> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.neutralyze.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Exfoliating Pads vs. Resurfacing Pads: Which Should You Use?

> Neutralyze Exfoliating Pads (2% salicylic + 1% mandelic acid) treat acne; Resurfacing Pads (20% glycolic acid) smooth texture, pores, and post-acne marks. How to choose, and how to use both.

Choose [Exfoliating Pads](/products/exfoliating-pads) if your main concern is acne and breakouts; choose [Resurfacing Pads](/products/resurfacing-pads) if your main concern is rough texture, enlarged pores, fine lines, or lingering post-acne marks. They share the same dual-textured 100-pad format but carry different acids for different jobs.

## Side by side

| | Exfoliating Pads | Resurfacing Pads |
| - | - | - |
| Actives | DuoClear(TM): 2% salicylic acid (BHA) + 1% mandelic acid (AHA) | GlycoForte(TM): 20% glycolic acid (AHA), pH-buffered, + hyaluronic acid |
| Primary job | Clear acne and breakouts; keep pores clear | Resurface: smooth texture, minimize the look of pores and fine lines |
| Where | Face, back, and body | Face and neck only |
| Frequency | Daily, up to 2-3x/day as tolerated | Start 1-2 nights a week, build to nightly as tolerated |
| Routine step | REJUVENATE (Step 2, daily) | REFINE (replaces Step 2 on resurfacing nights) |
| Sensitive skin | Gentler - mandelic acid is a large, slow-penetrating AHA | Stronger - not for very sensitive or glycolic-sensitive skin |

## Why the acids matter

Salicylic acid is oil-soluble, so it works **inside the pore**, dissolving the oil and dead-skin plugs behind breakouts and blackheads - that is what makes the Exfoliating Pads an acne treatment. Glycolic acid is the smallest, fastest-acting AHA and works **at the surface**, lifting dull, rough skin quickly - that is what makes the Resurfacing Pads a texture and tone treatment. Mandelic acid sits in between: an AHA like glycolic, but with a much larger molecule that penetrates slowly, so it exfoliates with far less irritation (see [Mandelic vs. Glycolic](/comparisons/mandelic-vs-glycolic)).

## Using both

Many people run both: Exfoliating Pads as the everyday step, Resurfacing Pads 1-2 nights a week for texture and tone - **never both on the same night**. On Resurfacing nights, the glycolic pad simply takes the Exfoliating Pad's slot in the [routine order](/guides/routine-order). A salicylic cleanser like the [Acne Face Wash](https://www.neutralyze.com/products/neutralyze-acne-face-wash) rinses off, so it pairs with either pad. If irritation appears, cut back frequency - and since both are exfoliating acids, daily SPF is non-negotiable (see [fading post-acne dark spots](/guides/dark-spots)).

Both are available at [neutralyze.com](https://www.neutralyze.com/collections/neutralyze-anti-acne-solution) with the [365-day money-back guarantee](/reference/returns-guarantee).


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