Yahoo Lifestyle 19 Dermatologist-Approved Products That Can Help Get Rid of Back Acne for Good
- 1/21
19 Dermatologist-Approved Products That Can Help Get Rid of Back Acne for Good
ALL ZITS tend to overstay their welcome, but body acne is particularly stubborn. Back acne (or bacne, for short) is a real bummer because oftentimes you don't even realize you have it until its spread, covering your backside in a smattering of spots. Once you realize it's there, the question becomes how do you treat it? The back is the one part of the human body that you hands can't completely touch. Applying an acne spot treatment to every zit on you back would require the kind of dexterity that only contortionists are capable of. Before you start stretching, slow down and take a moment to understand what's causing your bacne. Getting to the root cause of bacne is the first step to treating this particular type of acne—and preventing it from occurring in the future.
How to Get Rid of Acne | How to Protect Your Skin at the Gym | Best Acne Face Washes | Best Sunscreens for Acne
How to Treat Back Acne
You don’t need a medical degree to tackle bacne, because the treatment for regular acne, folliculitis, and acne mechanica are pretty much the same. The same ingredients that help acne on your face, like salicylic acid and benzoyl peroxide, can help on body acne, too. Keeping the area clean and exfoliated is a given as well.
As with most things, “prevention is far more effective than treatment,” Finney says. Always make sure to shower as quickly as possible after working out and change into dry clothes to prevent sweat from sticking around on your skin (bonus points for wearing moisture-wicking workout clothes during your workout). Keep using skincare products, like body washes and exfoliators, even after your bacne has cleared up to keep it from coming back. Acne-focused skincare can work wonders on mild to moderate cases of bacne, but if you have severe outbreaks or notice that it’s not going away despite treatment, see a dermatologist. There might be underlying issues like hormones or diet at play. But for now, start with these 19 best back acne treatments to help get rid of annoying bacne and prevent it in the future.
Getty Images - 2/21
Clearing Mist
Soft Services
softservices.co
$54.00
The thing about bacne is that treating it can be a headache simply because reaching it is difficult. Have you ever tried applying a spot treatment on the backside of your body? Not easy! That’s where sprays like this come in. It easily blankets an area (like your back) with acne fighting ingredients, in this case salicylic acid to help zap zits and zinc to help soothe and reduce irritation.
softservices.co - 3/21
Acne-Clearing Body Spray, 6 OZ
Differin
cvs.com
$14.99
This body acne attacking spray is a winner for two reasons. First, the maximum strength dose of salicylic acid kills acne super fast no matter where it is on your body. Second, the innovative delivery system is similar to spray sunscreen, so you get a continuous stream even when your’e holding the can upside down or trying to get to hard to reach areas.
cvs.com - 4/21
Ingrown Hair Pads With BHA & AHA
First Aid Beauty
sephora.com
$20.00
Sometimes back zits can actually be ingrown hairs, especially if you’re a fan of shaving or waxing. To help target those, as well as good old fashion pimples, these pads are easy to apply and the acid-rich formula dries quickly so you don’t have to wait around before putting on your shirt.
sephora.com - 5/21
Evridwear Exfoliating Back Scrubber with Handles Two Sides for Body Shower Deep Cleans Skin Massages Invigorating Blood Circulation Men Women One Size (Back Scrubber)
Evridwear
amazon.com
$7.99
The best way to treat body acne is using one of the body washes on this list, but reaching your back is a whole other story. This supersized washcloth makes it way easier especially with the two handles you can make sure you never miss a spot.
amazon.com - 6/21
Body Clear Oil Free Acne Body Scrub
Neutrogena
amazon.com
$8.29
Just like using a special face wash, the first step of defense is using a body wash containing salicylic acid, which helps to “loosen the connection between dead skin cells,” says Finney. The beta hydroxy acid goes deep into your pores and helps clear blockages from inside. For added benefit, Finney recommends using one that also has a physical exfoliant like microbeads.
Read more: Best Body Wash for Acne
amazon.com - 7/21
Maximum-Strength Acne Wash
Humane
amazon.com
$24.95
If you’re not sure if your breakouts are folliculitis or acne mechanica, Finney recommends using a wash with benzoyl peroxide. “Benzoyl peroxide’s primary goal is as an oxidizing agent, which kills bacteria,” he says. It also has an exfoliant property, to help break up clogs, but is a more potent anti-inflammatory agent than salicylic acid.
amazon.com - 8/21
Mighty Patch Large
Hero
amazon.com
$17.99
Hydrocolloid acne patches work by sucking the gunk out from inside your pores and protecting it from further bacterial infection. They’re best used when you already see a pimple to help get rid of them faster. Most patches are small, and would be annoying to try to stick over large patches on your back. Not these— they’re large enough to cover multiple zits at once and are tailor-made for body acne.
amazon.com - 9/21
Acne Foaming Wash Benzoyl Peroxide
PanOxyl
amazon.com
$8.90
For stubborn acne, this wash (which can be used on your face and your body) has a high dose of benzoyl peroxide, that ingredient that gets deep into pores and kills bacteria. Keep this in your gym bag and use it right after a workout, before bacteria has time to hang out.
amazon.com - 10/21
BodyWash
CLn
amazon.com
$35.99
Dermatologists often recommend diluted bleach baths to help kill bacteria on the skin, which can cause not only acne, but also other issues like eczema and dermatitis. This body wash contains sodium hypochlorite, a component of bleach, so it accomplishes the same thing without sitting in a tub of water. It’s gentle enough to use every day to keep bacteria in check.
Read more: Best Body Washes
amazon.com - 11/21
Alpha Beta Exfoliating Body Treatment Peel
Dr. Dennis Gross
sephora.com
$58.00
If you’re not into body scrubs, these single-use towels accomplish the same thing without the mess. Each pad is packed with glycolic, lactic, and salicylic acids to help exfoliate on the surface of your skin and inside the pores to keep away blockages that could lead to acne. They’re also big enough to go over your entire body with one towel, or use it to target only the areas where you’re breaking out.
sephora.com - 12/21
Daily Deep Cleanser - Sensitive Skin Formula
Differin
amazon.com
$10.42
The downfall of benzoyl peroxide is that it can be irritating to some people, but “if you can tolerate it, start there,” says Finney. “Especially if your pimples are red or coming to a head, there is more inflammation there and benzoyl peroxide is more potent.” Start slow and use it a couple of times a week to see how your skin reacts. If you can tolerate it, increase the frequency.
amazon.com - 13/21
Resurface+ Glycolic Renewing Scrub
Skinfix
sephora.com
$32.00
Alpha hydroxy acids, like the glycolic and lactic acids in this cleanser, help to remove dead skin that accumulates on the surface of your skin. They don’t go deep into pores like salicylic, but once your acne clears up, they can be a powerful tool in maintaining clear and smooth skin all over your body. Use a scrub like this a few times a week.
sephora.com - 14/21
Drying Lotion
Mario Badescu
saksfifthavenue.com
$17.00
Like on your face, spot treatments can be effective at targeting specific and larger pimples when they pop up. “I like sulfur because it does have some antimicrobial properties, but is also going to gently exfoliate,” says Finney. The antimicrobial aspect of sulfur is especially good for body acne which is prone to infection.
saksfifthavenue.com - 15/21
Moisturizing Lotion
Jan Tana
ulta.com
$12.99
Ingredients like salicylic acid and benzoyl peroxide, while powerful acne fighters, can be drying to your skin. Moisturize your skin often to cut down on irritation and keep skin hydrated and healthy. “Look for words like oil-free and non-comedogenic on your lotion,” says Finney. “It’s not going to clog pores and lead to worse breakouts.”
ulta.com - 16/21
Moisturizing Cream 20 oz
Cetaphil
amazon.com
$24.41
It’s possible to have dry and acne-prone skin at the same time, particularly if you’re using harsher ingredients. “Some people get more irritation,” says Finney, “so instead of a lotion, they should use a cream just because it’s a little bit thicker.” That thickness means it has more moisturizing ingredients.
amazon.com - 17/21
Exfoliating Bar Soap
Bevel
amazon.com
$6.95
Using an exfoliating soap even when you’re not having a bacne flare-up can be a huge help in keeping them from coming back at all. A scrub soap like this uses microbeads to manually exfoliate away dead skin cells and debris that can build up over time. It’s a good option for the days between your benzoyl peroxide or salicylic acid cleanser.
Read more: Best Bar Soap
amazon.com - 18/21
CLEAR Back and Body Acne Spray
Paula's Choice
amazon.com
$28.00
Dexterity issues be damned, a spray containing salicylic acid can help you treat hard-to-reach areas like your mid-back or between your shoulder blades. This version is a leave-on treatment, which means you spray it on after your shower and let it go to work without washing it off.
amazon.com - 19/21
Power Cleansing Cloths
m-61
amazon.com
$26.00
Since sweat is one of the main causes of clogged pores on your back, it’s important to shower as soon as possible after you work out. If you can’t shower at the gym or get sweaty just from walking to work, use a wipe containing salicylic acid to clean off until you can get to a shower. These wipes say they’re for your face, but they work on your body, too.
Read more: Best Body Wipes
amazon.com - 20/21
Body Double Acne Body Wash
ZitSticka
amazon.com
$42.00
The battle against body acne starts in the shower. This set takes a two-pronged approach to banish back breakouts. First, a nourishing body cleanser tackles existing breakouts, helping to balance your skin's microbiome by keeping good bacteria in and bad bacteria out. Then, a body scrub blocks future breakouts by diving deep into pores to scoop out dirt and debris.
amazon.com - 21/21
Maximum Strength
Cortizone 10
amazon.com
$17.72
Cortisone creams can be too harsh to use on your face, but are better for the thicker skin on your body. “It can help calm down inflammation quicker,” says Finney, provided that you don’t overdo it. Use it as a spot treatment only on the angriest zits and only when you need a quick fix. It won’t help prevent acne in the long run and can be drying if used too much.
amazon.com
