Acne guide

Best BHA Exfoliant for Blackheads

Leave-on BHA exfoliants for blackheads compared by label: salicylic acid vs betaine salicylate, toner vs liquid vs serum, fragrance, and how to start without irritation.

Short answer

For blackheads, a leave-on BHA used once a day works better than any scrub. CeraVe BHA Exfoliating Toner has 2% salicylic acid with niacinamide and ceramides and is sold as fragrance free. COSRX BHA Blackhead Power Liquid uses betaine salicylate, a related BHA ingredient, with niacinamide and no fragrance or essential oils on its label. Start every other day and use one acid product at a time.

By Claire Whitfield
Published

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What this means for you

Start with what you notice

If you have dark dots on your nose and chin that come back no matter how hard you scrub, a leave-on exfoliant is the step most people are missing.

The ingredient names, translated

Blackheads are pores clogged with oil and dead skin that darken where they meet air. BHAs are oil-soluble exfoliants: salicylic acid and related ingredients such as betaine salicylate can work inside the pore, which scrubs can't reach. Leave-on products stay on the skin longer than a wash, so they tend to do more. They can also dry or sting if you overdo them.

How to decide

  • New to acids? Start with one BHA product every other day, at night.
  • Sensitive skin? Choose a formula with no fragrance or essential oils listed.
  • Blackheads plus rough texture? A combined AHA/BHA toner covers both, but it's stronger.
  • Also using a retinoid or prescription acne treatment? Ask your dermatologist before adding a BHA.

What to expect

Expect fewer and less noticeable blackheads over several weeks of regular use. Sebaceous filaments, the gray dots on many noses, are normal and come back. We haven't tested these products; facts come from each brand's label.

General guidance, not a test of these products: DermNet: comedones (blackheads and whiteheads); AAD: types of acne breakouts and how to treat them; FDA: alpha hydroxy acids in cosmetics (sun sensitivity). Each product's label source is linked on its product page.

Our label-based picks

Each pick is matched to a need using what the brand's label says. We haven't tested these, so they aren't winners or guarantees of suitability.

Store and Amazon links may earn us a commission. Confirm the current formula, size, shade or bundle on the listing.

Best BHA Exfoliant for Blackheads

For blackheads, a leave-on BHA exfoliant used once a day does more than any scrub or pore strip. CeraVe BHA Exfoliating Toner is the straightforward pick, with 2% salicylic acid, niacinamide and ceramides, sold as fragrance free. COSRX BHA Blackhead Power Liquid is the other classic, with betaine salicylate and niacinamide and no fragrance or essential oils on its label.

If you’ve squeezed, scrubbed and stripped your nose for years and the dots keep coming back, it’s because those methods only work on the surface.

Why do blackheads keep coming back?

A blackhead is a pore clogged with oil and dead skin; the top darkens where it meets the air. DermNet explains that blackheads and whiteheads are both forms of comedones. Scrubs polish the surface but can’t reach inside the pore.

BHAs, beta hydroxy acids, are oil-soluble, so they can work inside the pore. Salicylic acid is the best-known one; betaine salicylate is a related ingredient some brands use. The AAD lists salicylic acid among the options for blackheads and whiteheads.

Skin Realist check: A pore strip gives you a satisfying souvenir and the same nose a week later.

Salicylic acid

CeraVe BHA Exfoliating Toner

CeraVe BHA Exfoliating Toner is a liquid-gel with 2% salicylic acid, niacinamide and CeraVe’s three ceramides. It’s made for acne-prone skin, and CeraVe says it suits oily, dry and sensitive skin too. It’s sold as fragrance free and oil free.

Swipe it on with a cotton pad after cleansing, then moisturize. Start once a day and go up only if needed. In a CeraVe consumer study of 86 people using it once a day, 91% said texture looked smoother immediately.

→ Check price on Amazon

Sunday Riley Peacekeeper Acne Treatment Serum

Sunday Riley Peacekeeper Acne Treatment Serum combines salicylic acid and azelaic acid as active ingredients, with beta-glucan and magnolia bark extract. Sunday Riley positions it for blemish-prone skin and visible redness; apply one to three pumps to the whole face. It lists manuka oil, an aromatic oil.

→ See Peacekeeper on Amazon

Betaine salicylate

COSRX BHA Blackhead Power Liquid

COSRX BHA Blackhead Power Liquid is a 100 mL leave-on liquid with willow bark water, betaine salicylate and niacinamide. COSRX positions it for people used to moderate-strength acids and advises sensitive skin to introduce it gradually. COSRX also advises against using it at the same time as other acids, retinoids or vitamin C. The label lists no fragrance or essential oils.

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COSRX Two in One Poreless Power Liquid

COSRX Two in One Poreless Power Liquid is a toner with betaine salicylate and willow bark water. You can wipe it on, or leave soaked cotton pads on oily areas for five to ten minutes. It lists menthyl lactate and mint extract, which give a cooling feel that may not suit sensitive skin.

→ See the Poreless Power Liquid on Amazon

AHA and BHA together

COSRX AHA/BHA Clarifying Treatment Toner adds glycolic acid to betaine salicylate, for blackheads plus rough texture. It’s sold as fragrance free. Because it’s two acids, it’s a stronger step; the FDA notes that AHAs can increase sun sensitivity, so wear sunscreen.

If you shave, Baxter of California Skin Concentrate BHA is a salicylic acid serum for shaved areas. It lists denatured alcohol and menthol, which may sting freshly shaved skin.

Quick comparison

Product Best for Format Notable on the label
CeraVe BHA Toner First BHA, sensitive skin Liquid-gel 2% salicylic acid; fragrance free
COSRX BHA Blackhead Power Liquid Blackheads, oil control Liquid Betaine salicylate, niacinamide
COSRX Poreless Power Liquid Oily T-zone Toner Menthyl lactate, mint
COSRX AHA/BHA Toner Blackheads plus texture Toner Glycolic acid plus BHA
Sunday Riley Peacekeeper Blackheads plus redness Serum Salicylic and azelaic acids

How to start a BHA

  1. Use it at night after cleansing, every other night for the first two weeks.
  2. Apply to the areas with blackheads, or the whole face if your skin tolerates it.
  3. Follow with a light moisturizer.
  4. Wear sunscreen in the morning.

Mistakes to avoid

  • Using a BHA, an acid wash and a retinoid on the same night.
  • Scrubbing on top of a chemical exfoliant.
  • Squeezing blackheads, which can leave marks.
  • Treating normal sebaceous filaments as blackheads. Our blackheads vs sebaceous filaments guide shows the difference.

The bottom line

If you only buy one, make it CeraVe BHA Exfoliating Toner. If you prefer a liquid with no fragrance or essential oils listed and a slightly different BHA, choose COSRX BHA Blackhead Power Liquid. For the step-by-step method, read how to clear blackheads.

More salicylic acid exfoliants

Matched only because the full ingredient list names salicylic acid (BHA). We haven't tested them, and an ingredient on the list doesn't tell you how much is in it unless the brand states it.

Store and Amazon links may earn us a commission. Confirm the current formula and size on the listing.

Common questions

What's the difference between salicylic acid and betaine salicylate?

Both are BHAs; betaine salicylate is a related compound. The labels here don't give a direct strength comparison, so start slowly with either.

How long does BHA take to clear blackheads?

Usually several weeks of regular use. Blackheads tend to return if you stop, so most people keep a BHA in their routine a few times a week.

Can I use BHA every day?

Some people can, but start every other day. If your skin gets dry, flaky or stings, cut back.

Are the dots on my nose blackheads?

Not always. Small gray dots that look even across the nose are often sebaceous filaments, which are normal. See our blackheads vs sebaceous filaments guide.