How to Get Rid of Body Acne? Bacne & Buttne

As promised, here is an article on body acne: the origin and solutions.

The concentration of sebaceous glands is higher on the face (and skull) than the rest of the body. Thus, if there is ever an excess of sebum, it is seen more on the face than on other parts of the body. However, when you get them, I find that they are harder to treat because they are not normal pimples, but often very deep, and you don’t know how to get rid of them easily.

There are internal causes, but also external ones, a little more complex, so I’m going to tell you in this article (which is not that glamorous).

Internal Causes

The skin is an emunctory organ, so when the emunctory organs can no longer cope, toxins will drain through our skin, the largest emunctory organ in the body. This happens very often after you stop taking pills or after the holidays (where you have eaten an industrial quantity of foie gras, saucissons…, things that take time to be digested and that clog your liver).

In this case, you will notice a rise in pimples, not only on the face but on other parts of the body (décolleté, back, butt…). The instant appearance of acne on several parts of the body should alert you to the internal causes.

In this case, you should review your diet and, if possible, see a naturopathic doctor if it is a repetitive problem. I’m not going to dwell on this because I’m not a good student of nutrition. I eat very poorly (a lot of fat and sugar), but in exchange, I’m not too fond of dairy products, and I bring a lot of probiotics to boost my intestinal flora and improve liver functions.

The SOS solution after festive meals far too rich, is to make a good sauna to evacuate all these toxins, before eating healthy again, and drinking lots of water.

External Causes

Acne in the neck

It can come from your perfume or your earrings (yes, even if they are made of precious metals, it happens). In this case, you should perfume yourself elsewhere and avoid wearing the earrings that touch your neck.

Acne on the neck can come from cosmetics: when you have extra creams, it is recommended to spread some on the neck. It’s a good initiative, but the skin on the neck is more fragile than the skin on the face, and there are certain ingredients or certain concentrations which are less well tolerated by the skin on the neck. In general, what can be put on the eye contour will be supported by the neck. In short, choose creams that are not too oily and moisturizing serums only for this area.

Those who like turtlenecks may be concerned about acne in the neck as well. If you like turtlenecks in winter, I advise you to opt for real wool, 100% wool, and not mixed with synthetic stuff. Wool is antibacterial and will not give you pimples. I have a top with a high collar made of merino wool for hiking, and I can wear it for several days without washing it without any problem.

In 2018, following misuse of the oils (I mixed two very active oils: nigella oil and rosehip oil), I dragged unsightly pimples for months without knowing how to get rid of them. Even though I immediately stopped using these two oils, treating the existing pimples was mission impossible. Only one product helped me get rid of them in just a few days, which is why I love it so much, and I recommend it from one item to the other, it’s Benton Steam Cream (Amazon link, Yesstyle link), containing niacinamide, snail slime, and bee venom. I highly recommend it to you!

Acne on the neckline

It can come from your necklace (yes, even if it is made of precious metals, it happens). To find out, it’s straightforward: take off your necklace for 7 days and observe what happens. If it really comes from your necklace, you can then opt for shorter necklaces without a pendant. Some people tend to touch their pendant with their dirty hands (like an OCD) and then put the dirt on their neckline => pimples.

Then, in the summer, it can come from sweat. You will have to wear more breathable clothes (cotton, linen, silk) and avoid materials such as nylon, viscose… widely used in recent years because it has a silky-silky effect. Still, it will turn you into a walking sauna.

In summer, it is a part particularly exposed to the sun, and the red pimples that appear suddenly may be more related to lucite (sun allergy) than real pimples. In this case, cover up and spread sunscreen with a high UVA protection factor (e.g., PA+++)

Murad Acne Control Clarifying Body Spray (Lookfantastic link, FeelUnique link) is an award-winning product everywhere for its effective action on the body. It contains AHA, BHA, allantoin and blue lotus extract (to calm the skin), niacinamide, and glycerin. It is an American brand known for all its anti-acne products. This one is a multi-task product if you want to use only one product.

On existing pimples, Etude House AC is a very effective local treatment (BHA, zinc, sulfur) and the pimple will disappear and leave no dark spots afterwards.

Acne in the back

or Bacne.

Very common in teenagers and less common in adults. Even if psychologically, it is less devastating than a huge acne flare-up on the face (you don’t see your bacne that much), it becomes problematic in the summer. It is a source of suffering if it hurts and prevents the person from sleeping on top.

In teenagers, the main cause is an excess of sebum, caused by the significant hormonal variation during this period. For girls, there is an easy solution: your doctor will surely prescribe a contraceptive pill. But let’s try other methods before taking pills. This excess of sebum is easily solved in teenagers with a sulfur-based soap, which is cheap and available everywhere in Latin America (they have many inactive volcanoes, so sulfur is an easy ingredient to find). You can find the equivalent in France on Amazon here. Use it in areas where there are buttons. It’s a bit drying, so don’t hesitate to put some aloe vera on it, or make a pssschit of Uriage thermal water (Amazon link) after the shower, to remove the hard water from the shower.

In adults, the main cause is all silly and mainly related to shampoo and conditioner. There are ingredients to create foam in shampoos, which are not at all compatible with our skin. In conditioners, there are often oily and greasy ingredients. So, when you finish your shower with a shampoo and conditioner, the residue of these products remains… on your back and causes unsightly pimples. The easy solution would be to wash your hair first. Then, if you have long hair, tie up the hair while you wash your body to remove shampoo residue.

If this method does not work, try different shampoos. I know that Klorane shampoos don’t suit me at all. No matter how I wash it, there’s one thing that stays and doesn’t go away at all. Just rubbing my (clean and dried) hair on my skin when I use these shampoos seems to be a problem. I stopped using this brand.

I find that we pay too much attention to the smell and not the shower gel’s pH. Our skin has a slightly acidic pH to protect us from bacteria. By washing ourselves with soaps or shower gels with an alkaline pH, we certainly have the impression to be cleaner, but we disturb the skin’s pH. So what you have to do is to opt for a shower gel with a physiological pH. My pharmacist sold me a batch of 2 jars of Saugella (250ml each) Amazon link, I cursed him at the time because these jars were too big, and for 3 years I couldn’t use other shower gels, but it was a blessing because since I have them, my back is at the top (see photo). These shower gels are very unpleasant to use because it doesn’t foam, it’s soap-free, but they contain lactic acid (slight exfoliating effect) and respect the skin’s pH. It doesn’t smell anything.

If you are an absolute fan of soaps and don’t want to hear about my shower gel, you should opt for cold-saponified soaps. I really like Laboratoire Paysane’s donkey milk soap. Take the tea tree soap. It’s super soft, effective, and can be used on the face too.

In any case, after the shower, if you are not lazy, you can spray on your back, a little thermal water from Uriage (Amazon link) to remove hard water from the shower.

Murad Acne Control Clarifying Body Spray, which I mentioned above, is a very good product as well, to use after the shower.

If, after testing all this, you still have buttons on your back, read the composition of your favorite clothes carefully. Eliminate all clothes containing viscose, nylon, and buy clothes made of 100% cotton, silk, bamboo, linen, and wool (merino wool preferably). It will better evacuate sweat and bacteria. Opt for clothes a little wider, less tight. When you are at home, dress in the lightest possible way: in a tank top, for example. On the other hand, when you sleep, avoid rubbing with the bed linen (dirty, because we change them less often than our clothes) and wear a t-shirt instead.

Acne on the buttocks

Buttne 😀

This is no longer acne but inflammation of the hair follicles, which form red, sometimes painful spots. It has become much more pronounced since the confinement, where people work at home and have their buttocks glued to their chairs. It also appears during menstruation, especially if you use sanitary pads and don’t change them often enough.

For this, you will need an acid-based exfoliator. It can be BHA or AHA.

Glycolic acid from The Ordinary (link The Ordinary, link Sephora), available for 8,70€ per 240ml, is a multi-purpose product that everyone should have in their bathroom. If you also have small red spots on your arms (keratosis hair), this product is perfect for that too. In short, with this little product that costs nothing, you will quickly find your baby’s skin again. The only disadvantage is that it’s not in the form of a spray, so pour it into a spray bottle. And spray on the affected areas once a day.

Murad Acne Control Clarifying Body Spray, which I mentioned above, is a very good product as well, to use after the shower.

Of course, you should opt for cotton or bamboo underwear, and clothes that are not too tight if this problem persists.

Treating stains

After 20 years of experience, a girlfriend’s dermatologist said spots on the body go away slower than on the face. The closer you get to the foot, the harder it is for the stains to go away. But the good news is that the body tolerates stronger and more concentrated active ingredients than the face. So retinol, vitamin C, hydroquinone… you can spread them without fear, unlike facial skin.

• Melano CC (Amazon link, Yesstyle link) is a highly concentrated vitamin C balm. My face can’t stand it at all, so I recycled it for the body. It’s a bit oily, but it doesn’t stick to clothes. I find the effect a bit slow, but when the stains go away, it’s forever. For example, if I tan myself, the old stains don’t reappear.
• Her dermatologist recommended my friend Uriage DEPIDERM WHITE LIGHTENING CORRECTOR SERUM (Amazon link). She doesn’t have dark spots anymore, so it must be working well.
• If you have extra retinol, spread it on yourself, the body needs retinol too.

Recommended products

In short, here are the recommended products: