If you are looking for an ultimate guide on how to combat body acne, i.e., your back, arms, thighs, or butt, then you’ve come to the right place.
This is for all the guys out there who, like me, have been battling with body acne for years. But this is for the girls with the same problem too, as there is ABSOLUTELY no reason to think that men and women’s skin are different. I have suffered body acne primarily on my back (“bacne” as many call it). Believe me, I have tried every product out there, every soap, body wash, lotion, treatment, or whatsoever. Some products will work to a certain degree but not enough to say that it was a significant improvement. After doing tons of research and putting them into action, I have finally put an end to it. I believe every person out there suffering with acne and is reading this post right now have already done the basic research so I am not explaining any of those and try to be overly scientific explaining the facts. You know the… oil-and-dirt-and-bacteria-equates-to-acne thing!
So, without further talk, here are my tips.
1. Use a gentle, water-soluble cleanser for your body.
There is no way to think that the skin in your body is anatomically different from your face, at least to the point of significant interest. Never use bar soaps as they are often made with highly alkaline ingredients (think sodium hydroxide!) to help them stay in their solid form. The normal and healthy pH of our skin is slightly acidic and that’s how the skin protects itself from harmful elements like bacteria and pollution. Thus, using bar soap would mean destroying this natural protective barrier. Also, bar soaps and some body washes may leave a residue and/or film on your skin which may clog pores. Think about taking a bath with Dove cream bar and stepping out of the bathroom with that slippery feeling. This is how some people define “moisturized” skin but for me, this just feels so FAKE and unnatural. So stick with a body wash, shower gel, shower cream, or anything that’s liquid and gentle. By gentle, I mean free from irritating ingredients like strong detergents/surfactants (avoid something with sodium LAURYL sulfate, sodium olefin C14-16 sulfonate and the likes) and fragrances. In some places, however, it is normally difficult to find a suitable fragrance-free body wash. If that’s the case, it’s fine to choose scented body washes that use “minimal” to no fragrance, especially if your skin is not that sensitive.
2. Exfoliate once or twice daily.
By exfoliating, I don’t mean using abrasive body sponge/pouf and body scrubs mixed with irregularly shaped scrubbers like pumice and cracked seeds/kernels. Scrubbing can actually do more damage to your skin by irritating acne-prone areas and creating micro-tears in your skin. You cannot scrub the “sin” out of your skin! If acne can be scrubbed away (and I wish we could), every person on the planet would have clear, acne-free skin. When bathing, I personally use my wet hands to cleanse my body but just in case you really want to use something else, just use plain, clean washcloth and don’t scrub it on acne-prone areas. The best way to exfoliate your skin is by using a chemical exfoliant. “Salicylic acid” is the ONLY exfoliant that is backed up by tons of research and is clinically proven to help acne-prone skin by spring-cleaning your pores. However, for a salicylic acid exfoliant to work, it should be formulated at the correct pH and correct concentration. Just having those two mentioned criteria, I already leave you with no choice here but to use my personal favorite, Paula’s Choice Resist Weightless Body Treatment 2% BHA, as it is the only body exfoliant I know that is perfectly formulated for body acne. I am in NO WAY affiliated with Paula’s Choice but I really love their products that more than half of my skincare routine are from PC! I just wish I have discovered this product earlier as it could have saved me more time. This treatment should be used on acne-prone areas but may be beneficial for the rest of your body too.
3. Disinfect acne-prone areas.
As we all know, acne is caused by a specific type of bacteria Propionibacterium acnes. Without this dreaded organism, the planet Earth could have been acne-free! Salicylic acid may have some antimicrobial properties however, that is not why we use it (we use it to clean up the pores) and it may not be potent enough for people suffering with moderate to severe acne. After exfoliating, it’s important to disinfect acne-prone areas and there is no other way to do this but by using a benzoyl peroxide product. I repeat, use it as a spot treatment on acne-prone areas, not your whole body! This is to kill and prevent the growth of acne-causing bacteria. When using BP treatments, ALWAYS start with the lowest possible concentration (usually 2.5%) as it can be drying to the skin. There are many brands out there to choose from (e.g., PanOxyl, Oxy, and Clearasil) but I personally like Benzac AC by Galderma Laboratories because it’s cheap and it works for me.
So that’s basically three steps to acne-free body, CLEANSE-EXFOLIATE-DISINFECT. Please NOTE however that this routine is developed for fighting body acne . It’s not a complete skincare regimen so you may add additional steps to complete your body skincare routine (e.g., sun protection).
For the active fellas, I have some extra tips below!
4. Always take a shower after your workout.
I know that over-cleansing your skin may not be a good idea. But that is not the case when you are using a GENTLE, water-soluble cleanser (Refer to tip number 1). After your workout, your skin (and your pores!) is drowning in sweat, oil, and bacteria and its nothing but the PERFECT environment for acne formation! So unless your gym has its own shower facilities, it is advisable to look for a gym that’s not too far from where you live. After your workout, pat dry (not wipe!) your skin with a clean towel, change clothes, go home and take a shower as soon as possible. In other words, there is NO reason for you to stay on your wet shirt full of sweat hanging around after your workout.
5. Wear the right clothes when working out.
One of the biggest mistakes of my life was using a cotton T-shirt while working out! Honestly, cotton is a very absorbent type of fabric but the sweat tends to stay in it for a long period of time and while doing an activity where you perspire a lot, you will end up wearing a wet T-shirt soaked in your own sweat. In other words, there are better options. Polyester or a polyester/Lycra mix is a great choice of fabric that is gentle on skin while keeping the sweat away from your skin letting it dry up relatively faster than a cotton shirt. It’s how they “wick away” the sweat. Nike and Adidas have a great selection of workout apparel with this kind of fabric but you may get away with some other brands.
Note that waiting for your skin to clear up may take some time. Its no magic so don’t get frustrated. You should be able to see improvements in as little as one week (I’ve seen mine in 5 days!). If all else fails, consult a dermatologist as the cause of your acne may be internal, i.e., hormones, stress, and poor diet which can NEVER be addressed by topical treatments. If you have questions, drop a comment or email me at themoderngentinside@gmail.com.
The Modern Gent 