There are plenty of universal struggles that nearly everyone faces as a teenager, one of them being frequent breakouts. Acne plagues an estimated 80% of people between ages 11 and 30 at some point, according to The National Institutes for Health. And acne 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 do not, according to the New England Journal of Medicine.
LEARN MORE What is acne? | How to treat teen acne | What makes teen acne worse? | When to see a dermatologist for acne
Fortunately, there are 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 told us their top picks for the best acne-fighting products.
The best treatments for teen acne to shop, according to experts
Below, we gathered expert-recommended face washes and spot treatments that can help improve teen acne. All of the following products are non-comedogenic — meaning they won’t clog pores — and include 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
Dr. Adnan Mir, assistant professor at New York Medical College and dermatopathologist at Dermpath Diagnostics in Port Chester, New York, recommended looking for non-comedogenic products because they won’t block pores. Recommended by Dr. Mona Gohara, a dermatologist at Dermatology Physicians of Connecticut, this foaming cleanser is both non-comedogenic and contains zinc pidolate, which has astringent, anti-inflammatory properties shown to improve acne.
Avéne Milk Cleanser
This gentle skin cleanser from French skin-care company Avéne is formulated with Vitamin E and hyaluronic acid, so it’s “hydrating to keep the skin barrier healthy, yet not pore-clogging,” said Gohara. The no-rinse cleanser works to remove makeup, dirt and oil while providing moisture, according to the brand.
CeraVe Foaming Facial Cleanser for Normal to Oily Skin
“Foam-based cleansers are better for those with oily skin,” said Dr. Samer Jaber, a board-certified dermatologist and founder of Washington Square Dermatology in New York City, who recommended this one from CeraVe. The brand says it’s formulated with hyaluronic acid to preserve the skin’s natural moisture and niacinamide, which helps to calm the skin. It’s fragrance-free, non-comedogenic and should 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 the only OTC retinoid available without a prescription and was a prescription medication for years,” Jaber noted. This treatment contains 0.1% adapalene, which experts told us works to regulate the turnover of cells lining the pores to reduce clogging. “If there’s one thing to pick to do for your acne, start using Differin gel at bedtime. Wash with a gentle cleanser, dry, and apply a pea size of Differin onto the entire face,” Jaber added.
Neutrogena Rapid Clear Stubborn Acne Spot Treatment Gel
This spot treatment got a mention from both Gohara and Jaber for its strong, zit-zapping properties. It contains 10% benzoyl peroxide, which inhibits the growth of the bacteria that causes acne, experts told us. Neutrogena says the spot treatment can reduce the size and redness of acne in just two hours.
Mario Badescu Drying Lotion, Glass Bottle Drying Lotion
Jaber recommends this tried and true quick-drying formula to those who are allergic to benzoyl peroxide. It contains salicylic acid to fight acne and calamine to calm irritated skin, according to the brand.
First Aid Beauty Facial Radiance Pads
Gohara recommended these facial pads from First Aid Beauty because they’re made for sensitive skin and can gently exfoliate using its alcohol-free (non-drying) formula, according to the brand. It also contains hyaluronic acid and white tea extract to hydrate and protect your skin, First Aid Beauty says. The brand recommends using this product in the morning and in the evening after cleansing and before moisturizing.
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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, Mir said. (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 said.
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 said. “Some people never get it, for some people, it lasts five years.”
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. The experts we spoke to said there are generally two ways to treat teen acne and pimples: preemptive face-washing with appropriate cleansers and spot-treating breakouts.
Wash your face with gentle, soap-free cleanser
It’s important for teens to remove any makeup before bed, and also to wash their face every day — twice a day if they have oily skin or if their face gets dirty throughout the day, like after a workout, according to Jaber.
When it comes to face cleansers, teen acne sufferers should look for gentle, non-comedogenic products, which means they won’t block pores, said Mir. And “cleansers with ingredients like glycolic acid, salicylic acid and benzoyl peroxide can be very helpful for those with acne,” said Jaber, “but be careful as they can be irritating and drying.”
Spot treat pimples
All three dermatologists recommended teens spot treat 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.
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What makes teen acne worse?
Making sure to minimize or avoid 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, the dermatologists we consulted noted that 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 their face too much can leave teens’ 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 said.
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 said, and that can “stoke” the acne “fire.” Acne breakouts can take five days to disappear, so it’s important for teens to stick to a basic routine and give their skin time to heal, she said.
Over scrubbing or exfoliating
Mir said teenage skin already sluffs dead skin cells on its own, so he discourages the use of apricot scrubs or scrubs containing beads, because they can be abrasive and irritating. Gohara also said scrubbing is a big no-no. “Sometimes, teens think acne is from dirt and they start to scrub it, but scrubbing is bad,” she said. Gohara recommended teens use a gentle, alcohol-free exfoliant once a week, in the form of glycolic pads.
Don't pop pimples
Though it isn’t the absolute worst thing a teen can do (if the pimple has come to a head), according to the dermatologists we spoke to, all three warned against popping pimples. “Picking and popping pimples can lead to scarring, because you increase inflammation. 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,” said Mir.
When to 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, said Gohara. “Some people need something stronger to manage their acne, like an oral antibiotic,” she said.
And teens shouldn’t get discouraged. Though acne can be really annoying, 99.9% of cases are 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.
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