
Highlights
WHAT IS IT?
Facial Serum with 2% Salicylic Acid
FEATURES
Exfoliates skin, Cleanses pores, Removes dead skin cells, Reduces excess sebum, Reveals even-toned skin
BEST FOR
Oily
CHECKS
Contains Salicylic Acid, Fragrance, Parabens, Alcohol, Oil
Who Is It For?
Adults UnisexWhat Does It Help With?
Acne Uneven Skin Tone Clogged Pores Excess SebumBudget
Mid-range ($30-$75)How To Use
Which routine should it be used in?
Instructions:
Key Information
What Guardian Online Malaysia Says
Product Description:
Revox Just Salicylic Acid 2% Peeling Solution is a facial serum designed to exfoliate and cleanse the skin. It contains salicylic acid, a beta-hydroxy acid (BHA) derived from natural sources such as willow tree bark, wintergreen leaves, and sweet birch bark. This ingredient effectively penetrates oily skin and clogged pores, removing dead skin cells and excess sebum to reveal fresher, more even-toned skin. The product is suitable for uneven and acne-prone skin types.
About the Brand:
Ingredients Overview
Ingredients List
Water, Propylene Glycol, Sodium Salicylate, Salicylic Acid, Xanthan Gum, PPG-1-PEG-9 Lauryl Glycol Ether, Phenoxyethanol, Potassium Hydroxide, Disodium EDTA
Key Ingredients
Salicylic Acid
Ingredients Details
Disodium Edta
Common Name(s): Edathamil disodium,edta disodium,versene 100
CAS Number: 139-33-3
DESCRIPTION
What It Does: Provides metal ion chelation to prevent product degradation and boost preservative and antioxidant efficacy.
Why It's Used: The most essential stability ingredient in cosmetics โ disodium edta's metal chelation prevents rancidity, discoloration, and preservative failure caused by trace metal contamination in virtually all aqueous cosmetic formulations.
How It Works: Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid provides six potential coordination sites for metal ions (aminodiacetate groups). chelates caยฒโบ, mgยฒโบ (stability), feยณโบ (fenton radical prevention), cuยฒโบ (oxidase inhibition). disrupts gram-negative bacterial outer membrane by chelating membrane calcium, enhancing preservative penetration.
Typically Found In: Virtually all aqueous cosmetics โ creams, lotions, shampoos, toners
TECHNICAL DETAILS
Primary Category: Functional ingredient โ chelating agent
Secondary Functions: Skin conditioning
Application Areas:
Facial Skincare
Body Care
Hair Care
Beard Care
Color Cosmetics (Makeup)
Dietary/Oral Supplements
Typical Concentration Range: 0.005%โ0.1%
SOURCING & ETHICS
Vegan Status: Yes โ synthetic
Halal Status: Yes
Source Notes: Commercially produced for cosmetic use. verify vegan/halal status with supplier.
SKIN COMPATIBILITY
Irritancy Rating: 1/5 โ very low
Comedogenicity Rating: 0/5 โ non-comedogenic
Sensitivity Concerns: Well-tolerated by most skin types.
Safe for Sensitive Skin: Yes
SAFETY & COMPATIBILITY
Safety Profile: Good safety profile at recommended concentrations. ewg score: 1โ2.
Works Well With: Standard skincare actives
Avoid Combining With: No known significant incompatibilities
SCIENTIFIC NOTE
Disodium edta's preservative potentiation against gram-negative bacteria is mechanistically elegant: gram-negative outer membranes contain lipopolysaccharide stabilised by calcium and magnesium bridges. edta chelates these metal ions, destabilising the lps layer and creating pores that allow hydrophobic preservatives (phenoxyethanol, parabens) to penetrate โ converting gram-negative-resistant preservatives into broad-spectrum ones.
Last Verified: Cosing database,cir safety assessment
Primary Sources: 2026-03-12
Phenoxyethanol
Common Name(s): 2-phenoxyethanol,rose ether,ethylene glycol monophenyl ether
CAS Number: 122-99-6
DESCRIPTION
What It Does: Prevents microbial contamination and spoilage in cosmetic formulations.
Why It's Used: The benchmark cosmetic preservative โ eu-permitted up to 1%, effective against virtually all cosmetically relevant microorganisms, and excellent tolerability.
How It Works: Phenol ring provides broad antimicrobial activity via disruption of bacterial and fungal cell membranes and inhibition of enzymatic activity. effective against gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria, yeasts (candida), and molds (aspergillus). activity ph range: 3-9.
Typically Found In: All cosmetic formulations as primary preservative
TECHNICAL DETAILS
Primary Category: Functional ingredient โ broad-spectrum preservative
Secondary Functions: Skin conditioning
Application Areas:
Facial Skincare
Body Care
Hair Care
Beard Care
Color Cosmetics (Makeup)
Dietary/Oral Supplements
Typical Concentration Range: 0.1%โ1% (eu max 1%)
SOURCING & ETHICS
Vegan Status: Yes โ synthetic
Halal Status: Yes
Source Notes: Commercially produced for cosmetic use. verify vegan/halal status with supplier.
SKIN COMPATIBILITY
Irritancy Rating: 1/5 โ very low
Comedogenicity Rating: 0/5 โ non-comedogenic
Sensitivity Concerns: Well-tolerated by most skin types.
Safe for Sensitive Skin: Yes
SAFETY & COMPATIBILITY
Safety Profile: Eu cosmetics regulation max 1%. sccs assessed as safe at โค1%. avoid use around eyes in baby products per some country regulations. ewg score: 4.
Works Well With: Standard skincare actives
Avoid Combining With: No known significant incompatibilities
SCIENTIFIC NOTE
Phenoxyethanol's widespread adoption as the primary cosmetic preservative followed the phaseout of parabens from many formulations in the 2000s-2010s. despite having a comparable or better safety profile to parabens, it is often cited in 'free-from' formulations โ a consumer perception issue rather than a scientific safety concern.
Last Verified: Cosing database,sccs opinion on phenoxyethanol,cir safety assessment
Primary Sources: 2026-03-12
Potassium Hydroxide
Common Name(s): Potassium hydroxide,cosmetic active,functional ingredient
CAS Number: N/a
DESCRIPTION
What It Does: Delivers characteristic cosmetic function at recommended use concentration.
Why It's Used: Selected for functional contribution and formulation compatibility supported by cosmetic science and regulatory safety data.
How It Works: Works through the mechanism of its molecular class as documented in peer-reviewed cosmetic literature.
Typically Found In: Skin care formulations
TECHNICAL DETAILS
Primary Category: Active ingredient โ cosmetic active
Secondary Functions: Skin conditioning
Application Areas:
Facial Skincare
Body Care
Hair Care
Beard Care
Color Cosmetics (Makeup)
Dietary/Oral Supplements
Typical Concentration Range: 0.1%โ10%
SOURCING & ETHICS
Vegan Status: Conditional
Halal Status: Yes
Source Notes: Commercially produced for cosmetic use. verify vegan/halal status with supplier.
SKIN COMPATIBILITY
Irritancy Rating: 1/5 โ very low
Comedogenicity Rating: 0/5 โ non-comedogenic
Sensitivity Concerns: Well-tolerated by most skin types.
Safe for Sensitive Skin: Yes
SAFETY & COMPATIBILITY
Safety Profile: Good safety profile at recommended concentrations. ewg score: 1โ2.
Works Well With: Standard skincare actives
Avoid Combining With: No known significant incompatibilities
SCIENTIFIC NOTE
Potassium hydroxide has an established safety profile within the cosmetic regulatory framework at standard use concentrations.
Last Verified: Cosing database,potassium hydroxide technical literature
Primary Sources: 2026-03-12
Ppg-1-peg-9 Lauryl Glycol Ether
Common Name(s): Ppg-1-peg-9 lauryl glycol ether
DESCRIPTION
What It Does: Reduces surface tension at oil-water interfaces, enabling effective cleansing, emulsification, and formulation stability.
Why It's Used: Surface-active agents are essential for emulsification, cleansing, and stabilization of cosmetic formulations containing both aqueous and lipid phases.
How It Works: The amphiphilic molecular structure positions the hydrophilic head in water and the lipophilic tail in oils, creating micelles that solubilize sebum, dirt, and oil-soluble impurities for rinsing in cleansers or stable emulsions in leave-on products.
Typically Found In: Cleansers,shampoos,body washes,foaming treatments
TECHNICAL DETAILS
Primary Category: Surfactants
Secondary Functions: Emulsifying,cleansing
Application Areas:
Facial Skincare
Body Care
Hair Care
Beard Care
Color Cosmetics (Makeup)
Dietary/Oral Supplements
Typical Concentration Range: 0.5โ30%
SOURCING & ETHICS
Vegan Status: Yes
Halal Status: Yes
Source Notes: Synthetic or semi-synthetic surfactant; no animal components.
SKIN COMPATIBILITY
Irritancy Rating: 2
Comedogenicity Rating: 0
Sensitivity Concerns: May cause irritation or stinging in sensitive or barrier-compromised skin at high concentrations; patch test recommended.
Safe for Sensitive Skin: Conditional
SAFETY & COMPATIBILITY
Safety Profile: Well-characterized cosmetic ingredient with established safety profile. mildly irritating to some individuals at typical use concentrations. suitable for leave-on and rinse-off cosmetics.
Works Well With: Other surfactants,thickeners,conditioning agents
Avoid Combining With: High concentrations in sensitive skin formulations
SCIENTIFIC NOTE
Surfactant critical micelle concentration (cmc) determines the threshold for emulsification: above the cmc, amphiphilic molecules self-assemble into micelles with hydrophobic cores that solubilize oils. hlb (hydrophile-lipophile balance) value predicts surfactant function: hlb 3โ6 for w/o emulsifiers, 8โ18 for o/w emulsifiers, >15 for solubilizers.
Last Verified: Cosing eu database; pcpc cosmetic ingredient safety reviews; ingredient-specific safety and efficacy literature
Primary Sources: 2025-01-15