In our commitment to put an end to all your problems related to acne prone skin, we’ve reviewed the best face wash for acne prone skin. We’ve carefully tested and selected these products based on their effectiveness in killing acne-causing bacteria and preventing future breakouts. We believe these products will help you get clean skin without irritating your skin or causing breakouts.
Acne-prone skin can be quite a challenge to manage, and it can be equally as frustrating to find a product that will help you keep your skin clean and clear.
Since acne is common among both teenagers and adults, we selected products that we thought would be beneficial to people of all ages.
The face washes included in this list are some of the best of the market to clear existing acne and prevent new breakouts from forming.
Each product on the list has been tested to see how well it works against even the toughest acne.
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Quick Overview: Our Top Picks for the Best Face Washes for Acne-Prone Skin
OUR TOP #1 PICK - Number one on our list of the best face washes for acne-prone skin is Vidazen Soothing Essentials Facial Cleanser because it gently cleans skin, removes makeup, and lessens the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles. It also prevents new wrinkles from forming.
OUR TOP #2 PICK - The second face wash on our list is CeraVe Foaming Facial Cleanser due to its non-comedogenic formula that is safe for even the most sensitive skin. It is extremely gentle and can even be used daily to treat acne and get skin clean.
OUR TOP #3 PICK - Christina Moss Naturals Organic Facial Wash made it to number three on our list because it is completely organic and doesn’t contain any harmful ingredients. It works for all skin types and doesn’t dry out skin or make it greasy.
OUR TOP #4 PICK - The number four face wash on our list is Body Merry’s Glycolic Acid Exfoliating Cleanser. We selected this product, because it exfoliates and cleans skin, as well as prevents the signs of aging. This product may work for people who are dealing with skin aging and acne problems.
OUR TOP #5 PICK - The last product on our list is St. Ives Blemish Control Apricot Scrub because it contains only natural ingredients. It removes both dirt and oil from skin, and will gently exfoliate dead skin. Since it is oil-free, it won’t clog pores.
What Causes Acne?
Many different factors can cause acne.
Let’s first discuss how acne forms. When oil, dirt, makeup and dead skin cells get trapped in hair follicles, acne forms.
Hair follicles are connected to oil glands, which create and secrete sebum, an oily lubricant for your hair and skin.
Sebum typically moves along the shaft of the hair and through the openings of the hair follicles to reach the surface of the skin. If your body makes too much sebum and dead skin cells, they can clog up hair follicles and encourage the quick growth of bacteria.
Once bacteria infects the pore, it easily becomes inflamed and the follicle wall bulges, which produces a whitehead. Blackheads are formed if the pore remains open on the surface and darkens.
Pimples are a little different.
They form when clogged hair follicles get inflamed or infected. When this occurs, you will see a red spot with a white center.
Now that you understand how acne is formed let’s talk about the major factors that cause or trigger acne.
First, stress can cause acne. While it seems simple enough, stress is likely to make acne worse.
Hormones are a contributing factor to acne, as they can cause the sebaceous glands to increase in size and produce excess sebum.
Some medications are known for making acne worse, too.
Hormone treatments that contain androgen can trigger acne. Corticosteroids and lithium are also prescription ingredients that may cause acne.
Your diet can also be a factor in acne struggles. Dairy and carbohydrates can cause acne to flare up.
Chocolate is another food that has been known to cause issues with acne. If your acne is caused by your diet, you may need to change it.
Now that we know what the main causes of acne are let’s take a look at how we can prevent more acne from forming.
How to Help Your Acne Prone Skin
There are many different ingredients that can help you get clearer skin. Let’s take a look at some ingredients that are commonly found in face washes that may help you.
Benzoyl Peroxide is one of the most common ingredients for treating acne because it kills bacteria and decreases oil production in the skin. It helps speed up the turnover of skin cells and cleans out pores to clear out bacteria.
Salicylic acid helps skin shed cells, as well as reduce inflammation of the pores. Salicylic acid is one of the most popular products on the market for treating acne. It will prevent excess oil from clogging pores, as well.
Clay and activated charcoal are ingredients that soak up excess oil on the skin. They absorb oil without overdrying skin.
By pulling the dirt and oil to the surface of the skin, it can easily be rinsed away with water.
Retinol helps prevent future breakouts and remove existing dirt and oil from your pores. It can make skin super sensitive to sun exposure, however.
Hyaluronic acid is another ingredient that is helpful for oily or acne prone skin. It helps hydrate skin without clogging pores, which keeps skin from overdrying and peeling, which can also lead to more acne, just like having oily skin can.
Product Reviews: Our Top 5 Best Face Washes for Acne Prone Skin
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Number one on our list of the best face wash for acne prone skin is Vidazen’s Soothing Essentials Facial Cleanser.
We selected this product due to its ability to gently remove makeup, dirt, and oil from skin while soothing previously irritated areas.
We love that this product is great for skin of all ages, and it specifically targets fine lines and wrinkles.
With willow bark, aloe vera and chamomile, fine lines and wrinkles may begin to fade, and new ones may be even prevented from forming.
With green tea and dragon’s blood, this face wash may protect the skin against free radicals and UV damage.
We also like that this face wash doesn’t contain parabens, sulfates or artificial fragrances or dyes. It is also both vegan and cruelty-free.
Aloe vera and chamomile are both soothing and hydrating ingredients that may help keep skin in balance, so it doesn’t get too oily or dry.
This balance may keep your skin in a condition that makes it less likely to have acne flare-ups.
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CeraVe Foaming Facial Cleanser is number two on our list of the best face wash for acne prone skin due to its non-comedogenic and non-irritating formula.
This face wash was created by dermatologists to treat acne prone skin on oily to normal skin.
This foaming cleanser removes oil, dirt and dead skin to leave skin clean, smooth and refreshed.
It contains niacinamide and glycerin, which are both good ingredients for acne prone skin.
The ceramides in this cleanser keep skin healthy while restoring the protective barrier that skin naturally has. These ceramides may also help keep the skin’s barrier healthy.
Unfortunately, this product does contain parabens, which are known to cause irritation to the skin. This means that people with sensitive skin may have issues using CeraVe’s Foaming Facial Cleanser.
One thing that we don’t love about this face wash is that it isn’t really suitable for dry skin. It can also be a little harsh, so those with sensitive can may want to try with caution.
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The third face wash for acne prone skin on our list is Christina Moss Naturals Organic Facial Wash.
This facial wash is completely organic and doesn’t contain any of the harsh ingredients that many acne face washes contain. It is also hypoallergenic.
With no chemical preservatives, parabens, sulfates, dyes or artificial fragrances, this face wash may be much gentler than other products on the market.
Green tea extract and aloe vera are great ingredients for acne because they are antibacterials. Aloe vera is also a soothing ingredient that battles skin irritations.
This acne face wash forms a nice lather and leaves skin feeling clean and smooth.
It doesn’t leave behind any oil, build-up or dirt, but it won’t dry out the skin either. We love that this product will leave skin feeling hydrated and clean.
Another reason to love this product? It is environmentally friendly. The bottles are made of recycled plastic, and the labels are biodegradable.
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Body Merry’s Glycolic Acid Exfoliating Cleanser is number four on this list due to its ability to gently remove dead skin cells from your face while battling tough acne, as well as other skin problems.
By getting rid of the dead skin on your face, your complexion may look brighter and less dull.
The glycolic acid helps remove dead skin with willow bark and jojoba beads.
Jojoba beads are also a great way to exfoliate, as products that have synthetic microbeads can harm the environment.
Plant oils and kojic acid hydrate skin and provide important vitamins and minerals to your skin. Body Merry Glycolic Acid Exfoliating Cleanser may also make skin healthier.
This product is ideal for acne prone skin, as well as oily or dry skin.
If you have sensitive or normal skin, this may not be the best product for you. If you have sensitive skin, be careful when using this product, as overuse may cause irritations.
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The Blemish Control Apricot Scrub from St. Ives is the last product on our list of best face washes for acne prone skin.
This scrub made the list because it contains only natural exfoliants and Salicylic acid.
St. Ives Blemish Control Apricot Scrub cleans deep down into pores to remove dirt, oil and any other gunk that may be living down there.
It also exfoliates the skin using walnut shells to remove all the dead skin cells that could potentially clog your pores.
We love that this face wash doesn’t contain any oil, which means that it won’t leave skin greasy. Greasy skin is much more likely to struggle with acne, so not pumping more oil into the skin is key.
St. Ives Blemish Control Apricot Scrub has a light, apricot scent, which is both pleasant and natural. We love that a tough acne-fighting scrub can smell great and still deliver results.
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The Bottom Line
In conclusion, we have selected Soothing Essentials Facial Cleanser as the best face wash for acne prone skin.
We love this product because it uses soothing ingredients to lessen the irritation caused by breakouts. It also clears up and prevents future breakouts.
While we selected Vidazen’s Soothing Essentials Facial Cleanser as the top product on our list, any of the face washes on this list would be a good choice for someone struggling with acne.
We are confident that you may find a face wash that works on your acne prone skin from this list. If you have any questions, please let us know.
