Best Acne Body Wash for Men to Clear Bacne

Adam Hurly
·6 min read

Men’s Journal aims to feature only the best products and services. We update when possible, but deals expire and prices can change. If you buy something via one of our links, we may earn a commission. Questions? Reach us at shop@mensjournal.com.

If you regularly deal with body acne (and specifically back acne, or bacne), then you need to get an acne body wash that addresses the problem. Most of us don’t use very many products on our body—perhaps just a body wash and maybe a lotion. With facial acne, on the other hand, we target blemishes with everything from acne spot treatments, pimple patches, face masks, serums, and more. So, that puts added emphasis on your acne body wash, and on the ingredients used in that product.

Read on to learn what to look for when it comes to these active ingredients, and for our top picks for the best acne body wash. Our best overall pick for our 2023 Grooming Awards goes to Geologie Acne Control Superclean Body Wash, which combines two types of exfoliating ingredients in order to prevent and treat acne, while also keeping skin nourished all the while.

How We Tested

At Men's Journal, we’re constantly testing the latest products. Our contributors and editors have more than a decade of grooming coverage under their belt. Whenever something enters the marketplace, it’s also at our desks, and quickly being tested. Think of us as grooming lab rats; we get to enjoy the spoils when something is really great, and endure the agony when a product isn’t up to par.

<p><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Geologie-Acne-Control-Superclean-Body/dp/B0BXFVWDDV?&linkCode=ll1&tag=mj-bestacnebodywash-ahurly-91923-20&linkId=3a9cad52b04b87fbd698d58361806055&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tl" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank" data-ylk="slk:Geologie Acne Control Super Clean Body Wash;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas" class="link ">Geologie Acne Control Super Clean Body Wash</a> combines the pore-clearing powers of salicylic acid with the surface-smoothing skills of glycolic acid, helping to both relieve active breakouts and prevent future ones. Its moisturizing base includes glycerin to ensure that skin stays soft and hydrated throughout the rinsing, and it builds a generous lather to maximize its caddy lifespan.</p><p>[$22; <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Geologie-Acne-Control-Superclean-Body/dp/B0BXFVWDDV?&linkCode=ll1&tag=mj-bestacnebodywash-ahurly-91923-20&linkId=3a9cad52b04b87fbd698d58361806055&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tl" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank" data-ylk="slk:amazon.com;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas" class="link ">amazon.com</a>]</p><p> <strong>View the <a href="https://www.mensjournal.com/grooming/best-acne-body-wash" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank" data-ylk="slk:original article;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas" class="link ">original article</a> to see embedded media.</strong> </p><p> <strong>View the <a href="https://www.mensjournal.com/grooming/best-acne-body-wash" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank" data-ylk="slk:original article;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas" class="link ">original article</a> to see embedded media.</strong> </p>
<p>Courtesy Image</p><p>Most high-grade benzoyl peroxide cleansers are difficult to lather, meaning you go through a lot of product in an effort to cover the body. (That’s also largely why most of them just target the face.) <span>PanOxyl Acne Foaming Wash</span> rectifies this coverage concern, allowing you to distribute the bacteria-tempering ingredient across your body without going through half the bottle. Use it to prevent and reduce chronic, inflammatory conditions, but get a dermo’s input on a bigger solution, since this one rinses away. Just be sure to let it set on your skin for a couple minutes before each rinse.</p><p>[$10; <span>amazon.com</span>]</p><p> <strong>View the <a href="https://www.mensjournal.com/grooming/best-acne-body-wash" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank" data-ylk="slk:original article;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas" class="link ">original article</a> to see embedded media.</strong> </p>
<p>Courtesy Image</p><p><span>Dove Men+Care Advanced Care Acne Clear Cleanser</span> is the liquid equivalent to Dove Men+Care’s ubiquitous bar soaps. Like all Dove products, it has a supremely hydrating formula that leaves skin soft, and is a great way to chase a sweaty workout or sunscreen-slathered beach day, thanks to its gentle 1 percent salicylic acid formula. It’s good for washing the entire body, head to toe (though it’s not a shampoo), so it will also reduce your need for other shower products while lasting a while thanks to its generous size.</p><p>[30, 3-pack; <span>amazon.com</span>]</p><p> <strong>View the <a href="https://www.mensjournal.com/grooming/best-acne-body-wash" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank" data-ylk="slk:original article;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas" class="link ">original article</a> to see embedded media.</strong> </p><p> <strong>View the <a href="https://www.mensjournal.com/grooming/best-acne-body-wash" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank" data-ylk="slk:original article;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas" class="link ">original article</a> to see embedded media.</strong> </p>
<p>Courtesy Image</p><p>Not only is <span>Firsthand Body Cleanser With Activated Charcoal</span> body wash packed with activated charcoal to soak up excess skin oils and clear out your pores, but it also soothes skin with aloe vera (which in turn helps reduce inflammation at the site of any acne). It’s a 100% clean formula that also uses glycerin, chamomile, and various essential oils to deliver a calming, purifying, and toning reset on the skin.</p><p>[$19; <span>amazon.com</span>]</p><p> <strong>View the <a href="https://www.mensjournal.com/grooming/best-acne-body-wash" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank" data-ylk="slk:original article;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas" class="link ">original article</a> to see embedded media.</strong> </p>
<p>Courtesy Image</p><p>Reyal’s products target athletes, and they perform like athletes too. <a href="https://www.reyalperformance.com/products/supreme-sport-cleansing-body-wash" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank" data-ylk="slk:Reyal Supreme Sport Cleansing Body Wash;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas" class="link ">Reyal Supreme Sport Cleansing Body Wash</a> lifts away surface skin cells with lactic acid in order to prevent future cloggings, neutralizes bacteria with peppermint oil, and calms inflammation with cica grass. While it’s not specifically an acne-targeting solution, it is terrific for anyone who isn’t inherently acne-prone and who wants to keep skin clear on a regular basis, especially if they’re working up a sweat every single day.</p><p>[$26; <a href="https://www.reyalperformance.com/products/supreme-sport-cleansing-body-wash" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank" data-ylk="slk:reyalperformance.com;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas" class="link ">reyalperformance.com</a>]</p><p> <strong>View the <a href="https://www.mensjournal.com/grooming/best-acne-body-wash" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank" data-ylk="slk:original article;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas" class="link ">original article</a> to see embedded media.</strong> </p>
<p>Courtesy Image</p><p>There’s a myth that only oily skin experiences acne, whereas dry skin clogs pores just as easily. <span>Cetaphil Gentle Clear Acne-Relief Body Wash With 2% Salicylic Acid</span> provides the maximum amount of OTC intensity from that pore-clearing active ingredient, but in a glycerin and shea butter formula that manages to cushion the driest and most sensitive skin types. Use it year round if your skin is perennially parched, or seasonally if your hide dehydrates in the winter.</p><p>[$10; <span>amazon.com</span>]</p><p> <strong>View the <a href="https://www.mensjournal.com/grooming/best-acne-body-wash" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank" data-ylk="slk:original article;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas" class="link ">original article</a> to see embedded media.</strong> </p>

What to Look for in an Acne Body Wash

Since you should take an ingredients-focused approach, here are the primary options.

1. Salicylic Acid

Salicylic acid is a beta-hydroxy acid (BHA) that helps exfoliate skin cells from the surface of the skin, but also plunges past skin’s lipid layer into the pores, where it frees up any trapped cells and also flushes out sebum (oil) buildup. This yields fewer clogged pores and thus fewer breakouts.

2. Benzoyl Peroxide

Benzoyl peroxide targets inflammatory acne caused by bacteria, and is usually best suited for individuals whose chronic bacne is starting to interfere with their confidence. If other remedies aren’t working, consult with a dermatologist to see if you should try a benzoyl peroxide approach. Be warned: It can stain your towels, so be sure to rinse it fully after letting it set on your skin for a couple minutes (or invest in white towels and sheets). Consider topical/leave-in benzoyl solutions, too, in addition to other dermatologist-recommend solutions such as oral and topical antibiotics.

3. Charcoal or Clay

These two ingredients soak up the excess sebum in your pores without drying out skin, treating breakouts without irritating skin. Charcoal and clay provide a refreshing sense of cleanliness, and are better at preventing breakouts than treating them unless you let them set and dry on the skin like a detoxifying mask, but that's not what body washes are made for.

4. Alpha Hydroxy Acids

Alpha hydroxy acids, or AHAs, are similar to salicylic acid in that they exfoliate skin cells to prevent pores from becoming clogged and, of course, to promote smooth, bright skin. But, unlike salicylic acid, they don't seep into the pores and remain on the surface. So, a body wash with any AHA ingredient (like glycolic acid or lactic acid) will be preventative in nature, unless it also uses salicylic acid or similar oil-balancing ingredients.