Source · review

Topical azelaic acid, salicylic acid, nicotinamide, sulphur, zinc and fruit acid (alpha-hydroxy acid) for acne

Primary source

Publisher:: Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews (Liu et al.)
Source type:: Journal · review
Last checked:: 2026-10-26
URL:: https://doi.org/10.1002/14651858.CD011368.pub2

Pages that cite it

Evidence: Against topical tretinoin, salicylic acid showed similar values in overall acne improvement (RR 1.00, 95% CI 0.92 to 1.09; one trial, 46 participants). The review graded the certainty of that finding as low.
Evidence: Trials of topical salicylic acid for acne reported application-site reactions such as scaling and redness.