The Best Pimple-Fighting Body Washes for Treating Bacne And Buttne

Acne knows no bounds, and unfortunately, it doesn’t just appear on your the face. Yep, you can get pimples anywhere, from bacne to pimples on your chest and butt cheeks, too. How does that even happen? When it comes to blackheads, whiteheads, zits, and pimples, there is one common denominator: clogged follicles. Simply put, acne forms when the skin’s follicles are inflamed. "Bacteria and fungal growth... along with "oil, sebum, and sweat accumulation," contribute to the inflamed follicles better known as acne, Dr. Purvisha Patel tells Seventeen. This can happen in areas like your back, chest and butt too in part because of a mix of sweat and clothes. Factors like "friction from tight clothing and hormones" trigger body acne, celebrity esthetician Sarah Akram says. You may already use spot treatments and pimple patches to zap zits whenever they pop up on your face, but what about when breakouts strike in other hard-to-reach areas? The good news is that like facial acne, body acne is treatable. Since you may not want to put acne creams on under clothes (since some can cause discoloration like Benzoyl Peroxide and some areas can be hard to reach), bacteria-fighting body washes are a good option to try if you want to get rid of body acne.

What should you look for in an acne-fighting body wash?

If you're experiencing body acne, try swapping out your fave cleanser with one that's enriched with ingredients that are designed to treat active blemishes and combat future breakouts. Some every day cleansers can actually cause acne. Dr. Patel recommends steering clear of ingredients like "coconut oil, olive oil, or avocado oil" because they can make your breakouts worsen. Instead, try an acne body wash. Patel, founder of Visha Skincare, recommends body washes that boast tea tree oil, benzoyl peroxide, and salicylic acid as they "help exfoliate your skin and decrease bacteria and microbes on your body."

When you're shopping for the best acne-fighting body wash, it's important to consider your skin type and condition. For dry and sensitive skin types, Dr. Patel suggests ingredients that gently cleanse and exfoliate, like salicylic acid and glycolic acid. According to board-certified general and cosmetic dermatologist Rachel Westbay, body washes enriched with ceramides work wonders for dry skin — she recommends hydrating ingredients like "glycerin, hyaluronic acid, and vitamin E" that nourish the skin. Be sure to avoid fragrance and harsh detergents like sodium lauryl sulfate, which can "strip the skin of its natural oils," further contributing to dryness and irritation." Fragrance is off limits, especially if you have sensitive skin," Westbay adds. According to Dr. Patel, the scented body washes we just can't get enough of can "irritate and dry out the skin.

On the other hand, oily skin has "more active sebaceous glands [so it can] tolerate more exfoliation," Dr. Patel says. In those cases, she suggests body washes that combine salicylic and glycolic acids with stronger ingredients like clogged pore-clearing retinol and bakuchiol to improve the skin's condition.

Keep reading for the best body washes to eliminate bacne, buttne, and every other form of body acne in between.