10 best acne soaps – All from choosing to using them effectively

If you’ve been wondering about choosing the right soap for your acne-prone skin, you’re finally at the right place.

I know how daunting it can turn out to be when besides spending your hard earned money, all you’re left with is an awful soap that does nothing but worsen your acne.

Now before moving on to evaluating the best acne soap for you, let me explain a few important things:

Using an acne-fighting soap is not dumb!

Perish all thoughts that suggest your hygiene has nothing to do with your acne. Choosing a right acne fighting soap is just as important as choosing a right cream, serum, or pill.

But only when you do it the right way…

Let me explain why.

Don’t bother thinking that just by buying and using soap, you’ll be able to eradicate your acne.

The development of your acne has a lot more to do with complex interplay of inner balance of your body than just using a soap topically.

Don’t expect too much from a soap!

Keep in mind that the best a soap can serve is to fade acne causing bacteria, eliminate pore-clogging, moisturize your skin, and keep it clean and refreshed; nothing more than that.

It cannot go deep inside your body to control several internal factors like hormonal imbalance, dietary deficiencies, heredity, stress, etc., that are the root causes of acne. Therefore, an acne-fighting soap can only help in fading your existing lesions and can’t prevent future breakouts.

And that’s where our realistic approach to making use of acne fighting soaps comes into play.

3 Steps for an Effective Use of Anti-Acne Soaps:

Step 1: Don’t neglect the root causes of acne

If you aren’t targeting the main hideout of acne, from where it’s deployed all over your skin, using a soap topically will only put temporary patches on it.

This is a thorough discussion indeed, which is beyond the scope of this post, but you can begin with these handy tips to ensure that you’re also treating your acne internally:

1. Drink lots of water – 12-14 glasses a day: Water helps to dispose of toxic waste, control calories, energize muscles, and most importantly, it helps your skin growth!
2. Eat lots of vegetables and fruits: They’re the biggest source of essential nutrients that are responsible for your well-being. You have to keep a greater percentage of fruits and vegetables in your diet.
3. Exercise on a regular basis: It relieves stress, promotes better sleep, controls your weight, and boosts energy. But don’t allow excessive sweat to buildup on your skin as it might clog your skin pores.

Now let’s go towards the second step.

Step 2: Determine your skin type

This is important if you don’t already know your skin type. It’ll help you in the third step, in which you’ll begin evaluating the right soap for yourself.

You can simply go through the following steps to determine the type of your skin.

1. Thoroughly wash your face.
2. Leave it for an hour and avoid touching your face during this time.
3. Now dab your face with a tissue while paying more attention to the T-area of your face.

Once you’ve done that, the condition of the tissue will determine your skin type:

1. If the tissue is neither flaky nor oily, you most likely have a normal skin.
2. If it feels rather greasy, it’s a sign of oily skin.
3. If the tissue seems flaky or feel taut, you have dry skin.
4. Finally, if the tissue exhibits each of these three traits, you have the most common skin type, i.e. combination skin.

Let’s head on towards the third and the last step.

Step 3: Evaluate the Best Acne Soap for Yourself

You can now begin to choose the best acne fighting soap according to your skin type and needs. Here they are:

1. Cetaphil Gentle Cleansing Bar

If you’ve ever been to a dermatologist, it’s probably not the first time you’ve stumbled upon Cetaphil. This is the brand most of the Derms and Pediatricians love to recommend, and rightly so.

Why? Because it effectively clears your skin of excessive oil and bacteria without drying it out too much.

Best For: Dry and sensitive skin.

Cetaphil products are gentle enough that even a baby’s skin can tolerate it; one mother at Amazon claimed she cleared her daughter’s baby eczema with it. Moreover, I’ve also heard a guy using it as an after-shave – it’s that soothing!

Active Ingredient: Triclosan 0.3% (A prominent ingredient used in most of the soaps, detergents, and surgical treatments as an anti-bacterial and anti-fungal agent.).

Pros:

• It’s fragrance free but still smells nice!
• Leaves your skin with a smooth, soft, and refreshed sensation after rinsing off.
• Can also help with itching problems.
• Can act as your moisturizer.

Cons:

• Can’t remove your makeup well.
• It’s thick and doesn’t lather much like an ordinary soap.
• The bar doesn’t last long; you have to follow the best practices of using soaps.

Directions:

• Nothing fancy, just apply to skin when bathing or washing and rinse.

2. Cetaphil Antibacterial Cleansing Bar

Pretty much the same as the previous one, but this soap is suitable for all skin types and has an additional anti-bacterial property.

3. Grisi Sulfur Soap for Acne

Sulfur is one of the most effective non-prescriptive acne treatments, and this soap makes full use of it. Officially, you’re required to do 1-8 weeks of trial before being able to observe improvement.

Best For: Combination and oily skin.

Not as gentle as Cetaphil, so not a great choice for dry and sensitive skin. But it can do wonders for an oily skin!

Active ingredient: Sulfur/Azufre = 10% Biosulfur = 0.1%

Sulfur is a mild anti-microbial. It is a known inhibitor of the growth of P.acnes (an acne causing bacteria.), which is why most of the anti-acne products make use of it.

Pros:

• The antiseptic and antibacterial properties of the soap clear your skin of excessive oils and dirt.
• Also has anti-fungal properties.
• If used persistently, can do wonders for your acne prone skin.
• Besides using sulfur as an active ingredient, this soap doesn’t smell that

Cons:

• Not for children under 12 years.
• Has lanolin so that it kind of “coats” your skin with a thin film.
• Smell might not inspire all.
• It can leave your skin a bit peeled; use a moisturizer if it does so.

Directions:

• Wet your face (or other body parts) with lukewarm water.
• Apply the soap.
• Leave for 10 minutes (if it doesn’t irritate.).
• Rinse with cold water.

Two washings a day are always sufficient; too much cleansing might further worsen your acne.

4. Neutrogena Transparent Facial Bars, Acne-Prone Skin Formula

Another dermatologist recommended soap that uses a non-medicated formula to combat skin dysfunctions like acne.

Best For: Oily skin, but can be used for other skin types as well.

Active Ingredients: There’s nothing like active or inactive ingredients in it, it’s a long list but there’s no BP or SA for sure. Here are the first four: Tiethanolamine, TEA Stearate, Sodium Tallowate, and Glycerin.

Pros:

• Smell is nice.
• Clears your skin of all pore clogging residues and excessive oils.
• Cleanses effectively and it can easily remove your makeup (unlike cetaphil).
• Doesn’t dry out much but can be over-drying if used along with other treatments.

Cons:

• Size is small as compared to others.
• Makes use of glycerin, which is known to promote milia – you have to be careful of that!
• Hypo-allergenic – means that it is capable of resulting in some allergic reactions.

Directions:

• Wet your face and hands with lukewarm water.
• Lather soap in hands.
• Massage lather onto skin with a gentle, circular motion.
• Rinse with lukewarm water and pat dry with a soft towel.

5. Purpose Gentle Skin Cleansing Bar

Yet another soap loved by the skin experts all over the world. Although not as gentle as cetaphil, if I were to suggest the only soap that could effectively remove your makeup and clear your face of acne, while being gentle enough, I suspect that would be it.

Best For: All skin types, even dry and sensitive skins, but a must have for an oily skin.

Active Ingredients: Again, no active ingredient. Here’s the long list though: Sodium Tallowate, Sodium Cocoate, Water, Glycerin, Fragrance, Sodium Chloride, BHT, Trisodium HEDTA, D&C Yellow 10, and D&C Orange 4.

Pros:

• It lathers up nice and cleanses effectively.
• Removes dirt and oil without over-drying.
• Can be used as a full body soap and help clearing your back acne.
• Can even help with rosacea.
• Effective for all; works for entire family.

Cons:

• Scent is a bit strong.
• In rare cases, it can dry out your skin.
• Increasingly disappearing from stores but you can find them at Amazon!

Directions:

• Wash face with the bar twice a day.
• Rinse with lukewarm water.
• Pat your skin dry.

Upkeep is the key to an acne-clear face; you have to continuously use it for optimum results.

6. Lemongrass & Tea Tree Soap by Nubian Heritage

If you haven’t heard of the benefits of tea tree oil for your acne-prone skin, it’s high time you did. Because of its unique disinfecting and soothing properties, tea tree oil can effectively help in eliminating your acne while not causing further damage to the skin.

And there’s no better option than using this soap to exploit it!

Best For: All skin types.

Ingredients:  There are several, but the prominent ones are: Shea Butter, Coconut Oil and/or Palm Oil, TheobromaCocao, Lemongrass Oil, Tea Tree Oil, Vegetable Glycerin, etc.

Pros:

• Can help bringing down inflammation.
• The best part – it’s all natural.
• It can also help with dark spots.
• Can last for two whole months if you use it twice daily.
• Can soothe rosacea.

Cons:

• It has mixed effects. For some people, it left their skin moisturized, and for others, it dried out their skin.
• If you don’t like strong scents, its smell might irritate you.

Directions:

• Just lather and rinse.

7. Dudu-Osun African Black Soap by Tropical Naturals

You’ve heard enough about U.S. made soaps, now how about the one made in Africa?

Made in Nigeria, in particular, this soap makes full use of all natural ingredients that safeguard you from all skin problems.

Best For: All except very dry and sensitive skin.

Ingredients: Pure Honey, Shea Butter, Osun (camwood), Palm kernel Oil, Cocoa Pod Ash, Palm Bunch Ash, Glycerin, Aloe Vera, Lime Juice and Oil, Lemon Juice and Oil, Water, and Fragrance.

Pros:

• Can fade dark spots and stretch marks.
• Lathers up so well that you only need to just take your wet fingers, run them over the bar a bit, then rub them together and you have enough to wash your face.
• It sounded crazy, but a guy had used THE SAME BAR for almost ONE YEAR.
• Cheaper than the rest.

Cons:

• Can dry out your skin.
• Can cause itchiness and irritation.
• All ingredients are natural except fragrance.

Directions:

• Just use it as a normal soap but try not to apply the product using a cloth towel, use your own hands instead.
• Most of its users feel a burning sensation in the beginning, but they slowly get used to it.
• It’s better to use a good moisturizer after its usage.

But the bottom line is, if it doesn’t respond well in the first usage, stop using it right away.

8. Clinique Acne Solutions Cleansing Bar

Although, Clinique is more popular because of their lotions and perfumes, they also have a nice collection of soaps to help keeping your skin clean and clear.

Best For: All skin types as it comes with four different choices.

1. Extra Mild (For very dry to dry skin)
2. Mild Soap (For dry to combination skin.)
3. Oily Skin Formula (For combination oily and oily skin.)
4. And the one for all skin types.

Ingredients: Sodium Palmate/Cocoate Palm Kernelate, Water, Petrolatum, Glycerin, Sodium Chloride, TrisodiumHedta, Titanium Dioxide, Iron Oxides, Yellow 5.

Pros:

• Separate soaps targeting different skin types.
• Comes with a convenient soap dish.
• Seamlessly removes your makeup.

Cons:

• Quite Pricey.

Directions:

• Use twice a day, morning and night.
• Lather between palms with tepid water.
• Massage over makeup-free face.
• Rinse thoroughly; pat skin dry.
• Choose the right one according to your skin!

9. Defense Soap

Another soap that makes use of tea tree oil and is specially designed to gain anti-fungal and anti-bacterial benefits. Defense soap can also help eliminating acne causing bacteria and help keeping dirt and oils away from your skin.

It’s carefully manufactured to maintain skin friendly pH, which helps in leveling your skin tone.

Best For: Not recommended for dry and sensitive skin but if you use a moisturizer afterwards, you’re good to go.

Active Ingredients: Active-tea tree oil, eucalyptus leaf oil.

Pros:

• It’s a pricey product but lasts for long time and that’s why it’s totally worth it.
• Can help with clearing up skin rashes.
• Can’t just help with acne, but with other diseases like ringworm, and can even help with fungal infection.
• Can also help with treating jock itch.
• The tea tree oil makes it an anti-fungal agent.
• If you have a lot of skin to skin contact or sweat a lot, buy yourself some defense soap.

Cons:

• The smell of Tea Tree Oil and Eucalyptus Oil might irritate you.
• Might not work well with eczema.
• Don’t bother to pay more for defense body soap in search of a better effect. Both defense soap and defense body soap have same effects.
• Doesn’t lather up nicely, but has super rinsing action – great for deep cleansing.

Directions:

• It’s better to use it with a sponge or with gentle scrubbing in circular motions.

10. Aveeno Clear Complexion Cleansing Bar

The flagship product of Aveeno, the Clear Complexion Cleansing Bar, makes use of the pore opening power of salicylic acid, which ensures a deep cleansing that results in clean, fresh, even-looking skin. It is specifically designed to combat acne and has highest SPF (Sun Protection Factor) level of 30, which helps fading sun damage.

Best For: Combination, dry, and oily skin. Not a good choice for sensitive skin.

Active Ingredients: Salicylic Acid (0.5%)

Pros:

• Best buy within the price.
• Even covers acne scars.
• Can even your skin tone.
• Can help in fading acne marks.
• The fragrance is light.

Cons:

• Hypoallergenic
• Can cause dryness if used with any other treatment.

Directions:

• Wash face with cleansing bar.
• Rinse with warm water.
• Pat dry.
• If irritation occurs, use less frequently.

What’s Your Best Acne Soap?

If you think there should be some more worthwhile names added to this list of best acne soaps, you can mention it in the comments below!