Best Acne Body Washes To Get Rid of Pimples

Acne cleansers are the worst. While active ingredients like salicylic acid and benzoyl peroxide are excellent cleaners, they are often combined with strong sulfates — that is, detergents that remove detergents commonly found in dish soaps — and This combination is too dry and uncomfortable for your petite face. Good news? The skin on your chest, back, shoulders, and buttocks is less sensitive, which means an acne body wash won’t completely soothe your breakouts. So, to help you get clear skin fast, I’ve picked out of the best acne body washes that help get rid of blackheads, whiteheads, and excess oil without leaving your skin dry and flaky.

Proactiv Deep Cleansing Body Wash

This skin-growing brand is best known for its facial products, but don’t overlook their body wash. It scores best for preventing and treating existing pimples, blackheads, and whiteheads. Credit combines 2% salicylic acid to help break down excess oil, plus gentle exfoliating particles that help remove pore-clogging dirt and grime.

Murad Acne Body Wash

Okay, do me (and your skin) please by staying away from physical exfoliants. Although your body is tougher than your face, rough scrubs do more harm than good: They can create tiny tears in your skin, strip your skin of its protective barrier, and lead to rashes. more acne. Instead, opt for chemical exfoliants like glycolic and salicylic acids – this acne body wash is full of these – to gently and effectively clean your pores and minimize oil.

Neutrogena Body Clear Acne Treatment Body Wash with Salicylic Acid

A staple in our showers for many years, one we approach this cleaner over and over again. Like many of its counterparts on this list, it also boasts sal acid and is a favorite of New York City dermatologist Dr. Joshua Zeichner for that reason. “Beta-hydroxy acids help remove excess oil and dead skin cells from the surface of the skin to keep pores clear. It can dry out acne you already have and prevent new ones from developing,” he says. This formula also combines moisturizing glycerin and aloe to prevent over-drying and comes in a delicious pink grapefruit variant, both options being super affordable.

CeraVe Renewing SA Cleanser

The main drawback of many zit-zapping ingredients is that they can sometimes over-dry your skin. So happy, no need to worry about it with this guy. Yes, it boasts salicylic acid to fight breakouts, though the addition of three ceramides, along with hyaluronic acid and niacinamide, ensures it stays well-moisturized. The fact that it’s fragrance- and paraben-free just makes it all the more gentle.

CeraVe SA Body Wash for Rough & Bumpy Skin

Another thing about chemical exfoliants: While you can apply them daily to kill off body acne, you’ll want to slowly introduce them into your routine to avoid irritation ( think: every three days until the skin adapts). This pharmacy pick from CeraVe is a great cleanser, as it’s packed with salicylic acid (to gently treat acne and bumps) and ceramides (to hydrate and fortify the protective barrier of your skin).

SheaMoisture African Black Soap Body Wash

African Black Soap is somewhat of a favorite here, thanks to the list of benefits it brings to laundry. (Amongs, heals acne, thanks to its high concentration of antibacterial and anti-inflammatory sulfur.) The straight version can be a bit drying and isn’t a great choice if you have dry skin at first, that’s it. That’s why we appreciate that here it’s paired with super-moisturizing shea butter and aloe, among other things. Final result? Cleaner, less greasy, smoother skin.

Avène Cleanance Cleansing Gel for Face and Body

Not down to treat your body acne with a wash? No problem, as getting plenty of moisturizing ingredients is just as important (and effective) in the fight against breakouts. This gentle shower gel from Avène cleans skin without messing with your pH levels — something that can lead to breakouts — thanks to soothing ingredients like glycerin and spring water.

Humane Acne Wash

As you may have noticed, the majority of the products on this list use salicylic acid. But there’s another top acne ingredient that, for some reason, isn’t often used in body washes. We’re talking about benzoyl peroxide, which has the ability to specifically target acne-causing bacteria and is an effective anti-inflammatory. Here it comes in a strong 10% concentration, which may be a bit too strong for your face but is ideal for the thicker skin on your body.