Everyone is loathsome of the feeling when you find giant pimples on your face. But what if you find acne on your back too? Body acne can be embarrassing, painful and hard to get rid of. Similar to pimples on your face, body acne forms when the bacteria, dirt, oil and dead skin cells clog the pores and hair follicles on the skin. So, if you have ‘bacne’, here’s what you should know to help you get rid of it.
1. Wear looser clothing – You shouldn’t restrain your skin from perspiring naturally and wearing tight clothing may block the pores and irritate the pimples even further. This would lead to inflammation and your own sweat may contribute more bacteria to the existing acne if the fabrics are skin-tight.
2. Wash with anti-bacterial cleanser – If you have back acne, don’t use regular body wash when cleansing your skin. Use a gentle anti-bacterial cleanser formulated for the face instead. Of course, this isn’t as cost effective, but you’ll notice a difference as the gentle cleanser would help to calm the skin down and reduce inflammation.
3. Apply tea tree oil – Tea tree oil is a natural remedy for acne and it has plenty of antimicrobial properties, which could help to kill bacteria from the acne instantly. Using tea tree oil will also help to prevent new pimples from developing on your skin. Take a cotton ball, soak it in tea tree oil and gently massage it all over your back. Let it dry completely before putting any clothes on.
4. Make a paste with baking soda – Baking soda works as a natural exfoliator and it will help to remove all the dead skin cells that has been clogging up your pores and causing you acne. Mix two tablespoons of baking soda with a few drops of water until a paste is formed. Then, apply the paste onto any areas of the skin with acne, gently massage the mixture in and leave it on for 10 minutes. Rinse with warm water.
5. Use apple cider vinegar and aspirin – This treatment works to disinfect the skin, balances the pH levels and restores the skin’s natural acidity. The apple cider vinegar works as a natural toner on the skin and the aspirin would clear up acne like a charm. For one treatment, mix three tablespoons of apple cider vinegar with half a cup of water, then crush two aspirin tablets into the mixture. Apply it on your skin, leave it for about 10 minutes, then rinse off.
6. Eat healthy – There’s no denying it. If you keep eating oily and fatty foods, it’ll show in your skin. Similar to how alcohol dehydrates the skin from the inside out, these fatty foods will not only cause you to break out, your pimples will also be more easily inflamed and aggravated. Do yourself a favour and load up on the fruits and vegetables.
7. Use benzoyl peroxide or salicylic acid – If you’ve grown up with mild pimples or acne on your face, you’d know by now that benzoyl peroxide and salicylic acid are your best friends. Any products that contain these two ingredients would benefit you by flushing out the bacteria and clearing out your pores. It doesn’t happen overnight, but you will see improvement after each use.
8. Exfoliate – Just like your face, your back needs exfoliation to remove any dead skin cells that tend to build up as it is less reachable than other areas of your body. Instead of using body scrubs that can be way too harsh for your acne, make your own scrub by mixing some honey, organic sugar and olive oil.
