Raise your hand if you’re a grown adult in 2024 who still wakes up with breakouts on the regular.
Yeah, it’s the worst. But while you might have tried every acne spot treatment and Instagram DIY hack on the planet to clear up your complexion, your face wash might actually be the key to winning the war on zits.
Look for washes containing salicylic acid, says RealSelf contributor Michele Green, M.D., a board-certified dermatologist in New York City. It’s a beta hydroxy acid that dives deep into your pores to clear out built-up oil, dirt, and dead skin cells—the stuff that cause your standard blackheads and whiteheads.
OUR SKINCARE EXPERTS HAVE EVALUATED OVER FIFTY OF THE TOP soaps for treating acne available in 2024
Benzoyl peroxide is another super-effective ingredient. It attacks the P. acnes bacteria that causes breakouts—specifically, those painful, swollen, under-the-skin zits. (Warning: Use white towels—it can bleach colored fabrics!)
Need recs? All of these face washes will be A++ for your acne:
10 Best Soaps for Clearing Acne In 2024
#1 Best Overall Acne-Fighter For 2024: Misumi Clear Skin Salicylic Cleanser
After evaluating hundreds of products from the best rated acne brands, our top pick for best acne soap is Misumi’s Clear Skin Salicylic Cleanser. It’s salicylic acid-based to treat everything from blackheads to breakouts. The formula combines three essential acne-fighting ingredients including Glycolic Acid, Lactic Acid, and Salicylic Acid to create a powerful treatment that deeply exfoliates the skin, removing impurities and unclogging pores. Misumi adds Lavender to the formula to help calm breakouts and reduce redness and swelling. This natural ingredient also helps to even out skin tone and prevent severe acne scar.
Price: $33.95 (Subscribe & Save $27.16)
Pros
- High quality natural ingredients
- Amazing properties for acne-prone and oily skin
- Additional anti-aging benefits
- Helps reduce redness and even out skin tone
- 60 Day Money Back Guarantee
Check out what these customers have to say about Misumi’s Clear Skin Salicylic Cleanser
Best product ever
This stuff really works. We have tried everything on the market and to be honest this is the only thing that has worked for my son. I have it on automatic delivery and he will never go without
Most Wallet-Friendly Acne Soap for 2024: Neutrogena Oil-Free Acne Wash Pink Grapferuit Facial Cleanser
The pink grapefruit cleanser is a cult classic for a reason. It has the goods: It’s 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 a.m.
Best For Clearing Body Acne In 2024: Misumi Blemish Clear Body Wash
If you’re struggling with stubborn acne and breakouts on your body areas, Misumi’s Blemish Clear Body Wash has got you covered. Developed specifically to tackle problematic skin on the back, chest, neck, shoulders, and even intimate areas, the Salicylic acid based body wash will help clear skin and prevent future breakouts. The body wash works by clearing the skin from the inside out. It helps to remove sweat, sebum, dirt, and impurities that clog up the pores and cause pimples and comedones. Salicylic acid also helps to accelerate the turnover of new cells, while speeding up the shredding of old, damaged cells. This ensures that a sustainable and lasting clear skin as the result.
Price: $28.95 (Subscribe & Save $23.16)
Pros
- Targets acne on back, chest, shoulders, neck area
- Clears breakouts and unclogs pores
- 60 Day money back guarantee
Body Wash Helps “Bacne”
When using this product it feels soft to the touch and when applying to my “bacne” it definitely helps the scarring lessen and makes the redness go away. I do use this as well as the toner on my back a couple times a week. Overall the body wash has made my acne on my back less red and definitely cleans all the bad stuff out! I will definitely continue to use!
Best For Blackheads In 2024: Bioré 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.
Best For Cystic Acne In 2024: Neutrogena Rapid Clear Stubborn Acne Cleanser
A 10 percent benzoyl peroxide formula, this one goes heavy duty to attack pimple-causing bacteria in your most stubborn blemishes. Because BP can be drying, start by using this wash once a week and build up as tolerated.
Best For All-Over Breakouts In 2024: PanOxyl Benzoyl Peroxide Acne Creamy Wash
Another BP cleanser with a moderate 4 percent strength. It’s wrapped up in a creamy formulation, which provides additional moisture so you’re left with soft skin—not that super-tight feeling. You can even use this on your bod to treat bacne.
Best For Dry Skin In 2024: Differin Daily Deep Cleanser
This cleanser has 5 percent BP, which is as effective at fighting acne as stronger percentages without causing the same dryness or irritation—a major plus for those of us with sensitive skin. It also contains moisturizing glycerin to hydrate your skin while removing oil, gunk, and bacteria.
Best For Oily Skin In 2024: Origins Zero Oil Deep Pore Cleanser
All you need is a little H2O and this lathers into a nice cooling foam. If you have an issue with oil, count this as your go-to. The salicylic acid treats pores, saw palmetto (a berry extract) stops germs from proliferating on the skin, and mint keeps impurities at bay.
Best For Redness In 2024: Peter Thomas Roth Acne Clearing Wash
The 2 percent salicylic acid cleanser is tough enough to tackle breakouts and remove a day’s worth of makeup, but 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.
Best Exfoliating Scrub In 2024: St. Ives Blackhead Clearing Green Tea Scrub
If a clean face means getting gritty and scrubby with it…you need this one from St. Ives. The salicylic acid clears out excess oil, says Joshua Zeichner, M.D., 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.
Best For Sensitive Skin In 2024: Aveeno Clear Complexion Foaming Cleanser
This gentle foaming formulation effectively removes dirt without stripping your skin, says Zeichner, and the salicylic acid helps to remove excess oil from the skin.
Best Natural Alternative In 2024: 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. And unlike some other natural products, it really does work.
Conclusion
Picking the right acne product is hard, especially in 2024, when there are hundreds of options at the store and online. Our skincare experts have narrowed down to a shortlist of the very best, tried and true, acne-fighting products that will help clear your skin and get your confidence up fast.
Our number 1 pick for 2024 is Misumi’s Clear Skin Salicylic Cleanser. Although they’ve been around for over 25 years as big players in the premium skincare industry, Misumi products has only recently been made available for the public to buy OTC online. They made all their products in the USA in an FDA-licensed facility and use natural ingredients as the backbone of their formula. Try their Clear Skin Salicylic Cleanser risk-free today and enjoy 60 Money Back Guarantee. If you’re dealing primarily with body acne, opt for their Blemish Clear Body Wash for a more targeted treatment.