10 Best Cleansers for Closed Comedones

Closed comedones, also known as whiteheads, are non-inflammatory acne lesions that occur when a pore becomes clogged.

This happens when sebum and dead skin cells meant to lubricate the skin and shed from the surface accumulate inside the pore, creating a visible bump covered by a thin layer of skin.

And although closed comedones can be an annoying occurrence, they are easy to tackle with ingredients such as exfoliating acids.

Exfoliating acids will help unclog the pores and encourage the skin cells to shed, which reduces the appearance of the bumps and smoothes the skin’s surface.

Therefore, in this article, I will share the ten best cleansers for closed comedones.

The Inkey List – Salicylic Acid Acne + Pore Cleanser – $10

Best for oily, acne-prone skin.

The Salicylic Acid Cleanser by The Inkey List is a gentle, lightly foaming cleanser that helps remove daily impurities off the skin’s surface while also traveling deeper into the pores to dissolve the gunk that’s causing a clog and closed comedones.

Besides 2% salicylic acid, which is its main active ingredient, the Inkey List cleanser also has an added zinc compound to help reduce inflammation and balance out oil production.

Lastly, it also contains allantoin, a soothing and calming agent to help with redness and irritation.

Paula’s Choice – Pore Normalizing Cleanser – $14

Best for oily, acne-prone skin.

The Pore Normalizing Cleanser is a gentle, foaming cleanser that contains a very mild concentration of 0.5% salicylic acid to gently remove impurities from the skin, unclog pores, and get rid of closed comedones and acne.

Besides the main active ingredient, the cleanser also contains arginine, a skin-softening amino acid, and panthenol, which is one of the most calming and soothing ingredients found in skincare products.

Even though it contains salicylic acid, the concentration in this cleanser is very mild compared to the usual 2% found in over-the-counter products; therefore, it can be used daily.

However, every skin is different; therefore, if you notice that it’s drying you out, minimize its use down to 2-3 times a week.

La Roche-Posay – Effaclar Medicated Gel Acne Cleanser – $15

Best for oily, acne-prone skin.

La Roche Posay Medicated Gel Cleanser is an exfoliating cleanser that contains 2% salicylic acid to penetrate into the pores and clear out the oils and gunk that’s causing closed comedones, as well as lipo-hydroxy acid, which is a derivative and a gentler alternative to salicylic acid.

So the Medicated Gel Cleanser gives you a double exfoliating effect without the irritation that’s often associated with using multiple acids.

That said, you should still avoid overusing it because it can dry out your skin and potentially cause irritation due to disrupting the moisture barrier.

Vivant Skincare – Mandelic Acid 3-in-1 Wash – $22

Best for dry, combo, acne-prone skin.

Vivant’s Mandelic Acid 3-in 1 Wash is a gentle gel cleanser that contains mandelic acid, an AHA that works to gently exfoliate the skin, clear the pores, and improve the look of skin texture caused by bumps such as closed comedones.

Additionally to the main active ingredient, the Mandelic Acid 3-in-1 Wash also contains soothing antioxidants such as green tea extract, kiwi extract, and honey, an excellent humectant that hydrates the skin and attracts moisture into the upper layers.

NEOSTRATA – PHA Hydrating Gel Facial Cleanser – $27

Best for daily use and all skin types.

The NEOSTRATA PHA Hydrating Gel Facial Cleanser is a soap-free, non-foaming cleanser that’s extremely gentle on the skin.

It is formulated with 4% Gluconolactone, a PHA (poly-hydroxy acid), which is the gentlest exfoliating acid compared to AHAs and BHA with the ability to exfoliate the pores and clear out the gunk that’s causing closed comedones without irritating the skin.

The cleanser will leave your skin clean, plump, hydrated, lightly exfoliated, and prepped for the next step into your skincare routine.

EltaMD – Foaming Facial Cleanser – $28

Best for oily, acne-prone skins.

EltaMD Foaming Facial Cleanser is an oil-free and non-irritating daily cleanser that’s specially formulated for oily, congested, and acne-prone skin.

It’s also great for closed comedones because it contains enzymes and a blend of amino acids that help loosen and remove impurities from the skin’s surface.

The cleanser also foams up quickly in contact with water, meaning you won’t need more than a nickel-sized amount to wash your entire face and neck.

Medik8 — Clarifying Foam – $29

Best for sensitive, combo, oily, acne-prone skin.

The Clarifying Foam by Medik8 is a deeply purifying and antibacterial cleanser. It feels light and gentle on the skin, and it has a faint fresh scent.

It contains a blend of AHAs and BHAs that work in synergy to gently exfoliate the dead skin cells, unclog the pores, and get rid of texture caused by closed comedones.

This will leave the skin smooth and promote a refined complexion that is significantly less prone to future acne breakouts.

SkinCeuticals – Purifying Cleanser – $35

Best for oily, acne-prone skin.

The Skinceuticals Purifying Cleanser is a gel cleanser formulated with a mild surfactant system that aims to dissolve impurities on the skin’s surface and leave it feeling fresh and cleansed.

It also contains a mild 2% concentration of glycolic acid to gently exfoliate the skin while cleansing without overdrying it.

Glycolic acid can be beneficial for acne-prone skin; however, it usually takes a much stronger concentration than 2% to yield more noticeable results.

All in all, a 2% concentration is good enough to lightly exfoliate and dissolve closed comedones without irritating the skin.

SkinCeuticals – Glycolic Renewal Gel Cleanser – $38

Best for oily, mature, acne-prone skin.

The SkinCeuticals Glycolic Renewal Gel Cleanser is intended to remove impurities, dirt, oil, and long-wearing makeup from the skin, without overly stripping or dehydrating it.

Its star ingredient is 8% glycolic acid, an exfoliating alpha-hydroxy acid that works on the skin’s surface to dissolve the bonds that hold dead skin cells together and promote natural shedding to get rid of the texture caused by closed comedones.

Additionally, it also contains 1% phytic acid, a plant extract with antioxidant properties, and 2% aloe leaf extract to calm and soothe any existing redness on the skin.

iS Clinical – Cleansing Complex – $45

Best for oily, mature, acne-prone skin.

The iS Clinical Cleansing Complex is an excellent cleanser to reach for if you are dealing with closed comedones, blackheads, and adult acne as this cleanser contains a healthy blend of exfoliating ingredients such as white willow bark, antioxidants, and soothing ingredients such as chamomile and Centella Asiatica, as well as moisturizing ingredients such as sugar cane extracts. 

The gel cleanser is designed to remove pore-clogging sebum and prevent breakouts, boost cellular turnover, and soothe any existing inflammation on the skin.