Honestly, for many, body acne – usually on the chest or back – is even more embarrassing than having it on your face, especially in the summer time when light clothing is a must, or when you’re getting up close and personal with the opposite sex.
Plus, due to the shear logistics, it’s way more difficult than facial acne to masterfully cover up with a dab of concealer.
I personally have not had a ton of body acne in my life (a few juicy ones here and there over the years), but I did go through a period of about three months where I had some pretty severe “bacne” on my back and shoulders.
This was a good 8 years or so ago…. when I was 18 and I had just left home for the first time to travel in Australia for a year long adventure. As soon as I touched down in Sydney, my back went absolutely nuts.
Three months later, as soon as I left Sydney to move on in my travels, the back acne suddenly vanished as quickly as it had appeared.
There didn’t seem to be much rhyme or reason to it. What was it about Sydney that my back did not like?
Was it the Sydney water? Was it stress from being far from home? Was it a super delayed hormonal reaction from when I quit hormonal birth control 6 months prior? Was it the heat and friction from my sweaty, linty work shirt?
I guess I’ll never know for sure (kind of think it was probably the sweaty, linty shirt, which would make sense as to why it left when I left my job and Sydney), but either way, when it disappeared, I was certainly relieved.
After all, Australia is the land of the beaches. I was more than self conscious about stripping down to my “bathers” during many a seaside afternoon, and revealing my pimply back to the world.
So what do you do about the dreaded bacne, and for some people, the dreaded “chestne” (chest acne)? Is it treated differently than facial acne?
Well… kinda different. But not really. The basics are the same with some additional tricks you can try.
Live That Healthy Lifestyle, Bro
The foundation of any natural acne treatment is to improve your areas of health that need improvement.
A healthy, nutritionally supported body is essential for fighting inflammation and repairing and rebuilding healthy, acne free skin.
So this includes eating whole, nutritious foods and mostly avoiding processed packaged foods. Cutting down on wheat, dairy, and sugar, also has a big impact for many.
Get quality sleep. Get some exercise. Don’t drink too much. Don’t smoke too much. Practice stress relief techniques. Find joy and purpose in your life.
You might also want to try a natural supplement to support hormonal health, like Estroblock (as at least one person mentioned that it not only helped their facial acne, but also their bacne).
For full details and instructions on this, check out my free report 7 Things You Can Start Doing Right Now to Clear Your Skin, and my in depth acne guide Naturally Clear Skin.
Experiment With These Other Bacne / Chestne Techniques
Like all cases of acne, no two cases are the same. Which means what specific things work will vary wildly from person to person.
The following is a collection of ideas that have worked for other people. You can try and play around with to see if they have a positive effect on your personal case of body acne.
Take Your Omega 3s & Watch The Fats You Eat
Many people report that taking getting enough Omega 3 fats in their diets really helps with back acne. Same with eating more stable fats and avoiding damaged fats.
So to get Omega 3s, you want to eat at least three servings of wild salmon a week, or take a Omega 3 fish oil supplement.
My favourite is fermented cod liver oil as it not only contains Omega 3s, but also plenty of other very important nutrients for clear skin, like Vitamin A and D. It’s also really good quality, which is important when choosing a fish oil.
By eating stable fats, I mean that while I am not in any way against fat consumption in general, most of the fat contained in the food we eat is damaged, rancid, and adulterated, which translates into it being very unhealthy when you eat it.
These are things like fried foods, and virtually all the fats and oils used in processed foods, as well as the cooking oils and margarines we use.
Cut down on your processed and fried food consumption, and cook your food with a good stable oil like coconut oil.
The reason this is important is because much of your sebum (aka your skin’s oil) is made up of fats.
The higher quality of fats you consume, the better the outcome will be, as your skin’s oil will not be as pore clogging and toxic as it would be otherwise.
Stop Your Chemical Shampoo & Body Wash
As you may know, I’m not a fan of chemical hygiene and acne products, as the chemicals in them tend to be extremely irritating to the skin.
So I would not advise using any sort of conventional body wash on your acne prone body areas (no body lotions either).
Instead, either don’t use anything at all except water, or wash the area with honey, clay, oatmeal, or any other gentle and natural cleansing method.
This extends to your hair products (including shampoo, conditioner, and maybe even hair spray), because when you lather and rinse them in the shower, they get all over your back.
Many people have cleared up their back acne by simply ditching body wash and switching to more natural hair products, or going “no ‘poo“.
Natural shampoo recommendations – this is a great line of completely all natural shampoo and conditioners.
Personally I just use baking soda. Works great for me, and I don’t even need conditioner.
Exfoliate a Bit
Normally I’m not a huge fan of exfoliation due to its abrasive, kind of irritating nature – but different skin types do better with it than others.
For example, people with tough, oily, clogged skin can often benefit as long as it’s extremely gentle. For others, taking out all types of irritation including exfoliation greatly benefits their skin.
Anyway – you can see what works with your body acne, but generally you can be a little rougher on it than the skin on your face.
The skin on the face is extremely thin and delicate, which isn’t as true for the skin on the back and chest.
So many people find a bit of a scrub in the shower actually does them good and goes a long way to clearing up body acne.
I still don’t mean like you should scrub like you are trying to viciously rub yourself raw, but you could probably use a clean wash cloth, or one of those bath pouf sponges, and just go over your back in a gentle circular motion.
Lauren at Empowered Sustenance claims that the use of this Japanese Salux Cloth cleared up her body acne because it was the perfect combo of gentle yet effective exfoliation.
Watch The Steamy Hot Showers
Water that is too hot in your shower could have the effect of drying out your skin, which causes your skin to overproduce oil all over your back and chest, resulting in body acne.
Plus, it’s irritating.
Try turning the water temp down a bit, from steaming-almost-burning-you hot, to more like a pleasant luke warm.
Even if you do turn the temperature down a bit, water itself can be quite drying on its own.
If you find your skin feels really dry after a shower, use a good oil as a moisturizer to help it out. Click here to find a good oil blend that will suit your skin type.
Remember not to put too much oil on, only enough to be fully absorbed. Apply a few drops while your back is still damp in order to help you spread it around and absorb better.
Oils will help your skin not to overproduce it’s own oil, and therefore prevent acne, but a film of oil left on the skin will only reduce breathability and could lead to more clogged pores.
Throw Some Tea Tree Oil On it
One of the most common topical treatments that people use for back acne is tea tree oil. It’s a great antiseptic and effective against bacteria.
It’s super concentrated though, please do NOT ever use it straight on your body. It will burn. Always dilute a few drops of it in a carrier oil, and apply to your back after a shower.
Again, click here to find a good blend of oils for your skin type.
As for how to actually apply things like this to your back without assistance… for many people it’s pretty much impossible to reach all of their backs on their own.
Not sure what to say about that, friends… except.. maybe…. do some stretches??
Or maybe putting it in a spray bottle and spritzing it on your back could work (anyone have any tips and tricks here on how you do this? Tell us in the comments).
Only Wear Natural, Breathable Clothing
I’m not one to quickly blame sweat for causing acne on its own…
But when it’s trapped under your shirt and your shirt is rubbing it up on your back all day, and it’s hot, and it’s creating sweaty hot friction… well I can definitely see how this would lead to some body acne.
In fact, as I said, I do suspect my bacne in Sydney probably had a fair bit to do with my linty black work T-shirt (which I assume was not made of natural fabrics), combined with a sweaty hot Australian summer.
And after that if I ever got a back pimple, it was almost always right under where my bra strap ran along my back creating friction.
So, the solution? If you can help it, only wear light, breathable, natural fabrics that will keep the sweat away from your body – such as cotton, linen, or hemp.
It’s preferable to wear looseish shirts too to minimize friction. Don’t hang around in sweaty clothes for too long if you can avoid it.
Switch Your Laundry Detergent
There is a small chance that whatever you’re using for laundry detergent is irritating your skin or creating an allergy to it.
Switch to a more natural detergent that is free of dyes and fragrances (or make your own), and ditch the dryer sheets.
Okay. That’s all folks. If you have had success treating body acne naturally, please spill your secrets in the comments below!
I’ve suffered from backne for quite a while now. Lately I have been trying most of the methods above, so let’s wait and see :). I just ordered some Manuka honey and I’m planning to use your jojoba/Manuka wash on my back and chest as well.
Tracy, do you know anything about Dr. Bronners body soap? I’ve recently switched to natural body soap until I begin with the honey, and I read that it can also use as a base for natural home-made shampoo, so I’m wondering if it’s really OK.
Another good tip for fellow backne-ers: Sunscreen may be causing some irritation. The acne scars and hyperpigmentation on my neck, sholder, chest led me to begin using pretty high sunscreen in summer, and I recently noticed that this in itself may be preserving the acne. So, I have tried to switch this, too, to a natural, organic-based sunscreen (this is the company I got it from – http://www.ananda-cosmetic.com/ – what do you think? It’s really difficult to weed out the actually natural products with all the so-called natural stuff out there…)
Another nice tip, as I mentioned in another comment, is lukewarm chamomile tea: Mix 2-cups boiling water with 2 teabags of chamomile (plain, pure chamomile tea). Cover it up for a bit and wait for it to cool, and then use a cloth to gently wash your back with it. This is good for after washing your back, and I’ve found it to be pretty soothing and purifying.
Thanks, Tracy, for your amazing site — it has finally gotten me going with some great new habits, and has helped reassure me that I’m on the right track with others :).
Yes – good call about the sunscreen! Forgot about that one. Check out the Love Vitamin sunscreen epic for actually natural sunscreens (well, as good as you’re gonna get):
https://thelovevitamin.com/4000/sunscreen-and-acne-part-one/
https://thelovevitamin.com/4012/sunscreen-and-acne-part-two/
https://thelovevitamin.com/4013/sunscreen-and-acne-part-three/
I like Dr. Bronner’s soap (like the general castille one, don’t know if it’s different than the body soap). Some people find it too drying though, guess you just have to see
Also camomile…. had someone email me a while ago saying that worked really well for their face too, might have to look more into this!
I just read up on the ingredients of the “natural” sunscreen I purchased, and one of the first listed ingredients is ‘ethylhexyl methoxycinnamate’, which is said to be “known to produce excess reactive oxygen species that can interfere with cellular signaling, cause mutations, and lead to cell death.” (quoted from ‘Truth in Aging’). I can’t believe they have a German organic approval thingy. So, I am going back to the store to replace it.
Well, if at first you don’t succeed, try try again…
I think a sneaky culprit for many women (perhaps men too) is conditioner. I know for me, just having it rinse off my hair and down my back was enough to start some really horrible breakouts.
Yep, shampoo and conditioner! I might update the article to specifically mention conditioner too. Thanks Liz 🙂
Here’s a big vote for ditching your scented laundry soaps and fabric softeners. That stuff can really irritate your skin, via pillow cases (I’m a side sleeper) and sheets and bath towels (when your pores are all steamed open from your shower). I used to be able to pinpoint which of my relatives used Tide based on how my face would break out after using one of their pillows 🙁
Thank you so much for this! I’ve managed to calm the acne on my face, but the ones on my back and chest won’t go away. Will try some of these! 🙂
Good luck, let us know how you go!
Sara is right about Tide, excellent observation – but it is not the perfumes and dyes, it is the enzymes. Proteases and lipases as well as amylases. In Canada use only Sunlight® detergent – check the label on the back to be sure you get the one with no enzymes – it says so. Look for the white plastic bottle. In the USA, the only easily available detergent with no enzymes is All® Free Clear in the white plastic bottle. There is no labeling to indicate it is enzyme-free. **Beware** the recently introduced Tide® in a white bottle which DOES contain enzymes.
Ooooh, thanks for the great info, Dr D!!
Thank you so much Tracy for this video and article ! I have back and chest acne as well as face acne and I have had it for years. I want to wash my hair with just baking soda but I have brown hair, will it change it at all? Also whats a good natural conditioner? I heard someone uses braggs apple cider vinegar and water? Thanks 🙂
My brown haired husband uses it and works great for him too. And yes, most people use a little ACV as conditioner after their baking soda. I find baking soda works fine on its own for me, I don’t need conditioner
Thanks 🙂 have you ever tried a water fast? I am thinking I want to do a body cleanse but I am trying to research and learn from others who have tried one or know of information. Thanks tracy your the best ! I always check out your new videos and website article s 🙂
Hi Lexi, no I haven’t done a water fast, although I’ve done juice fasts. For me, they didn’t seem to do very much skin wise, some people find them very effective though. From something I’ve recently come across, I get the impression that fasting (including intermittent fasting) might actually be a healthier practice for males rather than females, as it may interfere with our metabolism, have a negative effect on our hormones, lower fertility rates etc… which I can’t imagine leads to good things skin wise.
http://www.paleoforwomen.com/shattering-the-myth-of-fasting-for-women-a-review-of-female-specific-responses-to-fasting-in-the-literature/
http://www.marksdailyapple.com/women-and-intermittent-fasting/#axzz2esTnY6gL
Thank you for doing this article Tracy 🙂 body acne is something I have dealt with for the past 15 years…
And I live in Australia so, for me, going to the beach just wasn’t done, at least not without a ‘rashie’ to cover my skin…
Actually the body acne has been the baine of my existence for as long as I can remember.
It has ‘ruined my life’ and helped me to find myself at the same time (as I grew older an learned to look past it)
Mainly I just want to share some products that have helped my skin incredibly (and I have tried every single product I have come across over the years) I hope sharing the name is ok? I have been told that the products are natural (at least derived from natural ingredients) and they are certified organic, but I’m not sure…
While I do still have breakouts, my skin is 90% better! I am still working on the internal stuff but in the meantime this product has been a miracle! I should mention that it probably does matter what type of acne you have (mine is all about blocked pores, so exfoliation has really helped, glycolic – not abrasive)
So the product brand is called LaClinica and it’s made in Australia. I use the Gly C body range which has a very high amount of glycolic acid in each product. This really was a miracle for me – I was able to wear a bikini last summer for the first time in my adult life, it was the most liberating moment 🙂 they also have a rebalancing range which really helped with some cystic acne on my face (which may also work on the body).
I know I am tooting their horn a bit but I’m sure you can understand how I feel and if this post can help others to free themselves from body acne too I want to shout it from the roof tops!!!!
Thank you Tracy – rock on!
That’s awesome Lilah! So happy for you that you found something worked for you after all these years. Thanks so much for sharing it with us, hopefully someone else finds it helpful! 🙂
I found out about the hot showers thing quite awhile ago, so now I use water that is just slightly cool, and my backne and chestne is gone!!!
Woohoo, that’s great! 😀
I started getting Bacne around age 13, back, shoulders and chest. Had it all my teen years and still get it occasionally. Definitely a genetic component to it as my dad had it as well. Mine was much worse than his though. I suspect my diet played a large part growing up, lots of pasta and milk.
What I’ve found really works for me is Vitamin A 10IU daily and turmeric, turmeric is a great blood purifier and seems to work real well on the boil like cystic acne.
Great site, keep it up!
Great! Thank you for sharing your secrets Kevin 🙂
A US Marine Corps DERMATOLOGIST tells me they describe the problem on Marine’s backs as Iraqne. Not kidding.
Although I’m usually cringe at “natural” solutions to anything (mostly because natural is a really misleading concept – diseases are natural and they’re not necessarily good), I was pleasantly surprised that most of your advice does not contradict current research. Tea tree oil is an effective disinfectant in 5 to 10% strength (though might be irritating to some). Steaming and irritants may increase the chance of inflammation and eating well is always a good idea (however acne-wise, it’s useful for more for people who are actually nutrient deficient). One thing you should include is salicylic acid. People think of it as a chemical, but it’s actually derived from willow bark and it gently penetrates the pore and exfoliates it. For me, rubbing my acne to exfoliate it usually irritates it and makes it worse. Also, removing excess oil and skin-cells with an effective gentle cleanser is necessary for those of us with overactive oil glands.
This list is spot on, specifically in the exfoliation and oil department.
I had moderate back acne during my teen years but as soon as I hit 21 my entire body FREAKED OUT and I got some of the worst breakouts of my life. Big, painful, horrific pimples all over my shoulders and upper back.
A month ago (the same time I started doing the oil cleansing method for my face)I switched out my generic brand body wash for organic coconut oil soap, turned the water in my shower down to lukewarm, and started exfoliating every two days (with a mixture of oil and raw sugar). The change has been extraordinary. While I’m not down with showing my skin yet, I’m already having fewer breakouts and less painful pimples.
Another neat trick I’ve been using is some lemon juice on my back where the acne left scars and made my skin look worse than it really was.
ahem. Natural is best. 😀
love,
a
Yay! So glad you found your solution! 😀 also glad to hear this list is good and accurate. And thanks for the lemon juice tip!
Acupuncture and cupping… Amazing results! I go once per month and the difference is dramatic. As an added bonus, it is incredible stress relief.
Oh yeah, interesting! I’ve always been really curious about acupuncture and how it affects acne. I’ve had quite a few people say it really helps them with it.
I had acne on my shoulders and chest pretty consistently and moderately when I was younger. What cleared that up for me was when I stopped washing those areas at all. No more shower poof and shower gel. I only wash my pits and bum with a mild bar soap and now I never experience body acne. I don’t worry about rinsing those off with just water in the shower, but I don’t exfoliate or use anything on them and they are clear. I figured this out when I started using a back brush in the shower and suddenly had an onset of bacne that I had never experienced, it went away as soon as I stopped using the brush. It’s kind of like caveman, leave it be. Don’t irritate it, and don’t remove your body’s natural protective barriers. I also am an athlete and get all hot and sweaty and wear sunscreen. You still won’t catch me using soap.
I do have to say though, for those of you who can’t stand the idea of not washing, I work in a health food store where one of the gals is an aesthetician and she regularly tells people with body acne to try Nutribiotics Unscented Non-soap Cleanser with grapefruit seed extract. You wouldn’t believe how many people come back to her with rave reviews about how well it worked for them. So if you are attached to washing, try that.
Hi C!
Yes, I don’t actually wash my back with anything either. That’s what I’m inclined to recommend – don’t use anything and don’t exfoliate, but for some people exfoliation on the back seems to be a really good thing. Case by case! Also thanks for the reco on the Nutribiotics!
That’s a great article, Tracey!
I also used to have back and chest acne. I managed to get rid of it by ditching soap, shower gels, etc. Now I wash with water only and I occasionally use a scrubbing glove.
Using cool water was also very important for me.
Sunscreens have always been horrible for my skin but since I went Paleo I stopped using them (Paleo diet prevents your skin from burning). My skin has never been happier.
That’s great to hear you found what works Vita! 🙂
One thing that has really helped with my body acne is mixing baking soda with water to create a paste and then leaving it on my skin for about 5 minutes (I do 2 Tablespoons baking soda and 2 teaspoons water). I also love love love tea tree oil as a spot treatment. I do the tea tree oil on a daily basis (usually before I go to bed because the smell can be strong – not the best morning perfume!) and the baking soda paste on a weekly basis. I also avoid using any kind of soap or body wash.
Hi Tracy ! Have you ever used the Morocco method shampoos or conditioners website? If you have, could you please send me the link? I want to purchase from the official website while avoiding any fraud situations. I’ve been struggling with acne all over for years and eating clean is something I love to do but it doesn’t make my acne go away 🙁 iv tried the baking sods technique and it didn’t work for me. I think something big that could be affecting my back and chest acne is the commercial conditioners… but my hair gets so knotty, that if I dont use conditioner, I have a million tangles in a day 🙁 do you reccomend the morocco conditioners as well? Thanks a bunch Tracy, your articles are always so helpful and informative!!
Hi Lexi, yeah it’s great, it’s full of super good ingredients! I have sample shampoo and conditioners from them that I tried and I like it (the chi conditioner and the pine shale shampoo). I believe this is their legitimate website: https://www.morroccomethod.com/
So much great info on your website! I’m just a few years older but I would have given anything to have had access to this kind of knowledge when I was in high school and college. I have noticed that whey protein powders are a real offender for me when it comes to back acne in particular, more so than other dairy products (in my case)…That was the one connection that was fairly easy to make on my own. Thank you for being so open, honest and genuinely caring–it really shows and is such a great kindness.
Thanks for being a Love Vitamin reader Valerie! 🙂 Very happy you find my website helpful!
i have acne all over my body it is happening suddenly and they have grown even on my scalp .. i need a solution immediately and one more thing when i was small i didnt had chicken pox i m 14 now so is this the reason of acne allover your body
Hi Silmary,
I don’t know about this, but did you see a doctor? If I were you I would go, just to check if it’s chicken pox or something else. You can always decide if you want to do the suggested treatment or not. It’s up to you. The scalp isn’t a typical place for acne…
please i have acne all over my face for about 4 years will this go off my face completely if so, when ?please help me fight this disease please i have tried all source but none has helped me
Hi Emmanuel,
I’m so sorry to hear you’re struggling with acne and have been for four years. I have a ton of resources here on the Love Vitamin to help you – please view my articles page for tons of free info https://thelovevitamin.com/articles-2/, my free ebook (you can sign up for it at the top of the right sidebar), and also my in depth guides: https://thelovevitamin.com/ebooks-products/
I actually had a question. It is said that people living in different parts of the world have different type of acne and their treatment may also be different. How true is this?
Hi Anna, ah I’m not sure. Who says that? I’ve never heard that before. I imagine that it’s probably true in some ways though… if certain populations are exposed more heavily to a certain factor, like different cultural diets, pollution, chemicals in their water or foods, etc… but overall I don’t know!
Stumble across your website while searching for water+Sydney+acne – I travel a lot between Tahiti, Sydney and Auckland and my face and neck break out badly when in Australia and New Zealand – and it clears up within 2 days in Tahiti.
I started suspecting the water when I started travelling a year ago and it would cease completely when in Tahiti – before that I battle with recurring cystic acne bouts for 5 years when I never had real issues before – interestingly, just from the time I moved to Sydney!
Reading your post pushes me further in my thinking that there is definitely something wrong in the interaction between my skin and AU/NZ water.
Thanks!
Knocked my socks off with knleewdgo!
Since few years back there is some big pimples forming on my chest and i am very much sure its acne. i also visited hospital many a times but there is no improvement. sometimes its itching. can you please suggest me how to cure.
help ? i have back acne and chest acne quite bad how can i get rid of it, I’ve tried creams and washes even the contraceptive pill which is supposed to prevent this.?!!
Hi Tracy,
I’ve been having stuffs that I don’t know what they are on my body for years and it’s really SUCK.!!! I used to have bad acne on my back and chest, but they’re gone for long.But these stuffs stay , get bigger and keep spreading. They are tiny, white, like goose-bump, not itchy, not hurt. They just stay there, on my back, chest, shoulders, even on my jawline and my neck. I don’t know what to do to make ’em disappear.For God’s shake, I can wear nothing but T-Shirt.Do you know something ’bout that?
Hiii…. My name is Payal I am from India I have chest & back acne problem last 10 year.plese give me advise.
Hey there!
I have been scouring the internet in search of something that will help my pesky and stubborn arm acne. Thanks to MSM supplements as well as Estroblock I managed to clear up my face and most of my neck/jawline acne but now my arm acne keeps getting worse and worse. Soon I won’t be able to even wear 3/4 sleeve shirts and I live in Las Vegas so this is going to make summer unbearable. Does anyone have any advice on how to stop the arm acne from spreading and get them to go away? (PS. I have tried natural scrubs, apple cider vinegar, baking soda, oil cleansing… they just won’t go away)