Bacne Tips & Tricks: Plus, we reveal the best products for treating back acne, quickly and gently.
Treating back and body acne often proves to be a bit tougher than facial acne. For one, the logistics of applying a treatment or bacne solution on your own back is a factor. Secondly, body blemishes are often deep and stubborn. But with the right treatments, some time, and patience, you can get your body acne under control.
OUR SKINCARE EXPERTS HAVE EVALUATED OVER FIFTY OF THE TOP ACNE PRODUCTS in 2024
So let’s begin! First thing first – here are the most important ingredients to look for in an anti acne body wash: salicylic acid (to clear pore-clogging dirt, exfoliate your skin and remove blackheads and whiteheads), glycolic acid (the best exfoliating acid to control oil and unclog the pores because it’s made of tiny molecules), lactic acid (to even out skin tone and fight acne formation), benzoyl peroxide (to banish the P. acnes acne-causing bacteria from your skin), and last but not least, sulfur (to reduce inflammation).
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OUR #1 PICK |
Misumi Blemish Clear Body Wash |
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Misumi Clear Skin Salicylic Cleanser |
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Paula’s Choice-Body Acne Spray |
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Murad Clarifying Body Spray |
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CLn Body Wash |
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Best OTC Treatments for Back Acne 2024
Here are the best creams, washes and cleansers for healing your bacne in 2024, based on quality review and user experience.
Our Number 1 Pick
Best Overall: Misumi Blemish Clear Body Wash ($23.16)
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After evaluating hundreds of products from the best rated acne brands, our top pick for best back acne treatment is Misumi’s Blemish Clear Body Wash. It main active ingredient is Salicylic acid, which is used to treat everything from blackheads to breakouts. The formula combines three essential acne-fighting ingredients including Glycolic Acid, Lactic Acid, and Salicylic Acid to create a powerful treatment that deeply exfoliates the skin, removing impurities and unclogging pores. Misumi adds Lavender to the formula to help calm breakouts and reduce redness and swelling. This natural ingredient also helps to even out skin tone and prevent severe acne scar.
Developed specifically to tackle problematic skin on the back, chest, neck, shoulders, and even intimate areas, this Salicylic acid body wash will help clear skin and prevent future breakouts. This body wash basically works by helping the skin restore itself from inside out. It helps remove dirt, sebum, sweat, and other impurities that typically clog the pores and lead to pimples and comedones.
Pros
- Specifically designed to target calm breakouts on back area
- High quality natural ingredients
- Amazing properties for acne-prone and oily skin
- Additional anti-aging benefits
- Helps reduce redness and swelling
- Evens out skin tone and helps prevent severe acne scar
- 60 Day Money Back Guarantee
Cons
X Can only be ordered through their official website
Customer before & after photos:
Best Supplementary Treatment: Paula’s Choice – CLEAR Back and Body Acne Spray-w/2% Salicylic Acid-Leave-On Exfoliant ($28)
The main intent behind Paula’s Choice Clear Back and Body Acne Spray is to help you finally reach those impossible corners around your body. It has the goods to show for it: It’s a Salicylic acid-based spray, which means it is suitable for both blackheads and breakouts. Its water base and very convenient to use. Overall, we guarantee this is a great supplemental treatment to pair with a powerful body wash – such as the Misumi Blemish Clear Body Wash for example. Be aware though that while sprays are practical to reach some areas, you’d be aiming poorly half the time which may make you waste this product very quickly with little to show for it.
Best for Clearing Body & Facial Acne: Misumi Clear Skin Salicylic Cleanser ($27.16)
Struggling with face acne too? Fighting a war with acne on two fronts is challenging, we admit. But thankfully, there are some mighty ‘weapons’ one can employ in doing that, especially from Misumi.
This powerful face wash uses the same “miracle ingredient”, the acne-combating Salicylic acid. An expert exfoliant, Salicylic acid will clean the pores from any impurity stuck inside them, be those bacteria, dirt, dead skin cells, or just makeup particles or skin oil. Salicylic acid also works to accelerate the turnover of skin cell renewal, which means you’ll be able to see results faster, because it will slough off the old, dead skin cells, making the new ones visible underneath. This results in a clear skin that’s not just temporary, but here to stay. It’s also soothing to the skin (and your mood!) because the formula includes lavender extract, which reduces inflammation and redness. The non-greasy formula gets absorbed quickly, leaving no stickiness or other kinds of ungainly residue on your skin or pillows. This product is also free of artificial fragrances and parabens, so those with sensitive skin or a history of allergies can also find it comfortable to use. The science is clear on the benefits of Salicylic acid, and especially combined with other nutritious ingredients in this formula: with regular, daily use, you’ll eventually get a smooth, soft, healthy skin, boasting a youthful glow and barely visible pores. If you have both bacne and face acne to deal with, the Misumi’s Clear Skin Salicylic Cleanser is ideal to be combined with their Blemish Clear Body Wash.
Pros
- Can be used both on body areas and face
- Clears breakouts and unclogs pores
- 60 Day money back guarantee
- Naturally Derived
- Sulfate Free
- Cruelty Free
Cons
X Can only be ordered through their official website
Best Accessory for Bacne: MAGGIFT Removable Natural Boar Bristle Long Handle Body Brush ($59.96)
Surprised? Yep, this isn’t an actual anti-acne or a bacne treating product. But we’d argue it is an essential bit of accessory to have. Let’s be real – the chances that you can reach every spot on your back with your hands is close to zero. If you can, then congratulations, chances are you’re a Marvel superhero!
For everyone else, some help to reach those hard to reach corners on the back is a godsend. Work your cleanser of choice (yes, you’ll need a cleasner for this!) into a foam and never miss a spot with this handy brush. Bacne? What was that even…
Best Back Spray for Those Who Have no Money Issues: Murad Clarifying Body Spray ($46)
According to Murad, their Clarifying Body Spray fights acne breakouts and prevent new ones from forming. This quick-drying formula is convenient to use. This leave on spot treatment contains Salicylic Acid which penetrates pores to clear up acne and prevent new breakouts from forming. Needless to say, this product is pricey, and as we said – this is a spray so you’ll be going through them at a fast rate. But if you got the money, hey…
Dermatologists often recommend diluted bleach baths to help kill bacteria on the skin, and in doing so alleviate not only acne, but other skin conditions like eczema and dermatitis. This body wash contains sodium hypochlorite, so a word of caution. Sodium hypochlorite is a known component of bleach, and it accomplishes the same thing without the need to sit in a tub of water. While this will work for some, it also won’t work for everyone – some people may find this product irritating or even harmful to their skin. So, needless to say, to each their own. One man’s blessing is another man’s curse. So definitely consult with your dermatologist before trying this one.
Tips and Tricks to Banish Bacne & Keep It From Returning
- Make Exfoliation a Habit
“Like the face, the skin on the back, the chest and the upper torso contain more oil producing (sebaceous) glands than any other area of the body. Because of this, these areas produce more of the skin’s natural oil, making them more vulnerable to body acne. Regular exfoliation is therefore crucial, since the dead skin cells on the back may not slough off as comprehensively as needed, which can cause a pile-up of dirt and gunk that can produce acne,” claims Olay Professional Alliance member and New York City dermatologist, Doris Day. For a quality body wash that combats bacne expertly, try the Misumi Blemish Clear Body Wash, $28.95.
- Use Spot-Treatments for Bacne
There’s a popular misconception that masks and spot treatments are just for your face — in fact, they can be a suitable method for tackling bacne breakouts, too. Renée Rouleau, an esthetician and skin expert, recommends using a mask that contains ingredients like camphor, sulfur, tea tree oil, salicylic acid and clay. For an overnight fix for pimples that are not too deep, but on the surface of the skin, maybe try a skin drying lotion. If your bacne happens to be of the large, painful, cystic kind, we recommend seeing a dermatologist and taking it from there.
- Try an Anti Acne Spray to Reach Difficult Spots on the Back
Applying acne medication on your back can be kinda tricky, but a product that comes in the form of spray can launch its product from many angles. There aren’t many anti-acne body sprays on the market now, in part due to their one downside – they get spent quickly, and let’s be honest, half of the time you spray the product in the air.
- Always Shower After Working Out
One of the main reasons why bacne happens is because we’re busy being so healthy and awesome, working up a sweat! “Breakouts on the torso, the back and on other parts of the body can be provoked by working out or sweating more,” explains skin expert and fitness enthusiast Rouleau. Whenever possible, it’s advisable to shower immediately after exercising to help remove any traces of dirt, or sweat that may be irritating your skin and clogging the pores on your back.
- Use Specially Formulated Cleansers
The clever thing to do is to go for stuff that works, and that’s been designed to help you with your problem. In this case, go for cleansers made specifically to treat bacne, like the Blemish Clear Body Wash, which contains Salicylic acid. Salicylic acid is a powerful anti-acne ingredient that performs deep unclogging of the pores, resetting them to a healthy state where they are of no risk of acne. You can apply the body wash anywhere on your body, leaving you feeling ultraclean and helping you get rid of acne one step at a time.
- Use a Back Cleansing Brush
Scrubbing your back is basically impossible, right? I believed that too until I saw Clarisonic’s body brush — it cleans even toughest skin around your shoulders. Plus, the extending handle allows you to reach hard to get areas. A good, but pricey option here is the Clarisonic Mia Smart Deluxe Acne Prevention Kit, $199.
- Don’t Let Conditioner Sit on Your Skin for Too Long
Sometimes the way in which we wash our hair is the primary cause for getting bacne. When you leave conditioner-coated hair sitting on your back for too long, the conditioner slowly enters your skin and clogs your pores. So… Getting rid of bacne is as simple as cutting your hair short (I’m joking!). But on a more serious note, tying your hair in the shower or clipping it while it sits with conditioner on is definitely a simple workaround. But remember, even though you’ve rinsed, the freshly conditioned hair still isn’t entirely clean of the product and can still irritate sensitive, acne-prone skin.
- Don’t Squeeze Bacne
Just like with regular acne, avoid touching the affected area or squeezing any back pimples. Squeezing acne anywhere on your body, not just your face, can spread acne-causing bacteria and cause even more pimples and even lead to scarring (and no one wants to have scars on their body, do they).
- Wash Your Gym Clothes, Pillowcases and Bedsheets Regularly
Sleeping linens and reused workout gear can be a real breeding ground for acne-causing bacteria. So make sure to wash your sheets and pillowcases regularly and please avoid the temptation to wear the same gym shorts, sports bra or tank top for more than one sweat session.
- See a Dermatologist
“As someone who has spent their youth struggling with acne and back acne, I am personally familiar with this unpleasant condition,” says Rouleau. “Sure, you can do some things for those zits with stuff at home, but my advice would be to schedule an appointment with a dermatologist and get a proper back treatment for even better results.” Unlike a DIY or a natural remedy, a back treatment from a licensed esthetician or dermatologist will deep-clean your pores and give you a professional-strength exfoliation to boost the results of your own DIY care.
Conclusion
Picking the right product to fight back acne is hard, especially when there are hundreds of options at the store and online. Our skincare experts have narrowed down to a shortlist of the very best, tried and true, acne-fighting products that will help clear your back and get your confidence up fast.
Our number 1 pick for treating bacne is, unquestionably, the Misumi’s Blemish Clear Body Wash. Although they’ve been around for over 25 years as big players in the premium skincare industry, Misumi products has only recently been made available for the public to buy over the counter online. They made all their products in the USA in an FDA-licensed facility and use natural ingredients as the backbone of their formula. Try their Blemish Clear Body Wash risk-free today and enjoy 60 Money Back Guarantee. If you’re dealing with both body acne and blemishes on the face, opt for their Clear Skin Salicylic Cleanser for a more targeted treatment.
