Dermatologists Say These Are the *Best* Face Washes for Acne-Prone Skin (2024)

There are probably many reasons why you wanted to leave your teen years behind, and saying goodbye to your acne was surely one of them. But don’t freak out if those pesky pimples stuck around. The best face wash for acne can help improve the appearance of pimples, soothe redness, and prevent future breakouts from happening.

“Adult acne in women is super common,” says Nazanin Saedi, M.D., director of the Jefferson Laser Surgery and Cosmetic Dermatology Center in Philadelphia. The main cause: hormonal imbalance. That’s why dermatologists often recommend medications like birth control, which can help keep hormones like estrogen and testosterone in check.

However, what you put on your face also matters. The first step in your anti-acne regimen? A face wash that you can lather up with morning and night. “Nighttime cleansing washes off dirt and excess oil that’s sitting on skin, while morning cleansing will clear off anything that accumulated overnight,” says Dr. Saedi.

How to choose (and use) the best face wash for acne-prone skin

Look for active ingredients. A few ingredients to look for in your face wash include benzoyl peroxide (to clean out the bacteria that contributes to acne), salicylic acid (to exfoliate and remove pore-clogging debris and break up blackheads and whiteheads), sulfur (to lessen inflammation), or glycolic acid (an alpha hydroxy acid that clears away dead skin cells).

But go mild if need be. One downside is that face washes with anti-acne ingredients can be drying. You may also be tempted to overdo it on cleansing—and see skin irritation as a result. Pro tip: If you do get a bit dry or flaky, scale back to every other day and follow with a non-comedogenic moisturizer designed for oily or acne-prone skin.

Or, if you’re using a super-drying medication, stick with a mild “nothing” cleanser to minimize your irritation. These face washes are formulated for sensitive skin and really just prep your base (cleaning out makeup, oil, and dirt) so your acne medication (say, a prescription retinoid) or spot treatment can do the heavy lifting.

Listen to your skin. Finding the right cleanser for your acne-fighting routine can be tricky, and you’ll like have to try both cleansers for sensitive skin and those formulated with active ingredients to figure out which you prefer. If your skin gets red, itchy, flaky, or irritated in general, talk to your doctor about switching to a milder formula instead.

When it comes to cleansers, you don’t have to pick an expensive one—drugstore buys will get the job done, says Dr. Saedi. But there are options in every price category: Here, dermatologists share the best face washes for acne, from those with ultra-mild properties to top-notch pimple-fighting power.

This basic cleanser is a dermatologist favorite for a reason—it’s designed to wash away impurities without irritating, making it great for acne-prone skin (and all skin types, really).It’sespecially soothing for those with a sensitive complexion oreczema, says Dr. Saedi.

Benzoyl peroxide can be too drying for some, which is why CeraVe created one that contains ceramides, hyaluronic acid, and niacinamide—all of which help hydrate and soothe irritated skin. This formula packs 4% benzoyl peroxide, so you’re getting enough to buff away bacteria.

Alightweight but nourishing face wash? Yep, it’s a dream for irritated, acne-prone skin. The formuladeeply cleans out dirt, oil, and makeupwhile maintaining balance in the skin. Glycerin, aloe, licorice, root, and white tea extracts band together to soothe and hydrate the face sans stinging or burning. The whipped texture also lathers up nicely, but never leaves the skin feeling dry.

This is acustomer favorite face wash, receiving over5,000 5-star ratings on Amazon. Formulated with a unique micro-clear technology, this wash works to fight breakouts, blackheads, and post-acne marks. It also has a refreshing pink grapefruit scent!

The ingredients in this pickinclude 2% salicylic acid and lipo-hydroxy acid to remove impurities without harsh scrub particles that can irritate the skin. Customers also tout it for its glycerin ingredient which leaves the skin feeling super moisturized (instead of dry and stiff like other acne washes.)

This face washcontains 5% benzoyl peroxide, so it can tackle acne-causing bacteria without causing excess dryness, redness, itching, or burning. Many reviewers say they noticed a difference in their skin within a week of consistent cleansing.

This top-rated face wash has a 4.7-star rating on Amazonand we can see why. Its oil-free, pH-balanced formula works to gently cleanse without irritating or drying out the skin. Among the ingredients you’ll find an ultra-fine self-foaming technology, which helps to deeply cleanse the skin, removing pollutants and impurities. It’s also enriched with bromelain, a pineapple-derived enzyme that leaves your skin feeling smoother and softer.

Don’t let “hydrating” scare you—many acne-prone patients are susceptible todry, flaky skin. This fragrance-free, noncomedogenic option will help combat any irritation, saysTara Rao, M.D., of Schweiger Dermatology Group in New York City. A mix of ceramides andhyaluronic acidwork todraw and lock moisture into the skin, so it never feels stripped.

This oil-, soap-, and fragrance-free cleanser wasdesigned with sensitive skin in mind. Enriched with hydrating ceramides and soothing niacinamide (a form of vitamin B3), it gently buffs away dirt, oil, and makeup while calming an angry complexion.

This face wash isn’t like your typical foaming formula: It’s actually incredibly gentle instead of stripping, and packed with0.5% salicylic acid to help unclog poresand exfoliate the skin for a more balanced and even-looking texture.

With 20,500 5-star ratings and over 800 positive reviews, this pick is a must-have for your skincare lineup. The formula contains 10% benzoyl peroxide (the maximum strength) and works to clean and unclog pores on the face, chest, and back. “I’ve been using it for a little over three weeks now, and it has cleared all my active pimples and prevented new ones from popping up,” wrote one satisfied Amazon customer.

Glycolic acid isan alpha-hydroxyacidthat gives the facea gentle exfoliation by clearing away dead skin cells, a precursor to pesky bumps. This face wash is chock full of the active ingredient, in addition to herbal extracts to soothe the complexion. Because it helps buff away the dead layers of skin, it also helps reduce annoying scars, too.

This ultra-gentle cleanser gets a stamp of approval from Deirdre Hooper, M.D., board-certified dermatologist at Audubon Dermatology in New Orleans. The thermal spring water works to reduce rednesswhile cleansing the skin. No need to worry aboutirritating side effects, as its free of soaps and fragrances.

This inflammation-fighting cleanser from TULA offers probiotics (the good kind of bacteria!), lactic acid (to gently exfoliate), vitamin E (to nourish), andvitamin C(to brighten). Itgently foams to a silky lather that leaves skin feeling clean and softinstead of paper-y tight.

The addition of charcoal (a great ingredient for oily skin)to this 1% salicylic acid cleanser helps penetrate clogged pores to clear out blackheads, says Dr. Saedi.

Sulfurcalms down redness and inflammation, says Dr. Saedi. The catch is, it’s not always pleasant-smelling. However, this raved-about 3% sulfur cleanser, which acts as an antiseptic and antifungal, has a mild fragrance and (most importantly) really fades both mild and cystic acne by unclogging congested pores.

This acne-fighting cleanser features a prescription-grade amount of benzoyl peroxide as its main ingredient to kill acne-causing bacteria. The formula includes tiny smooth exfoliating beads that help to gently break up dead skin cells and hyaluronic acid to help maintain hydration and softness. Plus, its 4.8-star rating and hundreds of rave reviews from Amazon customers are proof that it’s worth every penny.

Thanks to acocktail of soothing ingredients—likealoe vera, cucumber, and hydrating glycerin—this cult-favorite face wash is amazing for sensitive, acne-prone skin.Plus, “soy helps brighten the skin,” Debra Jaliman, M.D., a Manhattan-based dermatologist, said in a previous interview forPrevention.com. “It also has properties that lessen redness.” Bonus: It’s fragrance-free and noncomedogenic.

This product goes double duty as a daily cleanser (to clear breakouts) or facemask (to deepclean your pores). A3.5% benzoyl peroxide formula is evensuitable forsensitive skin types, says Dr. Saedi. It also helps control that shiny forehead you deal with by 3 p.m., thanks to oil-controllingkaolin and bentonite clay.