September 15, 2022

Best Whitehead Treatment

Whiteheads are common among teenagers and young adults. Luckily, they’re fairly easy to treat, and if you can resist the urge to pop them, they won’t leave any lasting marks.

What are the best whitehead treatment products? The best products for treating whiteheads are those that contain exfoliating agents and ingredeints that will remove dead skin cells and dry up excess oil, which can lead to sebum buildup. 

Take a look at our top choices for whitehead treatment products that will unclog pores and keep your skin looking clean and healthy.

Our Top 5 Choices for the Best Whitehead Treatment

  • TreeActiv Four-in-One Acne Treatment
  • Clean & Clear Advantage Acne Control 3-in-1 Foaming Face Wash
  • Philosophy The Microdelivery Exfoliating Facial Wash
  • COSRX AHA 7 Whitehead Power Liquid
  • Neutrogena Oil-Free Pink Grapefruit Pore Cleansing Acne Wash

TreeActiv Four-in-One Acne Treatment

Best Multi-Use Product

TreeActiv Four-in-One Acne Treatment can be used as a wash, scrub, mask, or spot treatment for whiteheads.

  • To use as a cleanser: Mix a bit of the dry treatment with water in your palm and wash face as normal.
  • To use as a scrub: Use a quarter-sized portion of the dry treatment and massage it into wet skin to cleanse, exfoliate, and detoxify.
  • To use as a mask: Rub a marble sized portion in wet hands until sugar crystals dissolve and form a lather. Massage the later onto your face and leave on until it dries, then rinse.
  • To use as a spot remedy: Take a dime-sized portion and mix it with a few drops of water. Mix until sugar has completely dissolved then apply to trouble area. Allow treatment to absorb into skin for 10 minutes, then rinse. *For extra strength results, leave the spot remedy on overnight.

The Sulfur in this treatment counters acne by removing dead skin cells, drying excess oil, and stopping bacterial growth that cause blemishes. 


Bentonite Clay absorbs excess oil and draws out toxins from the skin to dry out blemishes and regenerate skin tissues. 


Grapefruit Essential Oil and Rhassoul Clay provide healing properties for the skin.

Consumer Review: "It left my skin feeling so smooth and soft. It is the perfect exfoliant because it does the job without being harsh on your skin."

Pros

  • Can be used for multiple purposes, so it eliminates the need for many different products
  • Works great on all acne-prone skin types
  • Made with powerful natural ingredients that draw out toxins from the skin

Things to Consider

  • Contains sugar crystals that may be irritating to those with extra sensitive skin

Best Feature

The dry treatment can be customized to your needs by how much water you mix it with, which means it serves multiple purposes all with one product. The 4 oz container can last up to 500 uses.

Price & Rating

  • Price: $19.95 (4 oz jar, $4.99 per oz)
  • Rating: 4.5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Recommendation

Follow directions to use as a cleanser, scrub, face mask, or spot treatment.

Clean & Clear Advantage Acne Control 3-in-1 Foaming Face Wash

Best Foaming Face Wash

Clean and Clear’s acne control foaming face wash contains maximum strength Salicylic Acid to remove pimples and treat acne-prone skin. The product works into a later when mixed with water and can be used as a daily facial cleanser.

Consumer Review: "My teen boys have always used this is works amazing for their normal skin issues and is also sensitive enough for my son with eczema and allergies to use with out issues.”

Pros

  • 2% Salicylic Acid is a strong medication that fights acne
  • Can be used daily
  • The foaming texture leaves skin feeling refreshed

Things to Consider

  • Salicylic Acid can be tough on sensitive skin

Best Feature

This acne-fighting medication works for those who have stubborn acne that can be hard to get rid of.

Price & Rating

  • Price: $13.99 (8 oz bottle, $1.75 per oz)
  • Rating: 4.6 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Recommendation

Use daily to treat stubborn acne.

Philosophy The Microdelivery Exfoliating Facial Wash

Best Micro Exfoliator

Philosophy’s The Microdelivery Exfoliating Facial wash is recommended for those with dry skin. It helps eliminate skin peeling and flakiness, and leaves the face feeling moisturized. It also helps dull fine lines and leaves an even skin tone.

Consumer Review: "I had dark spots on my face for years and only after using this product every other day for a week the spots faded and now are gone!"

Pros

  • Can be used daily
  • Uses Vitamin C and gentle exfoliants for sensitive skin
  • Can be used for all skin types

Things to Consider

  • Needs to be massaged into the face for 30-60 seconds

Best Feature

The gentle ingredients are suitable for those with extra dry skin.

Price & Rating

  • Price: $65.55 (1 oz bottle, $65.55 per oz)
  • Rating: 4.6 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Recommendation

For those with dry skin, use daily or every other day to combat flakiness and skin peeling.

COSRX AHA 7 Whitehead Power Liquid

Best Leave-On Product

The leave-on treatment is formulated with hyaluronic acid to clear up whiteheads in those with dry to combination skin. It uses just 10 ingredients for mild exfoliation that is gentle on the skin.

Consumer Review: "Cleared up white heads, softens my skin and evens my skin tone!"

Pros

  • Won’t irritate or dry out sensitive skin
  • Fragrance-free
  • Paraben, Sulfate, and Phthalate-free

Things to Consider

  • Not recommended for oily skin

Best Feature

This product contains chemicals like Butylene Glycol, Glycolic Acid, Niacinamide, and Sodium Hydroxide that are known to eliminate whiteheads.

Price & Rating

  • Price: $15.98 (3.38 oz per bar, $4.73 per oz)
  • Rating: 4.3 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Recommendation

Use a cotton pad to massage this product into the skin and then follow up with a daily moisturizer.

Neutrogena Oil-Free Pink Grapefruit Pore Cleansing Acne Wash

Best Budget Product

Neutrogena’s Oil-Free Pink Grapefruit Acne Wash contains Salicylic Acid acne medicine to treat acne and prevent breakouts. This grapefruit and Vitamin C cleanser works into a creamy lather that eliminates oil and dirt without over-drying skin.

Consumer Review: "Great product.. my daughter started using this product 6 months ago for her acne and it has really helped her face clear up."

Pros

  • Contains a Micro-Clear technology to powerfully fight breakouts
  • The grapefruit scent comes from naturally-derived grapefruit extract

Things to Consider

  • May cause dry and flaky skin if used too often

Best Feature

Contains 2% Salicylic Acid to combat breakouts.

Price & Rating

  • Price: $7.46 (9.1 oz jar, $0.82 per oz)
  • Rating: 4.6 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Recommendation

Use daily as a face wash to combat acne and whiteheads.

How to Choose the Best Whitehead Treatment

If you need to treat stubborn whiteheads, a medicated and exfoliating solution with powerful ingredients will work best. Look for products with the following active ingredients:

  • Sulpher: has anti-inflammatory, antimicrobial, and antiseptic properties
  • Benzoyl peroxide: kills bacteria that cause acne
  • Salicylic acid: helps unclog pores and prevent new breakouts
  • Alpha hydroxy acids: derived from sugar-containing fruits: treat acne by removing dead skin cells and calming inflamed skin

The Bottom Line

Whiteheads are unslightly and can wreak havoc on the skin on your face, neck, and chest area. Find a product that works for your skin type and is powerful enough to eliminate whiteheads while still gentle enough that it won’t irritate your skin.

Here are our picks for the best whitehead treatment products:

  • TreeActiv Four-in-One Acne Treatment
  • Clean & Clear Advantage Acne Control 3-in-1 Foaming Face Wash
  • Philosophy The Microdelivery Exfoliating Facial Wash
  • COSRX AHA 7 Whitehead Power Liquid
  • Neutrogena Oil-Free Pink Grapefruit Pore Cleansing Acne Wash
Written by TreeActiv Team