We take so much time taking care of the skin on our face, but what about the rest of our body? Most of us struggle with body acne from time to time, but there’s far less advice out there on what to do about it. 

I think that, in part, it’s because many of us don’t worry about body acne until it’s time to get into a swimsuit! No-one sees your “bacne” on a day-to-day basis but when it’s time for a vacation you suddenly find yourself feeling super insecure. 

However, it’s actually pretty easy to combat body acne. I’ve put together this guide on how to do it, so that you can enjoy smooth, blemish-free skin all over. 

Disclaimer: this post contains some affiliate links. When you make purchases through my links, I may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Thank you for your support! 

Be Careful of Conditioner

When we take a bath or shower, most of us tend to leave our conditioner in whilst we lather up our bodies. However, this is a major cause of bodily acne! Conditioner lingers on the skin and can clog up your pores, leading to body breakouts. 

Make sure you completely rinse your hair of your conditioner before you wash your body. That way, you will be sure to remove any pore-clogging products from your skin by the time you step out of the shower. It sounds simple, but this tip was a total game changer for me. I used to get painful spots on the backs of my legs quite often, but I haven’t had a single one since I switched up my shower routine! 

Use a Salicylic Acid Body Wash 

Salicylic acid is an amazing acne-fighting ingredient. It gently exfoliates the skin without stripping or irritating it. It’s not just for your face either; using a salicylic acid body wash can really help to fight bodily acne. 

In fact, you can even use a salicylic acid face wash for your body too – that’s what I did at first. Products designed for your face are absolutely fine to use on the rest of your body; just remember that it doesn’t work in reverse.

Here are some of the best salicylic acid body washes and cleansers to help you fight bodily acne. 

Get a Loofah for Bacne

If your bodily acne is primarily located on your back (aka “bacne”), it’s likely due to a buildup of dead skin cells. Exfoliating ingredients like salicylic acid can help with this. Still, it can be difficult to reach your back properly so invest in a loofah. This will also help to slough away dead skin cells – just don’t be too vigorous or you could cause further irritation. 

Use a Serum

If you’ve discovered an amazing facial serum that helps with facial acne, it will work on your body too! Personally, I like to apply The Ordinary Lactic Acid 5% serum to my acne-prone areas.  

I’ve listed some of the best anti-acne serums below.

Buy an Exfoliating Body Cream 

If you’re suffering from bodily acne, switch your usual body cream or lotion for one that contains a chemical exfoliant. Salicylic acid is particularly great because it makes a noticeable difference but is gentle enough for daily use. I’m very partial to Cerave’s SA moisturizer. It leaves skin beautifully soft and smooth, as well as keeping blemishes at bay. 

Ameliorate’s Transforming Body Lotion is amazing at smoothing out keratosis pilaris (or “chicken skin”). However, I’ve also found it to be very effective at clearing up my skin, too. 

Paula’s Choice, meanwhile, has a great AHA body lotion and have recently brought out a retinol body cream. I’m yet to try the latter, but since retinol is the gold standard of acne-fighting ingredients, you can color me intrigued! 

Stop Living in Your Activewear

I know, I know – we all love hanging about in our gym clothes, especially lately. However, tight gym leggings don’t allow your skin to breathe, leading to blemishes and breakouts. 

It’s even worse if you have a tendency to stay in your sweaty workout clothes for a few hours after your cool down (come on, we all do it from time to time). Sweat clogs your pores and breeds all sorts of unpleasant bacteria that can trigger nasty breakouts, so get in the shower ASAP after your workout ends.

Change Your Bedsheets Regularly 

If you don’t do your laundry as regularly as you should, dirty bed sheets could be causing bodily breakouts. Make sure that you change your bedsheets at least once a week, although twice is even better. Silk bedding can also reduce friction which also helps to alleviate the problem.

For more on clearing up your skin, why not check out this guide to preventing mask acne or learn how to give yourself an expert facial at home?