For most faces, the best benzoyl peroxide wash is CeraVe Acne Foaming Cream Cleanser: 4% benzoyl peroxide in a creamy wash with ceramides, niacinamide and hyaluronic acid. For the back and chest, PanOxyl Acne Foaming Wash at 10% is the classic, and 10% is the highest strength you can buy without a prescription. If your skin gets irritated easily, start lower with Cetaphil Gentle Clear at 2.6%. The other four fill in the gaps: a 4% wash for oily skin, a 5% for the middle ground, a non-foaming 5% made for leave-on time, and a 3.5% that doubles as a mask. Every one is an over-the-counter acne drug with a Drug Facts label, and none of them is on the FDA’s benzoyl peroxide recall list. A wash won’t fix deep, painful acne. That needs a dermatologist.
The seven at a glance
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1. CeraVe Acne Foaming Cream Cleanser
CeraVe Acne Foaming Cream Cleanser is the one we’d buy for a typical face. The active is 4% benzoyl peroxide. Around it sit three ceramides, niacinamide and hyaluronic acid, which is CeraVe’s way of trying to offset the dryness benzoyl peroxide is known for. CeraVe calls it non-comedogenic.
Directions are simple: a dime-size amount on damp skin, massage, rinse, morning and evening, starting once a day. If you like the texture but need more strength for your body, CeraVe also makes a 10% version, the Acne Foaming Cream Wash, with the same ceramide, niacinamide and hyaluronic acid lineup.
2. PanOxyl Acne Foaming Wash
PanOxyl Acne Foaming Wash is the maximum-strength classic: 10% benzoyl peroxide, labeled for face and body. It’s also one of the least expensive washes here. The label tells you to massage it in for one to two minutes before rinsing, longer than most washes ask for, which suits the back and chest. PanOxyl says its washes contain moisturizers to help with dryness.
We wouldn’t start a sensitive face here. Our guide to cleansers for acne-prone skin makes the same call: PanOxyl’s 4% creamy wash is the saner face option, and the 10% earns its keep below the neck. The label also says to ask a health professional before use if you’re pregnant or breastfeeding.
3. Cetaphil Gentle Clear BPO Acne Cleanser
At 2.6%, Cetaphil Gentle Clear BPO Acne Cleanser is the lowest strength here, and that’s the point. Dermatologists suggest starting at 2.5% to avoid dry, irritated skin and burning, and this is about as close as a wash gets. Zinc gluconate and a licorice-root derivative are in the formula, and the tube is marketed for sensitive skin.
One trade-off to know: like every wash here, its label still says not to use it if you have very sensitive skin. “Gentle” isn’t a free pass. The directions call for 20 to 30 seconds of massage, then rinse, up to twice a day.
4. La Roche-Posay Effaclar 4% Benzoyl Peroxide Acne Face Wash
La Roche-Posay Effaclar 4% Benzoyl Peroxide Acne Face Wash pairs 4% benzoyl peroxide with niacinamide and capryloyl salicylic acid, also called LHA, a salicylic acid relative that’s listed as an inactive ingredient here. That makes it a good fit for oily faces that also deal with clogged pores. The label says to use it morning and evening, working up from once a day.
Dry skin may prefer the CeraVe at the same strength, since that one is built around ceramides. The La Roche-Posay is the largest bottle of the face washes, at 200 mL.
5. Differin Daily Deep Cleanser
Differin Daily Deep Cleanser has 5% benzoyl peroxide and one of the shortest ingredient lists you’ll find on an acne wash: six inactive ingredients, with no fragrance among them. Differin says it’s formulated for sensitive skin and absorbs oil. Massage it on for 20 to 30 seconds and rinse.
This is our pick when 2.5% to 4% isn’t doing enough on the face but 10% feels like a leap.
6. humane Acne Wash 5%
humane Acne Wash 5% is built around contact time. It’s a non-foaming, sulfate-free cream, and the directions say to let it sit on damp skin for 1 to 3 minutes before rinsing. humane suggests starting at one minute and working up to two or three. The label also asks new users to test it on one or two small areas for three days first. The brand says it’s free of synthetic fragrance.
It’s the priciest wash here, and the bottle is 8 ounces. We’d buy it for the back, chest and shoulders, where leaving a wash on for a few minutes helps most. Its label adds a pregnancy line too: ask a health professional first if you’re pregnant or breastfeeding.
7. Neutrogena Evenly Clear Acne Cleansing Mask
Neutrogena Evenly Clear Acne Cleansing Mask is a 3.5% benzoyl peroxide wash in a kaolin and bentonite clay base. Use it like a cleanser, or smooth it on as a mask and let it dry for up to five minutes, no more than two to three times a week. We covered it in our list of the best face masks for acne too.
Pick it if you want one tube instead of two. Its label warns that irritation is more likely alongside another topical acne medication, so go easy on mask days if you also use a leave-on treatment.
How to use a benzoyl peroxide wash without wrecking your skin
Benzoyl peroxide works by cutting down the bacteria tied to acne. The trade-off is dryness, and it’s the part that makes people quit.
Follow your label’s contact time. It varies more than you’d guess. Cetaphil and Differin say 20 to 30 seconds, PanOxyl one to two minutes, humane one to three. On the back, the American Academy of Dermatology says benzoyl peroxide works best left on for two to five minutes, since the skin there is thicker. Then rinse it all off.
Start once a day. Nearly every label here says to begin with one use a day and build to two only if your skin is fine. If you get bothersome dryness or peeling, drop to once a day or every other day.
Protect your towels. Every label warns that benzoyl peroxide can bleach hair and dyed fabrics. Use white towels and washcloths, and rinse your hairline and neck well.
Don’t stack acne drugs. The labels all say irritation and dryness are more likely if you use another topical acne medication at the same time. One benzoyl peroxide product at a time is plenty. If you want to pair it with salicylic acid, our benzoyl peroxide vs. salicylic acid guide covers how to split them up.
Moisturize and wear sunscreen. The labels say to avoid unnecessary sun and use a sunscreen. A plain, non-comedogenic moisturizer afterward makes the dryness easier to live with.
Give it six to eight weeks. The AAD’s advice is to use one acne product as directed for six to eight weeks without adding another. Switching washes every week just irritates your skin.
Does strength matter?
Less than you’d think on the face. A higher percentage mostly means more chance of dryness and irritation, and the labels say irritation can be reduced by using it less often or at a lower strength. The body is different. The AAD’s back-acne advice is a 5.3% foaming wash for less irritation, or 10% if you need something stronger, since skin there is thicker. Our guide to getting rid of body acne has more on the back and chest.
How we picked
Every pick is an over-the-counter drug with benzoyl peroxide as its only active ingredient. We covered 2.6% to 10%, foaming and creamy, face and body, and gave each brand one slot. Nothing on the benzoyl peroxide recall list made the cut.
If I Were You
- If you’ve never used benzoyl peroxide, start with the Cetaphil at 2.6% once a day, then move to a 4% if your skin handles it.
- If your face is dry or combination, buy the CeraVe. Same 4% as the La Roche-Posay, in a creamier wash.
- If your face is oily and congested, go with the La Roche-Posay.
- If your breakouts are on your back and chest, use the PanOxyl 10% in the shower and leave it on before you rinse. If 10% is too much, switch to the humane 5%.
- If you want one product for washing and masking, the Neutrogena does both.
- If your acne is deep, painful or scarring, skip the wash aisle and see a dermatologist.
FAQ
Are benzoyl peroxide washes safe, given the benzene news?
The FDA tested 95 benzoyl peroxide acne products and found elevated benzene in six. Those, plus a seventh flagged by its maker, were recalled at the retail level. The agency said more than 90% of the products it tested had undetectable or extremely low levels, and that even with daily use for decades, the cancer risk from the benzene found in those six is very low. None of our picks is on the list. The recall did name one lot of La Roche-Posay Effaclar Duo Dual Action Acne Treatment, which is a leave-on treatment, not the cleanser we picked. It also suggests throwing away acne products past their expiration date. Our explainer on benzene in skincare has more background.
How long should you leave a benzoyl peroxide wash on?
As long as your label says. Some labels say 20 to 30 seconds, others a minute or more. For the back, two to five minutes is the dermatologist advice.
Will benzoyl peroxide bleach my towels and sheets?
It can. The labels warn about hair and dyed fabrics. Rinse thoroughly and use white towels.
Can I use a benzoyl peroxide wash every day?
Yes, that’s what these are made for, but start with once a day. Most of these labels allow up to twice a day, some up to three times, if your skin tolerates it.
Is 10% better than 4%?
Not on the face, usually. It’s stronger, and stronger means more irritation risk. Save 10% for the body or for skin that’s already done fine on a lower strength.
Can I use it while pregnant?
Ask your doctor. The PanOxyl and humane labels say to ask a health professional before use if you’re pregnant or breastfeeding.
Bottom line
Buy the strength that matches where your acne is. On the face, a 2.6% to 5% wash is plenty, and the CeraVe is the easiest place to start. On the back and chest, the PanOxyl 10% with a minute or two of contact time is hard to beat. Use one at a time, protect your towels, and give it two months before you decide it isn’t working.
