The Complete Action Plan For Treating Body Acne

While facial acne gets all the attention and care one can give, body acne – especially back acne (from this point on referred to as bacne) is a whole other ballgame!

Did you know that about 61% people suffer from body acne? Yet, there’s quite a bit of silence around it. Well, no shying away from complete and much-needed self-care in this house! Let’s figure out how to tackle and prevent bacne together!

First things first, what are the causes of bacne?

There are a bunch of factors that could contribute to bacne. Some of the common ones are:

Cystic acne: Caused due to hormonal imbalances, genetics, these are red, pus-filled lumps that feel painful to touch.

Tight clothing: Those who are constrained to wear tight clothing or uniforms or carry backpacks regularly, can be prone to bacne as well due to buildup of oil, sweat and dead skin cells.

Hygiene: If you exercise a lot or just sweat a lot in general, and don’t cleanse thoroughly either immediately after or by the end of the day, it can cause breakouts all over your back. Similarly, if you spend a lot of time on a chair or bedlinens that haven’t been washed in a long time, those could cause body acne too.

Frequent hot showers: We know there’s nothing quite as relaxing as a hot shower, but be mindful to regulate the water temperature. Excessively hot water can dehydrate your skin, compromise the skin barrier and lead to bacne.

Sensitivity to fragrances: While not everyone has to worry about scented products, some skin types are particularly sensitive to artificially-scented body care products or even products with essential oils. Your bacne could be a result of that heavily fragranced body-wash or body lotion you’ve been using.

Is there any hope for a bacne-free life?

Of course, there is! As usual, we’ve got your back (pun intended). With simple body-care and lifestyle updates, you can easily tackle not just bacne but also the acne scars left behind.

The most important thing your routine needs is an exfoliant, such as our Complete Cleanse Body Wash.

Why it helps?

Exfoliating body cleansers like the Complete Cleanse Body Wash contain ingredients like Salicylic Acid which penetrates your pores, softens the dead skin cells and helps unclog pores, and Mandelic Acid which is a gentle AHA that promotes cell turnover, diminishes hyperpigmentation and strengthen your skin.

Both acids work together to combat existing acne while also preventing future breakouts.

How to use?

Here are some more ways you can use an exfoliating body wash.

 As a spot treatment:

• Apply the body wash only on the affected area
• Leave the body wash on for about 45 seconds
• Rinse and moisturize
• Repeat this daily until the acne subsides

As a back-facial (‘bacial):

Basically, just like you do an elaborate double-cleanse – mask – skincare routine for your face, you do something similar for your back. Do this once or twice a month before bedtime.

 Step 1: Apply the body wash all over your back. Leave it on for about a minute

Step 2: Rinse thoroughly

Step 3: Dry off your skin and then apply a soothing and/or hydrating body mask (strictly avoid using anything abrasive, such as a coffee or walnut scrub). Leave this on till the mask dries off

Step 4: Again, rinse thoroughly and dry yourself off

Step 5: Moisturise with a nourishing and repairing body lotion like The Complete Body Lotion which has Niacinamide, Fatty Acids & Lipids, Vitamin E and Aquaporin – all of which work together to not only moisturize but also help heal body acne and assist in cellular turnover (i.e. creating new skin cells)

Other updates and precautions that’ll help tackle bacne:

• Switch from scented body lotions to non-fragranced ones
• When rinsing your hair, make sure you rinse your back thoroughly as a last step, to ensure that the residue conditioner isn’t accumulating on your back
• Limit your hot water showers. If you have bacne, stick to lukewarm water for that area
• Vacuum or sun-dry your mattress at least once a month, and change your bedlinen regularly. In fact, while you’re at it, consider switching to silk or linen bedspreads
• Wash up with a body wash immediately after your workout. The longer you linger, the more time the bacteria get to thrive along with oil and sweat in your pores
• Limit wearing tight clothing that do not let your skin breathe nor absorb sweat
• Avoid scrubbing your back aggressively or overusing abrasive scrubs like coffee grounds and walnut scrubs

Note: If you’re dealing with stubborn, painful acne time and again, please visit a dermatologist for a more targeted course of action.