness, however
I feel this is a strong product. While the rest of my face loved it, I did get a bit of itchy redness in the middle of my forehead, right above the eyebrows. It only lasted for a few minutes, and it was more itchy than it was red, but it is worth mentioning. I would strongly suggest not to leave this product on longer than the stated time. This is a treatment mask, treat it with respect.
How to use The Ordinary Salicylic Acid 2% Masque
- Start with once a week and make sure you aren’t exfoliating the day prior to and the day after the use of the product. That means staying away from physical as well as chemical exfoliants (AHAs and BHAs). I would also avoid using retinol around that time.
- If you have highly sensitive skin, as I do, refrain from the use of exfoliants up to two days after using this mask.
- Don’t forget to moisturise your face as over the long run salicylic acid products can dry out your skin. My favourite summer-time moisturiser is the COSRX Snail Mucin Essence.
- Stay out of the sun as much as you can for at least two days after the use of this salicylic acid mask, and slather on high-protection sunscreen if you are going to get sun exposure (which is basically me all the time). It’s best not to use this mask if you know you are going to be out in the sun a lot over the following couple of days.
Conclusion
At AUD$21 for just 50ml this is not a cheap product, but it is more than just an oil-absorbing mask. It is supposed to be a treatment that improves the texture of your skin over time while lightening blemishes. While I cannot attest to the latter as I haven’t used the product long enough for that, I’m overall very happy with the results I did get over a few weeks of use, and for that reason I highly recommend you try it once.
Peace & Namaste
