The Best Acne Body Sprays
Spray your way to clearer skin.
While there’s no definitive cure for acne, minimizing acne on the face is easy enough for most people since there are countless serums, cleansers, and moisturizers out there that can be easily applied to treat breakouts. As for more hard-to-reach areas on the body, however, it can be difficult to apply these products, which is where body acne sprays come in. The best body acne sprays disperse an even layer of active ingredients like salicylic acid, zinc PCA, and niacinamide to all areas on the body that tend to break out, like the back, chest, and arms.
What To Consider When Choosing A Body Spray For Acne
Most body acne sprays contain salicylic acid, which is a beta hydroxy acid (or BHA) that works by digging deep into your pores to clear them of breakout-causing dead skin and oil. Zinc PCA is another ingredient to look out for since it helps minimize excess oil production, which is useful because, as already mentioned, too much oil can clog your pores. If you’re after something to target bumps or keratosis pilaris, BHAs and alpha hydroxy acids (AHAs) will both be useful. Finally, body acne sprays that contain niacinamide can help minimize post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation, which tends to pop up after your acne heals.
Remember: Although these ingredients are effective for treating breakouts, they can also dry out certain skin types, so be sure to follow your body acne spray with a body lotion that’s suitable for acne-prone skin.
Shop The Best Acne Body Sprays
Want to see what all the hype is about? Check out the best acne body sprays:
- The Overall Best Body Acne Spray: Bliss Clear Genius Body Acne Spray
- The Best Value: Pacifica Bacne Warrior Acne Fighting Body Spray
- The Best Acne Body Spray with AHAs, BHAs, and PHAs: Hero Cosmetics Brave Body Once-Over Toner
- The Best Splurge-Worthy Acne Body Spray: Paula’s Choice CLEAR Acne Body Spray
- The Best No-Frills Acne Body Spray: Neutrogena Stubborn Body Acne Treatment Spray
1. The Overall Best Body Acne Spray
Reasonably priced and made by a spa-favorite brand, the Bliss Clear Genius Body Acne Spray seemingly does it all. Its contains niacinamide to fade unwanted hyperpigmentation, witch hazel to tone, and salicylic acid and zinc PCA, which work in tandem to keep breakouts at bay, with the former clearing out clogged pores and the latter reducing excess oil production. And if you find that your acne is easily inflamed, the cica in here helps to reduce redness and restore hydration to the skin.
Key Ingredients: Salicylic acid, zinc PCA, cica, niacinamide, witch hazel Cruelty-Free: yes Size: 3.5 oz.
2. The Best Value
At $15 for the largest bottle on this list, Pacifica’s Bacne Warrior Acne Fighting Body Spray is a great value. (It also comes from a vegan and cruelty-free brand that’s known for prioritizing the use of high-quality, naturally derived ingredients whenever possible.) The spray contains niacinamide to brighten unwanted hyperpigmentation from past breakouts, as well as salicylic acid to target current ones. It’s also formulated with with calming aloe and cucumber, which work together to soothe and hydrate skin. Plus, isn’t the bottle pretty?
Key Ingredients: Salicylic acid, niacinamide, cucumber, aloe Cruelty-Free: Yes Size: 6 oz.
3. The Best Acne Body Spray For Bumpy Skin
If you’re dealing with both breakouts and bumps (or keratosis pilaris), reach for the Hero Cosmetics Brave Body Once-Over Toner. This toner contains zinc PCA, which helps to regulate the production of excess sebum (aka oil), as well as AHAs, BHAs, and PHAs to exfoliate the surface of your skin and clear out congested pores. This multitasking toner has a 360-degree spray nozzle that shoots out a fine mist for an even application from any angle.
Key Ingredients: Zinc PCA, glycolic acid, niacinamide, salicylic acid Cruelty-Free: Yes Size: 5.07 oz.
4. The Best Splurge-Worthy Acne Body Spray
Paula’s Choice CLEAR Acne Body Spray contains a maximum-strength 2% salicylic acid to treat all types of breakouts, from blackheads to inflamed bumps, on the body. This spray also contains licorice root, an antioxidant that helps to brighten skin and offers protection against environmental aggressors like free radicals, so it’s a great option for wearing underneath sunscreen on days out of the house. Of course, exfoliants can be drying, but this formula contains both panthenol and glycerin to deliver a dose of hydration to the deeper layers of the skin.
Key Ingredients: Salicylic acid, licorice root, panthenol, glycerin Cruelty-Free: Yes Size: 4 oz.
5. The Best No-Frills Acne Body Spray
Neutrogena’s Stubborn Body Acne Treatment Spray is an ideal frill-free option for acne-prone skin anywhere on your body. This formula’s key ingredient is a 2% concentration of salicylic acid, and since this formula contains the highest percentage of salicylic acid allowed in cosmetic products, you’ll want to follow this spray with a gel-based moisturizer to avoid post-exfoliation dryness. That said, it doesn’t contain many other active ingredients, but at $12 for a reasonably large bottle, this drugstore option is worth considering.
Key Ingredients: 2% salicylic acid Cruelty-Free: No Size: 5.5 oz.
