9 best dermatologist-backed and editor-tested acne body washes

Body acne is a particularly cruel joke. It sneaks up on you, shows up uninvited to the beach, and makes you second-guess every tank top. As someone who tests beauty products for a living, I’ve tried everything short of holy water.

The best body wash for acne isn’t always the strongest, it’s the one that can kill bacteria without torching your moisture barrier. So I spent months testing formulas across my shoulders, back, chest, and yes, my butt. We consulted dermatologists, dug through clinical studies, and pushed every one of these products through my over-sensitive, breakout-prone skin. Plus, Papri Sarkar, MD, Massachusetts-based board-certified dermatologist specializing in cosmetic dermatology, hand-picked a few of our tried-and-true options for you to shop from below.

“You should use a body wash for acne-prone skin one to two times per day based on need; lifestyle affects this recommendation such as how much someone works out and the use of occlusive clothing,” Roberta Del Campo, MD, board-certified dermatologist, told the New York Post. “Severity of the acne and also skin type will also play a role.”

Our team of board-certified dermatologists outline what to know about ingredients, usage and more in our in-depth FAQ section on body washes for acne-prone skin. If you’re looking for the best acne body wash for men, women, sensitive skin, or something that won’t strip you down to ash, I’ve got you. Here are the absolute best options, based on science, not TikTok.

This is the gold standard. Benzoyl peroxide has been clinically proven to reduce acne-causing bacteria (C. acnes) and inflammation at concentrations as low as 2.5%, though 10% is the dermatologist-recommended strength for body use. The creamy foam penetrates pores without harsh scrubbing, and it’s fragrance-free — ideal for sensitive, inflamed skin.

“This product contains either four or 10% benzoyl peroxide and has a good lather which is important to a lot of my patients,” Dr. Sarkar says. “It can be quite drying though so it’s not the best option for dry or sensitive skin.”

I wasn’t prepared for how quickly this cleared up my shoulders. After years of flaky trial-and-error, PanOxyl worked like it had a vendetta against my acne. It’s not a glamorous wash — no scent, no aesthetic — but it performs like it’s got something to prove. My only warning? It bleaches anything it touches when wet or sweated through, including your towels and your partner’s hoodie. Still, worth the casualties. This is my go-to recommendation when friends say, “Nothing works.”

Active ingredients: 10% Benzoyl Peroxide | Size: 5.5 oz | Best for: Moderate to severe body acne, particularly on the back

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This budget-friendly formula uses 2% salicylic acid to unclog pores, reduce oil, and gently exfoliate the skin without tearing it apart. Unlike many SA washes, this one lathers nicely and rinses clean.

If this had existed when I was a teenager, my high school gym class might not have been so traumatizing. It’s lightweight, doesn’t reek of chemicals, and it’s kept my breakouts from going full Armageddon. I used it daily for two weeks during a period of harder workouts and noticed fewer clogged pores around my chest and bra strap area. For less than $10, it’s giving clinical results with drugstore prices — and honestly, that’s the dream.

Active ingredients: 2% Salicylic Acid | Size: 8.5 oz | Best for: Daily maintenance or mild breakouts

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While not an active acne treatment, this serum-infused body wash deeply hydrates with niacinamide, glycerin, and vitamin B3 complex, all of which support a healthier skin barrier—essential if you’re using acne actives like benzoyl peroxide or salicylic acid. One recent study noted that maintaining skin hydration improves both tolerability and adherence to acne regimens.

This is my nightly insurance policy. When I’ve overexfoliated or my skin feels tight from back-to-back acne treatments, the Olay Super Serum Body Wash brings me back to baseline. It smells rich and clean—like a 5-star hotel’s towel closet—and leaves my skin noticeably softer without any residue. While it won’t clear your breakouts, it will make your skin feel like it deserves to be touched again. I rotate it in on off-days to give my skin a break from the hard stuff.

Active ingredients: Niacinamide, Glycerin, Vitamin B3 Complex | Size: 20 oz | Best for: Rehydrating between acne treatments, dryness-prone or sensitized skin

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This is the triple-threat: salicylic acid, glycolic acid, and date seed powder for physical + chemical exfoliation. Glycolic acid dissolves dead skin cells, helping other actives penetrate better.

“This formulation hits acne with multiple ingredients to get it under control,” Sarkar says. “It contains salicylic acid and glycolic acid and also contains fine date seed extracts for some mechanical exfoliation.” Not to mention, she says this is great for those who don’t feel like their body wash is working unless it has a scrubbing component, as is the case with this formulation.

I use this when I’m in a “everything must be fixed right now” mood. The scent is spa-like, the texture is luxe, and the payoff is instant. After just one use, my skin looked smoother and felt softer. After a week, clogged pores around my hips and butt started to shrink. It’s aggressive in the best way — don’t use it daily unless you want your skin begging for mercy, but once or twice a week? Game-changer.

Active ingredients: 1% Salicylic Acid, Glycolic Acid, Date Seed Powder | Size: 8.5 oz | Best for: Congested skin, thickened bumps, post-workout acne

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CeraVe combines 3 key ingredients — salicylic acid, ceramides, and niacinamide — for an approach that clears pores while repairing your barrier. It’s fragrance-free and dermatologist-developed, so it won’t irritate large areas like your back and shoulders.

“Although this body wash is marketed for keratosis pilaris (KP) or strawberry skin, it doubles nicely as an acne wash,” Sarkar says. “The 2% salicylic acid helps to prevent and treat blackheads while ceramides help to rehydrate skin.”

This one earns permanent real estate in my shower. When my upper back flares up — usually from sweat, stress, or a constricting sports bra — I reach for this immediately. It’s like pressing a reset button without triggering a new wave of irritation. No fragrance means it plays nice with my perfume, and the lather is gentle but substantial. Plus, it helped with some rough KP patches on my arms, so it’s pulling double duty.

Active ingredients: 2% Salicylic Acid, Niacinamide, Ceramides | Size: 10 oz | Best for: Back and shoulder acne, keratosis pilaris

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Made with 99% natural ingredients and 1% salicylic acid derived from willow bark, a proven treatment for mild acne vulgaris, this is a gentle, plant-powered cleanser. Tea tree oil adds antibacterial effects, and the formula avoids sulfates and parabens.

I kept this one in my partner’s shower and ended up stealing it back. It smells like a fancy green juice bar and gives me that post-yoga glow even when I haven’t worked out in days. I wouldn’t use it as a solo treatment for serious flare-ups, but it’s perfect for maintenance. If your skin is reactive, or you’re just trying to clean up your ingredients list, this one checks every crunchy-yet-effective box.

Active ingredients: 1% Salicylic Acid (Willow Bark) | Size: 12 oz | Best for: Holistic routines, sensitive acne-prone skin

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Formulated for very dry to eczema-prone skin, this gentle foaming body wash is free of fragrance, sulfates, and parabens — but still gets credit for helping with acne-adjacent issues like post-inflammatory redness, dryness, and barrier compromise. It contains niacinamide, shea butter, and La Roche-Posay’s prebiotic thermal water, which together calm inflammation and support healthy skin flora. While it doesn’t contain traditional acne actives, it’s ideal for those whose breakouts are triggered by over-cleansing or harsh scrubs. Dermatologists frequently recommend this product for barrier repair and inflammation-prone skin.

When my skin’s in full rebellion mode — red, dry, itchy, maybe breaking out just to prove a point — this is the only thing I can reach for. It lathers lightly, rinses clean, and somehow makes my skin feel hydrated before I even apply lotion. It’s not going to shrink a zit overnight, but it’s the rare body wash that truly calms my skin down. I use it whenever I’ve overdone it with exfoliants or need to reset completely. This is the training-wheels cleanser that your skin actually respects.

Active ingredients: Niacinamide, Shea Butter, Glycerin, Thermal Spring Water | Size: 13.52 oz | Best for: Sensitive, reactive skin that still needs a deep (but kind) clean

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This powerhouse scrub uses a dual-action blend of physical and chemical exfoliants to break down keratin buildup and slough away dead skin cells — the root causes of both ingrown hairs and clogged pores. It combines 10% alpha hydroxy acids (glycolic + lactic acid) with pumice buffing beads to clear follicles and prevent hair from getting trapped beneath the skin. Glycolic acid is clinically proven to accelerate cell turnover and reduce follicular occlusion. Plus, the formula is fragrance-free, non-sensitizing, and safe for use on the bikini line, butt, and back.

It obliterates ingrown hairs on my legs and bikini line and softens clogged, bumpy patches on my arms and shoulders. I use it 2–3 times a week, focusing on problem zones — especially after shaving or wearing tight gym clothes. The grainy texture is intense but satisfying, and the AHAs do their thing without leaving me red or raw. It’s not marketed as an acne wash, but if your breakouts lean more “clogged and textured” than inflamed, this is your silent assassin.

Active ingredients: 10% AHA (Glycolic Acid, Lactic Acid), Pumice | Size: 8 oz | Best for: Bikini line, booty, back of arms — anywhere rough, bumpy, or prone to ingrowns

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This is not a wash, but a solid bar cleanser containing 2% pyrithione zinc, which targets fungal acne (Malassezia folliculitis) and seborrheic dermatitis — two often-misdiagnosed causes of body breakouts. The Vanicream brand is beloved by derms for being irritant-free: no dyes, fragrances, lanolin, parabens, or formaldehyde.

This is the “maybe it’s not acne” bar. When my breakouts weren’t responding to salicylic acid or benzoyl peroxide, this cleared things up in under a week — especially on my chest and upper back. It’s kind of boring, sure, but who cares? It works, doesn’t sting, and lasts forever in the shower. And since it’s a bar, I can travel with it without leaking blue goo all over my toiletries. When I’m dealing with dermatitis or fungal acne and trying to discern my issue from other acne types and these, this is what I reach for.

Active ingredients: 2% Pyrithione Zinc | Size: 3.36 oz | Best for: Fungal acne, ultra-sensitive or eczema-prone skin

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How we tested

We didn’t just suds up once and call it a day — I put these acne body washes through what I lovingly refer to as my skin’s gladiator pit. Over the course of three months, I rotated products weekly (or biweekly if results took longer to show), tracked flare-ups with obsessive notes, and made sure to isolate each formula in its own testing window. Here’s what that looked like:

• Tried each wash for at least 7 consecutive days, often longer, to gauge both short-term effects (e.g., reduced inflammation) and long-term shifts (e.g., less congestion, fewer breakouts).
• Paired each product with a consistent routine: gentle, fragrance-free body moisturizer; daily SPF on exposed areas; and no additional active treatments to prevent interference.
• I took notes on:
  • Breakout activity: New pimples? Faster healing time? Decrease in deep, cystic ones?
  • Skin feel post-wash: Tightness, itchiness, residue, softness.
  • Fragrance and lather: Did it make my bathroom smell like a lab or a spa?
  • Tolerability: Any irritation, redness, peeling, or burning?
• Cross-referenced with clinical literature on active ingredient efficacy, including:

I’ve got combination skin that’s both acne-prone and easily dehydrated (the skincare equivalent of a drama queen), so if these passed my test, they’ll probably pass yours too.

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An FAQ on Body Washes for Acne-Prone Skin

Ahead, our team of board-certified dermatologists explain the ins and outs of body washes specifically formulated for acne-prone skin.

How to tell if you have acne-prone skin, per dermatologists

First things first: How do I know if I have acne-prone skin? A common misconception is that oily skin is synonymous with acne-prone skin, but they’re not one and the same.

“By definition, to have acne-prone skin, you must have comedones (white heads and black heads- blocked pores),” Dr. Del Campo tells The Post. “Those with acne-prone skin tend to have inflammation in the skin, redness and possible tenderness associated with lesions. Those with ‘sensitive skin’ will also notice redness and or more reactive skin.”

However, if you don’t have comedones, you’re technically not labeled as having acne-prone skin.

“Acne-prone skin basically just means that your skin is more likely to get acne than the average person’s,” Sarkar further explains. “For example, although coconut oil is a fine makeup remover for some patients, for acne-prone patients, they are more likely to get acne in response to using that.”

Similarly, those with acne-prone skin may be more likely to get clogged pores, often have more oily skin and might respond with acne during stressful times. “Sensitive skin is more reactive than the average person’s,” Sarkar adds. “A patient with sensitive skin may react with dry patches, redness, acne, hives or a rash to common situations or products.”

Certainly, there’s overlap between acne-prone and sensitive skin. “Some patients respond with acne to many triggers making their skin more reactive or sensitive than other patient’s,” she adds.

What to look for in a body wash for acne-prone skin, per dermatologists

It’s important to note that just because a body wash says it’s great for acne on its product label doesn’t necessarily mean it is. That said, shopping for a quality body wash apt for acne-prone skin requires a careful look at its ingredient list.

Luckily, New York Post Shopping and our team of dermatologists carefully vetted the handful of best products to shop from above. There are some key elements to keep in mind, though.

“Ingredients to combat bacteria-causing acne — such as benzoyl peroxide can be effective,” Del Campo shares. “I also like alpha and beta hydroxy acids such as salicylic acid or glycolic acid to cut oiliness and exfoliate the skin to minimize the risk of blocked pores; blocked pore come from trapped dirt, debris and oil.”

Keep in mind that both glycolic and salicylic acid are known to dry out the skin, so be careful when using in excess — if you have dry and/or sensitive skin, that is — and be sure to follow up with a body lotion post-shower for more hydration.

Aside from benzoyl peroxide, other ingredients to look for when seeking out an acne body wash are sodium hypochlorite and lactic acid. “In general, since the skin on the body is less sensitive and thicker than the skin on the face, body acne washes often have higher concentrations of these ingredients than their facial wash counterparts,” Sarkar notes,

What are the benefits of using a body wash for acne-prone skin?

Even the best body wash won’t clear acne overnight, but these formulations offer plenty of cleansing and skin-boosting benefits.

“The benefits of using body washes are that you can easily apply actives to your skin (you’re naked already and all of your skin is easy to lather up in the shower), you can use more irritating ingredients as you’re applying them for a short while and then washing them off and it’s easy to apply to large amounts of surface area at a time,” Sarkar lists. “Essentially it’s a twofer: you’re showering to clean your body and, by using an acne body wash, you’re getting to clean your body and treat your acne at the same time.”

How often should I use a body wash on my acne-prone skin?

Of course, usage depends on how severe your acne is, how sensitive or reactive your skin is and how often you shower.

“In general, unless your skin is very sensitive, if you have body acne that is bothering you, using an acne body wash every other day is a good bet, Sarkar recommends. “As with all skincare though, tailor your routine to your skin. If your skin is irritated, use less frequently. Similarly, if your skin is handling your acne body wash without a hiccup, you might be able to use daily.”

Can I shave when using a body wash for acne-prone skin?

According to Del Campo, shaving can be done immediately after using your favorite body wash for acne-prone skin.

“I recommend shaving afterward as bacteria and dirt will be wiped from the skin so, if microscopic openings from the shaving are introduced to the skin, the bacteria will not enter the skin,” she explains.  “It’s interesting to note that the shaving process can also act as a mechanical exfoliant.”

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