Banish breakouts — from cystic to hormonal acne — with these effective cleansers.
Whether you’ve been dealing with the sudden onset of adult acne or you’ve spent years spent fighting pimples, acne spares no one. But the right blemish-banishing ingredients can put your skin at ease. There are tons of acne-fighting products on the market (both over the counter and prescription), but it’s not always a simple task to put together an acne skincare routine that will help treat your breakouts. Everyone’s acne journey is different, but the one product that can help: An effective acne face wash.
Our Good Housekeeping Institute Beauty Lab has decades of experience testing thousands of beauty products, including the best face wash formulas. We test face washes both in Lab and on our panel of consumer testers for cleansing efficacy and results on different skin types, including oily and acne-prone skin. The picks ahead were selected from our recent face wash tests, recommended by GH Beauty Lab scientists, dermatologists and verified online reviewers. These are the 15 best face washes for acne you can buy to help treat and prevent pimples.
1BEST OVERALL FACE WASH FOR ACNEVichy Normaderm PhytoAction Daily Deep Cleansing Gel
Vichy’s tried-and-true gel cleanser is a GH Beauty Lab and editor go-to for acne-prone, oily skin types. “I particularly like this product because it makes my skin feel clean without over drying it, and the salicylic acid helps treat my adult hormonal acne,” says GH Chemist Danusia Wnek. “It also smells great!”
- Key ingredients: Salicylic acid
- Formula type: Gel
- Size: 6.7 ounces
- Medicated: Yes
2BEST VALUE FACE WASH FOR ACNENeutrogena Oil-Free Acne Wash
Drugstore brand hero Neutrogena and its classic gel acne cleanser has been around for years and upholds its reputation as one of the top face washes dermatologists recommend to acne-prone patients. “The 2% salicylic acid works well without overly drying out skin,” notes Jeanine B. Downie, M.D., board-certified dermatologist and founder of Image Dermatology PC in Montclair, New Jersey. “Most of my patients tolerate it very well.”
- Key ingredients: Salicylic acid
- Formula type: Gel
- Size: 9.1 ounces
- Medicated: Yes
3BEST ACNE FACE WASH FOR DRY SKINCeraVe Acne Foaming Cream Cleanser
With a unique cream-to-foam formula, this CeraVe cleanser helps heal acne with the active ingredient benzoyl peroxide, while hydrating skin with hyaluronic acid and ceramides. “My skin does not feel overly dry or irritated which was a concern I had when considering a peroxide wash,” one Amazon reviewer says. “I will definitely be purchasing again.”
- Key ingredients: Benzoyl peroxide
- Formula type: Cream
- Size: 5 ounces
- Medicated: Yes
4BEST FACE WASH FOR CYSTIC ACNELa Roche-Posay Effaclar Medicated Gel Acne Face Wash
A top-rated acne face wash on Amazon — with over 8,000 five-star reviews — La Roche-Posay’s gel cleanser fights breakouts with salicylic acid. It’s also been clinically tested to help reduce excess oil. But, the best part is that it’s still gentle enough to use on those with acne and sensitive skin, with a non-comedogenic formula that includes moisturizing glycerin. “It’s very mild, lathers beautifully, and leaves your face feeling extremely clean without being tight or stripped of moisture,” an Amazon reviewer says. This cleanser “has worked better for my adult onset cystic acne than any other product I’ve tried on the market,” another reviewer adds.
- Key ingredients: Salicylic acid
- Formula type: Gel
- Size: 6.76 ounces
- Medicated: Yes
5BEST ACNE FACE WASH FOR SENSITIVE SKINRestorsea Reviving Cleanser
Hands down, this powerful gel cleanser is Dr. Downie’s favorite cleanser for all skin types — including those with acne. “It gently exfoliates skin and also contains vitamin C to brighten.” She loves that it effectively deep cleans skin but is gentle enough for daily use: the songyi mushroom helps tone without drying out your skin while the gentle gel formula is non-irritating.
- Key ingredients: Songyi mushroom
- Formula type: Gel
- Size: 7 ounces
- Medicated: No
6BEST FACE WASH FOR ACNE AND DARK SPOTSSkinMedica AHA & BHA Exfoliating Cleanser
This potent cleanser does double duty thanks to its high concentration of alpha hydroxy acids, including lactic, glycolic, citric and malic acids, as well as salicylic acid, a beta-hydroxy acid that helps exfoliate skin and clear clogged pores. Dr. Downie loves that it “helps to improve acne, skin tone (read: dark spots), and texture all at once.”
- Key ingredients: Salicylic acid, glycolic acid
- Formula type: Oil
- Size: 6 ounces
- Medicated: No
7BEST FACE WASH FOR HORMONAL ACNEBioderma Sebium H2O Purifying Cleansing Micelle Solution
A gentle cleanser, this Bioderma micellar water will remove makeup, grime and impurities that can clog pores without drying out skin, which is key when you have hormonal acne. “It leaves my skin feeling clean and moisturized until I wash it,” shares one Dermstore user. And it’s easy to use — just swipe with a cotton pad and go, no rinsing required.
- Key ingredients: Micellar water
- Formula type: Liquid
- Size: 16.7 ounces
- Medicated: No
8BEST ACNE FACE WASH FOR TEENAGERSClearasil Rapid Rescue Deep Treatment Wash
A Walmart best-seller and for good reason: This intensive Clearasil cleanser with salicylic acid works its magic quickly, helping to reduce breakouts in as fast as 12 hours. “I would recommend it to anyone who has any type of acne or even just a few blemishes they want to clear up,” one Walmart reviewer says. “It works quickly as stated on the bottle.” Note: The formula can be drying, so make sure to follow with a good moisturizer.
- Key ingredients: Salicylic acid
- Formula type: Cream
- Size: 6.78 ounces
- Medicated: Yes
9BEST CALMING FACE WASH FOR ACNEAloisia Beauty REFRESH Jade Purifying Cleanser
This purifying wash claims to soothe and brighten with gentle cleansing ingredients like jade water, lotus flower, and green tea. “Though it’s a little on the pricier side, this cleanser is gentle and light but cleans out my pores so well, leaving my skin glowing without any inflammation or redness, something my skin is prone to with most face washes,” says GH Assistant Editor Annie O’Sullivan. It balances an invigorating light citrus scent with a delicate cleanser that lathers and cleans skin well.
- Key ingredients: Jade water, green tea, ceramides
- Formula type: Liquid
- Size: 6.7 ounces
- Medicated: No
10BEST EXFOLIATING FACE WASH FOR ACNEGlytone Acne Clearing Cleanser
Thanks to a combination of salicylic and glycolic acids, this cleanser from Glytone, top-rated on Dermstore, treats breakouts and exfoliates skin at the same time. Not only does it aim to purify your complexion, but it also helps improve texture, too. “I love this cleanser because it makes my skin feel so smooth and clear,” a Dermstore reviewer shares.
- Key ingredients: Salicylic acid, glycolic acid
- Formula type: Gel
- Size: 6.7 ounces
- Medicated: Yes
11BEST ACNE FACE WASH FOR COMBINATION SKINPCA Skin BPO 5% Cleanser
Boasting a high percentage of benzoyl peroxide, a powerful acne-fighting ingredient, this Nordstrom top-rated PCA Skin cleanser treats even the most stubborn acne. It also contains gluconolactone, which calms and moisturizes skin while treating breakouts. “I have a mix between dry and oily skin and so, I often break out,” a Nordstrom reviewer reported. “After purchasing this cleanser I haven’t experienced a breakout in a really long time!”
- Key ingredients: Benzoyl peroxide
- Formula type: Liquid
- Size: 7 ounces
- Medicated: Yes
12BEST ACNE FACE WASH FOR LARGE PORESMurad Clarifying Cleanser
While you can’t technically shrink your pores, using a cleanser that deeply cleans them, like this one from Murad, can help reduce their appearance. This Sephora best-selling formula does just that — it’s made with two different kinds of salicylic acid that penetrate deeply into skin to purify pores and get rid of acne-causing bacteria. “I have never used a product that has done this good of a job at minimizing my black heads and pores!” a Sephora reviewer raved.
- Key ingredients: Salicylic acid
- Formula type: Cream
- Size: 6.75 ounces
- Medicated: Yes
13BEST FACE WASH FOR ADULT ACNEDERMAdoctor Ain’t Misbehavin’ Medicated AHA/BHA Acne Cleanser
Looking to smooth skin while also preventing pimples? No problem. Dermadoctor’s acne-fighting cleanser is strong but soothing with salicylic acid and witch hazel as top ingredients. “Nothing else I have ever tried works as well for adult acne,” one Amazon reviewer says. “I have adult acne that comes and goes,” another adds. “This is the only product that works for me.”
- Key ingredients: Salicylic acid, witch hazel
- Formula type: Gel
- Size: 7.1 ounces
- Medicated: Yes
14BEST FACE AND BODY WASH FOR ACNEPanOxyl Acne Foaming Wash
This GH Beauty Lab-approved foamy wash has the maximum allowable concentration of benzoyl peroxide (10%), and it can also be used on your chest and back. “This is the only face wash my husband can use without breakouts,” one Amazon reviewer says.
- Key ingredients: Benzoyl peroxide
- Formula type: Foaming wash
- Size: 5.5 ounces
- Medicated: Yes
15BEST FOAMING FACE WASH FOR ACNELa Roche-Posay Toleriane Purifying Foaming Facial Cleanser
This non-medicated wash is a GH Beauty Lab favorite; the formula is gentle yet effectively cleans. It works on all skin types and is oil-, sulfate- and fragrance-free. “It doesn’t aggravate my acne-prone skin,” says Wnek. “On days that I am using acne leave-on treatments or for a quick wash in the morning, this product leaves my skin feeling clean and removes excess oils but never over dries.”
- Key ingredients: Ceramides, niacinamide
- Formula type: Foaming wash
- Size: 13.5 ounces
- Medicated: No
How we choose the best face wash for acne
The Good Housekeeping Institute Beauty Lab has decades of experience testing face washes and body washes from drugstore brands and high-end lines for cleansing efficacy and their effects on skin. While our Beauty Lab scientists have not run a formal test specifically for acne face washes, we’ve tested hundreds of cleansers over the years, keeping factors like texture, scent and how effectively they wash away makeup, impurities and excess oil in mind.
Traditionally, the GH beauty team label masks products to eliminate brand bias before distributing them to hundreds of consumers across the country. Testers use the products in their regular skincare routine. Based on all this data, the Beauty Lab makes recommendations. Above, we’ve included a variety of tested picks, top vetted reviews and dermatologist recommendations.
What to look for when shopping for the best face wash for acne
✔️ Breakout-fighting ingredients: When it comes to choosing the best cleanser for your acne, “look for specific ingredients, including salicylic acid, glycolic acid, benzoyl peroxide or sulfur,” recommends Dr. Downie. These top acne-fighting skincare ingredients, found in both cleansers and treatment products, can absorb excess oil, degunk pores and slough away dead skin and bacteria for a clearer complexion.
✔️ Gentle formulas: “Foaming cleansers tend to be gentler, while gel cleansers can be harsher,” Dr. Downie explains. She recommends foaming cleansers for people with dry and sensitive skin and gel cleansers for those with oily skin.
What’s the best way to use a face wash for acne?
Once armed with the right cleanser, you need to know how to use it properly. Dr. Downie recommends using an acne face wash twice a day if your skin can tolerate it (or even up to three times a day if you sweat a lot or are extremely active). But just as not all acne is created equal, your cleanser usage depends on your skin type. If your skin is dry or sensitive, you may want to use a regular gentle cleanser in the morning and an acne cleanser just in the evenings, to remove the impurities of the day.
Can face wash remove pimples?
Though acne face washes that contain FDA-approved active acne ingredients (benzoyl peroxide and salicylic acid, for example) can treat acne breakouts, Wnek notes that leave-on OTC acne products with these ingredients can potentially treat acne breakouts more quickly, since “the active ingredients are left on skin for a longer period of time than rinse-off cleansers,” she explains.
Why trust Good Housekeeping?
Our Good Housekeeping Institute beauty experts collaborated to round up the best face wash recommendations for acne. Those who gathered this list include freelance Beauty Editor Dori Price who has over 15 years of experience researching and writing skincare stories; Beauty Assistant Catharine Malzahn who works closely with the Beauty Lab to help deliver fact-based, science-backed beauty coverage; and GH Beauty, Health & Sustainability Lab Chemist Danusia Wnek who has been testing skincare products, including but not limited to serums, facial oils and more, for over seven years at GH. Wnek also regularly weighs in on the benefits of skincare ingredients like vitamin C, retinol and niacinamide.
We also consulted board-certified Jeanine B. Downie, M.D., founder of Image Dermatology PC in Montclair, New Jersey, to round out our expert picks.