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22 Best Face Washes for Cystic Acne on November 21, 2023 at 5:00 am Us Weekly

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November 21, 2023

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While acne can be a damaging skin condition that predominates within your teenage years, nothing compares to its more severe form, cystic acne. Clinically recognized as painful, deep-rooted cysts (fluid-filled sacs) that can be both physically and emotionally scarring, this chronic inflammatory condition is hard to ignore. The disease originates from hormonally aberrant and stress-induced states, which promotes excess oil secretion – a process that supports the overgrowth of acne-forming bacteria leading to pore obstruction. However, don’t be alarmed as there is now a selection of facial washes that have unparalleled acne-fighting capabilities!

In a nutshell, face washes serve to unclog pores, reduce the inflammatory ‘storm’, and free your skin of breakouts. Often it is best to look out for exfoliating agents, such as beta hydroxy acids (BHAs) and alpha hydroxy acids (AHAs), that serve to remove sebum (oily substance), debris, and dead skin cells – all of which clog pores and promote acne formation.

Additionally, it is important to find a face wash with non-comedogenic properties, meaning the product is formulated with ingredients (e.g. glycerin, vitamin C, and aloe vera) that won’t block pores and hence reduce breakouts.

Furthermore, anti-inflammatory ingredients (antioxidants like vitamin E) that directly target the pathogenesis of cystic acne should be on the radar when trying to pick the best face wash for your skin needs. During inflammation, volatile chemicals called free radicals are produced, which react with tissues in order to regain stability (oxidative damage). Accordingly, antioxidants neutralize the effect of free radicals, thereby reducing redness and acne flares.

Lastly, considering some agents are more aggressive and strip the skin of its natural oils, dryness is a common dilemma sufferers face. Therefore, looking for humectants (hyaluronic acid, glycerin, etc) or compounds that enhance moisture retention is vital to keep your pesky acne at bay. Given the abundance of face washes currently on the market, finding the right one can often be an uphill battle. To lend a helping hand, and save you countless hours, we have come up with our very own list of the best face washes for cystic acne.

1. Blu Atlas Volcanic Ash Face Cleanser

We couldn’t make an acne-specific face wash list without mentioning the team at Blu Atlas. While it’s a newcomer on the skincare scene, Blu Atlas is quickly becoming a staple brand for those seeking naturally derived solutions to aid their skincare concerns. One product in their range that we particularly love to employ against cystic acne flares is the Volcanic Ash Face Cleanser.

Having identified the importance of our skin’s microbiome, Blu Atlas has formulated this cleanser with lactobacillus ferment lysate filtrate. To help understand this a bit better, our skin’s microbiome is normally filled with microbes that have co-evolved with our body, and serve as a means to fortify our skin barrier. However, during acne flares, our skin can become overrun with acne-inducing bacteria, which disrupt our skin’s microbiome and ultimately the health of our skin. Therefore, using a product with a probiotic ingredient such as lactobacillus ferment lysate filtrate helps to restore balance in our skin, soothe irritation and prime our skin against aggressors – all of which help prevent acne.

To directly mitigate cystic acne flares, this cleanser also contains volcanic ash, which works by absorbing excess sebum from your skin, and withdrawing impurities from your pores. This ultimately gives your skin the chance to breathe and helps minimize the appearance of pores themselves. Lastly, pomegranate oil, which is naturally dense in antioxidants and vitamins, has been added to reduce the damage caused by free radicals. This not only helps reduce signs of inflammation and nourishes the skin, but gives your skin some added protection from environmental stressors and pollutants that can aggravate acne.

Available in three scents (classic, coconut apricot, and fragrance-free), this vegan, cruelty-free, and powerfully formulated cleanser serves as the perfect base to build your cystic acne routine on.

Key ingredients: Lactobacillus ferment lysate filtrate, volcanic ash, and pomegranate oil

Benefits: Microbiome-restoring, antioxidant-rich facial cleanser with oil-absorbing properties

Suited skin types: While this product is suited for all skin types, we would recommend opting for the fragrance-free option if you suffer from particularly sensitive skin

2. La Roche-Posay Effaclar Medicated Gel Cleanser

As a brand renowned for providing dermatologically approved solutions to a range of skin concerns and conditions, La Roche-Posay has helped to pioneer the skincare industry into what it is today. One such product that has earnt global recognition for its innovative design when helping those who suffer from both cystic acne and sensitive skin, is La Roche-Posay’s Effaclar Medicated Gel Cleanser.

Within this gel cleanser, three key ingredients (2% salicylic acid, lipo-hydroxy acid (LHA), and glycerin) work in unison to respectively exfoliate and clear pores, whilst restoring hydration to your skin barrier. Derived from willow bark, salicylic acid is an oil-soluble BHA that is able to deeply penetrate into your skin to initiate keratolytic processes. Through its keratolytic activity, salicylic acid breaks down the top layer of your skin to encourage your skin cells to soften and slough away. Although this process sounds harsh, it actually helps to prevent dead skin cells from building up within your pores – which if left, clogs the pores and leads to the development of acne.

Comparatively, as the little sister of salicylic acid, LHAs take a much slower approach to exfoliation. Specifically, LHAs are known to penetrate less deeply into your skin and promote skin cell shedding at a rate that mimics that of normal physiological turnover – meaning that this product can both quickly clear clogged pores, and act over time to prevent buildup. Lastly, to keep your skin hydrated and your skin barrier nourished, the humectant glycerin acts to encourage water retention in the top layer of your skin – making your skin appear healthy, plump, and nourished.

If you are wanting a product that will exfoliate congested skin, without requiring harsh physical exfoliants that strip your skin of natural oils, then La Roche-Posay’s Effaclar Medicated Gel Cleanser is perfect for you!

Key ingredients: 2% Salicylic acid, lipo-hydroxy acid (LHA), and glycerin

Benefits: Exfoliating and hydrating properties

Suited skin types: All skin types, including those with sensitive skin

3. CeraVe Acne Foaming Cream Cleanser

What happens when one of the biggest brands in skincare formulates a product with goodies specifically targeted at getting cystic acne prone skin back to its former glory? Well, you just so happen to get CeraVe’s Acne Foaming Cream Cleanser.

Integral to this face cleanser’s powerful action is the acne-fighting superstar benzoyl peroxide. Designed to target and kill acne-causing strains of bacteria, prevent pores from clogging, and rid your skin of excess sebum, benzoyl peroxide does not play around when it comes to acne. While benzoyl peroxide works at ridding your skin of acne, CeraVe’s signature blend of ceramides comes into play to fortify and nourish damaged skin barriers. Ceramides are a group of lipids naturally produced within the upper layer of your skin, which help stick cells together to prevent bacteria from entering, and water from leaving.

As we age, are exposed to environmental stressors, and have bouts of inflammation (such as within cystic acne) our levels of ceramides deplete – meaning our skin barrier is in harm’s way. Therefore, opting to use a product (such as this one) enriched with ceramides is the perfect way to help boost your skin’s protection capacity, and enable it to heal. Hyaluronic acid then draws moisture into your newly formed skin barrier, and niacinamide diminishes the appearance of pores – leaving you with hydrated, well-nourished skin.

Developed by dermatologists, this cleanser is the ideal addition to the skincare routine of anyone wanting to get on top of their cystic acne, whilst giving your skin the chance to repair.

Ingredients: 4% Benzoyl peroxide, ceramides (ceramide NP, ceramide AP, ceramide EOP), niacinamide, and hyaluronic acid

Benefits: Contains benzoyl peroxide as an active ingredient to kill bacteria, whilst the cleanser promotes skin barrier repair

Suited skin types: As benzoyl peroxide can dry the skin out, we suggest checking in with a dermatologist before applying this product to sensitive or eczema-prone skin

4. Murad Clarifying Cleanser

If you’re after a face wash that is tough on breakouts but gentle on the skin, then the Murad Clarifying Cleanser is what you need. The cutting edge formula features two types of salicylic acid (1.5%), a fast-absorbing and encapsulated slow-release form. This aids in immediately exfoliating the skin, which rids the skin of debris and dead skin cells while providing a prolonged effect long after rinsing.

The addition of green tea extracts, chiefly epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), as a natural anti-inflammatory helps to soothe the skin, and abolish irritation. As an antioxidant, EGCG reduces free radical attack by neutralizing their detrimental effects. More recently, a study showed that EGCG also inhibits sebum production, and silences the immune system by suppressing pro-inflammatory cytokines. The resultant benefit is that you achieve an environment that is less prone to harboring bacteria, whilst reducing redness and flare-ups.

If we already haven’t sold it to you, then the raving reviews might change your mind. In a 3-day clinical study, 97% of sufferers said that the Murad Clarifying Cleanser curbed their skin of excess oil, while 88% indicated an overall improvement in skin appearance. In the public we trust, and so should you!

Key ingredients: 1.5% salicylic acid (fast-absorbing and slow-release form), and green tea extracts

Benefits: Assists in the exfoliation of acne-prone skin, while green tea extracts work on reducing inflammation and flares

Suited skin types: All skin types

5. Oxygen Skincare 2 in 1 Cleanser

If you are after something a little more natural to tackle irritated acne, then Oxygen Skincare’s 2 in 1 cleanser might be the product for you! Scientifically proven to kill 85% of the acne-causing bacteria on your skin within 24 hours, this cleanser is living proof that sometimes, simpler is better.

Within this cleanser, the antibacterial properties of New Zealand Hop extract have been utilized to create an environment that is unfavorable to five of the main bacteria that cause acne. Additionally, due to its anti-inflammatory properties, this extract is ideal for soothing and reducing the redness and irritation associated with acne flares. Antioxidant-rich coconut balm has been incorporated into this product to help prevent damage induced by free radicals from our environment and produced within the pathogenesis of acne. Lastly, aloe vera extract helps to soothe and promote moisturization of dry irritated skin – and delivers a healthy load of nutrients to your skin itself.

Plus with its light mandarin fragrance (all-natural – don’t worry, we checked) this product is the perfect refreshing cleanser to start your day off right.

Key ingredients: New Zealand hop extract, coconut balm, and aloe vera extract

Benefits: Gentle skin cleanser with anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory properties

Suited skin types: All skin types

6. First Aid BeautyDeep Cleanser with Red Clay

Ever felt like you just wanted to slap a band-aid on your acne and pretend it wasn’t there? Well, clearly the team at First Aid Beauty did too, which is why they designed their cleanser to be a one-stop shop for fixing acne-prone skin.

To firstly draw out impurities and absorb excess sebum, this facial wash has been formulated with a healthy concentration of red clay. This nutrient-dense mineral compound has held its own as a skincare staple utilized in traditional medicine, where it was used to improve blood circulation. This in turn helps your skin to produce more collagen and elastin, and can help fight off inflammation. Rosemary leaf oil, which has been clinically proven to hold efficacy against a plethora of bacteria, then gets to work in ridding your skin of acne-causing bacteria, whilst glycerin promotes long-lasting hydration.

Ultimately, this dermatologically supported, cruelty-free facial cleanser is the ideal product for those whose skin needs a helping hand to surface congestion and repair itself from within.

Key ingredients: Red clay, rosemary leaf oil, and glycerin

Benefits: Draws out impurities, targets acne-causing bacteria, and hydrates

Suited skin types: All skin types including those with sensitivities

7. Panoxyl Acne Foaming Wash

Just to preface, this product is not for the faint of heart! Formulated with 10% benzoyl peroxide, the Panoxyl Acne Foaming wash is the end of the line for medicated skincare before you require a prescription from your doctor.

This product is the ultimate skincare edition for those suffering from cystic acne and requiring a product to break the vicious cycles of flares, and prevent new breakouts from forming. As mentioned previously, benzoyl peroxide acts by targeting acne-causing bacteria, removing excess sebum from pores, and increasing cellular turnover – leaving you with acne-free skin. If this isn’t convincing enough, clinical studies show that this wash kills over 99% of acne-causing bacteria 15 seconds after its application, and it shows in the raving reviews left by satisfied customers.

Whilst, Panoxyl Acne Foaming wash has been fortified with hydrating agents, we would have to recommend following this product up with a highly hydrating moisturizer, as benzoyl peroxide has been known to dry out the skin. Overall, for those suffering from severe bouts of cystic acne, this product might just be the one for you on our list of the best face washes for cystic acne.

Key ingredients: 10% benzoyl peroxide

Benefits: Maximum strength product for ridding the skin of bacteria

Suited skin types: Not suitable for those with sensitive, eczema-prone, or dry skin

8. Medicube Zero Foam Cleanser

Granted that you’re a person driven by scientific validation, then the Zero Foam Cleanser by Medicube is the product for you! Clinically tested in the publicly renowned P&K Skin Clinical Research Centre, the Zero Foam cleanser has proven efficacious in removing micro-dust and unclogging acne-prone skin. First popularized within the Korean market, the unique blend of natural salicylic acid, metallic chelate polymers, and potent antioxidants gives this product an upper hand.

Within this cleanser, plant-derived salicylic acid (sourced from wintergreen leaf extract) serves to take care of those problem pores, and free your skin of blemishes and contaminants. Comparatively, the ingenious metallic chelate polymers function to remove free radicals and external pollutants, therefore reinforcing the skin barrier to prevent irritation. Lastly, through supplementation with quince, lemon balm, and orange blossom extracts, this product works to tighten pores and boost your antioxidant stores to reduce oxidative damage.

Management of acne can be a tortious ordeal, but with the Zero Foam Cleanser, daily pore care and sebum control are made that little bit easier!

Key ingredients: Salicylic acid (derived from wintergreen leaf extract), metallic chelate polymers, and antioxidant blend

Benefits: Deep exfoliation, antioxidant power, and sebum and pore control

Suited skin types: Caution for those with sensitive skin

9. Paula’s Choice Pore Normalizing Cleanser

With 96% of its users seeing a difference in the size of their pores, and 88% seeing a decrease in the severity of their acne, the team behind Paula’s Choice keeps on going from strength to strength when developing iconic skincare products. Formulated with salicylic acid, glycerin, and panthenol, their potent Pore Normalizing Cleanser acts to dissolve debris trapped within pores, without causing irritation to delicate skin barriers.

One point of difference that truly sets this product apart, is that it has been formulated for those who suffer from sensitive skin. Unlike other acne-targeted cleansers, which dry the skin out in the process of clearing it, this cleanser has been fortified with two potent moisturizing agents. Specifically, glycerin and panthenol (the precursor of vitamin B5) act as humectants that draw moisture from deep within your skin, and from the surrounding environment, and bind to it, trapping it within the top layer of your skin.

While other brands focus on fighting acne with tough ingredients, Paula’s Choice has opted to instead focus on gently clearing pores with salicylic acid to treat and prevent acne and keep your skin in a state that will help it to heal. If you are sick and tired of having to sacrifice the hydration of your skin for it to remain clear, this product might be exactly what you are missing.

Key ingredients: Salicylic acid, glycerin, and panthenol

Benefits: Non-irritating and pore cleansing

Suited skin types: Specifically designed for easily irritated skin

10. The INKEY List Salicylic Acid Cleanser

You may be seeing a trend with these face washes and their bioactive constituents, and the INKEY list salicylic acid cleanser is no exception! Formulated with 2% salicylic acid, zinc compounds, and 0.5% allantoin, this cleanser works to respectively dislodge debris from occluded pores, soothe irritated skin, and promote regeneration. Zinc compounds have been investigated as sebo-neutralizing agents, meaning they act to control sebum secretion. In synergy, their antibacterial properties help to reduce inflammation caused by skin-harboring microbes, ultimately reducing irritation and associated redness.

In contrast, allantoin serves to retain skin moisture, which is inadvertently lost with harsh exfoliating agents. However, more anecdotal evidence has suggested that allantoin accelerates skin healing and visibly lessens scarring. So if you are in search of a product that tackles those emotionally-taxing battle scars, then the INKEY List salicylic acid cleanser is your best bet.

Key Ingredients: 0.5% allantoin, 2% salicylic acid, and zinc compounds

Benefits: Works to reduce inflammation, promote skin healing, and boost hydration

Skin types: All skin types

11. Kiehl’s Blue Herbal Blemish Cleanser Treatment

If you are looking for a herbal alternative that is free of synthetic drying agents, then your search stops here! With Kiehl’s Blue Herbal Blemish Cleanser Treatment, a blend of cinnamon bark, ginger root extract, and salicylic acid eliminates excess oil, calms redness, and improves acne-prone complexions overall.

Cinnamon bark yields bactericidal (bacteria-killing) properties, making it an effective agent against acne and skin blemishes. A secondary action of cinnamon extracts is to improve cutaneous blood flow to aid in skin repair while dislodging microdust and pollutants. Ginger root on the other hand, minimizes sebum secretion while nourishing the skin to reduce dryness. So give this herbal remedy a go, as it is well worth the hype!

Key Ingredients: Cinnamon bark, ginger root extract, and salicylic acid

Benefits: Antibacterial, and skin rejuvenating properties

Suited skin types: Specific for sensitive skin users

12. Glow Recipe Blueberry Bounce Gentle Cleanser

When it comes to making skincare fun, Glow Recipe truly is strides above the rest. As a brand, Glow Recipe designs innovative products that harness the natural goodies found within fruit, to help your skin throughout various rough patches. One product that we couldn’t miss off of our list of the best cystic acne face washes for is their very own Blueberry Bounce Gentle Cleanser.

Infused with antioxidant and nutrient-rich blueberry extract, this cleanser helps mitigate damage induced by free radicals produced as a result of inflammation – a process at the heart of cystic acne. Whilst this helps to hydrate, calm, and refresh your skin, a selection of fruit-derived AHAs get to work clearing debris from your pores to calm acne flares. To keep your skin clean and free from residual makeup and pollutants, hydrating micro-foaming bubbles get to work, leaving you with the perfect base to begin your skincare routine. So if you are wanting a gentle cleanser to clean and hydrate your skin in preparation for a busy day ahead, then this product is truly the one for you.

Key ingredients: Blueberry extract, hyaluronic acid, AHAs, and hydrating suds

Benefits: Gently exfoliating cleanser which is packed with antioxidants to calm inflamed skin

Suited skin types: All skin types (including sensitive, dry skin)

13. Neutrogena Oil-Free Acne Wash

When coming up with this clinically supported list of the best face washes for cystic acne, it was a no brainer to include the Neutrogena oil-free acne wash. As one of the biggest brands for acne with a cult-like following, this cleanser is an affordable, highly available, and well-formulated solution to tackle those clogged pores. With salicylic acid being delivered to your skin by Neutrogena’s patented MicroClear® Technology, this cleanser is a one-stop shop to regain control of your skin.

Key ingredients: Salicylic acid

Benefits: Pore cleansing

Suited skin types: All skin types

14. Sunday Riley Ceramic Slip Cleanser

After a luxurious solution to combat excess sebum and clogged pores? Then look no further, as Sunday Riley’s Ceramic Slip Cleanser has truly earned its praise for good reason.

Within this cleanser, a specialized blend of green clay, bentonite, and white kaolin gets to work on dampening sebum secretion, absorbing impurities from pores, and giving you an overall clean and healthy appearance – free of blemishes. However, having recognized the toll that cystic acne can have on your skin, the team at Sunday Riley has made sure to fortify this cleanser with rice and olive oil esters. These gently cleanse your skin without ridding it of essential oils, whilst helping to repair your skin barrier.

While this product might sound too good to be true, trust us when we say that no one does well-formulated luxury products better than the team behind Sunday Riley.

Key ingredients: Green clay, bentonite, white kaolin, rice, and olive oil esters

Benefits: Absorbs excess oils and promotes healthy skin barrier function

Suited skin types: All skin types

15. Aveeno Clear Complexion Foaming Cleanser

Renowned for providing skincare solutions for those suffering from skin sensitivities, Aveeno’s Clear Complexion Foaming Cleanser is known to be tough on acne, and not on your skin.

Within this cleanser, 0.5% salicylic acid gets to work on tackling active breakouts and preventing the development of flares. Meanwhile, a potent concentration of antioxidant-rich soy extracts gives deprived skin a nutrient boost to help it stay healthy and glowing, whilst dampening inflammation. With an airy, foamy texture, this facial wash is the perfect user-friendly and affordable cleanser to incorporate into your morning and evening routine.

Key ingredients: 0.5% Salicylic acid and soy extracts

Benefits: Gentle cleanser

Suited skin types: Suitable for those with skin sensitivities

16. Ethique Deep Green Deep Cleaning Solid Face Cleanser

Looking for a product that is tough when it comes to acne and not the environment? Then Ethique’s Deep Green solid facial cleanser might just be what you are after. As a brand, Ethique holds great pride in delivering affordable skincare solutions that are highly concentrated, meaning you get more bang for your buck. Formulated with French clay, sea salt, castor oil, and sweet orange oil, this cleanser acts to absorb excess acne-causing oil without disrupting your skin’s physiological function.

Plus with each solid cleansing bar you use, you are saving 3 x 350 ml bottles from ending up in landfill, 2,750 ml of water from being wasted down the drain, and your wallet from having to constantly repurchase your new favorite cleanser – a win-win if you ask us.

Key ingredients: French clay, sea salt, castor oil, and sweet orange oil

Benefits: Deeply concentrated cleanser for oily skin

Suited skin types: All skin types

17. Kate Somerville EradiKate® Daily Foaming Cleanser

A game-changer when it comes to face washes for cystic acne, Kate Somerville’s medicated EradiKate Daily Foaming Cleanser features 3% sulfur for that clinical strength blemish control. While sulfur acts in a similar way to benzoyl peroxide and salicylic acid, where it differs is in its mild pore-cleaning power. This prevents dryness that can accompany some potent exfoliants, all while being equally effective at unclogging dirt-infected pores. A further acne-fighting property is its ability to absorb excess sebum and oil, hence reducing bacterial growth and acne flares. So if you’re willing to pay a little bit extra without compromising on efficacy then this cleanser is the solution to skin troubles!

Key ingredients: 3% sulfur

Benefits: Mild exfoliant with sebum-lowering activity

Suitable skin types: All skin types

18. Origins Clear Improvement Zero Oil Face Wash

Wanting to put your skin on a detox to get it back on track? Within Origins Clear Improvement Zero Oil Face Wash, salicylic acid and bamboo charcoal work in unison to achieve exactly that – skin free from impurities that has a chance to heal.

Referred to as the “black diamond” of skincare, bamboo charcoal is an ingredient characterized by its ability to absorb 100 times its weight – making it ideal for drawing out excess oil, impurities, and bacteria from your skin. In addition, its porous yet micro-fine texture helps to gently exfoliate dead skin cells which prevents them from building up, and clogging your pores. With a light mint scent, this facial wash is an ideal addition to your morning acne-targeting routine!

Key ingredients: Salicylic acid and bamboo charcoal

Benefits: Gently exfoliating, oil-absorbing facial wash

Suited skin types: All skin types

19. ACNE AHA BHA PHA 30 Days Miracle Acne Clear Foam

In need of a non-stripping face wash that is soft on the skin but tough on acne? Then the dual-action AHA BHA PHA 30 Days Miracle Acne Clear Foam by ACNE is one you should definitely add to the list. It’s enriched with 5,000 parts per million (ppm) of salicylic acid to clear those bacteria-laden pores, and 160,200 ppm of Truecica – a trademarked ingredient that has a distinguished role in reducing acne flares. Truecica features a triad of plant-based extracts, namely tea tree, centella asiatica (aka cica), and mugwort. The role of Truecica is to act as a calming agent, naturally fortifying the skin barrier with the hydration it deserves in order to withstand external forces.

Key ingredients: Salicylic acid, and Truecica

Benefits: Fortified with a skin-strengthening agent, and gentle pore-cleaning capabilities

Skin types: For those with ultra-sensitive skin

20. Mario Badescu Enzyme Cleansing Gel

As we know by now, when it comes to helping prevent flares of cystic acne, exfoliation is key. Not only does exfoliation help dead skin cells to slough away and not end up blocking your pores, but it also promotes cellular turnover – which in turn signals your skin to heal. Therefore, to help make this process a tad more luxurious, the team at Mario Badescu has developed its very own Enzyme Cleansing Gel. Formulated with grapefruit and papaya extracts, this product works to rid your skin of excess oils and deeply cleanse pores – leaving your skin smooth and fresh.

To use, simply pop this product on for 30 seconds, and let the product do the work for you!

Key ingredients: Grapefruit extract and papaya extract

Benefits: Exfoliating cleanser

Suited skin types: Due to its enzymatic activity we would not suggest this cleanser for those suffering from irritable skin

21. Cetaphil PRO Acne Prone Oil Control Foam Wash

When it comes to wanting a product that has won over the hearts of dermatologists and users alike, you simply cannot overlook Cetaphil’s PRO Acne Prone Oil Control Foam Wash.

Within this cleanser, zinc technology, vitamin E, vitamin B5, and glycerin work to respectively minimize blemishes, soothe irritation, promote skin barrier restoration, and lock hydration within the upper layer of the skin. The result? Clear, hydrated, irritation-free skin that is actively ready to tackle whatever cystic acne has to throw at it.

Key ingredients: Zinc technology, vitamin E, vitamin B5, and glycerin

Benefits: Gentle acne targeting, skin barrier repairing cleanser

Suited skin types: All skin types including those with skin sensitivities

22. Atopis Thoroughly Gentle Cleanser

If you want that round-the-clock breakout protection face wash that doesn’t strip your skin bone dry, then the Thoroughly Gentle Cleanser by Atopis has got you covered. It’s supplemented with kumarahou extract, a Native New Zealand herbal remedy that contains a high saponin content. Saponins help to provide antimicrobial action, while simultaneously soothing and hydrating the skin to reinforce the skin barrier. Orange peel is another signature ingredient, which by containing citric acid, serves to de-clog those problem pores and fight the progression of acne lesions.

Key Ingredients: Kumerahou extract, and orange peel

Benefits: Antimicrobial, skin-calming cleanser

Skin types: All skin types

Frequently Asked Questions

What’s the best way to apply your acne-specific face wash?

In accordance with the American Academy of Dermatology, it is recommended to follow some general principles when applying your face wash.

Firstly, wash your face with lukewarm water
Apply face wash using your fingertips as opposed to scrubbing the skin, which can cause abrasion, and exacerbate skin irritation.
Rinse again with lukewarm water and pat dry with a delicate towel.
Apply a moisturizer to boost hydration if your skin is feeling extra dry.
Limit washing to twice daily, as exfoliating too frequently can increase your likelihood of drying out. However, it is recommended to wash your face immediately after sweating, as this can further draw out skin moisture.

What is the difference between a cleanser and a face wash?

Although used synonymously, both cleansers and facial washes have key distinguishing features. Face washes are generally water-based foams with astringent activity to unclog pores and ameliorate oil production. Meanwhile, cleansers are thicker formulations that primarily cleanse, hydrate, and calm your acne-prone skin.

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Branded content. Us Weekly has affiliate partnerships so we may receive compensation for some links to products and services. While acne can be a damaging skin condition that predominates within your teenage years, nothing compares to its more severe form, cystic acne. Clinically recognized as painful, deep-rooted cysts (fluid-filled sacs) that can be both physically

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Entertainment

When “Professional” Means Silent

Published

1 week ago

February 25, 2026

Bolanle Media Staff

Michael B. Jordan and Delroy Lindo did not walk onto the BAFTA stage expecting to become a case study in how the industry mishandles racism in real time. They were there to present, hit their marks, and do what award shows have always asked of Black talent: bring charisma, sell the moment, keep the night moving.

Instead, while they stood under the lights, a man in the audience shouted the N‑word. The word carried across the theater and through the broadcast. The cameras kept rolling. The teleprompter kept scrolling. And the two men at the center of it did what they’ve been trained their entire careers to do: they kept going.

The incident was shocking, but the pattern around it was familiar.

The Apologies That Came After the Credits

In the days that followed, BAFTA released a public apology. The organization said it took responsibility for putting its guests “in a very difficult situation,” acknowledged that the word used carries deep trauma, and apologized to Michael B. Jordan and Delroy Lindo. It also praised them for their “dignity and professionalism” in continuing to present.

The man who shouted the slur, a Tourette syndrome campaigner, explained that his outbursts are involuntary and expressed remorse for the pain his tic caused. That context about disability matters. Any honest conversation has to hold space for the reality that not every harmful word is spoken with intent.

But context doesn’t erase impact. For people watching at home—and especially for the men on that stage—the sequence was still the same: a slur detonated in the room, the show continued as if nothing happened, and the institutional response arrived later, in carefully crafted language.

Delroy Lindo summed up the experience by saying he and Jordan “did what we had to do,” and added that he wished someone from the organization had spoken with them directly afterward. That gap between polished statements and real‑time care is exactly where trust breaks down.

Who Is “Professionalism” Really Protecting?

Strip away the PR and a hard truth emerges: almost all of the pressure fell on the people who were harmed, not the people in charge.

On stage, “professionalism” meant Jordan and Lindo were expected to stay composed so the room wouldn’t be uncomfortable. Off stage, “professionalism” meant the institution focused on managing optics after the fact instead of disrupting the show in the moment.

That raises a question the industry rarely wants to confront:

When we call for professionalism, whose comfort are we protecting?

For Black artists, professionalism has too often meant:

Take the hit and keep your face neutral.
Don’t make it awkward for the audience or the brand.
Don’t risk being labeled “difficult,” no matter how blatant the disrespect.

It’s easy to admire that composure. It’s harder to admit that the system routinely demands it from the very people absorbing the harm.

If It Can Happen There, It Can Happen Anywhere

This didn’t happen in a chaotic open mic or an unsupervised live stream. It happened at one of the most carefully produced film ceremonies in the world—an event with run‑of‑show documents, stage managers, and communication channels in everyone’s ears.

If an incident like this can unfold there without a pause, it can unfold anywhere:

At a regional festival Q&A when an audience member crosses a line.
At a comedy show when someone heckles with a “joke” that’s really just a slur.
At a film panel where the only Black creator on stage gets a loaded question and is expected to smile through it.

The honest question for anyone who runs events isn’t “How could BAFTA let this happen?” It’s “What would we actually do if it happened in our room?”

Would your moderator know they have explicit permission to stop everything?
Would your team know who goes to the stage, who speaks to the audience, and who stays with the person targeted?
Or would you also be scrambling to get the language right in a statement tomorrow?

Redefining Professionalism in 2026

If this moment is going to mean anything, the definition of professionalism has to change.

Professionalism cannot just be “don’t lose your cool on stage.” It has to include the courage and structure to protect the people on that stage when something goes wrong.

A better standard looks like this:

Pause the show when serious harm happens. A clean program is not more important than a person’s dignity.
Acknowledge it in the room. Name what happened in clear terms instead of pretending it didn’t occur and quietly editing it later.
Center the person targeted. Check on them, give them options, and let their comfort—not the schedule—drive the next move.
Plan the response before you need it. Build safety and harassment protocols into your festival, awards show, or live event so no one is improvising under pressure.

Sometimes the most professional thing you can do is allow a little discomfort in the room. It signals that human beings matter more than the illusion of seamlessness.

The Standard Going Forward

Michael B. Jordan and Delroy Lindo did what they have always been rewarded for doing: they protected the show. They shouldn’t have had to.

True respect for their craft and humanity would have looked like a room that moved to protect them instead—stopping the script, resetting the energy, and making it clear that the problem wasn’t their reaction, but the harm they’d just absorbed.

No performer should be asked to choose between their dignity and their career. So if you work anywhere in this industry—onstage or behind the scenes—this incident quietly handed you a new baseline:

Call it out.
Pause the show.
Back the person who was harmed.

That’s what professionalism should mean in 2026.

Entertainment

These Movies Aren’t “True Crime for Fun”

Published

2 weeks ago

February 22, 2026

Bolanle Media Staff

When scandals and cover‑ups dominate the timeline, it’s tempting to process them the same way we process everything else online: as content.

A headline becomes a meme, a victim becomes a character, and a years‑long story of abuse or corruption gets flattened into a 30‑second clip. In that kind of environment, it matters what we choose to watch—and how we watch it.

Some films lean into shock and spectacle. Others slow us down, asking us to sit with the systems that make these stories possible in the first place.

This article is about that second group.

Below are three films that are difficult, necessary, and deeply relevant when we’re surrounded by conversations about power, silence, and who actually gets held accountable. They’re not “true crime for fun.” They are stories about people who push back: journalists digging through archives, lawyers refusing to look away, and insiders who decide that telling the truth matters more than staying comfortable.

Why movies about accountability matter right now

There’s a difference between consuming tragedy and engaging with it.

Scroll culture trains us to treat everything as a quick hit: outrage, reaction, move on. But systemic abuse and corruption don’t work on a 24‑hour cycle. They live in sealed files, non‑disclosure agreements, money, and relationships that make it easier to protect those in power than the people they harm. Films that focus on accountability rather than spectacle can do three important things:

Slow our attention down long enough to see how cover‑ups are built—through policies, reputations, and quiet decisions, not just villains and heroes.
Give us a closer look at the people trying to break those systems open: reporters, lawyers, whistleblowers, survivors, and community members.
Help us recognize the patterns so that when a new scandal breaks, we have more than vibes and rumors to work with—we see mechanisms, not just headlines.

With that frame in mind, here are three films that are worth revisiting or discovering for the first time.

Spotlight: following the paper trail

Spotlight follows a small investigative team at a Boston newspaper as they uncover decades of child abuse inside the Catholic Church and the institutional effort to conceal it. It’s not flashy. There are no chase scenes, no “big twist.” The tension comes from phone calls that aren’t returned, doors that stay closed, and documents that may or may not exist. That’s the point.

The power of Spotlight is in its realism. The journalists don’t “win” through a single heroic act; they win through months of stubborn, often boring work—checking names, cross‑referencing records, going back to survivors who have every reason not to trust them. The film shows how systems protect themselves: not only through powerful leaders, but through a culture of looking away, minimizing harm, or deciding that “now isn’t the right time” to publish the truth.

Watching it in the context of any modern scandal is a reminder that revelations don’t come out of nowhere. Someone has to decide that the story is worth their career, their sleep, their peace. Someone has to keep calling.

Dark Waters: the cost of not looking away

In Dark Waters, a corporate defense lawyer discovers that a chemical company has been poisoning a community for years. The more he learns, the less plausible it becomes to stay on the side he’s paid to protect. What starts as a single client and a stack of records becomes a decades‑long fight against a corporation with far more money, influence, and time than he has.

The film is heavy—not because of graphic imagery, but because of the slow realization that this could happen anywhere. It shows how corporate harm doesn’t usually look like one dramatic event; it looks like small decisions, tolerated over time, because changing course would be expensive or embarrassing. Internal memos, risk calculations, and legal strategies become characters in their own right.

What makes Dark Waters important in this moment is the way it illustrates complicity. Very few people in the film set out to be “villains.” Many are simply doing their jobs, protecting their company, or choosing the convenient version of the truth. The story forces us to ask uncomfortable questions about where we draw our own lines—and what it costs to cross them.

Michael Clayton: inside the clean‑up machine

If Spotlight looks at journalism and Dark Waters at corporate litigation, Michael Clayton focuses on the people whose job is to make problems disappear. The title character is a “fixer” at a prestigious law firm: he isn’t in court, and his name isn’t on the building, but he is the person they call when a client’s mess threatens to become public.

The film peels back the layers of how reputations are maintained. We see how language is used to soften reality—harm becomes “exposure,” victims become “plaintiffs,” and the goal is not necessarily to find the truth but to manage it. When Clayton begins to understand the scale of what his client has done, he faces a question at the core of a lot of modern scandals: what happens when someone inside the machine decides not to play their part anymore?

Michael Clayton is especially resonant when conversations online focus on “who knew” and “who helped.” It reminds us that entire careers and infrastructures exist to protect power and to make sure certain stories never catch fire in the first place.

How to watch these films with care

Because these movies deal with abuse, corruption, and betrayal, they can be emotionally heavy—especially for people who have personal experience with similar harms. A few ways to approach them thoughtfully:

Check in with yourself before you press play. It’s okay to wait until you’re in a better headspace.
Watch with someone you trust, or plan a debrief after. These aren’t background‑noise films; they merit conversation.
Remember that survivors’ experiences are not plot devices. If a conversation about the movie starts turning into speculation or jokes about real people, you have permission to pull it back or step away.

The goal isn’t to turn real‑world pain into “content you can feel good about watching.” It’s to understand the systems around that pain more clearly and to keep our empathy intact.

Sharing watchlists online can feel trivial, but small choices add up. When we recommend movies that take harm seriously, we’re nudging the culture in a different direction than the endless churn of sensational docuseries and clips built around shock value.

A thoughtful share says:

I’m paying attention to the structures behind the headlines, not just the gossip.
I’m interested in stories that center accountability, not just spectacle.
I want our conversations to honor victims and the people fighting for the truth.

If you decide to post about these films, you don’t have to mention any specific scandal or case at all. You can simply say: “If you’re thinking a lot about power, silence, and cover‑ups right now, these are worth your time.” That alone can open up more grounded, respectful conversations than another round of speculation and rumor.

In a feed full of noise, choosing to highlight stories of persistence, investigation, and courage is its own quiet statement.

Business

How Epstein’s Cash Shaped Artists, Agencies, and Algorithms

Published

3 weeks ago

February 16, 2026

Bolanle Media Staff

Jeffrey Epstein’s money did more than buy private jets and legal leverage. It flowed into the same ecosystem that decides which artists get pushed to the front, which research gets labeled “cutting edge,” and which stories about race and power are treated as respectable debate instead of hate speech. That doesn’t mean he sat in a control room programming playlists. It means his worldview seeped into institutions that already shape what we hear, see, and believe.

The Gatekeepers and Their Stains

The fallout around Casey Wasserman is a vivid example of how this works. Wasserman built a powerhouse talent and marketing agency that controls a major slice of sports, entertainment, and the global touring business. When the Epstein files revealed friendly, flirtatious exchanges between Wasserman and Ghislaine Maxwell, and documented his ties to Epstein’s circle, artists and staff began to question whose money and relationships were quietly underwriting their careers.

That doesn’t prove Epstein “created” any particular star. But it shows that a man deeply entangled with Epstein was sitting at a choke point: deciding which artists get representation, which tours get resources, which festivals and campaigns happen. In an industry built on access and favor, proximity to someone like Epstein is not just gossip; it signals which values are tolerated at the top.

When a gatekeeper with that history sits between artists and the public, “the industry” stops being an abstract machine and starts looking like a web of human choices — choices that, for years, were made in rooms where Epstein’s name wasn’t considered a disqualifier.

Funding Brains, Not Just Brands

Epstein’s interest in culture didn’t end with celebrity selfies. He was obsessed with the science of brains, intelligence, and behavior — and that’s where his money begins to overlap with how audiences are modeled and, eventually, how algorithms are trained.

He cultivated relationships with scientists at elite universities and funded research into genomics, cognition, and brain development. In one high‑profile case, a UCLA professor specializing in music and the brain corresponded with Epstein for years and accepted funding for an institute focused on how music affects neural circuits. On its face, that looks like straightforward philanthropy. Put it next to his email trail and a different pattern appears.

Epstein’s correspondence shows him pushing eugenics and “race science” again and again — arguing that genetic differences explain test score gaps between Black and white people, promoting the idea of editing human beings under the euphemism of “genetic altruism,” and surrounding himself with thinkers who entertained those frames. One researcher in his orbit described Black children as biologically better suited to running and hunting than to abstract thinking.

So you have a financier who is:

Funding brain and behavior research.
Deeply invested in ranking human groups by intelligence.
Embedded in networks that shape both scientific agendas and cultural production.

None of that proves a specific piece of music research turned into a specific Spotify recommendation. But it does show how his ideology was given time, money, and legitimacy in the very spaces that define what counts as serious knowledge about human minds.

How Ideas Leak Into Algorithms

There is another layer that is easier to see: what enters the knowledge base that machines learn from.

Fringe researchers recently misused a large U.S. study of children’s genetics and brain development to publish papers claiming racial hierarchies in IQ and tying Black people’s economic outcomes to supposed genetic deficits. Those papers then showed up as sources in answers from large AI systems when users asked about race and intelligence. Even after mainstream scientists criticized the work, it had already entered both the academic record and the training data of systems that help generate and rank content.

Epstein did not write those specific papers, but he funded the kind of people and projects that keep race‑IQ discourse alive inside elite spaces. Once that thinking is in the mix, recommendation engines and search systems don’t have to be explicitly racist to reproduce it. They simply mirror what’s in their training data and what has been treated as “serious” research.

Zoomed out, the pipeline looks less like a neat conspiracy and more like an ecosystem:

Wealthy men fund “edgy” work on genes, brains, and behavior.
Some of that work revives old racist ideas with new data and jargon.
Those studies get scraped, indexed, and sometimes amplified by AI systems.
The same platforms host and boost music, video, and news — making decisions shaped by engagement patterns built on biased narratives.

The algorithm deciding what you see next is standing downstream from all of this.

The Celebrity as Smoke Screen

Epstein’s contact lists are full of directors, actors, musicians, authors, and public intellectuals. Many now insist they had no idea what he was doing. Some probably didn’t; others clearly chose not to ask. From Epstein’s perspective, the value of those relationships is obvious.

Being seen in orbit around beloved artists and cultural figures created a reputational firewall. If the public repeatedly saw him photographed with geniuses, Oscar winners, and hit‑makers, their brains filed him under “eccentric patron” rather than “dangerous predator.”

That softens the landing for his ideas, too. Race science sounds less toxic when it’s discussed over dinner at a university‑backed salon or exchanged in emails with a famous thinker.

The more oxygen is spent on the celebrity angle — who flew on which plane, who sat at which dinner — the less attention is left for what may matter more in the long run: the way his money and ideology were welcomed by institutions that shape culture and knowledge.

Ghislaine Maxwell seen alongside Jeffrey Epstein in newly-released Epstein files from the DOJ. (DOJ)

What to Love, Who to Fear

The point is not to claim that Jeffrey Epstein was secretly programming your TikTok feed or hand‑picking your favorite rapper. The deeper question is what happens when a man with his worldview is allowed to invest in the people and institutions that decide:

Which artists are “marketable.”
Which scientific questions are “important.”
Which studies are “serious” enough to train our machines on.
Which faces and stories are framed as aspirational — and which as dangerous.

If your media diet feels saturated with certain kinds of Black representation — hyper‑visible in music and sports, under‑represented in positions of uncontested authority — while “objective” science quietly debates Black intelligence, that’s not random drift. It’s the outcome of centuries of narrative work that men like Epstein bought into and helped sustain.

No one can draw a straight, provable line from his bank account to a specific song or recommendation. But the lines he did draw — to elite agencies, to brain and music research, to race‑obsessed science networks — are enough to show this: his money was not only paying for crimes in private. It was also buying him a seat at the tables where culture and knowledge are made, where the stories about who to love and who to fear get quietly agreed upon.

Bill Clinton and English musician Mick Jagger in newly-released Epstein files from the DOJ. (DOJ)

A Challenge to Filmmakers and Creatives

For anyone making culture inside this system, that’s the uncomfortable part: this isn’t just a story about “them.” It’s also a story about you.

Filmmakers, showrunners, musicians, actors, and writers all sit at points where money, narrative, and visibility intersect. You rarely control where the capital ultimately comes from, but you do control what you validate, what you reproduce, and what you challenge.

Questions worth carrying into every room:

Whose gaze are you serving when you pitch, cast, and cut?
Which Black characters are being centered — and are they full humans or familiar stereotypes made safe for gatekeepers?
When someone says a project is “too political,” “too niche,” or “bad for the algorithm,” whose comfort is really being protected?
Are you treating “the industry” as a neutral force, or as a set of human choices you can push against?

If wealth like Epstein’s can quietly seep into agencies, labs, and institutions that decide what gets made and amplified, then the stories you choose to tell — and refuse to tell — become one of the few levers of resistance inside that machine. You may not control every funding source, but you can decide whether your work reinforces a world where Black people are data points and aesthetics, or one where they are subjects, authors, and owners.

The industry will always have its “gatekeepers.” The open question is whether creatives accept that role as fixed, or start behaving like counter‑programmers: naming the patterns, refusing easy archetypes, and building alternative pathways, platforms, and partnerships wherever possible. In a landscape where money has long been used to decide what to love and who to fear, your choices about whose stories get light are not just artistic decisions. They are acts of power.