The 15 Best Acne Face Washes, Approved By Dermatologists

"The right face wash can help treat your acne, but the wrong one may make it worse. It is important to consider what type of cleanser you use as part of your overall skin care routine," says Joshua Zeichner, MD, and director of cosmetic and clinical research in dermatology at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City. He suggests looking for ingredients like salicylic acid (great for dissolving dead skin cells), benzoyl peroxide (great for killing bacteria), and sulfur for its anti-inflammatory properties. But he cautions against harsh, abrasive manual scrubs that can irritate the skin and possibly even make acne worse.Nopescrubbing away acne is, in fact, not a real thing.

As for the actual cleansing process, there are some things to keep in mind. Dr. Zeichner recommends washing your face twice daily or after exercising. "It is especially important to wash your face at night to remove a buildup of dirt, oil, make up and pollution. It also ensures that you are not putting a dirty face on your pillowcase" he says. He suggests applying cleanser and letting it sit on the skin "while singing the alphabet. This ensures enough contact time to allow any active ingredients to do their jobs."

Here are the best acne face washes for every type of pimple problem.

1. Best Overall Acne-Fighter: Neutrogena Oil-Free Acne Wash Pink Grapefruit Facial Cleanser

The pink grapefruit cleanser is a cult classic for a reason. Its salicylic acid-based to treat everything from blackheads to breakouts, plus adds vitamin C to balance out T-zone oil. The light citrusy scent also provides a mood boost in the AM.

2. Best For Large Pores: Murad AHA/BHA Exfoliating Cleanser[product content

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"A mix of hydroxy acids (AHA and BHA) keeps pores clear and minimize their appearance," says Dr. Zeichner. Your pores can't actually change in size but when they're filled with gunk it can make them look larger than they are so keeping them clean makes them look smaller. This one in particular uses a blend of salicylic, lactic, and glycolic acids to get the job done.

3. Best For Inflammation: St. Ives Acne Control Daily Face Cleanser

This cleanser has salicylic acid which is great for targeting dead skin cells and has additional anti-inflammatory benefits of tea tree extract which is a more natural acne-fighting hero.

4. Best For Blackheads: Bior Charcoal Acne Cleanser

Salicylic acid combined with purifying charcoal wiggles its way into pores to clean out all that oil and skin cell gunk. It creates a cool tingle that leaves your face feeling squeaky clean. If you have any dryness afterwards, follow up with a non-comedogenic moisturizer.

5. Best For Cystic Acne: CeraVe Acne Foaming Cream Cleanser

A 4 percent benzoyl peroxide formula, this cleanser attacks pimple-causing bacteria for your most stubborn blemishes. Because BP can be drying, start by using this wash once a week and build up as tolerated.

6. Best For All-Over Breakouts: PanOxyl Benzoyl Peroxide Acne Creamy Wash

Here's another BP cleanser with a moderate four percent strength. Its wrapped up in a creamy formulation, which provides additional moisture so youre left with soft skinnot that super-tight feeling. You can even use this on your bod to treat bacne .

7. Best For Dry Skin: Differin Daily Deep Cleanser

This cleanser has five percent BP, which is as effective at fighting acne as stronger percentages without causing the same dryness or irritationa major plus for those of you with sensitive skin. It also contains moisturizing glycerin to hydrate your skin while removing oil, gunk, and bacteria.

8. Best For Oily Skin: Aveeno Clear Complexion Foaming Cleanser

If your skin is oily, salicylic acid is a good option because it helps remove excess oil from the skin when traditional cleansers may not be enough. Dr. Zeichner recommends this cleanser because it contains a low level of salicylic acid that wont irritate.

9. Best For Redness: Peter Thomas Roth Acne Clearing Wash

The two percent salicylic acid cleanser is tough enough to tackle breakouts and remove a days worth of makeup (although we still suggest doing this before washing). It's still gentle on your skin thanks to allantoin, an ingredient that eases potential sensitivity, and pro vitamin B5, which helps skin stay supple and redness-free.

10. Best Exfoliating Scrub: Garnier SkinActive Deep Pore Exfoliating Scrub

If a clean face means getting gritty and scrubby with it...you need this one from Garnier. The salicylic acid clears out excess oil, says Joshua Zeichner, MD, director of cosmetic and clinical research in dermatology at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City, while manual exfoliators remove pore-clogging dead skin cells.

11. Best Natural Alternative: Tata Harper Clarifying Cleanser

If you're into green beauty (and you're willing to spend a bit more on an acne face wash) try this option from Tata Harper. It uses exfoliating lactic and citric acids to slough away pore-clogging skin cells, while balancing oil and redness with botanical extracts.

12. Best Anti-Aging: Boscia Clear Complexion Cleanser

On top of willow bark extractthe natural form of salicylic acidthis cleanser also uses geranium to help balance out sebum (what you refer to as oil) production which is what can clog pores and typically leads to breakouts. The gel formula also uses rosemary extract for some added firming benefits.

13. Best Deep Clean: REN ClearCalm 3 Clarifying Clay Cleanser

Cleansing in itself is purifying for the skin but this cleanser takes it once step further thanks to kaolin clay that works like a sponge to absorb impurities and excess oil then remove them. On top of that, zinc helps calm redness while flavonoids (a plant-based antioxidant) work to tone and repair skin.

14. Best Soothing: Biossance Squalane + Tea Tree Cleansing Gel

Yes, this cleanser has tea tree oil to help clear up your acne, but it's also packed with lots of calming ingredients like aloe, lavender oil, and glycerinkey for inflamed skin or pimples. The plant-based squalane (a moisturizer similar to a substance your skin naturally produces) keeps skin hydrated, which can be difficult when you're using drying acne ingredients.

15. Best Scent: Indie Lee Purifying Face Wash

This foaming face wash is loaded with essential oils like orange peel, lemon peel, and jasmine that not only make for a nice sensorial experience when you're cleansing, but also help to soothe skin and keep your oil production in check.

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