Help! I have BACNE!

As you may know, your face is not the only place that acne can rear its ugly head - chest and back acne are very real too.

Just like our face, gunk such as:

• Sweat 
• Oils 
• Dust 
• Bacteria 

Are present everywhere on our body and can all team up together to create acne. It's important to know how to take care of your body by practising good personal hygiene. This is especially true for your back because it can be hard to reach those nitty gritty areas. Here are our tips for taking care of and (hopefully!) banishing that dreaded bacne.

1. Shower every day 

You should shower with body soap at least once a day. And this is even if you feel like you haven’t done much! Our body still produces oils throughout the day and gathers dirt from our surroundings. This builds up and can block pores - especially the ones on your back which can be more prone to clogging. Some days you might be doing strenuous activities where you get super sweaty and gross - for example sports, running, swimming or even just being outside on a super sunny day. The increased friction from sports gear rubbing against your skin, plus the increased sweating is a very real cause for bacne. Make sure to always shower afterwards (even if that means showering twice) and cleanse all the buildup off your skin. You don’t want this to sit there and fester, because it is a recipe for some unwelcome bacne.

2. Scrub/exfoliate your back

A lot of us can’t reach all the areas of our backs. It sometimes feels like a real oversight and is pretty inconvenient, we know. If you aren’t a terribly flexible type and can’t reach, try an exfoliating glove or get those ones with a long handle. It will make your life so much easier - and they feel super satisfying on your skin too! You can also invest in an exfoliating body scrub which you can use not only on your back, but your whole body to get nice soft, glowy skin.

3. Wash and change your clothes

Remember to throw your clothes in the wash and not reuse them too often. If you aren’t sweating or up to much - e.g just lounging around at home - you can definitely re-wear your PJs and home clothes the next day. But reusing sweaty or unwashed clothing calls for a bacne disaster. If it comes to it and you’re really unsure whether you can wear it again, use the smell test. Does it smell okay to wear? If it smells damp or like BO, bid adieu and send it to the washing basket. However, you shouldn’t always rely on this method because you can't see all the potential gunk and bacteria buildup sitting rent-free on your clothes.

4. Wash your bedsheets regularly

We actually sweat a lot in our sleep without realising - during those hot summer nights this increases a lot. Get into a habit of changing or washing your sheets once a week, especially if you’re a back sleeper. This removes bacteria and dead skin cells from bedding, which can clog your pores and prolong back acne. 

5. Don't pick!

Just as your face, make sure not to squeeze or pick at your back acne. We know, we know. It’s like right there and you just want to get rid of it by squeezing it all out. It’s so satisfying and tempting to squeeze and pop - but this can all backfire on you in the long run. Skin inflammation, permanent acne scarring and infections - need we say more? If that didn’t sound bad enough to you, the oils and bacteria in the pus can spread underneath the skin and cause more breakouts nearby. Conclusion? Leave all your pimples alone!

6. Moisturise, moisturise, moisturise!

You know how we say it’s always super duper important to moisturise that lovely face of yours? Well, we’re here to give a PSA that you need to moisturise your back too (and the rest of your body for that matter!). If you’re looking for a non-comedogenic (this means that it won’t clog your pores) moisturiser that smells amazing, our Get Your Glow On Mango Shimmer Body Butter is perfect for this. Unlike some other generic body lotions, it feels lightweight on the skin and won’t leave that yucky heavy, sticky feeling that weighs you down. Nourishing and super moisturising, it also has the super fun perk of a light shimmer. It’s super subtle so you won’t look like a disco ball but instead will make you glimmer and glow.

Don’t fret if your bacne doesn't go away instantly - you may find that back acne is more stubborn and sometimes more angry and painful because the skin on your back is quite thick. It may take a few weeks for your skin to really clear up if you’re taking care of it well. If it still persists for a long time, it may be due to other underlying issues. This is when we would recommend you to see your GP to seek their professional advice, so they can provide the appropriate guidance and treatment.