Best Face Wipes For Acne Prone Skin: Top 5 Choices

Like with face wash, people with oily or acne-prone skin should look for certain ingredients in their face wipes for acne prone skin to help prevent breakouts and cut oil production. Salicylic acid is a beta-hydroxy acid that is often used to treat acne. It works by sloughing off dead skin cells and cutting through the oil that clogs pores.

Salicylic acid is also anti-inflammatory and antibacterial, so it helps get rid of acne-causing bacteria. However, because it’s milder, it’s less likely to leave your face red and irritated. Astringents, like witch hazel and grapefruit extract, are also beneficial ingredients because they tighten the skin and make it harder to see clogged enlarged pores. They can also make your skin look less shiny, like zinc, which controls how much sebum your skin produces.

It’s important to say that using face wipes for acne prone skin alone shouldn’t become something you do every night. Face wipes for acne prone skin are an option to use in your makeup routine for acne-prone skin, but they aren’t as good as washing your face with a cleanser. They move everything around. Plus, if you don’t remove all of the makeup and dirt that builds up on your skin during the day, it can lead to even more breakouts in the long run.

Are Makeup Wipes Causing Your Breakouts?

There are so many ways to remove makeup in drugstores and beauty stores worldwide that it’s almost impossible to know which one works best. Do you choose a liquid cleanser, wipes, cleansing oil, or plain water? Do you use a different cleanser for your eyes than you do for your skin, or can you use the same product for both? It’s hard to know what will take off all your makeup and leave your face feeling clean (but not too dry! ), so it’s easy to go with the easiest and least stressful option: makeup wipes.

I’ll tell you the truth: I never liked using makeup wipes. My skin has always reacted badly to them, so I’ve chosen to use gentler and better options for sensitive skin instead. But a lot of my makeup-loving friends and some beauty experts I look up to, and respect use makeup wipes all the time, so I figure they must be good for something. My main question still stands: Do they work? Are they suitable for your skin if they do? Or are you better of to opt for face wipes for acne prone skin?

Do makeup wipes cause acne?

Most people agree that makeup wipes don’t directly cause acne, but the residue they leave behind does. This is because makeup wipes aren’t as thorough as traditional makeup removers or cleansers.

A clinical dermatologist named Dr. Mona Gohara says, “I don’t think they cause acne, but they don’t clean your skin well either. They are not always a good way to clean [your face]. She says, “They can help remove makeup before cleansing or in a pinch when you are tired or busy, but you shouldn’t use them as a regular way to clean your face.”

“Especially in people with sensitive skin, they can cause irritation that can lead to swelling and inflammation that can block pores,” says Dr. Heather Rogers, a clinical dermatologist.

Are makeup wipes an effective way to clean your face?

Most experts agree that makeup wipes aren’t the best way to clean your face thoroughly, but they are good to use before a more thorough cleansing routine or when you don’t have much time (or patience).

Dr. Parvaneh Rafaeloff, a general doctor and the medical director at Le Jolie Medi Spa, says you can use makeup wipes in a pinch. “Like after the gym or after a night out when you don’t want to do your normal nighttime skincare routine.”

Dr. Sejal Shah, a clinical dermatologist, says, “I do think you can use them in addition to regular cleansing, and they are still better than not cleansing at all.”

What are the cons of using makeup wipes?

Even though the experts I talked to didn’t come out and say you shouldn’t use makeup wipes, they did give me a long list of reasons why you shouldn’t. You shouldn’t just use makeup wipes because they can spread germs and leave behind residue.

Dr. Erma Benitez, a clinical dermatologist, says, “It’s a given that smearing makeup from one part of the face to another makes you more likely to spread bacteria and maybe even viruses to other parts of the skin.” “This is very important if you have an infection that won’t go away.”

Dr. Tanuj Nakra, a cosmetic surgeon and co-founder of Avya Skincare, agrees. “[Wipes] spread around makeup and dirt without really getting rid of it all, and the wiping motion itself is inflammatory,” he says. Rubbing your skin every day can lead to a low-grade inflammation that can cause uneven pigmentation and other skin problems.

Dr. Doris Day, a clinical dermatologist, says that some wipes, unlike face wipes for acne prone skin, can cause gums and even pustules on the skin that look like acne but are an irritant reaction to some of the chemicals in the wipes. “They can be too rough on the skin, or they may contain ingredients that irritate the skin, or they may be too oily and leave a film on the skin.”

What are some quality Face Wipes For Acne Prone Skin?

Here is a list of the best face wipes for acne prone skin you can buy on Amazon. With these products, you can show off that acne-free look you’ve always wanted.

Obagi Acne Cleansing Wipes

The Obagi Acne Cleansing Wipes were made by a dermatologist and cosmetic surgeon named Dr. Suzan Obagi. These face wipes for acne prone skin have salicylic acid and witch hazel, both known to help fight acne. Salicylic acid cleans out your pores, and witch hazel is a natural anti-inflammatory and astringent that makes your pores look smaller by making them tighten. Also, these wipes have aloe, which helps counteract the drying effects of salicylic acid, and antioxidant-rich ingredients like broccoli extract and citrus bioflavonoids, which help protect against free radicals that damage the skin. They also don’t have parabens, artificial fragrances, or dyes, so they shouldn’t irritate your skin.

La Roche-Posay Effaclar Clarifying Oil-Free Cleansing Towelettes

These La Roche-Posay Effaclar Clarifying face wipes for acne prone skin have been tested by dermatologists and are free of parabens, fragrances, and oil. They are suitable for people with sensitive skin that is oily and prone to acne. Lipo-hydroxy acid (LHA), made from salicylic acid, is used to help exfoliate the skin’s surface and remove dead skin cells, dirt, oil, and makeup that can clog pores. LHA is a gentler acne-fighting ingredient, and the wipes also contain the brand’s thermal spring water to soothe red, irritated skin. Even better, the zinc pidolate in La Roche-wipes Posay’s helps keep sebum production in check. Zinc pidolate gets rid of excess oil and cleans out clogged pores.

Simple Daily Skin Detox Clear & Matte Cleansing Wipes

You can buy not one, not two, not three, but six-packs of Simple’s Daily Skin Detox wipes for less than $20. That’s 150 wipes in total (each pack contains 25 wipes). These face wipes for acne prone skin are made with zinc, witch hazel, and thyme, gentle ingredients that clean and stop shine. They also work well enough to take off even the most stubborn eye makeup.

Ursa Major Essential Face Wipes

The Ursa Major face wipes for acne prone skin are made of bamboo and have aloe vera, which moisturizes without being heavy or greasy, green tea, which cleans and refreshes, and salicylic acid, which comes from willow bark. The built-in exfoliating complex makes your skin feel and look smoother and helps clear your pores of dead skin and oil that can cause acne. These wipes are more like exfoliating peel pads than regular makeup remover wipes. You can also use them before shaving to prevent bumps and ingrown hairs (or on your chest and arms to treat body breakouts). Since they are individually wrapped, they are great for use. Keep a few in your gym bag and toiletry kit.

Josie Maran Bear Naked Wipes

Made with natural and organic ingredients, these face wipes for acne prone skin are made with grapefruit oil to gently clean pores and argan oil to condition and heal damaged skin. Aloe vera and cucumber extract are also in the lotion because they are suitable for soothing the skin. But Josie Maran’s Bear Naked Wipes aren’t just good for your skin. They’re also good for the environment. The company gives a portion of its sales to the NRDC’s Polar Bear SOS program, which works to protect polar bears from the growing threat of extinction. They are also biodegradable, making them one of the few types of facial wipes that you can feel good about buying.