Teenage growing pains are wide and plenty, with one of the most annoying struggles being frequent breakouts. Acne plagues an estimated 80% of people between ages 11 and 30 at some point in their lives, according to The National Institutes for Health. And this can take a toll on teens’ self esteem: Adolescents and young adults who suffer from acne have higher rates of anxiety and depression than those who don’t, according to the New England Journal of Medicine.
Fortunately, there are several options for teens to improve acne and breakouts. To help you find the right products for you, we spoke to dermatologists about teen acne treatments and ingredients to look for. Experts also note their top picks for the best acne-fighting products to shop.
SKIP AHEAD Best face cleansers for teen acne | Best spot treatments for teen acne | How to treat teen acne
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How we picked the best teen acne treatments
When treating teen acne, our experts recommend looking for the following ingredients and type of products to include in your everyday skin care routine:
- Face cleansers: Look for a face wash that’s labeled noncomedogenic, which means it won’t clog your pores or lead to more breakouts. Your daily face wash should include ingredients like glycolic acid (a type of exfoliating alpha hydroxy acid), salicylic acid (an exfoliant that removes dead skin and unclogs pores) and benzoyl peroxide (a topical antiseptic that kills acne-causing bacteria), according to our experts. However, keep in mind that these ingredients can dry out or irritate your skin, and you should use them only a couple of times a week to start and gradually increase use as your skin adjusts, according to Dr. Samer Jaber, a board-certified dermatologist and founder of Washington Square Dermatology in New York City,
- Spot treatments: These help target a specific pimple and should be applied directly on the breakout, never to your entire face, according to our experts. Similar to an acne-fighting cleanser, look for ingredients like benzoyl peroxide or salicylic acid. For more stubborn cystic acne, you can also consider a retinoid like adapalene, which is available over-the-counter and is a form of vitamin A that helps unclog pores and regulate cell turnover, according to our dermatologists.
The best treatments for teen acne
Below, we gathered expert-recommended face washes and spot treatments that can help improve teen acne. All of the following products are noncomedogenic and include gentle or acne-fighting ingredients like salicylic acid, benzoyl peroxide and adapalene.
Best face cleansers for teen acne
La Roche Posay, Effaclar Gel Facial Wash for Oily Skin
Noncomedogenic products like this La Roche-Posay face wash won’t block pores, according to Dr. Adnan Mir, assistant professor at New York Medical College and dermatopathologist at Dermpath Diagnostics in Port Chester, New York. This foaming cleanser is recommended by Dr. Mona Gohara, a dermatologist at Dermatology Physicians of Connecticut, because it’s both noncomedogenic and contains zinc pidolate, which has astringent, anti-inflammatory properties shown to improve acne.
Neutrogena Oil-Free Acne Wash
This expert-recommended acne face wash from Neutrogena has 2% salicylic acid to fight breakouts and remove dirt, oil, grime, impurities and bacteria from the skin, according to the brand. The wash is also oil-free and noncomedogenic. If you’re using a salicylic acid cleanser for the first time, try using it every other day at first and eventually apply it daily depending on how your skin reacts, according to our experts.
Avéne Milk Cleanser
Avéne’s gentle, no-rinse cleanser is formulated with vitamin E and hyaluronic acid, so it’s hydrating enough to keep the skin barrier healthy, yet won’t clog pores, says Gohara. It also works to remove makeup, dirt and oil and adds moisture back into the skin, according to the brand.
CeraVe Foaming Facial Cleanser for Normal to Oily Skin
“Foam-based cleansers are better for those with oily skin,” says Jaber, who recommends this one from CeraVe. The cleanser has 4% benzoyl peroxide to fight acne-causing bacteria, and it’s also formulated with hyaluronic acid to preserve the skin’s natural moisture and niacinamide, which helps to calm irritation, according to our experts. It’s fragrance-free, noncomedogenic and can remove any excess oil, dirt or makeup from the skin, according to the brand.
Best spot treatments for teen acne
Differin Adapalene Gel 0.1% Acne Treatment
Differin Gel is a Select staff-favorite spot treatment that won our Best of Wellness Award for best overall acne treatment. “Differin gel is the only OTC retinoid available without a prescription and was a prescription medication for years,” says Jaber. This treatment contains 0.1% adapalene, which regulates cell turnover along the pores to reduce clogging, according to our experts. “If there’s one thing to pick to do for your acne, start using Differin gel at bedtime,” says Jaber. Wash with a gentle cleanser, dry your skin fully and apply a pea size of Differin onto the entire face, according to the brand.
Neutrogena Rapid Clear Stubborn Acne Spot Treatment Gel
This spot treatment is a favorite of both Gohara and Jaber, and can reduce the size and redness of acne in just two hours, according to the brand. It contains 10% benzoyl peroxide, which inhibits the growth of the bacteria that causes acne, experts told us.
Mario Badescu Drying Lotion, Glass Bottle Drying Lotion
This quick-drying formula may be a good option for those looking to avoid benzoyl peroxide, according to our experts. It contains salicylic acid to fight acne and calamine to calm irritation, according to the brand. Simply dip a cotton swab into the pink sediment at the bottom of the bottle and dab it directly onto your pimple, according to the brand. The lotion dries quickly but leaves a pink, chalky residue, so the brand recommends using this product at night.
First Aid Beauty Facial Radiance Pads
These First Aid Beauty facial pads are made for sensitive skin because they can gently exfoliate using an alcohol-free (non-drying) formula, according to the brand. Recommended by Gohara, these pads contain hyaluronic acid and white tea extract to hydrate and protect your skin. The brand recommends using this product in the morning and in the evening after cleansing and before moisturizing.
How to treat teen acne
Combating acne can be tough, and finding the root cause — whether that’s hormones, stress or genetics — can help you find the best solution. There are generally two ways to treat teen acne and pimples, according to our experts: preemptive face-washing with appropriate cleansers and spot-treating breakouts.
Wash your face with gentle, soap-free cleanser
It’s important to remove any makeup before bed and to wash your face every day — twice a day if you have oily skin or if your face gets dirty throughout the day, like after a workout, according to Jaber.
When it comes to face cleansers, look for gentle, noncomedogenic products, which means they won’t block pores, says Mir. “Cleansers with ingredients like glycolic acid, salicylic acid and benzoyl peroxide can be very helpful for those with acne,” says Jaber. “But be careful as they can be irritating and drying.”
Spot treat pimples
All three dermatologists we spoke to recommended spot treating pimples from the second they start to develop until they’re just about gone. Look for a product containing a retinoid (a form of vitamin A that helps unclog pores), benzoyl peroxide (a topical antiseptic) or salicylic acid (an exfoliant that removes dead skin and unclogs pores), according to the experts.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is acne?
Acne is a skin condition that primarily affects the face, shoulders, chest and back. Fueled by fluctuating hormones that increase oil production in the skin, breakouts happen when that oil (also known as sebum) combines with dead skin cells, clogs pores and traps bacteria, which then causes inflammation, according to the Cleveland Clinic.
Indeed, both whiteheads and blackheads are clogged sebaceous glands, says Mir. (The black color is due to the oil reacting with oxygen, not due to dirt.) “People with acne have glands that make more oil and are more easily plugged,” he says.
Though it affects teens, there’s actually no standard age or period of time when this “oil surge” calms down, according to Gohara. “It’s completely genetic,” she says. “Some people never get it, for some people, it lasts five years.”
What makes teen acne worse?
Minimizing or avoiding ways that could make acne worse is the key to reducing breakouts, according to our experts. In addition to a balanced diet and staying hydrated, excessive face washing and exfoliating, popping pimples and trying multiple new products at once can all exacerbate acne.
Washing your face too often
Believe it or not, washing your face too frequently can leave you susceptible to more breakouts. “One of the mistakes I commonly see with teens is they really want to get their skin better, and so they over-wash their skin,” says Jaber. That can dry out skin, which can actually make breakouts worse, he says.
Piling on the trendy products
“Teens tend to turn to their favorite influencer and start putting what I call ‘the kitchen sink approach’ on their face,” Gohara says, adding that this can “stoke the acne fire.” Acne breakouts can take five days or more to disappear, so it’s important for teens to stick to a basic routine and give their skin time to heal, she says.
Over scrubbing or exfoliating
Teenage skin already sluffs dead skin cells on its own, so using scrubs containing abrasive beads can be extremely irritating, according to Mir. Scrubbing should also be avoided: “Sometimes, teens think acne is from dirt and they start to scrub it, but scrubbing is bad,” says Gohara. She recommends using a gentle, alcohol-free exfoliant once a week in the form of pads containing glycolic acid.
Don't pop pimples
Though it isn’t the absolute worst thing a teen can do if the pimple has come to a head, all of our dermatologists warned against popping pimples. “Picking and popping pimples can lead to scarring, because you increase inflammation,” says Mir. “Once in a while a dermatologist will do it, and some people feel a compulsion to pick and pop, but it's something that we like to discourage.”
When should you see a dermatologist for acne?
If breakouts leave scars or don’t respond to a regular routine of gentle cleansing, exfoliation and spot treatment, a consultation with a dermatologist might be in order, says Gohara. “Some people need something stronger to manage their acne, like an oral antibiotic,” she says.
And teens shouldn’t get discouraged: Though acne is often an annoying part of our teenage years, most cases are entirely curable, according to Gohara.
Meet our experts
At Select, we work with experts who have specialized knowledge and authority based on relevant training and/or experience. We also take steps to ensure that all expert advice and recommendations are made independently and with no undisclosed financial conflicts of interest.
- Dr. Adnan Mir is the former committee chair for the Society for Pediatric Dermatology. He is an assistant professor at New York Medical College and dermatopathologist at Dermpath Diagnostics in Port Chester, New York
- Dr. Mona Gohara is a board-certified dermatologist at Dermatology Physicians of Connecticut.
- Dr. Samer Jaber is a board-certified dermatologist and the founder of Washington Square Dermatology in New York City.
Why trust Select?
Vivian Manning-Schaffel is a freelance contributor at Select.
Mili Godio is an editor at Select who has covered a variety of skin care topics, including products for rosacea, keratosis pilaris and cystic acne treatments. For this article, Godio and Manning-Schaffel spoke to three dermatologists to narrow down the best treatments for teen acne, and highlighted their recommendations for the best products to consider.
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