Whether you suddenly had acne as an adult or you’ve been battling pimples for years, acne doesn’t stop anyone. But the right blemish-fighting ingredients can soothe your skin. There are countless acne products on the market (both over-the-counter and prescription), but it’s not always easy to create an acne skincare routine that treats acne. Everyone experiences acne differently, but there’s one product that can help: an effective face cleanser.
Our Good Housekeeping Institute Beauty Lab has decades of experience testing thousands of beauty products, including the best face cleansers. We test face cleansers in our labs and with consumer test panels to see how well they clean and work on different skin types, including oily and acne-prone skin. The following recommendations are based on our recent face cleanser testing and are recommended by GH Beauty Lab scientists, dermatologists, and verified online reviewers. These are the 15 best acne face cleansers you can buy to prevent and treat pimples.
1
Best Acne Cleanser
Vichy Normaderm PhytoAction Daily Deep Cleansing Gel
Vichy’s proven gel cleanser is the top pick of GH Beauty Labs and editors for acne-prone and oily skin. “I especially love this product because it cleanses my skin without drying it out. The salicylic acid helps with my hormonal adult acne,” says GH chemist Danusia Wnek. “And it smells great, too!”
Main ingredient: Salicylic acid
Formula: Gel
Volume: 180 ml
Medical: Yes
2
Cheap Acne Cleanser
Neutrogena Oil-Free Acne Cleanser
Cosmeceutical brand Neutrogena has been on the market for years with its classic Acne Cleansing Gel, and is considered one of the most popular cleansers dermatologists recommend to their acne patients. “The 2% salicylic acid works well without overdrying the skin,” explains Dr. Jeanine B. Downie, board-certified dermatologist and founder of Image Dermatology PC in Montclair, New Jersey. “Most of my patients tolerate it very well.”
Main Ingredient: Salicylic Acid
Formula: Gel
Volume: 260 ml
Medical: Yes
3
Best Acne Cleanser for Dry Skin
CeraVe Acne Foaming Cream
This CeraVe cleanser uses a unique cream-foaming formula with the active ingredient benzoyl peroxide to help treat acne while moisturizing with hyaluronic acid and ceramides. “My skin didn’t feel too dry or irritated, which is what I worry about when considering a peroxide cleanser,” says one Amazon reviewer. “I would definitely buy this again.”
Main Ingredient: Benzoyl Peroxide
Formula Type: Cream
Volume: 140 ml
Medical: Yes
4
Best Acne Cleanser
La Roche-Posay Effaclar Medicated Acne Cleansing Gel
La Roche-Posay’s cleansing gel is a highly rated acne cleanser on Amazon, with over 8,000 five-star reviews. It fights acne with salicylic acid and, according to clinical trials, reduces excess oil. Best of all, it’s gentle enough for people with acne and sensitive skin, thanks to its non-comedogenic formula with hydrating glycerin. “It’s very gentle, lathers well, and leaves my face feeling very clean without feeling tight or dehydrated,” says one Amazon reviewer. Another adds, “This cleanser has worked better for my adult acne than anything else I’ve tried.”
Main ingredient: Salicylic acid
Formula: Gel
Volume: 180 ml
Medical: Yes
5
Best Acne Cleanser for Sensitive Skin
Restorsea Revitalizing Cleanser
This powerful cleansing gel is easily Dr. Downey’s favorite cleanser for all skin types—even acne-prone skin. “It gently exfoliates the skin, and it also contains vitamin C to brighten the skin.” She appreciates its effective deep cleansing combined with its gentleness for everyday use: the matsutake tightens the skin without drying it out, while the gentle gel formula won’t irritate it.
Main ingredient: Matsutake mushroom
Formula: Gel
Volume: 200 ml
Medical: No
6
Best cleanser for acne and blemishes
SkinMedica AHA & BHA Exfoliating Cleanser
This effective cleanser does double duty as it contains a high concentration of alpha hydroxy acids, including lactic, glycolic, citric and malic acids, as well as salicylic acid, a beta hydroxy acid that exfoliates the skin and unclogs pores. Dr. Downey is pleased that it “improves acne, skin tone (i.e. dark spots) and skin texture all at once.”
Main ingredient: Salicylic acid, glycolic acid
Formula type: Oil
Volume: 170 ml
Medical: No
7
Best cleanser for hormonal acne
Bioderma Sebium H2O Micellar Cleansing Solution
This gentle micellar water from Bioderma removes makeup, dirt and impurities to prevent clogged pores without drying out the skin – a key factor in hormonal acne. “My skin felt clean and moisturized before washing it off,” says one Dermstore user. Application is super easy: Just wipe it on with a cotton pad – no rinsing required.
Main ingredient: Micellar water
Formula type: Liquid
Volume: 470 ml
Medical: No
8
Best cleanser for teens with acne
Clearasil Rapid Repair Deep Cleansing Face Wash
Walmart bestseller – for good reason: This powerful Clearasil cleansing gel with salicylic acid quickly reduces acne in just 12 hours. “I would recommend this to anyone who wants to get rid of acne or even just a few blemishes,” says one Walmart reviewer. “It works really fast, just as it says on the bottle.” Note: This formula can be drying to the skin, so be sure to follow with a good moisturizer.
Main ingredient: Salicylic acid
Formula type: Cream
Volume: 180 ml
Medical: Yes
9
Best cleanser for soothing acne
Aloisia Beauty REFRESH Jade Purifying Cleanser
This cleanser contains gentle ingredients like jade water, lotus, and green tea to soothe and brighten skin. “While it’s a little pricey, it’s gentle and lightweight, yet it thoroughly cleans my pores and leaves my complexion radiant without the irritation or redness that you get with most cleansers,” says GH deputy editor Annie O’Sullivan. It combines an invigorating, light citrus scent with gentle cleansing properties to lather and thoroughly cleanse skin.
Key Ingredients: Jade Water, Green Tea, Ceramides
Formula Type: Liquid
Volume: 200 ml
Medical: No
10
Best Exfoliating Cleanser for Acne
Glytone Acne Cleanser
Thanks to its salicylic and glycolic acid content, this Dermstore-rated Glytone cleanser treats acne and exfoliates at the same time. Not only does it cleanse my complexion, it also improves my skin’s texture. “I love this cleanser because it leaves my skin smooth and refreshed,” says one Dermstore reviewer.
Key Ingredients: Salicylic Acid, Glycolic Acid
Formula: Gel
Volume: 180 ml
Medical: Yes
11
Best Acne Cleanser for Combination Skin
PCA Skin BPO 5% Cleanser
Recommended by Nordstrom, this PCA Skin cleanser is packed with benzoyl peroxide, a powerful acne-fighting ingredient that can treat even the most stubborn acne. It also contains gluconolactone, which soothes and moisturizes the skin while fighting acne. “I have dry and oily skin, so I break out a lot,” says one Nordstrom reviewer. “Since buying this cleanser, I haven’t had a breakout in ages!”
Key Ingredients: Benzoyl Peroxide
Formula Type: Liquid
Volume: 200 ml
Medical: Yes
12
Best Face Cleanser for Acne and Pore Removal
Murad Purifying Cleanser
Even if you can’t shrink your pores, a deep pore cleanser like Murad can help improve their appearance. This bestselling formula from Sephora does just that—it contains two different types of salicylic acid that penetrate deep into the skin to unclog pores and eliminate acne-causing bacteria. “I’ve never used a product that reduces blackheads and pores so effectively!” raves one Sephora reviewer.
Main Ingredient: Salicylic Acid
Formula Type: Cream
Volume: 180 ml
Medical: Yes
Thirteen
Best Face Cleanser for Adults Against Acne
DERMAdoctor Medical Grade AHA/BHA Acne Cleanser
Want to have smooth skin and prevent acne at the same time? No problem. Dermadoctor’s powerful, soothing Acne Cleanser features salicylic acid and witch hazel as its main ingredients. “No other product I’ve tried has worked this well for adult acne,” one Amazon reviewer said. “I suffer from adult acne that comes and goes,” added another. “This is the only product that works for me.”
Main Ingredients: Salicylic Acid, Witch Hazel
Formula Type: Gel
Volume: 200 ml
Medical: Yes
14
Best Acne Cleansers
PanOxyl Acne Foaming Cleanser
This GH Beauty Lab recommended foaming cleanser contains the maximum allowed concentration of benzoyl peroxide (10%) and can also be used on the chest and back. One Amazon reviewer wrote, “This is the only cleanser my husband has used without breaking out.”
Main ingredient: Benzoyl peroxide
Formula type: Cleansing foam
Volume: 155 ml
Medical: Yes
15
Best Foaming Cleansers for Acne
La Roche-Posay Toleriane Purifying Foaming Cleanser
This non-medicated cleanser is a GH Beauty Lab favorite; the formula is gentle yet effective. It’s suitable for all skin types and is free of oils, sulfates, and fragrances. “It doesn’t irritate my acne-prone skin,” says Wnek. “When I use my acne leave-in treatment or a quick face wash in the morning, this product leaves my skin feeling clean and removes excess oil without over-drying it.”
Key Ingredients: Ceramides, Niacinamide
Formula Type: Foaming Wash
Volume: 390 ml
Medical: No
How to Choose the Best Face Cleanser for Acne
The Good Housekeeping Institute Beauty Lab has decades of experience testing face and body washes from drugstore brands and high-end lines for cleansing and skin compatibility. While our Beauty Lab scientists haven’t formally tested acne-fighting face washes specifically, they have tested hundreds of cleansing products over the years, considering factors like texture, scent, and effectiveness in removing makeup, impurities, and excess oil.
Traditionally, the Good Housekeeping Institute Beauty team labels products to avoid brand bias before distributing them to hundreds of consumers across the country. Testers use the products in their daily skincare routines. Based on all this data, the Beauty Lab makes recommendations. Above you’ll see a selection of tested products, verified reviews, and dermatologist recommendations.
What to look for when shopping for the best face cleanser for acne
✔️ Acne-fighting ingredients: When choosing the best face cleanser for acne, look for certain ingredients, such as salicylic acid, glycolic acid, benzoyl peroxide, or sulfur, Dr. Downey advises. These high-quality acne-fighting ingredients are found in cleansers and skincare products and can absorb excess oil, unclog pores, and remove dead skin cells and bacteria for clearer skin.
✔️ Gentle formula: “Foaming cleansers are generally gentler, while gel cleansers are more irritating,” Dr. Downey explains. She recommends foaming cleansers for dry and sensitive skin and gel cleansers for oily skin.
How to use a face cleanser to best treat acne?
Once you find the right cleanser, you should know how to use it properly. Dr. Downey recommends using an acne-fighting face cleanser twice a day if your skin can tolerate it (up to three times a day if you sweat a lot or are physically active). However, since not all acne is the same, the cleanser you use will also depend on your skin type. For dry or sensitive skin, we recommend using a regular, gentle cleanser in the morning and an acne cleanser at night to remove the day’s impurities.
Can face cleansers get rid of acne scars?
While acne cleansers with FDA-approved active ingredients like benzoyl peroxide and salicylic acid can treat acne, Wnek notes that over-the-counter leave-on products with these ingredients may be able to treat acne faster because “the active ingredients stay on the skin longer than rinse-off cleansers,” she explains.
Why trust Good Housekeeping?
The beauty experts at the Good Housekeeping Institute compiled their recommendations for the best face cleansers for acne. The people responsible for this list include freelance beauty editor Dori Price, who has more than 15 years of experience researching and writing about skincare; beauty assistant Catharine Malzahn, who works closely with the Beauty Lab to provide fact-based, science-backed beauty coverage; and chemist Danusia Wnek from the GH Beauty, Health & Sustainability Lab, who has been testing skincare products at GH for more than seven years, including serums, facial oils, and more. Wnek also frequently reviews the benefits of skincare ingredients like vitamin C, retinol, and niacinamide.
To round out our expert picks, we also added medical specialists. Jeanne B. Downey is the founder of Image Dermatology PC in Montclair, New Jersey.
