What facial cleansers can I use for oily or acne-prone skin?

Products you use may vary depending on the season or climate. More gentle, moisturizing products may be more appropriate in the colder/winter months, with only occasional exfoliation, while more drying, foaming cleansers and more frequent exfoliation may be better for the warmer, more humid climate/summer season.

Cleansers may also serve different purposes. Some are designed simply to rid the skin of accumulated sebum and to remove makeup and daily dirt, whereas others are more aggressive with the goal of exfoliation of the dead upper layers of the skin. Still others are medicated to specifically treat acne while cleansing.

A variety of cleansers are available from foaming washes that are more drying, and potentially more irritating, to nonlathering cleansing milks that are the least irritating but usually provide little in the way of lather. Some cleansers have microbeads of various sizes and consistencies to exfoliate while they clean, and finally, some come already packaged in cleansing cloths that may or may not require the addition of water before use, which makes them especially convenient for those who travel. The medicated cleansers generally contain benzoyl peroxide (BP) or salicylic acid or alpha-hydroxy acid in a variety of concentrations or sulfa-type ingredients.

For people who are easily irritated by topical BP-based products, a BP cleanser may be the ideal option for acne treatment. It is left on for only a few minutes before being rinsed, followed by a face moisturizer, therefore making the likelihood for irritation low; however, the BP is still effective in its ability to reduce the amount of bacteria in the skin, even when left on the skin for such short periods of time, and thereby helps treat the acne   with minimal irritation.

Antibacterial soaps that contain agents such as triclosan and chlorhexidine do not affect Propionibacterium acnes (P. acnes). In addition, these soaps can be irritating. For these reasons, antibacterial soaps are not indicated in acne. The exception is the BP wash, which does suppress and even kills P. acnes, even when used as a cleanser; however, over cleansing, even with BP,   can be irritating to the skin and should be avoided.