The Ordinary Salicylic Acid 2% Masque for sensitive skin
Salicylic Acid
Kaolin
Squalane
Glycerin
Charcoal Powder
Average
- AverageNormal Skin Fit
- AverageEffectiveness
- HighSafety
Works for sensitive skin; other cleansing masks fit it better.
This fit is calculated for the concerns frequently associated with sensitive skin: redness, stinging, and reactions to new products. For scores and recommendations based on your full skin profile, including your 12D face scan results and any goals or preferences you have, please use the Lovi app.
Page built Nov 8, 2026How the Fit score works
Lovi Assistant explains
- Offers moderate cleansing of pores for your normal skin due to salicylic acid and kaolin, which help decongest pores without causing irritation. Squalane and glycerin are present to provide some emollient support, though additional humectants could further enhance skin hydration.
- The formula provides general cleansing and mild exfoliation benefits that may offer some relief for redness and irritation concerns.
- The safety profile is excellent, with no risks of irritation for your sensitive skin due to the absence of prohibited or harsh ingredients.
How to apply
- Use this cleansing mask once a week as part of your weekly routine, starting slowly to see how your skin reacts.
- Apply this product after cleansing and enzyme powder, and before your hydrating toner and moisturizer.
- Smooth an even layer of the cleansing mask over your face, making sure to gently avoid rubbing.
- Put the mask on clean and dry skin to keep your sensitive face calm and comfortable.
- Do a patch test before your first use and avoid getting the mask too close to your eyes.
People Say
★4.4Overall rating based on 1.6k+ reviewsBased on a very large amount of data, users with oily, congested, and acne-prone skin report that this mask effectively clears pores and reduces blackheads without being overly stripping. Many praise its ability to smooth skin texture and calm active breakouts, while some users find the application messy and the small tube size inconvenient.
Highlights
Clears pores Often Mentioned
- “pull out my blackheads”
- “pores are clean”
- “gets deep in those pores”
Smoothes skin texture Often Mentioned
- “skin feeling very soft, smooth”
- “texture feels amazing”
- “leaves skin smooth and bright”
Messy application Often Mentioned
- “leaves a bit of a mess in the sink”
- “got absolutely everywhere”
- “black does not come off easily”
Good value Sometimes Noted
- “incredible clarifying results for its price”
- “can't beat it for this price”
Non-drying formula Sometimes Noted
- “doesn't strip it”
- “never feels tight or drying”
- “leaves skin... refreshed without being overly harsh”
Reduces acne Sometimes Noted
- “pimples seem less inflamed”
- “reduces the frequency of breakouts”
- “red spot... looked considerably less angry”
Small packaging Sometimes Noted
- “wish it came in 100ml”
- “difficult to squeeze out”
- “run out quick due to small size”
Drying or irritating Rarely Noted
- “leaves skin feeling super tight”
- “stings”
- “burning sensation”
Unpleasant scent Rarely Noted
- “stink a little bit”
- “sulfur-like scent”
- “strong clay/acidic scent”
Sources: lovi.care, sephora.sg, ulta.com, influenster.com, theordinary.com, reddit.com, and more
Questions and answers
How well does The Ordinary Salicylic Acid 2% Masque work for sensitive skin?
This cleansing mask works reasonably well for your sensitive skin, offering moderate pore cleansing and mild exfoliation without causing irritation. Squalane and glycerin help provide some moisture, but a product of this type needs additional hydrating ingredients to keep dry skin comfortable.
Which ingredients make this mask a good fit for sensitive skin?
Salicylic acid and kaolin help decongest pores, while squalane and glycerin provide moisture to keep this mask gentle on sensitive skin. A product of this type needs soothing ingredients and extra hydrating components to fully calm and protect sensitive skin.
What does Salicylic Acid do for sensitive skin?
Salicylic acid may cause irritation on sensitive skin, so it requires careful use and good sun protection to keep skin comfortable. A product for this skin type needs gentle, soothing ingredients and a mild formula that respects the skin barrier.
The British Journal of Dermatology, 1999International Journal of Toxicology, 2003
What does Kaolin Clay do for sensitive skin?
Kaolin clay is a gentle mineral powder that helps absorb excess oil and impurities from the skin. However, because fine particles may cause irritation and stress in skin cells, it requires careful use on sensitive skin.
Genes and Environment, 2020International Journal of Toxicology, 2003
Where does this mask go in a skincare routine for sensitive skin?
This cleansing mask is used as an occasional treatment in a routine, but a product of this type needs extra soothing and hydrating ingredients like plant extracts or richer moisturizers to be a better fit for sensitive skin.
Can I use this mask with retinol, and in what order?
You can use this mask in your routine, but apply it on a different night than your retinol to help prevent dryness and irritation. This product needs additional hydrating ingredients and soothing moisturizers to keep sensitive skin comfortable when combining strong treatments.
How often should I use this mask?
You can start using this cleansing mask once a week, as this safe formula helps clear pores and soothe redness without causing irritation on sensitive skin. If your skin tolerates it well and you see good results, you can carefully use it more often. To fit this skin better, a product of this type needs additional hydrating ingredients.
Can this mask clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for sensitive skin?
This mask is unlikely to clog pores or cause breakouts on sensitive skin, as it cleans out pores and helps calm redness without harsh ingredients. Because it clears out deep impurities, you may notice mild initial purging as trapped debris comes to the surface.
Is this mask fragrance-free and alcohol-free?
Yes, it has no fragrance and no drying alcohol.
What the research says
A single application of a moisturizing fluid containing hyaluronic acid 1%, glycerin 5%, and Centella asiatica stem cells extract significantly increased skin hydration by 29% and reduced transepidermal water loss at 24 hours compared to baseline and an untreated control site in twenty healthy women.
Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2017A moisturizer containing licochalcone A, 1,2-decanediol, L-carnitine, and salicylic acid significantly reduced noninflammatory, inflammatory, and total acne lesion counts compared to a vehicle control in Thai patients during a 12-week maintenance phase.
BioMed Research International, 2020Cryotherapy with liquid nitrogen achieved a higher cure rate (39%) than salicylic acid (24%) and a wait-and-see approach (16%) for cutaneous warts at 13 weeks in primary care patients.
CMAJ, 2010Treatment with 2% supramolecular salicylic acid hydrogel resulted in a regression and markedly improvement rate of 51.01% compared to 43.10% for Adapaline gel in patients with mild to moderate facial acne vulgaris, showing no significant difference in efficacy.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2024Topical 5% benzoyl peroxide plus salicylic acid achieved the greatest lesion reduction at early 2 to 4 week time points compared to benzoyl peroxide, clindamycin, and combination benzoyl peroxide/clindamycin, while 5% benzoyl peroxide plus salicylic acid and combination benzoyl peroxide/clindamycin showed similar efficacy at 10 to 12 weeks in acne patients.
Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, 2010Vectorization of high molecular weight hyaluronic acid with clay enabled its penetration into deeper skin layers and led to a significant clinical reduction in fine lines in the crow's feet area compared to placebo after 28 days.
Skin Research and Technology, 2024Twice-weekly use of a clay mask over 4 weeks in 75 adults with oily or combination skin improved acne-related outcomes, sebum content, skin evenness, hydration, and reduced dryness and irritation.
Skin Research and Technology, 2023Clay jojoba oil facial masks reduced total skin lesions by a mean of 54% after 6 weeks in 133 participants with acne-prone, lesioned skin and mild acne compared to baseline.
Forschende Komplementarmedizin, 2012Squalane at 0.005-0.015% counteracts UVA-induced oxidative stress, inflammation, and collagen metabolism inhibition while stimulating fibroblast migration in human dermal fibroblasts.
Molecules, 2025Plant-derived squalane protected human dermal fibroblasts against UVA-induced damage by counteracting ROS formation, suppressing apoptosis-related proteins p53, caspase-3, caspase-9, and PARP, and restoring the pro-survival p-Akt/mTOR pathway.
Antioxidants, 2025The emollient V0034CR significantly reduced TEWL compared to vehicle and vehicle plus glycerol, and significantly increased corneometry scores compared to vehicle and vehicle plus petrolatum in healthy volunteers with dry skin, demonstrating combined barrier function improvement from petrolatum and hydration improvement from glycerol.
Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2020Ten days of treatment with a cream containing 20% glycerin significantly increased skin hydration measured by corneometer values in 17 healthy volunteers compared to a placebo cream, but showed no influence on transepidermal water loss or skin sensitivity to an irritating surfactant.
International Journal of Cosmetic Science, 2001Niacinamide/glycerin body moisturizers provided better rapid and prolonged improvement of cosmetic xerosis through functional improvement of stratum corneum barrier function compared to no treatment and conventional moisturizers in female subjects.
Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2012Soap-and-water wash and superactive charcoal paste applied topically at various times after T-2 toxin exposure effectively reduced skin lesion severity in swine compared to untreated controls.
Fundamental and Applied Toxicology, 1989
Ingredients
Water, Kaolin, Squalane, Glycerin, Dimethyl Isosorbide, Silica Cetyl Silylate, Salicylic Acid, Sodium Polyacrylate, Pentylene Glycol, Charcoal Powder, 4-T-Butylcyclohexanol, Sclerotium Gum, Acacia Senegal Gum, Xanthan Gum, Phytic Acid, Polysorbate 20, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Chlorphenesin, Phenoxyethanol
Behind this fit score
Lovi calculates every fit score from the full ingredient list with brand-independent rules our dermatologists and cosmetic chemists build and review, and personalizes every pick with AI trained on the real results of millions of users. Lovi trains its fit score models on a proprietary dataset built from more than 10,000 expert-labeled products and more than 100,000 simulated examples, following an internally consistent methodology presented at Cosmoprof, AMWC, and Skin of Color Update.
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Co-founder, Medical Director
Cosmetic chemist, cosmetologist, aesthetic products developer
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Co-founder, CEO and CTO
PhD in computer science, 3x US patent holder, ex-Google, ex-Yandex
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Dr. Sofía Perea Pérez, MD, MSc
Medical Board
Aesthetic medicine practitioner, MSc in Longevity and Anti-Aging Medicine
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Medical Board
Specialist dermatologist, MBBS, MD, IFAAD
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Medical Board
Cosmetic chemist, SCS, IFSCC member
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Medical Board, Medical Advisor
Dermatology MD
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Elina Nazarenko, MD
Medical Board
Dermatology and diagnostic consultant
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Victoria Derkova, MS
Medical Board
Cosmetic chemist, cosmetic development technologist
How does it fit your skin?
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