If you have acne on your body, it can be a challenge to find lotions that will moisturize your skin without exacerbating your breakouts. So many products can clog pores and make breakouts worse that navigating the drugstore aisles can feel like a minefield.
Lotions to Use on Acne Prone Skin
It can be a challenge to find a body lotion that works to fight acne.
Products for Targeted Areas
If you only have acne on your chest and/or your back, you may have the best results if you apply a facial moisturizer designed for acne-prone skin just in those areas. Consider:
- Clean and Clear Oil Free Dual Action Moisturizer
- Bliss No 'Zit' Sherlock
- Peter Thomas Roth Oil Free Moisturizer
That won't be the most economical solution, of course, if you feel that you need the lotion to cover a very large area. Keep in mind that if you're looking for an acne treatment in a lotion, you won't necessarily want to put it all over your body; the ingredients that fight acne could dry out areas that aren't oily and acne prone. Smooth the treatment only over the affected areas, then use a milder lotion everywhere else.
Full-Body Lotions
Finding basic moisturizers without medication that will work well from your neck to your toes is less of a challenge. Many lotions have essential oils in them that may sound frightening to you if you've been dealing with acne and oily skin for a while. Visit Beneficial Botanicals for a list of comedogenic ratings from zero to five for a number of oils used in skin care products.
Lotions to try that do not offer specific medications like salicylic acid, beta-hydroxy acid, and so forth but are less likely to cause breakouts in acne-prone skin include:
- Cetaphil lotion: MakeupAlley reviewers have given Cetaphil nearly 4 out of 5 stars from 900+ reviews. The lotion is meant for sensitive skin and contains no parabens, lanolins, or fragrance. You can pick it up in nearly any drugstore for a very reasonable price.
- Booth's 4-in-1 Multi-Action Lotion also receives high marks in the MakeupAlley product review section from acne-prone users. It contains alpha-hydroxy acids, vitamins, and essential oils. This product also has lactic acid, vitamins E and A, shea butter, and other ingredients that work well for acne prone skin. However, it would be wise to try this on a small area first, as there is fragrance, coconut oil (comedogenic rating of four), sweet almond oil (rating of two), and apricot kernel oil (two), which could pose a hazard to those with acne-prone skin.
Moisturizers recommended at Acne.org include:
- Fruit of the Earth 100% Aloe Vera Gel
- CeraVe Moisturizing Lotion
- Burt's Bees Body Lotion
- Lac-Hydrin Five Moisturizing Lotion (includes AHA)
Trial and Error
Before choosing a lotion for your acne-prone skin, be sure to read the ingredients list and check for anything you may be allergic to. Check for comedogenic ingredients and balance them against the ones that seem like they would be beneficial for your acne based on past experience with similar ingredients. You may find that it takes some trial and error to find your perfect body lotion for acne prone skin. Be sure to only use the medicated lotions on the areas with breakouts, then finish with a light lotion that is unlikely to cause breakouts everywhere else.
