Last month, my roommate jumped straight into a salicylic acid serum to fix her blackheads. Bad call. Her skin got so irritated she couldn’t wear her favorite sunscreen without stinging. I just came across a guide that says starting with a cleanser is the least intimidating way to use the ingredient. That tracks. Cleansers rinse away, so you don’t overload your skin immediately. I sent her a link to a gentle one. Now she uses it every other night, and her red patches are gone. Turns out even skincare needs a logical starting point.