A 2023 Cosmo Acne Award winner, this editor-favorite acne face wash helps clear up breakouts but without drying or stripping your skin. “I’ve tried so many acne cleansers in the past and they’ve always left my skin dry and flaky, but Avène’s gentle formula does exactly the opposite. It has 2 percent salicylic acid to degunk pores and keep the cystic acne around my chin from flaring, and it’s also filled with hydrators to keep my skin barrier intact," writes Cosmo's associate shopping editor Daisy Maldonado. Show
Glowing customer review: "I use this everyday and it has really helped with my breakouts and bumpy texture. I like how it foams up but doesn't make my face feel tight or dry." 2 Best Acne Face Wash with Benzoyl Peroxide CeraVe Acne Foaming Cream Wash with 10% Benzoyl Peroxide 2 Best Acne Face Wash with Benzoyl Peroxide CeraVe Acne Foaming Cream Wash with 10% Benzoyl PeroxideNow 22% Off Pros
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A favorite of dermatologist Shari Marchbein's, this acne face wash from CeraVe uses 10 percent benzoyl peroxide to kill acne-causing bacteria on the skin to prevent breakouts. "Benzoyl peroxide is by far one of the most effective over-the-counter ingredients for treating acne on the face and body, but it can be drying," says Dr. Marchbein. "That's why I like this option from CeraVe—it combines benzoyl peroxide with ceramides, hyaluronic acid, and niacinamide to help soothe skin and maintain a healthy skin barrier."
Glowing customer review: "Usually these types of products excessively dry out my face if use them persistently, but I’ve used this every day and my face is still hydrated." 3 Best Gentle Acne Face Wash Neutrogena Ultra Gentle Daily Facial Cleanser with Pro-Vitamin B53 Best Gentle Acne Face Wash Neutrogena Ultra Gentle Daily Facial Cleanser with Pro-Vitamin B5Now 43% Off Pros
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Not all acne face washes need to contain strong actives to be effective. In fact, dermatologist Claire Wolinsky often recommends simple, gentle cleansers for her acne-prone patients—especially if they're using a topical cream or retinol to treat acne. One of my favorite gentle cleansers is this pick from Neutrogena. The no-foam formula won't strip or dry you out (like some overly aggressive acne face washes are known to do) and leaves skin feeling clean, soft, and hydrated after your rinse thanks to conditioning vitamin B5.
Advertisement - Continue Reading Below 4 Best Hydrating Acne Face Wash La Roche-Posay Toleriane Hydrating Gentle Face Cleanser4 Best Hydrating Acne Face Wash La Roche-Posay Toleriane Hydrating Gentle Face CleanserPros
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Another excellent gentle cleanser for acne-prone skin, this pick from La Roche-Posay not only removes makeup, build-up, and debris on the skin, it actually helps moisturize it too. The magic? A trio of barrier-friendly hydrators and soothers, including thermal spring water, ceramides, and niacinamide. It's a great choice for the winter season when skin tends to be drier, or for anyone using a retinoid for their acne or even taking oral Accutane.
Glowing customer review: "This fragrance-free formula provides a refreshing cleanse without irritation, leaving my skin clean, moisturized, and noticeably improved in texture. A total game changer for my dry, acne-prone skin." 5 Best Acne Face Wash for Hormonal Acne Skinfix Acne+ 2% BHA + Azelaic Acid + Niacinamide + AHA Cleanser5 Best Acne Face Wash for Hormonal Acne Skinfix Acne+ 2% BHA + Azelaic Acid + Niacinamide + AHA CleanserPros
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I've tested acne face washes, and this is one of my absolute favorites for keeping the hormonal acne around my chin and cheeks in check. The combo of glycolic and salicylic acids help remove dead skin cells and unclog pores, while niacinamide helps control excess oil production and azelaic acid helps minimize acne-causing bacteria on the skin and soothe irritation. There's even some calming green tea extract and zinc in the formula, which is especially helpful since hormonal acne is often angry, red, and inflamed.
Glowing customer review: "This product is AMAZING! I have been having random breakouts on my face in my forehead and cheek areas, which have been driving me crazy! After washing my face ONCE I saw a difference the next morning! Must try!" 6 Best Acne Face Wash for Blackheads and Whiteheads Vichy Normaderm Daily Acne Face Wash6 Best Acne Face Wash for Blackheads and Whiteheads Vichy Normaderm Daily Acne Face WashPros
If blackheads and/or whiteheads are your primary form of breakouts, then this is the acne face wash for you. It's gentle enough to be used twice a day thanks to a low-dose of salicylic acid that gently unclogs pores and removes excess oil without stripping your skin. I love the way the formula leaves my skin feeling clean and refreshed post-cleanse, but never tight or irritated. And I swear after using it everyday for two weeks, the blackheads around my nose were significantly less noticeable.
Glowing customer review: "I purchased this for blackheads on and around my nose. I have been using it daily in the mornings for about a month now. My skin definitely looks smoother and the blackheads are mostly gone. The few that remain are much smaller and not as noticeable. I plan to use it for 90 days and hopefully they will be gone altogether." Advertisement - Continue Reading Below 7 Best All-Natural Acne Face Wash Osmia Black Clay Facial Soap7 Best All-Natural Acne Face Wash Osmia Black Clay Facial SoapPros
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You may be sus about bar soap for your face, but this stuff is the real deal. It's made with organic and all-natural ingredients, including black Australian clay to balance your skin, Dead Sea mud to reduce inflammation, and coconut milk to create a rich, creamy lather as you wash. I store it my shower and use it to cleanse my face, chest, and back. It keeps my face and body breakouts in check and leaves my skin nice and moisturized too.
Glowing customer review: "I purchased this product because I have very sensitive skin and I'm trying to combat perioral dermatitis and really crappy adult acne that's been going on for 10 years now. My skin doesn't like fragrances, alcohol, and come to find out over the course of the lockdown it really hates most soaps because of the SLSs. Heck, it even hates water past a certain temperature. This product however is one of the very few things I can put on my face and it not react negatively to. It comes as a fairly small bar, but a little goes a long way for sure with this product, so I foresee it lasting me a good long while." 8 Best Acne Face Wash with AHAs and BHAs Community Sixty-Six Detoxifying AHA/BHA Gel Cleanser8 Best Acne Face Wash with AHAs and BHAs Community Sixty-Six Detoxifying AHA/BHA Gel CleanserPros Cons
Dr. Marchbein loves AHAs and BHAs in a face wash for treating both acne and acne scarring. AHAs (like glycolic acid) are great for fading post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation, or the dark marks left behind after a breakout, explain Dr. Marchbein. On the other hand, BHAs (like salicylic acid) penetrate deep into oil glands to help unclog pores and treat mild comedonal acne such as blackheads, she explains. I personally love this acne face wash from Community Sixty-Six, which combines AHAs and BHAs to exfoliate and niacinamide to soothe and brighten. After I use this, my skin always feels smoother, clearer, and my pores less noticeable too.
Glowing customer review: "I enjoyed this cleanser a lot, as I have really oily skin. It leaves my skin cleared and soft, and the matte packaging is really good. I would def repurchase!" 9 Best Acne Face Wash with Enzymes Dr. Barbara Sturm Enzyme Cleanser9 Best Acne Face Wash with Enzymes Dr. Barbara Sturm Enzyme CleanserPros
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This face wash is truly such a treat to use. The texture is great (it starts off as a super-fine powder and then when you add a little water it turns into a creamy foam) and the way it makes my skin look and feel post-cleanse is 10/10. The combo of exfoliating enzymes work to remove dead skin cells and free skin from excess oil and sebum to boost smoothness and clarity, white ascorbic acid has an antioxidant effect that helps brighten and firm.
Glowing customer review: "This is such a good cleansing powder. I absolutely love the texture and the way it makes my skin feel afterwards! It is easy to use and it is refreshing. I have been using this in the morning and it has been my go-to. Definitely a must buy." Advertisement - Continue Reading Below What face wash is best for acne?The best face for acne largely depends on your skin type, the severity of your acne, and the other products in your skincare routine. According to Dr. Wolinsky, an acne face wash salicylic acid or benzoyl peroxide is great for treating mild acne."Once the acne is more substantial and requires actual acne medications, like retinoids or topical antibiotics, I prefer gentle hydrating cleansers," says Dr. Wolinsky, adding that "acne treatments can be difficult to tolerate (usually drying or irritating the skin) and we don’t want a face wash to compound that irritation." Overall though, our experts say that the best acne face washes are fragrance-free, sulfate-free, and contains skin barrier-friendly ingredients (like ceramides and hyaluronic acid) to offset any potential dryness. How do you use an acne face wash?Acne face washes are used a bit differently than regular face washes. According to licensed aesthetician Jordan Samuel Pacitti, acne cleansers with active ingredients like benzoyl peroxide and salicylic acid should be left on the skin for 90 seconds or so. "This gives the ingredients a chance to work before rinsing them off," explains Pacitti. And in my experience, most acne face washes aren't the best at removing makeup, so you may want to use an oil-based cleanser to remove any makeup first, and then go in with your acne face wash. How do a I choose a face wash for acne?Think about the other products in your routine.If you're already using topical actives to treat your acne, you may not need an acne face wash with actives too. "Someone with more severe breakouts might benefit from a more aggressive approach by using a cleanser, treatment. and cream with acne-fighting ingredients; however, for someone else, the effect of combining products may prove to be too much and lead to further irritation and frustration," says Pacitti. If your skin is sensitive or you're already using a strong topical, a gentle face wash for acne (like Neutrogena's and La Roche-Posay's above) is probably your best bet. Keep an eye out for these key ingredients.If you decide to use an acne face wash with active ingredients, our experts say that salicylic acid (BHAs), benzoyl peroxide, and/or sulfur should be on the ingredient list since they're all excellent and treating and preventing breakouts. Other helpful ingredients include AHAs (like glycolic acid, mandelic acid, and lactic acid), azelaic acid, willow bark extract (a mild BHA), niacnamide, and oil-absorbing clays. Advertisement - Continue Reading Below Meet the experts:
Why trust Cosmopolitan?Lauren Balsamo is deputy beauty director at Cosmopolitan, where she writes, edits, and produces all types of beauty content—from product reviews to personal essays and trend reports. She has covered beauty for nine years at Cosmopolitan and has contributed to Women’s Health and Seventeen magazines as well. Follow her on Instagram. Which Facewash is best for acne?Multani Mitti Face Wash with Multani Mitti & Bulgarian Rose For Oil Control & Acne - 100 ml. Controls Oil & Acne | Promotes Hydration. ... . Ubtan Face Wash 150 ml (Pack of 2) ... . Green Tea Face Wash With Green Tea & Collagen For Open Pores - 100 ml. ... . Rice Face Wash With Rice Water & Niacinamide for Glass Skin - 100 ml.. Does cleanser get rid of pimples?It can help to keep your pores from being plugged up. Still, water and a simple soap or face wash aren't enough to clear up acne. Think of your twice-daily cleansing as a first step in treating your acne. Step two should be the routine use of an acne treatment product. Can I use acne face wash if I don't have acne?This is because these products can really dry your skin out. And while drying out your skin is kind of the point because that reduces acne, you don't want to use it on the unaffected clear areas because drying out good skin can be very damaging. Which face wash is best for acne in Pakistan?Romia Cosmeceuticals brings best face wash for acne in Pakistan ” Anti Acne Face Wash” to reduce the worries of people having acne-prone skin. It is effective both for oily and dry skin. Moreover, it's regular use would be helpful in reducing breakouts as well. That is why, it is ranked as “best face wash for acne”. |
