this is one of my OG holy grails, been using it for the better part of five years.
this is an exfoliating facial cleanser with 2% salicylic acid, a gel type that foams up. it had a mild minty scent and comes in a simple but pretty large 177ml bottle with a push cap top that makes it really convenient. compared to other SA cleansers available, this is considerably cheap.
the cleanser itself is very strong but it’s also very effective. this was my savior when i had some really bad acne five years ago. it has a cooling effect (bc of the peppermint) and really cleans out your pores. it helped control my oil production too. even after my acne has cleared, i still use this to prevent blackheads, just not daily.
another thing to note is that alba botanica is cruelty free.
this is not EO free. specifically, it has citrus oils, bergamot and orange peel oil, and peppermint oil that was added just for frangrance. citrus oils can be irritating but this didnt and i do enjoy the mint scent so it wasnt a deal breaker for me.
this is also not alcohol free.
this can be very drying if you have sensitive and/or dry skin, so be warned.
lastly, and this one is just me being slightly nitpicky but it is rather pricey if i buy this at my local drug store. and there other options out there that’s somewhat cheaper.
