An over-the-counter antiseptic cleanser containing chlorhexidine gluconate, designed to kill bacteria on skin and prevent infections.

Is Hibiclens worth it?

The gurus are split. 4 of the 7 gurus give it their stamp of approval while 2 would skip it, which lands it in the middle at a Guru Score of 66%.

What is Hibiclens's Guru Score?

Hibiclens holds a Guru Score of 66%. That is our read on how warmly the experts talk about it, based on the verdicts of 7 expert reviewers we have collected.

Hibiclens: a Guru Score of 66% from 7 skincare experts

What the gurus are saying.

Every take we've logged from this product's reviews across YouTube. Click any row to watch the moment they said it.

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Dr. Sam Ellis

898k subs

~Nay

"I would never use Hibiclens on my face. [...] Hibiclens is a very powerful antiseptic cleanser with chlorhexidine as the active ingredient, [...] and although it's very good at killing bacteria, [...] chlorhexidine is toxic to your ears and to your eyes. [...] We're talking blindness-inducing, deafness-inducing if it gets into your middle ear. Rather than take any type of risk, [...] I would not recommend any type of at-home use of chlorhexidine on the face."

Dr Dray

2.69M subs

~Nay

"I tried Hibiclens since it's used as a pre-surgical cleanser, but it was too drying and it did not have a nice aroma."

All 10 takes from Dr Dray

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"One that I recommend you can buy at the drugstore is called chlorhexidine 4% sold under the brand name Hibiclens, but you don't have to buy that name brand version in the drugstore. You will find the store brand often has their own version same active drug. The way to use this is when you get in the shower, rinse the skin in lukewarm water and then put a small amount into a washcloth and lather it to the affected areas. [...] Try and let it sit on your skin for about 10 minutes."

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"It has a lasting antimicrobial effect that actually can help cut down on hidradenitis severity. [...] One note about Hibiclens: do not get it around your ears or your eyes. This can also be helpful though if you're someone who is dealing with foot odor, like really foul-smelling feet, maybe you have pitted keratolysis which is a bacterial skin infection on the feet. This can help cut down on the bacteria load and help control the odor and help it to go away."

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"When it comes to personal hygiene you might consider using an antiseptic wash like chlorhexidine, brand named Hibiclens, especially to areas that are more likely to house the staph bacteria and these areas include skin folds like under your arms, under the breast. So lather this antiseptic wash, let it sit on the skin in the shower for about 10 minutes and then rinse it off. This can also help cut down on recurrences."

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"This is chlorhexidine solution, usually sold under the brand name Hibiclens, and if you use this under the arms, let it sit on the skin for a few minutes and then rinse off, it's a great way to cut down on body odor. [...] In contrast to benzoyl peroxide, it tends to be less drying. It's also really good to use it that way if you have hidradenitis suppurativa, and it's also helpful as a foot wash to cut down on foot odor."

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"It is pretty intense, broad-spectrum, and it kind of wipes out your microflora, so I don't suggest using it too too regularly. Although if you have hidradenitis suppurativa, that's a scenario where it can really be helpful for controlling flare-ups. And it's great that they have this foaming antiseptic skin cleanser here. I think that's a nicer, that's a really great vehicle for delivering the antiseptic to the skin."

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"The first is Hibiclens or chlorhexidine, it is a topical antiseptic that's okay to use maybe once a week but I don't recommend using that as part of your everyday routine because it is pretty broad spectrum and you don't want to completely wipe out all the microflora but it definitely can be a game changer for people who have significant odor related to the bacteria under their arms, just kind of restart things."

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"Hibiclens, whether it be name brand or store brand, is chlorhexidine. It is a topical antiseptic. This is another thing that you can use under the arms to help cut down on the bacteria that break down sweat and lead to body odor. So it could be used as a deodorant."

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"Hibiclens, chlorhexidine, is a very effective broad spectrum antiseptic, but I'm not a huge fan of using it for the everyday purpose of hand hygiene, because simple soap and water gets the job done and antibacterial washes carry a risk of antibiotic resistant bugs. It's not [...] a treatment for acne, [...] you won't find it recommended in any acne treatment guideline, and I'd encourage leaning towards benzoyl peroxide instead since it does the same thing without the resistance risk."

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"This is a staple too for body odor, Hibiclens. It's an antimicrobial, it's also great for hand hygiene, and the active ingredient is chlorhexidine. [...] This is great to have on hand, especially if you get a cut and want to disinfect it, but you can also use it under the arms."

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"I tried Hibiclens since it's used as a pre-surgical cleanser, but it was too drying and it did not have a nice aroma."

Dr. Aleksandra Brown

151k subs

~Yay

"Hibiclens, or chlorhexidine wash, is one of the most frequently used products in clinical dermatology, we use it in clinic as a pre-surgical scrub to clean skin before skin cancer surgeries. [...] The active ingredient is chlorhexidine gluconate, a powerful antiseptic that kills a broad range of bacteria on contact, which is why hospitals and surgeons use it before procedures. [...] Dermatologists [...] reach for it consistently for patients dealing with recurrent skin infections."

Doctorly

3.59M subs

~Yay

"When I do surgeries, my preferred cleanser of choice is Hibiclens, because when studied against something traditional like iodine, it is much more effective. It's not inactivated by routine things like saliva and blood, and it forms a complex with the top layer of the skin, so it has prolonged antibacterial benefits that last for up to an hour after using it, even after you're using it as your body wash in the shower."

All 2 takes from Doctorly

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"You can use a chlorhexidine cleanser at 2%, this is going to be something like Hibiclens, and if you do this you decolonize bacteria that's actually turning that sweat into an odor, and so that's for some people a complete solve for that."

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208SkinDoc

2.10M subs

~Yay

"You could also use Hibiclens in the shower, which is something that I actually use. After I'm working out or after I play pickleball, I will wash the armpits and the groin with Hibiclens just to prevent any bacteria there from flourishing and causing body odor."

All 2 takes from 208SkinDoc

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"Some people like to use hydrogen peroxide or even Hibiclens to clean a wound, which is fine. Hibiclens certainly is going to be great, though puncture wounds are going to be harder to clean and sometimes those need a little more medical attention."

Dr. Daniel Sugai

722k subs

~Mixed

"Hiboc Cleanse is a great medicated cleanser. It has chlorhexidine gluconate which is a powerful antiseptic. I actually use that when I'm going to do an excision. [...] You can just buy this over the counter and if you use it on your underarms, it kills the bacteria that causes body odor. But I do worry about bacterial resistance and how we're going to develop new bacteria that are going to be resistant to such a great antiseptic that I only use in special cases to clean a surgical area."

Dr. Shereene Idriss

1.73M subs

~Yay

"Another one is Hibiclens. This is one that we use prior to surgery. But you can use it as long as you're using it chest down, you're fine, um for butt acne especially. But the only warning with Hibiclens is do not get it in your eyes or ears as you're washing your body because that can lead to unwanted long-term side effects, autotoxicity, etc."

Hibiclens.

66%

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