How to Treat & Prevent Chest Acne: Plus, our go-to products to quickly — and gently — treat breakouts.
Although acne treatments are usually discussed for areas like the nose and chin, acne doesn’t just develop on the face. If you’re more prone to acne from risk factors such as hormones or oily skin, you may develop blemishes anywhere on your body — including your chest.
Acne develops when your pores get clogged. Pores exist around your entire body, and your chest is no exception. If you have acne-prone skin, you might see the following types of acne on your chest:
- blackheads
- cysts
- pimples
- pustules
- whiteheads
Though chest acne isn’t always as visible as pimples on your face, it can be quite a nuisance. In this article, you’ll learn how chest acne forms and how to get rid of it once and for all.
In a hurry? Here’s a sneak peek at the top dermatologist recommended OTC products that will be A++ for your back acne:
Top 3 – Editor’s PicksIf you’re in a rush, here’s our top picks for clearing back acne. |
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#1 – Misumi Blemish Clear Body Wash
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Great for Body acne, including back, chest, arms, neck
5.0 stars out of 5
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#2 – Murad Clarifying Body Duo
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Suitable for: Sensitive skin
4.5 stars out of 5
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#3 – Clear Skin Salicylic Cleanser
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Suitable for: All skin types
4.5 stars out of 5
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Tips and Tricks to Keep Chest Acne at Bay
1. Shower regularly
If you don’t shower daily, you may develop chest acne more easily. Regular showers help remove elements that block your pores. This includes:
- bacteria
- dead skin cells
- dirt
- oil (sebum)
To reduce your chances of chest acne, make sure you hit the shower every day. This includes colder and drier months when you may think you don’t need a shower. Use lukewarm (not hot) water for the best results. You can also consider a final rinse in cold water to help close your pores.
Try Misumi Blemish Clear Body Wash, $23.95.
Here is a before and after photo of a customer who had used Misumi’s Blemish Clear Body Wash for 12 weeks. 
2. Use an acne-fighting body wash
Body washes containing salicylic acid are especially helpful for chest acne. Salicylic acid is an ingredient that treats acne by drying it out.
Consider trying out these body washes for chest acne:
- Misumi Blemish Clear Body Wash, $23.95.
- Murad Clarifying Body Duo, $64
- ProActiv+ Cleansing Body Bar, $27
3. Use a non-comedogenic body lotion
In layman’s terms, “non-comedogenic” simply means non-pore-clogging. This is important when choosing products that stay on your skin all day or night, such as body lotion.
When applied to your chest, non-comedogenic body lotion can help hydrate the skin without causing acne. Some lotions even contain small amounts of salicylic acid to get rid of preexisting breakouts. You may also want to avoid fragrances that can irritate your skin.
Consider the following body lotions:
- Wrinkle Free All Day Moisturizer with SPF 30
- Dermalogica Body Hydrating Cream
- Neutrogena Body Lotion
4. Shower Right After Working Out
One of the reasons bacne happens is because we’re busy being so awesome and healthy working up a sweat! “Breakouts on the back and body can be exacerbated by working out or sweating more,” explains skin expert Rouleau. Whenever possible, shower right after exercising to help remove sweat that may be irritating the skin and causing clogged pores on your back.
5. Try a new laundry detergent
Washing your clothes is a must for keeping germs at bay, but if you have oily skin, it can also help prevent acne. However, laundry detergent can sometimes have the opposite effect by causing acne.
This can happen from certain types of detergents that tend to irritate the skin. These include products with fragrances and dyes. When you wear a shirt that’s been washed with allergenic detergents, you could put your chest area and other parts of your body at risk for a breakout.
Look for laundry detergents labeled as “hypoallergenic.” All and Seventh Generation create these types of products.
6. Wear loose and breathable fabrics
Another key to keeping chest acne at bay is to wear clothing that is loose and non-irritating so that your skin can breathe. Tight clothing can trap dirt, bacteria, and oils that can develop into blemishes. Certain fabrics, such as wool, nylon, and spandex, can cause further irritation. Your best bet is to wear cotton clothing.
Best OTC Treatments for Chest Acne [2019]
#1 Best overall chest acne-fighter:Â Misumi Blemish Clear Body Wash
After evaluating hundreds of products from the best rated acne brands, our top pick for best chest acne treatment is Misumi’s Blemish Clear Body Wash. It’s salicylic acid-based to treat everything from blackheads to cystic acne and 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, the Salicylic acid based body wash will help clear skin and prevent future breakouts. The body wash works by clearing the skin from the inside out. It helps to remove sweat, sebum, dirt, and impurities that clog up the pores and cause pimples and comedones.
Pros
- Specifically designed to target calm breakouts on chest 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
The Only Product That’s Worked for Me!
It WORKS! I started getting back breakouts in my mid 20s after never having any issues with acne. Over the years, I had pretty much given up on the thought of having clear skin again. One day, 4 years later, I figured I would give this product a try. After all, I had nothing else to lose. It ended up being the best decision I’d ever made. I no longer get any new breakouts. It’s been a few months and the scars are still clearing up; however, I’m so thankful this is no longer an ongoing issue for me. I’m so excited to be one step closer to having clear skin again! Thank you Misumi!
Misumi Blemish Clear Body Wash
Misumi was a product I read online, it was a upcoming product raved about in a article about body acne. As a new product I was intrigue, I search far and near for a product that would confirm results. It’s been almost 3 weeks since I purchased the body wash and instantly I felt the sweet care of Misumi. I use the word sweet bc Misumi has been nothing but kind to my body and provide results that I could see and feel. Thank you Misumi.
Best Duo Kit: Murad Clarifying Body Duo
Murad Clarifyng Body Duo consists of their Acne Body Wash and Clarifying Body Spray. The formula contains Date Seed Powder to polish away pore-clogging impurities, Green Tea and Licorice Root Extracts protect and soothe inflamed skin and Salicylic Acid to control blemishes and prevent future breakouts.
Best for Clearing Body & Facial Acne: Misumi Clear Skin Salicylic Cleanser
This powerful wash uses salicylic acid to exfoliate the skin by unclogging pores to remove dead cells, dirt, makeup, and excess oil. Salicylic acid also helps to accelerate the turnover of new cells,while speeding up the shredding of old, damaged cells. This ensures that a sustainable and lasting clear skin as the result.It’s also relatively soothing, however, as the formula includes lavender extract, which soothes the skin and reduces inflammation and redness. The non-greasy formula doesn’t leave behind any trace of residue and is free of fragrance and parabens. With daily use, you’ll get smooth, soft, clear skin with a youthful glow and minimized pores.
Pros
- Can be used both on body areas and face
- Clears breakouts and unclogs pores
- 60 Day money back guarantee
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Naturally Derived
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Sulfate Free
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Cruelty Free
Cons
XÂ Does not lather
Best Leave On Treatment: Paula’s Choice-CLEAR Back and Body Acne Spray-w/2% Salicylic Acid-Leave-On Exfoliant
Paula’s Choice Clear Back and Body Acne Spray is designed for those hard-to-reach places. It has the goods: It’s salicylic acid-based to treat everything from blackheads to breakouts. It’s water base and very convenient to use. Overall, we gaurantee this is a great supplemental treatment to pair with a powerful body wash.
Best Chest Spray for those who can splurge: Murad Clarifying Body Spray
Clarifying Body Spray helps fight breakouts and prevent new breakouts 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.Â
Best for all-over breakouts: PanOxyl Benzoyl Peroxide Acne Creamy Wash
Another BP cleanser with a moderate 4 percent strength. It’s wrapped up in a creamy formulation, which provides additional moisture so you’re left with soft skin—not that super-tight feeling. You can even use this on your body to treat bacne.
Best for redness: Peter Thomas Roth Acne Clearing Wash
The 2 percent salicylic acid cleanser is tough enough to tackle breakouts and remove a day’s worth of makeup, but it’s still gentle on your skin thanks to allantoin, an ingredient that eases potential sensitivity, and pro vitamin B5, which helps skin stay supple and redness-free.
Best exfoliating scrub: St. Ives Blackhead Clearing Green Tea Scrub
If a clean face means getting gritty and scrubby with it…you need this one from St. Ives. The salicylic acid clears out excess oil, says Joshua Zeichner, M.D., director of cosmetic and clinical research in dermatology at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City, while manual exfoliators remove pore-clogging dead skin cells.
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 is 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.