Best face wash for acne

Blessed is the woman who doesn’t experience breakouts after her teenage years. Blemishes may be commonly considered a problem for adolescents. Still, most women know (and population studies prove) that blemishes can continue well into your 20s, 30s and beyond.¹

Although breakouts are common, that doesn’t mean you should put up with them. Modern cleansers are smarter than ever before and contain intelligent ingredients which can make breakouts a thing of the past.

In this piece, we’ll reveal the ingredients you should look for, as well as our four best cleansers. Finally, we’ll share our guide on how to properly cleanse the skin.

The best ingredients for blemish-prone skin

Keep your eyes peeled for these soothing ingredients in your cleanser:

• Salicylic acid

A natural exfoliator extracted from the willow or birch tree, salicylic acid effectively penetrating pores to unclog them and remove impurities.

• Alpha hydroxy acids

Alpha hydroxy acids, including glycolic acid, lactic acid and citric acid, are powerful natural, exfoliants that penetrate pores to cleanse, but gently.

• Witch hazel

Witch hazel helps soothe skin affected by breakouts and calm excess redness, resulting in a cleaner, more relaxed skin tone.

Best cleansers for breakouts

These are our top-rated intelligent cleansers to banish acne and leave you glowing:

1. Alba Botanica Acne Deep Pore Wash

This 100% vegetarian and oil-free cleanser contains 2% salicylic acid, which will penetrate your pores and help to keep dirt and germs away. The result? Your skin will feel fresh and revitalised. 

2. Dr Organic Skin Clear Deep Pore Face Wash

Dr Organic’s face wash uses two gentle exfoliants, alpha hydroxy acid and salicylic acid, which penetrate pores to remove dead skin cells and dirt. Although extremely useful, these exfoliants are gentle on the skin. They won’t cause micro-abrasions which negatively impact skin tone, like traditional exfoliants.

3. Clear Skin Days Clarifying Cleanser

Like Dr Organic, this cleanser from Clear Skin Days uses an intelligent, deep exfoliating alpha hydroxy acid and salicylic acid formula. They really don’t use many other ‘filler’ ingredients. As this product is formulated by exfoliating acids and an aloe vera extract, you know that it will penetrate pores to leave brighter, clearer looking skin.

4. Green People Oy! Clear Skin Foaming Face Wash

Be good to the planet and your skin with Green People’s foaming face wash. Scientific studies show that witch hazel, one of the main elements of this face wash, soothes skin to enhance appearance.^2,3

How to wash blemish-prone skin

Here are our top tips for cleansing effectively for clear skin:

1. Always remove make-up before using a cleanser. Use oil or balm and hot cloth, or a water-free cleaner like micellar, to make sure your face is thoroughly cleansed once washed.
2. Then, splash your face with warm water (not too hot, not too cold, as per Goldilocks’ advice – just right), and apply the cleanser.
3. Remove cleanser by lightly splashing your face again, continuously, to thoroughly remove all soap.
4. Finally, gently dab dry with a clean towel. 

Last updated: 27 April 2021