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Body acne isn’t fun anytime you have it, but it’s especially unwelcome during the summer. Nothing will make you rethink that backless dress more than a backne breakout. Want to wear that cheeky new suit, but don’t want to show the pimples on your posterior? You can wear both confidently if you have an effective acne-fighting body wash.
How To Choose An Acne Body Wash
Just like when you buy acne treatments for your face, you need to consider your skin type and sensitivity when selecting a body wash.
For those with hardy skin, no sensitivity, and a tendency to have severe breakouts, you may want to opt for a body wash with benzoyl peroxide. You want something with at least 5% but no more than 10% benzoyl peroxide. This will reduce the acne-causing bacteria on your skin, without drying out the skin.
If you don’t need a heavy hitter like benzoyl peroxide, you’ll want a body wash that is formulated with chemical exfoliants, such as alpha- and beta-hydroxy acids. A lot of your more traditional acne washes will have 2% salicylic acid to reduce oil production while also removing dead skin cells from the surface of the skin. More of the new cleansers on the market are being formulated with glycolic acid, lactic acid, or a mixture of acids. These new AHA-based body washes will help prevent blemishes, smooth the skin, and will remove dead skin cells from the surface of the skin.
How To Use Acne Body Washes
Now that you have put in the work of picking an acne body wash, you want to make sure you are using it correctly.
Because you want the body wash to clean the surface of your skin, remove built-up oil, and unclog pores you’ll need to leave it on the skin longer. Instead of immediately washing it off, let the body wash sit on your skin for a minute or two before rinsing. This will give the body wash time to do its job without overdrying the skin.
Also, make sure you are using a clean loofah, pouf, or scrubber. No body wash is going to get rid of your acne if you are using a dirty washcloth! I highly recommend using a silicone body scrubber. They are easy to wash and they gently exfoliate.
Top Acne Body Washes
To help you find the best acne body washes for your shower routine, I am pulling from my years of experience in testing out products. I’ve used most of the body washes on this list for several years. For the newer products, I made sure to test them for several weeks. I wanted to make sure I had enough experience with each wash so I can adequately determine how well they cleansed and reduced breakouts, while not drying out my skin. Of the products I tested, the following were the top performing acne body washes:
Neutrogena Body Clear Pink Grapefruit Acne Body Wash
I remember being an acne covered, broke teenager, begging my mom to buy this body wash for me. Thankfully, she relented. I ended up using it from that day until I graduated from college. All of that is to say, I am very familiar with this product and I recommend it to anyone dealing with body acne.
If my personal testimony isn’t enough to convince you, look at the ingredients and formulation. It is formulated with 2% salicylic acid and Vitamin C to unclog pores and reduce oil production. This oil-free body wash rinses clean without leaving a film or stripping the skin.
Mario Badescu A.H.A Botanical Body Soap
Once I was older and didn’t have raging teenage hormones, my body acne was much easier to control. So instead of a salicylic acid body wash, I started looking for a gentler option. I found this particular body wash by accident while shopping at Anthropologie, of all places. I had tried some other acne products from Mario Badescu and liked them, so I gave the A.H.A Botanical Body Soap a try.
Over the years, I have purchased many bottles of this soap. During that time it was reformulated to include glycolic acid, which made it even better. I love that this wash utilizes fruit enzymes and glycolic acid. It also does a great job at lathering and it smells really nice.
Kosas Good Body Skin AHA + Enzyme Exfoliating Body Wash
After having a somewhat disappointing experience with the Necessaire body wash, I was excited when Kosas launched this exfoliating body wash. Finally, a brand was launching a body wash loaded with active chemical exfoliants.
Kosas has packed this body wash with glycolic, lactic, and mandelic acids to smooth and brighten the skin. They added allantoin to soothe and condition the skin.
The scent has notes of jasmine, orange flower, vanilla, and sandalwood. It isn’t my favorite but I like it better than the Necessaire fragrances.
Odele Clarifying Body Wash
The Odele Clarifying Wash was another body wash that I came across randomly. This time I was perusing the new boutique beauty section at Target. I was very shocked to see a drugstore body wash with so many actives in it. Of course, I had to buy it to see how it compared to the Kosas.
The Odele is formulated with glycolic, lactic, and malic acids. On top of that, there is tea tree extract which is antiseptic, antibacterial, and anti-inflammatory.
The scent has notes of orange peel, eucalyptus, bergamot, rosemary, and mint. I really like the combination of the herbal with the citrus. It makes me feel like I am at a spa.
Between the Odele and Kosas, I prefer the Odele, mostly because of the fragrance.
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