Ever get pimples in weird places? Don’t sweat it. Body acne is totally normal and easy to treat if you know how. We’ll walk you through who gets it, what causes it, how to get rid of it, and how to make sure it doesn’t come back.
Who Gets Body Acne?
Pimples in places besides your face are more common than you might think. Despite all the cute little pet names for it (bacne, chestne, boobne, buttne, and crackne to name a few), body acne isn’t considered a polite conversation topic. But just because people don’t talk much about body acne, that doesn’t mean they don’t get a zit below the neck now and then. In fact, the vast majority of people will experience body acne at some point in their lives.
Like facial acne, body acne starts popping up around puberty when hormones responsible for things like hair growth go into overdrive. Hormones tend to have more than one job. So when nature decides it’s time for your first attempt at a moustache, your skin also starts producing sebum (science speak for “oil”) like crazy.
When all that excess oil meets dead skin cells, it clumps together and clogs your pores. The bacteria that live inside your pores (gross but true) procreate faster in low-oxygen environments (even grosser but still true). Your body’s defenses usually give the naturally occurring Cutibacterium acnes a pass, but bacterial baby booms will not stand. The infected pore gets bumrushed by white blood cells and that, boys and girls, is how pimples are made.
Adult acne happens for the same reason. (Yes, adults have hormone fluctuations, too.) But body acne, in particular, has another root cause that nearly every adult in the world experiences every day.
What Causes Body Acne?
As we’ve learned, acne happens when pores get clogged by sebum and dead skin. Body acne is also aided by a third accomplice: sweat.
Do you usually get breakouts after a workout? Sorry, but that formfitting activewear isn’t helping. Sweat + tight clothes is a perfect storm for body acne. When your hard-earned perspiration gets packed against your skin, it creeps into your pores and helps gunk up the works.
You could try looser gym clothes. But why deny the gawkers a glimpse of your slammin’ bod when there’s a better way?
How to Prevent Body Acne
Showering immediately after a workout helps, and your neighbors on the crowded subway home wouldn’t mind it either. Soap and water alone will get the sweat off, but if you want to keep your sexy back sexy for good, you’ll need to scrub any excess oil and dead skin out of your pores, too.
The best body acne wash for the job will include an oil-soluble cleanser and a powerful exfoliant. But be careful; certain ingredients can leave your skin itchy and dried out. (Here comes the plug…)
Geologie’s Acne Control Body Wash is the best of both worlds. It’s made with just a handful of acne-fighting ingredients that have been trusted by dermatologists for decades to clean deep without bothering your body’s biggest organ.
It’s serious, medical-grade stuff that doesn’t smell like a hospital (refreshing eucalyptus, actually). That means you can use it daily like any regular old body wash. But this one keeps pimples off your butt.
The Only Acne Routine You’ll Ever Need
Geologie Clear System is changing the game with powerful, dermatologist-approved formulas that go easy on your skin. Clear pores, minimize oil, and heal scarring fast and forever with your complete Clear System routine.
