This is the most common side-effect when using the salicylic acid as a treatment. Another side-effect from this treatment is skin irritation. This can be solved with less than a cure, but if irritation continues, you should stop using. There are also some precautions when using salicylic acid treatment for their acne. These precautions are, avoiding abrasive soap or cleaning, containing alcohol astringents, any other topical solutions that contain benzoyl peroxide, sulfur, or tretinoin, soaps or any products that dry skin, cosmetics and medicated. This treatment is very effective in treating acne because of its ability to penetrate the hull, cleaning and maintenance of dirt, oil and dead skin cells trapped.