Salicylic Acid vs. Mandelic Acid

	Salicylic acid (BHA)	Mandelic acid (AHA)
Solubility	Oil-soluble — penetrates into pores	Water-soluble — works at the surface
Primary action	Unclogs pores, controls oil	Gentle surface exfoliation, evens tone
Gentleness	Moderate	One of the gentlest AHAs (large molecule)
Best at	Blackheads, clogged pores, active breakouts	Post-acne marks, texture, darker skin tones

They work better together than either alone: salicylic clears inside the pore while mandelic renews the surface and fades marks. Neutralyze combines 2% salicylic acid + 1% mandelic acid in the Face Wash, Exfoliating Pads, and Renewal Complex. Read more on the Neutralyze blog: Salicylic Acid vs Mandelic Acid — Which Wins for Acne?

Purging vs. Breaking Out Neutralyze Exfoliating Pads vs. Stridex

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