PanOxyl Acne Foaming Wash 10% Review: Best for Body Acne

PanOxyl Acne Foaming Wash is a 10% benzoyl peroxide wash, the highest strength sold without a prescription, and it's a strong, inexpensive choice for acne on the chest, back and shoulders. On most faces it's more than you need: the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) suggests starting with 2.5%, and PanOxyl's own 4% Creamy Wash is the gentler face option. Expect dryness, and expect it to bleach towels and dyed fabric.

Before you buy, you can scan the tube's barcode or label with the ingredient scanner in Pori to check its ingredients against your skin type. Pori reads the label; it doesn't diagnose acne.

Below we go through the Drug Facts label, every inactive ingredient, the evidence for benzoyl peroxide, the bleaching and benzene questions, who it suits and who should skip it, sizes and price per ounce, how to use it, and alternatives. We compared published ingredient lists, brand claims and listed prices; we did not test these products on skin.

What is PanOxyl Acne Foaming Wash?

It's an over-the-counter acne medicine made by Crown Laboratories. PanOxyl calls it maximum strength with 10% benzoyl peroxide, says it clears and unclogs pores on the face, chest and back, and says it contains moisturizers to help counter dryness.

What's in PanOxyl 10%? The full ingredient list explained

The DailyMed Drug Facts label lists benzoyl peroxide 10% as the active and these inactive ingredients: carbomer homopolymer type C, carbomer interpolymer type A, decyl glucoside, dimethicone, dioctyl sodium sulfosuccinate, glycerin, palmitic acid, polyacrylate crosspolymer-6, polyoxyl 40 stearate, propanediol, purified water, silica, sodium chloride, sodium citrate, sodium hydroxide, sodium laurylglucosides hydroxypropylsulfonate, sorbitan stearate, sorbitol, stearic acid, t-butyl alcohol and xanthan gum. PanOxyl's own page shows the same list without sorbitol, so check the tube.

• Benzoyl peroxide (10%): the acne medicine. More below.
• Decyl glucoside and sodium laurylglucosides hydroxypropylsulfonate: mild, sugar-based cleansers that make the foam. No sulfates are listed.
• Dioctyl sodium sulfosuccinate: also called docusate sodium, a wetting agent that helps the wash spread.
• Glycerin, propanediol and sorbitol: humectants that offset some of the dryness.
• Dimethicone: a silicone that leaves skin feeling smoother after rinsing.
• Stearic acid, palmitic acid, polyoxyl 40 stearate, sorbitan stearate: fatty acids and emulsifiers that give the wash its creamy body.
• Carbomers, polyacrylate crosspolymer-6, xanthan gum, silica: thickeners that keep the benzoyl peroxide evenly suspended.
• Sodium chloride, sodium citrate, sodium hydroxide: texture and pH control.
• T-butyl alcohol: a solvent near the end of the list.

There is no fragrance or dye on the list, and no other acne active.

Does benzoyl peroxide work, and is 10% better than 4%?

Benzoyl peroxide is one of the best-supported acne treatments you can buy. The AAD's acne guideline makes recommendations in favor of several topical therapies, including benzoyl peroxide. DermNet explains that it lowers bacteria on the skin and that it does not cause bacterial resistance and in fact can reduce bacterial resistance, which is why doctors pair it with antibiotics. It also helps clear clogged pores and calms inflammation.

Higher strength isn't automatically better. The AAD says it's best to start with a product that contains 2.5% to limit dryness, irritation and burning. The Drug Facts label makes the same point from the other side: irritation may be reduced by using the product less frequently or in a lower concentration. That's why 10% makes the most sense on the body, where skin is thicker. The AAD's back acne advice says a 5.3% wash is gentler and that a 10% wash is the strongest concentration you can buy without a prescription, and that benzoyl peroxide works best if left on the back for two to five minutes.

PanOxyl also says the wash kills over 99% of acne-causing bacteria in 15 seconds, citing an independent lab study on file. That's a lab claim we couldn't review, and it doesn't tell you how your acne will respond. Our guide to using benzoyl peroxide covers strengths and short-contact washing in more depth.

Does PanOxyl bleach towels and clothes?

Yes. The Drug Facts label warns to avoid contact with hair and dyed fabrics, which may be bleached by this product, and the AAD says benzoyl peroxide is known to bleach fabrics. Rinse thoroughly, rinse your hands, dry off with a white towel, and use white pillowcases. DermNet adds that you should make sure benzoyl peroxide has completely dried before the treated skin touches clothes, towels or bedding, and that cotton and linen stain more easily than polyester and fleece.

Is PanOxyl affected by the benzene recalls?

Not by the FDA's 2025 action. In March 2025, the FDA said it tested 95 benzoyl peroxide acne products and found that more than 90% had undetectable or extremely low levels of benzene. Six products were recalled at the retail level, and no PanOxyl product was on that list. The FDA said the risk of cancer from benzene in the recalled products is very low, even with daily use for decades, and advised consumers to check their products and throw away anything past its expiration date. Keep your tube at room temperature, away from hot cars and sunny windowsills, as the label's storage line (68 to 77°F) suggests.

Who should use PanOxyl Acne Foaming Wash?

• Chest, back and shoulder acne, its best use. See our guides to back acne and chest acne.
• Oily facial skin that already tolerates benzoyl peroxide and needs more strength than 4% or 5%.
• Anyone on a budget, at about $2.45 an ounce for the big tube.
• People who prefer a rinse-off wash to a leave-on gel, since a wash rinses off and is easier on skin and fabric.

Who should skip it?

• Anyone with very sensitive skin or a known benzoyl peroxide sensitivity. The label says do not use in either case.
• Most people starting acne treatment on the face. Begin with 2.5% to 5%, such as PanOxyl's 4% Acne Creamy Wash.
• People already using another drying acne product. The label warns that irritation and dryness are more likely if you use another topical acne medication at the same time.
• Anyone pregnant or breastfeeding should ask a health professional first, as the label says.
• Deep, painful or scarring acne. See a dermatologist for these.

How much does PanOxyl Acne Foaming Wash cost?

Ulta lists the wash as HSA/FSA eligible.

How do you use PanOxyl Acne Foaming Wash?

The label directions are to wet the area, apply and gently massage for 1-2 minutes, rinse thoroughly and pat dry.

1. Start once a day. The label says to increase to 2 or 3 times daily only if needed, and to cut back to once a day or every other day if dryness or peeling bothers you.
2. On the body, lather it over the affected area at the start of your shower, leave it for two to five minutes as the AAD suggests, then rinse.
3. On the face, keep the contact time short and avoid eyes, lips and mouth.
4. Moisturize afterward with a fragrance-free moisturizer.
5. Use sunscreen. The label says to avoid unnecessary sun exposure and apply sunscreen if going outside.

Give it several weeks before judging results, and see our acne-prone skin routine for how to fit it in with other steps.

What are the best alternatives to PanOxyl 10%?

• PanOxyl Acne Creamy Wash 4%: the same brand at a face-friendly strength in a creamy base.
• CeraVe Acne Foaming Cream Cleanser: 4% benzoyl peroxide with ceramides, niacinamide and glycerin and no fragrance listed, for dry or sensitive skin; see our CeraVe Acne Foaming Cream Cleanser review.
• Neutrogena Oil-Free Acne Wash: a 2% salicylic acid wash for blackheads and oily skin, which works differently from benzoyl peroxide; see our Oil-Free Acne Wash review.

Our best benzoyl peroxide face wash roundup compares five washes side by side, and the cleansers for oily skin catalogue has more.

Is PanOxyl Acne Foaming Wash worth it?

For body acne, yes. It gives you the maximum over-the-counter strength of a well-proven acne medicine, with no fragrance, for about $2.45 an ounce. For the face, most people do as well with a 4% or 5% wash and get less dryness. Whatever you use it on, rinse well, moisturize, switch to white towels, and keep it off dyed hair and clothes.