Salicylic acid applied to clean skin with mild soap and lukewarm water can help reduce pore clogging and swelling.

“it's very important very very important that if you're going to use these products that you do it on clean skin that is skin that's been cleaned with a combination of mild zero fragrance soap and lukewarm water okay because of the relationship between inflammation and acne that's what gives it its red appearance you don't want to use extreme temperatures of especially hot water when washing your skin so lukewarm water mild soap and then and only if it's been recommended by your dermatologist the salicylic acid”