Objective To explore the effect of supramolecular salicylic acid combined with intense pulsed light on lesion count and skin function indexes in patients with facial acne. Methods A total of 70 patients with facial acne admitted to Yongkang Guangda Medical Beauty Hospital from January 2022 to January 2025 were selected as the research subjects, and they were divided into the reference group and the experimental group by the random number table method, with 35 patients in each group. The reference group was treated with supramolecular salicylic acid, and the experimental group was treated with supramolecular salicylic acid combined with intense pulsed light. The lesion count, skin function indexes and clinical efficacy were compared between the two groups. Results After treatment, the counts of comedones, pustules, papules, cysts and nodules in the experimental group were fewer than those in the reference group (P <0.05). After treatment, the stratum corneum water content in the experimental group was higher than that in the reference group, while the facial sebum content, erythema volume and transepidermal water loss were lower than those in the reference group (P <0.05). The total effective rate of treatment in the experimental group (97.14%) was higher than that in the reference group (77.14%) (P <0.05). Conclusion The application of supramolecular salicylic acid combined with intense pulsed light in facial acne treatment can effectively reduce lesion count, improve skin function indexes, help to enhance treatment effect, and optimize patients' facial skin condition, which is worthy of clinical application.