The Best Ways To Deal With Body Breakouts
Troubled with pimples on your chest? Annoyed by the dreaded 'bacne'? Then it’s time to take action against body breakouts once and for all.
Body breakouts… boy, are they stressful. Even during wintertime when your skin is mostly covered by chunky sweaters, they can be painful and itchy. And come summer when you want to start exposing a little more flesh to the world? Then the whole situation becomes downright rude.
So, what causes acne on your back and chest (aka folliculitis) and is it the same as the stuff that plagues your face? Kind of. All acne, wherever it may be located, is caused by excess oils which gets trapped in your pores alongside dead skin cells where, together, they become inflamed. Depending on the level of inflammation and whether the pore remains open or closed, these blocked pores can become anything from blackheads (although these are very uncommon on the body) and whiteheads through to pimples, pustules or full-blown cysts.
Body breakouts most commonly occur on your back and chest where your skin tends to be oilier. However, sweat coupled with friction from tight-fitting clothes can irritate the skin anywhere on your body, causing pimples on your legs, arms, even your butt – yes, butt acne: also a thing.
Whether you do or don’t get plagued by breakouts depends mainly on your genes and your skin’s level of oiliness, but hormones and stress are other major factors. You can also blame COVID-19 if you’ve noticed more flare-ups during this past year than ever before. The combination of worry, being too exhausted to take care of yourself and a poor diet can all increase inflammation and breakouts in your skin.
How To Treat Body Breakouts
Thankfully, most skin grievances come with simple solutions. And body breakouts are no exception. Below, we’ve rounded up five of the most effective – and easiest – ways to get prevent and treat body acne. You can thank us later.
1. Reassess Your Cleansing Habits
As tempting as it may be to start exfoliating your body like crazy in a vain attempt to scrub those zits away, this is a terrible idea. Harsh scrubs and cleansers will irritate your skin and compromise your barrier function, making matters a whole lot worse in the long term, so file them away for now. Oh and you know those overly fragranced shower creams that feel super moisturising and luxurious? Well, they’re going to do nothing for your body breakouts. Avoid.
Instead, wash your skin gently with an oil-absorbing, balancing cleanser like Skin Clearing Charcoal Face Wash. Charcoal Face Wash contains activated charcoal which helps draw bacteria, toxins, dirt and oils from your skin making it perfect for blemish-prone areas. Cleanse your body after shampooing and conditioning your hair so your conditioner doesn’t leave residue on your skin, and use a gentle mitt or muslin cloth to help exfoliate as you cleanse.
2. Shower Immediately After Working Out
Always remove your workout clothes and take a shower immediately after exercising.
Bacteria loves sweat, so if you like sitting around drinking tea or catching up with emails after working out, this will do your body breakouts no favors at all, increasing irritation and generally giving bacteria the perfect breeding ground to do its absolute worse. To avoid this, thoroughly cleanse your skin as soon as possible, using a gentle wash that contains acne-fighting ingredients like salicylic acid, tea tree oil or, of course, activated charcoal.
3. Moisturize
When you don’t moisturize your skin, your sebaceous glands go into overdrive, producing even more oils to counteract any dryness your skin may be experiencing. These oils will continue to block your pores and make breakouts ten times worse.
OK, so body oils and butters contain pore-clogging ingredients like coconut oil and cocoa butter which are terrible for acne-prone skin… but there are plenty of moisturizers that don’t and are perfect for balancing, soothing and repairing your skin’s barrier function. All of which are important for treating breakouts. Look for moisturizers that are non-comedogenic (this means they’re less likely to block pores) and contain light humectant and emollient ingredients which work to draw water into the skin and lock it all in. Ingredients like hyaluronic acid and glycerin are especially great for oily, congested skin types. You’ll find both of these in our Retinol Moisturizer which also contains retinol (obviously!) to help boost cell turnover and reduce irritation – win-win.
4. Spot Treat Troublesome Areas
As well as sticking to a smart cleansing and moisturizing routine, try spot treating problem areas with a targeted acne solution. And good news: most products you use on your face will also work on your body. The only ingredient we don’t advise using on body acne is benzoyl peroxide as this can bleach your clothes and bed linen. However, anything containing tea tree oil, glycolic acid, salicylic acid or lactic acid will do the job nicely.
Tea Tree Clear Skin Super Serum, for example, combines tea tree oil with salicylic acid, retinol and hyaluronic acid for a gentle, but super effective acne treatment. Apply a drop to clean fingers and smooth it over cleansed pimples daily to reduce irritation and promote healing.
5. Think About The Clothes You Wear
Clothes that generate friction or put pressure on your skin can irritate the follicles, causing another type of acne called acne mechanica. You know those pimples you might have had (or still have) due to wearing your facial mask for prolonged periods of time? Maskne as it became known as? Well, that was acne mechanica and just like facial masks can cause breakouts on your cheeks and jawline, tight clothing like snug collars can do the same to your body.
To reduce your chances of getting acne mechanica on your body, steer clear of tight clothing and man-made fibers which can add to sweat and bacteria build up. Choose cotton clothing as much as possible and wear looser clothes for a while to see if this helps with your breakouts.
And it goes without saying, wash your clothes, especially your bra, after every wear.
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No idea why you’re getting an influx of acne right now? Many lifestyle habits can trigger your breakouts – and sometimes they’re found in the most unsuspecting places.
As you know, acne is caused by one thing and one thing alone: an excess of sebum that causes your pores to become blocked with oil, dead skin cells, bacteria and other impurities. Eating too much chocolate doesn’t give you pimples. Neither does moisturizer. Sure, they can trigger breakouts if you’re genetically susceptible to them, but acne isn’t caused by uncleanliness, a poor diet or crummy skincare routine. It’s caused by blocked pores. End of.
OK, so this begs the question: why bother trying to cure them if your breakouts are totally out of your control? Well, here’s the thing. You can’t change your genes, that’s for certain. However, what you can do is keep acne-triggering factors under control to help lessen the blow. Sleeping well, reducing emotional stress and eating a healthy, well-balanced diet; all these things are important for maintaining balanced sebum and therefore reducing the likelihood of you breaking out week after week.
But there are also some less obvious reasons why you face might be suffering with regular breakouts. So if you’ve already dispensed with things like smoking, poor cleansing and too much exfoliation, but you’re still getting pimples on the reg, it might be time to look at some of the more unexpected areas of your life.
On that note, read on for five slightly more unusual causes for your breakouts.
1. Your Pillowcase
Getting enough beauty sleep is crucial for the health of your skin, but if you’re sleeping on a dirty pillowcase for a solid eight hours every night dirt and bacteria is inevitably going to build up and irritate your pores. This is especially true if you sleep on a synthetic pillowcase because man-made fibers don’t absorb sweat as effectively as natural fibres like cotton or linen.
The answer? Go natural all the way, for starters. Also, cleanse and moisturize your skin before bed to reduce the amount of grime getting on your pillowcase. Tea Tree Super Cleanser+ is a great acne-fighting cleanser that balances and clarifies your pores. Follow this with Retinol Moisturizer to lightly hydrate and moisturize your skin while boosting cellular turnover to keep your pores free of dead skin cells.
Finally, wash your pillowcase every three or four days. And ditto, your face towel. Old, dirty towels that are used by the whole family for drying their hands and who-knows-what-else are another breeding ground for germs and bacteria. Do you really want to be swiping this all over your freshly cleansed skin? Thought not. So, invest in a couple of cotton face towels for you and you alone and wash them every other day.
2. Your Makeup & Hair Products
Your skincare routine might be spot on, but what about your makeup and hair products? Rich hair conditioners, for example, are notorious for containing heavy ingredients like cocoa butter and coconut oil which, granted, are incredible for moisturizing your precious locks, but are not so great for acne-prone skin. Of course, we know you’re not smothering your face with conditioner but still, it can settle on your face when you rinse your hair so always cleanse your skin after, never before conditioning.
Makeup can similarly clog up your pores, especially if you use formulations that contain oil. So don’t do that. Instead, look out for noncomedogenic products (this means they’re less likely to block pores) and use powder rather than liquid formulations whenever possible.
3. Your Workout Routine
Do you love to get a good sweat on when you’re working out? High fives to you. However, allow all that sweat and grime to sit on your skin and your pores are going to clog up quicker than your instructor can say ‘hit the floor for ten push-ups.’
Cleanse your skin thoroughly and swiftly after exercising (the longer you leave your skin doused in sweat and grimy workout gear, the more bacteria is likely to breed), and always use a mild but effective cleanser that helps to detoxify your skin without drying it out. Our Charcoal Clarifying Cleanser is a goodie as it harnesses the powers of coconut-derived activated charcoal which destroys skin-smothering impurities to offer a deep, gently purifying clean every time.
4. Your Winter Cover-Ups
Any fabric that rubs against your skin can lead to unwanted issues in the long-term. Remember how face masks were causing ‘maskne’ back in the pandemic? This was all due to friction from the mask combining with the obvious culprits of sweat, dirt, oil, bacteria and humidity which caused dryness, irritation and pimples.
Thankfully, for most of us, the days of having to wear a mask 24/7 are over. However, if you spend a lot of time outdoors in the winter and like to wrap yourself up in woollen hats and thick, heavy scarves, these can cause similar problems, trapping sweat and increasing friction around your chin, jaw, neck and forehead.
To help reduce breakouts caused by beanies, scarves (and even turtleneck sweaters), avoid synthetic fabrics and launder your winter cover-ups regularly. Weekly, at least.
5. Your Laundry Detergent
Speaking of laundry, your choice of detergent is also imperative. Just like your beauty routine, certain ingredients in your laundry detergent can be super irritating – especially if you have extremely sensitive or acne-prone skin. Fragrance, for example, can be a real Debbie Downer, as can harsh dyes, essentials oils, strong surfactants and preservatives.
To reduce the likelihood of your laundry detergent triggering those pesky breakouts, first up, choose liquid over powder detergents. Why? Because these leave behind less residue on your clothes and fabrics (who knew?!). Also, never use more detergent than is recommended on the label, avoid fabric softeners and try double rinsing your laundry after washing to remove as much residue as possible.
5 Unusual Things That Can Trigger Breakouts
read more -
![5 Unusual Things That Can Trigger Breakouts]()
No idea why you’re getting an influx of acne right now? Many lifestyle habits can trigger your breakouts – and sometimes they’re found in the most unsuspecting places.
As you know, acne is caused by one thing and one thing alone: an excess of sebum that causes your pores to become blocked with oil, dead skin cells, bacteria and other impurities. Eating too much chocolate doesn’t give you pimples. Neither does moisturizer. Sure, they can trigger breakouts if you’re genetically susceptible to them, but acne isn’t caused by uncleanliness, a poor diet or crummy skincare routine. It’s caused by blocked pores. End of.
OK, so this begs the question: why bother trying to cure them if your breakouts are totally out of your control? Well, here’s the thing. You can’t change your genes, that’s for certain. However, what you can do is keep acne-triggering factors under control to help lessen the blow. Sleeping well, reducing emotional stress and eating a healthy, well-balanced diet; all these things are important for maintaining balanced sebum and therefore reducing the likelihood of you breaking out week after week.
But there are also some less obvious reasons why you face might be suffering with regular breakouts. So if you’ve already dispensed with things like smoking, poor cleansing and too much exfoliation, but you’re still getting pimples on the reg, it might be time to look at some of the more unexpected areas of your life.
On that note, read on for five slightly more unusual causes for your breakouts.
1. Your Pillowcase
Getting enough beauty sleep is crucial for the health of your skin, but if you’re sleeping on a dirty pillowcase for a solid eight hours every night dirt and bacteria is inevitably going to build up and irritate your pores. This is especially true if you sleep on a synthetic pillowcase because man-made fibers don’t absorb sweat as effectively as natural fibres like cotton or linen.
The answer? Go natural all the way, for starters. Also, cleanse and moisturize your skin before bed to reduce the amount of grime getting on your pillowcase. Tea Tree Super Cleanser+ is a great acne-fighting cleanser that balances and clarifies your pores. Follow this with Retinol Moisturizer to lightly hydrate and moisturize your skin while boosting cellular turnover to keep your pores free of dead skin cells.
Finally, wash your pillowcase every three or four days. And ditto, your face towel. Old, dirty towels that are used by the whole family for drying their hands and who-knows-what-else are another breeding ground for germs and bacteria. Do you really want to be swiping this all over your freshly cleansed skin? Thought not. So, invest in a couple of cotton face towels for you and you alone and wash them every other day.
2. Your Makeup & Hair Products
Your skincare routine might be spot on, but what about your makeup and hair products? Rich hair conditioners, for example, are notorious for containing heavy ingredients like cocoa butter and coconut oil which, granted, are incredible for moisturizing your precious locks, but are not so great for acne-prone skin. Of course, we know you’re not smothering your face with conditioner but still, it can settle on your face when you rinse your hair so always cleanse your skin after, never before conditioning.
Makeup can similarly clog up your pores, especially if you use formulations that contain oil. So don’t do that. Instead, look out for noncomedogenic products (this means they’re less likely to block pores) and use powder rather than liquid formulations whenever possible.
3. Your Workout Routine
Do you love to get a good sweat on when you’re working out? High fives to you. However, allow all that sweat and grime to sit on your skin and your pores are going to clog up quicker than your instructor can say ‘hit the floor for ten push-ups.’
Cleanse your skin thoroughly and swiftly after exercising (the longer you leave your skin doused in sweat and grimy workout gear, the more bacteria is likely to breed), and always use a mild but effective cleanser that helps to detoxify your skin without drying it out. Our Charcoal Clarifying Cleanser is a goodie as it harnesses the powers of coconut-derived activated charcoal which destroys skin-smothering impurities to offer a deep, gently purifying clean every time.
4. Your Winter Cover-Ups
Any fabric that rubs against your skin can lead to unwanted issues in the long-term. Remember how face masks were causing ‘maskne’ back in the pandemic? This was all due to friction from the mask combining with the obvious culprits of sweat, dirt, oil, bacteria and humidity which caused dryness, irritation and pimples.
Thankfully, for most of us, the days of having to wear a mask 24/7 are over. However, if you spend a lot of time outdoors in the winter and like to wrap yourself up in woollen hats and thick, heavy scarves, these can cause similar problems, trapping sweat and increasing friction around your chin, jaw, neck and forehead.
To help reduce breakouts caused by beanies, scarves (and even turtleneck sweaters), avoid synthetic fabrics and launder your winter cover-ups regularly. Weekly, at least.
5. Your Laundry Detergent
Speaking of laundry, your choice of detergent is also imperative. Just like your beauty routine, certain ingredients in your laundry detergent can be super irritating – especially if you have extremely sensitive or acne-prone skin. Fragrance, for example, can be a real Debbie Downer, as can harsh dyes, essentials oils, strong surfactants and preservatives.
To reduce the likelihood of your laundry detergent triggering those pesky breakouts, first up, choose liquid over powder detergents. Why? Because these leave behind less residue on your clothes and fabrics (who knew?!). Also, never use more detergent than is recommended on the label, avoid fabric softeners and try double rinsing your laundry after washing to remove as much residue as possible.
5 Unusual Things That Can Trigger Breakouts
read more
