We’re willing to bet that when you break out on your face, you spring into action with pimple patches and acne-targeting skin care galore. You can take a similarly proactive approach to addressing stubborn bacne (a.k.a. back acne). Instead of waiting—and praying—for the blemishes on your back and shoulders to disappear, it’s time to build a body care routine that keeps bacne at bay.
Back acne is what it sounds like: breakouts on your back that can show up as blackheads, whiteheads, pustules, cysts, or nodules, Lauren Penzi, MD, a board-certified dermatologist at MDCS Dermatology in Long Island, New York, tells SELF. You might also experience redness, scaliness, itching, irritation, or tenderness in the area. Bacne is something you can get at any age, and it can seemingly appear out of nowhere. “People who have back acne may not have acne anywhere else on the body,” Isha Tiernan, MD, FAAD, a board-certified dermatologist at Tufts Medical Center in Boston, tells SELF.
You may get bacne for a number of reasons, but a common culprit is a combo of sweat, bacteria, oil, dirt, and dead skin that builds up and clogs your pores, Amy Huang, MD, board-certified dermatologist at Medical Office of Manhattan in New York, tells SELF. “It’s usually worse with hot weather, excessive sweating, and frequent exercise,” she adds. Other contributors include not hitting the shower right after a workout, wearing tight clothes that don’t let your skin breathe, or failing to properly rinse your shampoo and conditioner off of your skin, according to Dr. Penzi. It might also be due to a factor that’s not totally in your control, like hormonal changes.
Thankfully, making a few simple changes in your routine (say, spritzing your skin after a workout or swapping out your regular body wash) can help zap existing pimples and prevent new breakouts from popping up. We asked dermatologists to recommend the best products for back acne and share their top tips for keeping your skin clear.
Our top picks
- Best Wash: PanOxyl Acne Foaming Wash
- Best Brush: V-Top Silicone Body Scrubber
- Best Spray: Dermalogica Clarifying Bacne Spray
- Best Exfoliant: Nécessaire The Body Peel
- Best Cream: Paula’s Choice Weightless Body Treatment 2% BHA
In this article
Best Wash: PanOxyl Acne Foaming Wash
- Pros: Easy to incorporate into your routine, kills bacteria, reduces inflammation
- Cons: Can be drying
This face and body wash tackles breakouts like a pro with benzoyl peroxide, an ingredient that’s antibacterial, anti-inflammatory, and reduces oil, Dr. Penzi says. Benzoyl peroxide can be drying on the skin, but this wash combats that side effect with moisturizing ingredients like glycerin and dimethicone. “When I use this, I swear any back acne is gone the next day,” one SELF editor says. Pro tip: Benzoyl peroxide can bleach fabric, so you might want to stick to white towels while you’re using this.
Best Brush: V-Top Silicone Body Scrubber
- Pros: Easy to clean, inexpensive, doesn’t irritate skin
- Cons: May not help significant bouts of acne
