The company behind PanOxyl began in 1847 in Germany as a soap and candle maker founded by John David Stiefel, and it drifted toward medicated soaps within a few years. That same site says Stiefel moved into serious acne chemistry in 1966 with Sulfoxyl Lotion, a benzoyl peroxide and sulfur treatment, though I would treat that date as one source's word. GlaxoSmithKline bought Stiefel in 2009 for about $2.9 billion, which tells you how far a medicated soap house traveled.

So when you search for panoxyl body wash, you are really asking for benzoyl peroxide in a shower-friendly format. PanOxyl's own page says benzoyl peroxide was first found effective for acne in 1934, and that its Acne Foaming Wash and Treatment Bar carry 10%, the highest concentration available without a prescription. Dermatology reviewers tend to call the 10% foam best for body acne, with caution on the face.

The first grid is PanOxyl: washes, a spray, a bar, patches, a leave-on exfoliant and a calming mist. The second grid is other body washes, sprays and mists for chest and back breakouts, rough texture and sensitive skin.

My tip: lather the wash on damp skin, leave it for one to two minutes, then rinse. The label says to massage the area for that long, and short contact is the easiest way to keep irritation down. Pat dry with a white towel, because PanOxyl warns that benzoyl peroxide can bleach fabric and hair.

The PanOxyl Acne Foaming Wash 10% Benzoyl Peroxide is the one most people mean. It is maximum strength, unscented, and made for face, chest and back, with moisturizers to fight dryness. I would hand it to someone with stubborn back and chest breakouts who has used benzoyl peroxide before. The Acne Treatment Bar with 10% Benzoyl Peroxide is the same strength in a soap-free bar, which some people find easier to rub over a back.

The 4% Benzoyl Peroxide Acne Creamy Wash for Face & Body is the gentler step down. It is pH-balanced, hypoallergenic and made with aloe and jojoba oil, so it suits skin that stings easily. If you are new to this ingredient, start here.

If benzoyl peroxide does not agree with you, the Acne Gel Wash with 2% Salicylic Acid is a gel-to-foam cleanser with allantoin for redness and zinc PCA to mattify. The Acne Banishing Body Spray 2% Salicylic Acid is a spray-and-go treatment with niacinamide, vitamin C, witch hazel and aloe, and it is the answer for the spot on your back you cannot reach. The Clarifying Exfoliant with 2% Salicylic Acid is an alcohol-free leave-on for pores.

The Hypochlorous Acid Antimicrobial Purifying Mist is fragrance-free and calms redness after the wash. The PM Overnight Spot Pimple Patches are clear hydrocolloid patches in two sizes that absorb and stop picking.

What I would skip: the 10% wash on your face if you are new to benzoyl peroxide. Start with the 4% creamy wash and work up.

If salicylic acid is your lane, First Aid Beauty Body Acne Clearing Mist is a 2% spray for normal, combination and oily skin, with glycerin to hydrate. Murad Clarifying Body Spray adds glycolic acid and niacinamide for shoulders and back, and it comes with one of the better ratings in this edit. Both are leave-on, so they suit gym bags better than a shower shelf.

For washes that smooth rather than fight hard, Sol de Janeiro Bom Dia Bright Clarifying AHA BHA Body Wash combines fruit AHAs, lactic acid and salicylic acid to help unclog pores and soften texture. Nécessaire The Body Wash Hinoki uses AHA, BHA and PHA with resveratrol and a cedar-leaning scent, and it is a quieter option for rough, bumpy skin. CYKLAR Lactic Acid Foaming Body Polish and Wash has lactic acid plus pumice and cellulose for physical exfoliation, so it is the scrubby one.

CYKLAR Glycolic Acid Exfoliating Body Spray is a 10% glycolic acid mist in a 360 degree spray bottle, aimed at rough texture and uneven tone more than active breakouts.

Then there are the calm ones. Tower 28 Beauty SOS Rescue + Relief Body Wash Treatment is fragrance-free, hypoallergenic and made for sensitive, irritated skin. Luna Daily The Everywhere Wash is a pH and microbiome-balancing wash with prebiotics and lactic acid, gentle enough for all skin.

What I would skip: stacking the glycolic spray, the lactic polish and a leave-on acid in one day. Pick one exfoliant per routine and let skin catch up.

I think the 10% PanOxyl wash earns its reputation for stubborn body acne, but I would not start there. Begin with the 4% creamy wash or a salicylic spray, see how your skin feels after a week, and move up only if you need to. Keep a white towel nearby, a moisturizer on hand, and the patches for the spot that needs a night alone. If your skin is more textured than inflamed, look to the second grid instead. If you want to keep browsing, I also put together Marula Oil, From Drunk Elephant's Face Oil to Body Wash and Lipstick and Neutrogena Hydro Boost. If your breakouts run from your back to your chest, I sorted the CeraVe body wash for acne picks with salicylic acid on their own page.