Acne is something that virtually every man has to contend with at least once in his life. Here is a guide on the best acne treatment for men.

Whether you’re a teenager and pimples are popping up like crazy on your face, or you’re a mature man looking to tackle a few specific trouble spots, you could probably use a good acne treatment to help you clear up your pores and look your best.

The truth is that fighting acne is a lifetime struggle. However, with the right tools, you can tackle acne and get the clear skin you’ve always wanted.

But what are those tools? No need to start looking; we’ve already done the research for you!

In this guide, we’ll take you through the best acne treatments for men, including the best acne face washes for men.

We’ll also explain the different types of acne that you might experience and how to treat each of them in turn so that you achieve the best possible results in the shortest amount of time.

It should be clear that there are definitely prescription acne treatments that you can use; in fact, this is the preferred method when it comes to cystic, severe acne outbreaks.

However, we’ll be focusing on over-the-counter treatments that are great for taking care of common acne problems.

Let’s get started!

Use the table of contents below to jump to the sections most important to you.

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1. Neutralyze Exfoliating Pads

This tub uses exfoliating pads to get rid of dead skin and eliminate dirt and debris from deep within your pores.

Specs

Who Is It Best For?

It’s an excellent product for clearing away dirt inside your pores and revitalizing your skin to allow it to feel more quickly; if you can take the scrubbing, this is one of the most directly effective anti-acne products we’ve seen.

Key Features

This acne treatment uses the scrub technique.

Basically, you get a bunch of presoaked scrubs inside the tub which you then rub into your skin to force the acid to dismantle any oil or debris that might be clogging your pores.

These scrub pads use a variety of different acids and other ingredients to effectively clear out your pores and eliminate the sources of acne.

It’s most effective on comedonal acne since this type is primarily caused by blocked pores, but it can be effective on the other two types, although you need to be careful when using this for cystic acne.

Always remember to contact the dermatologist before trying to treat cystic acne.

The treatment pads included in this purchase are textured so that they exfoliate while they unclog your pores.

How does this help you? Exfoliation helps eliminate dead skin cells and wash them off your face; this prevents them from clogging your pores like other types of dirt and debris.

Also, these scrub pads also use a little bit of nitric oxide, which helps to rejuvenate your skin and allows it to heal more quickly from the wounds that acne inflicts.

That makes it a good product when it comes to overall skin care, provided that you have skin tough enough to withstand the scrubbing.

We can’t recommend it for men with sensitive skin, but if you have normal or oily skin and can take a little pressure, this might be a perfect pick for you.

There’s also great value for money here since you get 100 of the scrub pads for a very reasonable asking price.

The tub will last you for quite a while before you need to replace it.

Our testers did find that the pads had a medical, antiseptic-like smell, but it didn’t bother them too much.

Check out the hundreds of customer reviews here on Amazon.

Pros

Great for eliminating deep pore blockage

Affordable

A good amount of scrubs in purchase

Helps repair skin damaged by acne

Cons

Rough on skin

Contains antiseptic-y smell

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2. L’Oreal Paris Skincare Men Facial Cleanser

This face wash uses activated charcoal and assorted other ingredients to cleanse your pores and repair your skin cells effectively.

Specs

Who Is It Best For?

This is a good pick for men with skin that is not quite tough enough to handle the scrubs but can still benefit from deep cleansing of the pores.

Key Features

This is one of the best face washes for men with acne on the market. It uses activated charcoal as its primary ingredient.

How does this help?

The charcoal rubs into your pores and draws out toxins and dirt from deep within them.

As the charcoal is removed, it takes all of the stuff with it, effectively clearing your pores without you having to suffer through harsh scrubbing.

It’s still not the gentlest technique, but it’s a lot easier to handle than the rougher scrubs from before.

This is also a good pick for dry skin if there are moisturizing elements included in the formula.

This means that you can safely use this face wash even if you have dry skin and still experience acne relief.

Speaking of which, we’ve done a great guide on the best face lotions for men if you’re interested! There’s also a handful of acids and antioxidants included in the formula.

The acids help to break down oils and dirt further, while the antioxidants help your skin cells repair themselves.

We wouldn’t recommend this for cystic acne, but it’s an excellent choice if you have comedonal or inflammatory acne, since it’s one of the best products in terms of pore-cleaning capability.

Another significant upside to this product is its affordability; it’s an excellent budget pick for any man who needs to take care of his face but doesn’t want to spend too much cash at once.

There are 5 ounces of the product with the purchase, so it’ll last for a good while before you need a replacement.

Check out the hundreds of customer reviews here on Amazon.

Pros

Very cheap

Charcoal draws out toxins effectively without having to scrub

Antioxidants help repair skin

Deep cleanses pores

Cons

Not good for sensitive skin

Can feel thick and uncomfortable as applied

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3. Keeva Organics Acne Treatment Cream

This is a cream that uses salicylic acid, natural oils to moisturize and soothe your skin as it clears up your pores.

Specs

Who Is It Best For?

This is an excellent pick for men with sensitive skin and perhaps even for dealing with cystic acid since it’s a soothing compound with minty, tingling aftereffects.

Key Features

This acne treatment is a cream that uses salicylic acid and tea tree oil to great effect.

Salicylic acid is the primary dirt and oil disintegrating ingredient; it breaks down both of these harmful compounds and clears up your pores.

Meanwhile, the tea tree oil and various other natural oil ingredients are mixed together and combined to soothe your skin and re-energize it.

In fact, the oils make applying this cream one of the most comfortable experiences that our testers reported.

Who knew that dealing with acne could be so relaxing?

All the oils also give it a naturally pleasing scent, although it’s not too noticeable.

There are minty ingredients as well, which cause the cream to be a little tingly on your skin.

Because it’s so comfortable, it might be a good treatment even if you have cystic acne, which tends to be the most painful and sensitive of all types.

However, remember to ask the advice of a dermatologist beforehand.

Due to its gentle sensation, we have to recommend this for any man who has very sensitive skin but who still needs to take care of his acne.

It’s even gentle enough to overcome the traditional discomfort brought on by salicylic acid.

It’s also a good pick if you have drier skin than normal since it has moisturizing ingredients and won’t dry out your pores after demolishing any oil or debris.

Check out the hundreds of customer reviews here on Amazon.

Pros

Nice, relaxing texture

Minty tingling sensation

Good for clearing pores gently

Good for any skin type

Cons

Fragrance is noticeable

Doesn’t work as quickly as some other treatments

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4. Botanic Tree Men’s Face Wash Acne Prone

This face wash uses acids and natural extracts to get rid of excess dirt and debris inside your pores; it’s particularly good at removing face oil.

Specs

Who Is It Best For?

This is an excellent pick for men who have oily skin as their primary problem above all else; it lacks a moisturizer, so avoid it if you have dry skin.

Key Features

This face wash uses willow bark extract.

How does this help you?

Willow bark extract actually has salicylic acid, one of the best compounds for dismantling excess oil and dirt that has been smashed into your pores.

This face wash also uses other 100% organic extracts and ingredients, such as thyme, to soothe your face and encourage your skin cells to regenerate.

It’s not very gentle, but our testers reported that it was perfectly fine for use with overly oily skin.

Thus, it’s a great pick if you have comedonal or inflammatory acne and primarily need to clean your pores above all else.

It doesn’t have any moisturizing elements, however, so there is a chance that it could dry out your pores if you have naturally dry skin.

As a face wash, it’s best used in combination with good hygiene practices to ensure that your pores remain cleansed for most of the time.

It comes in a handy spray bottle that you can use right after the shower for best results.

It is a little pricey considering that you only get 4 ounces or so of product, but it’s definitely one of the most effective face wash for men with acne in terms of its pure pore-cleaning potential.

Check out the hundreds of customer reviews here on Amazon.

Pros

Very effective at dismantling excess oil

Gets deep into the pores

Easy to use as part of a daily hygiene routine

Good for overly-oily skin

Cons

Not good for dry skin

Can be considered a bit pricey

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5. Acnetame Vitamin Supplements for Acne Treatment

These sulfur and vitamin pills are useful for regulating your hormone imbalances and lessening the amount of facial oil that your body naturally produces.

Specs

Who Is It Best For?

These are a good solution if your acne problems are a result of overactive oil production or hormone imbalances, particularly if you’re a teenager.

Key Features

These are skincare supplement pills that are designed to alter your hormone balance and lessen your acne outbreaks over time; they also reduce the amount of oil that your skin naturally produces.

Thus, these are primarily a solution if you’re acne issues are a result of hormonal imbalances rather than hygiene issues or blocked pores.

Sulfur is their primary anti-acne ingredient, so be sure only to take as many pills are directed on the back. You don’t want to consume too much sulfur accidentally.

This will mostly be an exciting solution for teenagers, as their comedonal acne is usually caused by tons of hormones.

There is a downside to these pills in that they take consistent use and a little bit of time to really kick in; you won’t see instant results.

Instead, it’s best to use these pills in combination with other pore cleansing activities and good hygiene practices to really narrow down how you could possibly risk an acne outbreak.

These also aren’t good for cystic or inflammatory acne, which isn’t caused by hormonal imbalances.

But if you have typical teenage acne and sensitive skin, you can avoid any sort of discomfort or pain entirely by taking these pills.

It doesn’t matter what your skin type is.

These pills will help you lessen your acne outbreaks over time provided that hormones are the issue.

Check out the thousands of customer reviews here on Amazon.

Pros

Good for sensitive skin

Great for hormone imbalances

Reduces facial oil

No discomfort in application

Cons

Slow-acting

Doesn’t easily unblock pores

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6. DRMTLGY Acne Spot Treatment and Cystic Acne Treatment

This acne serum comes in a spray bottle that is small enough for easy transportation, and that’s gentle enough to be used for any skin type.

Specs

Who Is It Best For?

This should be a top choice for any man with sensitive skin or a man who needs to take his acne treatment tool with him on his travels.

Key Features

This acne treatment comes in a “serum” format, meaning that it’s a lot like a cream, but its texture is thinner and is absorbed by the body a little more quickly.

If delivered via a spray bottle that’s extremely affordable and is a perfect solution if you need to take your acne treatment with you on vacation or on a business trip.

It uses glycolic acid and benzoyl peroxide in combination to dissolve pore-clogging oils and reduce breakouts without drying out your skin.

The glycolic acid used here is actually 5% of the formula’s total composition; this means that it’s incredibly effective and also gently exfoliates your skin cells, removing dead skin tissue.

This will cause your skin to generate new, healthy skin cells in replacing the old scarred ones.

You can use the serum on the face, neck, or chest and see similar results, so it’s also a good pick if you have acne that extends down to those areas.

Due to its application method, you can feel free to use this serum if you have more sensitive skin than normal.

Just spray it and gently rub it onto the required areas. No hard scrubbing is required.

There’s only one fluid ounce of serum with the purchase, meaning that it’s a little pricey when you consider how much you get per dollar.

But you can’t deny how convenient it would be to have such a portable acne solution that is small enough to fit in your pocket.

Check out the hundreds of customer reviews here on Amazon.

Pros

Very good at unblocking pores

Very gentle

Good for any skin type

Portable and compact bottle

Cons

Pricey

Not much in a bottle

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7. Neutrogena Men’s Skin Clearing Daily Acne Face Wash

This face wash uses salicylic acid to eliminate dirt and debris inside your pores. We recommend combining it with a moisturizer for the best effect.

Specs

Who Is It Best For?

This is the simple acne treatment solution for the simple man; it will clear your skin and help you maintain good hygiene as long as you don’t have overly-dry skin already.

Key Features

This face wash is designed to be used every single day, as its formula with salicylic acid will help to break down excess oil and debris and inspire better skin pore hygiene over time.

It’s non-comedogenic; what does this mean?

Non-comedogenic means that there’s no chance that the wash will clog your pores in any way.

This wash is an ideal solution if you have more oily skin than normal, so it’s a good product for comedonal or inflammatory acne breakouts.

Unfortunately, there aren’t any moisturizers included with the formula, so we recommend using this wash with a separate moisturizer product as part of your daily washing and showering routine.

This is one of the most mundane acne treatments we found, but our testers reported that it was quite effective when it was applied every day, and consistency was practiced.

Basically, this is one of the least invasive and most “normal” acne treatments around.

It’s definitely one of the better picks if your acne outbreak is known to be the result of blocked pores.

This face wash is also incredibly cheap, see you can continue to buy replacement bottles of it over time as you use the formula each day.

Check out the hundreds of customer reviews here on Amazon.

Pros

Non-comedogenic

Affordable

Simple and basic/not a tone of extra chemicals or ingredients

Good at cleansing pores

Cons

Not good for dry skin

Not very good for sensitive skin

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8. NxN Acne Treatment 4-Step Clear Skin System

This uses four individual bottles to target different aspects of acne treatment.

Specs

Who Is It Best For?

It’s a good choice for men who have sensitive skin or comprehensive acne trouble with many different problems that each require targeted attention.

Key Features

This is a four-step treatment plan that uses the same number of individual formula bottles to accomplish its goals.

The first bottle is the cleanser, which uses a combination of probiotics, green tea, and salicylic acid to eliminate excess oil and get rid of dirt and debris inside your pores.

The second bottle is a toner, which combines more probiotics and salicylic acid with wild rose berry.

This will help your skin maintain a uniform tone.

The third bottle is a spot treatment, which you can apply as needed to eliminate particularly bad acne spots.

It’s a good formula for use with inflammatory acne in uses a combination of probiotics and sulfur.

Finally, the last model uses probiotics, many different assets, and retinol as part of its overnight treatment.

What is retinol?

It’s a skincare product found in many different antiaging formulas; it’s well known for its skin repair effects, so it’s perfect for helping your skin recover from the damage that it sustains from acne overnight.

Overall, virtually every common acne problem that might face can be dealt with via one of these bottles.

It’s a comprehensive, total fix to common comedonal and inflammatory acne.

It’s also great if you have sensitive skin since it’s not necessary to scrub it too hard into your pores for it to be effective.

In fact, most of its long-term work happens via the overnight bottle where it restores your skin to its undamaged state.

We wouldn’t recommend it for dry skin, there aren’t any moisturizing elements included in any of the formulas.

Besides, it’s a little pricey upfront, but there’s still good value for money here when you consider that you are getting four bottles at once and they’ll all contribute to eliminating your acne once and for all.

Check out the hundreds of customer reviews here on Amazon.

Pros

Excellent for sensitive skin

Very thorough

Dismantles many different sources of acne

Helps acne stay away for a long time

Cons

A bit pricey

No moisturizing elements

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9. Proactiv 3-Step Acne Treatment System

This uses 3 bottles to attack your acne and has a moisturizer included in one of the bottles, so it’s an acceptable choice for men with dry skin.

Specs

Who Is It Best For?

This is best for men who want some of the best defense against acne and who can manage the high price over the coming years.

Key Features

This is another multi-step treatment plan, although this uses three bottles instead of four.

The first bottle is a renewing cleanser that uses benzoyl peroxide to eliminate dirt and debris, chamomile to soothe your skin during the process, and hyaluronic acid.

What does the acid do? It helps your skin retain its moisture and prevent it from drying out as your pores are cleansed.

This means that this multistep treatment plan is a good pick if you have drier skin than normal.

The second bottle is a revitalizing toner formula, using primarily glycolic acid to help balance your skin tone and make it feel refreshed.

Finally, a repairing treatment bottle uses more benzoyl peroxide to go even deeper into your pores and prevent acne from returning by eliminating the most rooted deep impurities.

Right off the bat, it’s easy to see how effective this 3-punch combo can be for typical comedonal and inflammatory acne.

But there is a relatively high cost, and you’ll have to replace each of these bottles as they run dry.

It’s a good pick if you want some of the toughest acne treatment formulas on the market, but if you’re on a budget, we recommend that you check out a different solution.

Check out the hundreds of customer reviews here on Amazon.

Pros

Helps acne stay away for a long time

Good for all skin types

Helps skin feel refreshed

Excellent pore-cleansing ability

Cons

Pricey

Needs to be replaced frequently

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Before we start explaining all of the most effective acne treatments, let’s go through the primary factors that we considered during our testing processes.

Understanding these factors can help you determine the best acne treatment product for your needs.

This is critical because no one acne treatment is perfect for everyone; it’s a very personal decision that relies heavily on your particular acne situation.

1. Acne Type

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There are three main types of acne that you might experience, and this will largely determine the kind of best acne products that you should invest in.

As you can imagine, these types require different treatment strategies; no one approach can tackle all the forms of acne.

This acne type is pretty mild and is the same type that you probably got as a young adult male. It’s the bane of high schoolers and college freshmen everywhere.

This type of acne in adult males usually shows up with a blackhead or whitehead, tempting you to pop it and get all the pus out.

You can get this acne from several different sources: you might have bad genetics, your skin might be too oily, or your pores might be blocked as a result of excess dirt and debris.

This type of acne is usually pretty easy to take care of and in many cases will go away on its own, or with a simple wash to kill bacteria on the skin.

But it also usually returns unless your skin is perfectly clear or you’ve been blessed with perfect genetics.

This acne type usually lacks a blackhead or whitehead and is characterized by a bunch of swelling or redness beneath the bump with blocked pores.

It can be sensitive or painful, particularly when it’s touched or disturbed.

Sometimes this acne manifests as pustules, which are commonly known as pimples.

Other times they can form papules, which are small red blemishes on the surface of the skin; these sometimes look a little flaky.

Overall, this type of acne isn’t too hard to treat, too, although it usually requires some form of advanced treatment besides just popping the pimple or waiting for it to go away.

Finally, this is the most severe type of acne and requires medical intervention from a dermatologist.

It’s characterized by vast, inflamed breakouts that cover large portions of the skin, usually the size of a quarter.

These can be extremely painful and are generally the result of infections beneath the skin.

If you have cystic acne, you should only attempt to treat it after you’ve been examined by a dermatologist.

They may prescribe you one of the products that we’ve listed below, or give you a separate, more powerful medication or treatment.

This type of acne can leave scars if it is not treated appropriately.

2. Skin Type

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Skin type is another essential factor to consider when choosing the best acne treatment for you.

Certain skin types react better or more poorly to different treatment vectors.

If you have dry skin, you should avoid acne treatments that focus on exfoliating or scrubbing your skin excessively.

While this treatment option can help you get rid of certain types of acne outbreaks, it can also strip away moisture from your skin and cause it to become drier over time.

This can lead to other acne outbreaks or different skin problems.

Oily skin can definitely benefit from various scrubs and over-the-counter acne treatments.

This is because too much oil on your skin can lead to a cycle of acne outbreaks over and over.

However, using an acne treatment isn’t always the solution.

Proper hygiene and thorough washing of your skin can help your body and face produce less oil; this will then lead to fewer acne outbreaks.

Primarily, men with oily skin should practice good hygiene as an accessory to your primary acne treatment strategy.

By the way, if your body is producing a ton of oil, maybe check out our guide on the best body lotions for men!

Finally, sensitive skin can be tough to deal with, particularly during an acne outbreak.

We recommend that you avoid any acne treatments that might be rough on your skin or cause excessive discomfort.

Pills or a gentler treatment formula might be the way to go since the key to defeating acne is consistency.

If your acne treatment hurts you all the time, it isn’t very likely that you’ll stick with it, right?

Comfort is essential, even if it takes longer to tackle your acne by using a gentler or less-effective method.

3. Type of Treatment

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Now let’s look into what’s arguably the most critical factor of all: the treatment type. There are several different ways that you can combat acne.

These are generally exfoliating and are soaked with an acne-treatment formula, usually made up of several different acids and other compounds.

These require you to scrub your skin thoroughly, usually after washing your skin in the shower or at the sink.

As you might imagine, these are fine for clearing away your pores if you have tougher skin, but they can also lead to excessive dryness and discomfort, particularly if you have sensitive skin.

This treatment type relies on a formula that’s rubbed into your skin and which tries to alleviate the source of your acne by drawing out toxins and eliminating impurities that may be clogging your pores or causing excessive bacteria growth in your skin.

These can sometimes be great choices if you have sensitive skin or if you don’t want to exfoliate, although this can vary greatly depending on their ingredients.

Some acne treatment creams have moisturizing compounds which can allow you to use them effectively if you have drier skin than average.

There are also acne serums, which are thinner versions of creams but which perform a similar function.

They seek to nourish your skin and eliminate impurities through absorption.

They may also have a slight advantage over creams in that they are less likely to clog your pores as they do their work, but this likely depends on the overall size of your pores and which cream you are comparing the serum to.

Washes are more thorough versions of creams, as they require you to lather them up and rub them thoroughly into your skin to be effective.

They’re not quite as rough on your skin as scrub pads, but they still probably aren’t going to be the right choice if you have sensitive skin.

These washes usually have plenty of ingredients that allow you to cleanse your pores and remove impurities, and they can lead to helping your skin in general once the acne has cleared away.

Acne treatment pills are another option.

There is a good choice if you don’t relish the idea of rubbing something into your skin; this can be helpful if you have very sensitive skin or if the acne on your skin prevents you from being comfortable during treatment due to pain.

Pills aren’t nearly as directly effective or fast-acting as other acne treatment strategies because they work through changing your skin chemistry.

They reduce oil production and improve the healing time of your skin. Also, these effects vary wildly from person to person since they rely on changing your natural biochemistry.

In general, pills should be considered an option only when any of the other treatment plants won’t work for one reason or another.

Finally, this acne treatment type is something of an offshoot from the cream/serum variant.

These treatment plans use 3 to 4 different bottles of product which are designed to be used one after the other or at different times of the day.

The idea is that the specific compounds in each bottle are two different things for your skin. When used in combination, they’ll thoroughly cleanse your skin and help it heal through the acne.

Some multistep formulas also have solutions that aim to reduce the likelihood or severity of acne outbreaks future.

They can be great long-term choices, although you have to stick to their routines pretty rigidly.

This can often be time-consuming since you have to use three or four bottles of different formulas each and every day.

4. Ingredients in the Treatment

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One final factor to consider is the ingredients contained within each treatment.

These obviously have direct effects on how each treatment variant fight acne and how rough or uncomfortable they might be on your skin.

Let’s go over a few common ingredients that you might see.

This is an essential acid that helps to keep your pores unclogged through the dismantling of oils and small dirt particles.

As you might imagine, is a compound that you’ll probably feel working on your skin; some slight irritation or stinging is normal, so if you have overly sensitive skin you might avoid products that have this acid as a primary component.

However, those with sensitive skin can still use products with salicylic acid so long as there are other compounds to make the formula gentle.

This compound does a few different jobs at once. It removes excess oil and dead skin cells, both of which commonly clogged pores.

It also helps fight off bacteria that frequently cause acne outbreaks and skin infections.

This is usually not too difficult for most people to tolerate, even if there’s a high concentration of the compound in a given formula.

This molecule also helps remove oil and dead skin cells.

It’s usually found in very low concentrations, and small enough that you shouldn’t detect the signature sulfur smell that you might expect.

These are compounds derived from natural sources, notably fruits.

They help repair your skin, which can be particularly useful after a nasty acne outbreak where there’s a lot of broken skin.

Finally, you might see these ingredients in their two most common types: glycolic acid and lactic acid.

Both of these assist in removing dead skin cells and other debris while reducing inflammation at the same time.

By reducing inflammation, they actually inspire your skin to thrive, and they can also help your skin appear smoother and younger than before.

Virtually all acne treatment variations will use some or all of these compounds.

Now that you’ve narrowed down the best acne treatment for your specific needs, let’s go over a few common misconceptions that you might have about their application.

We’ll also explain some suitable methods for dealing with your specific type of acne.