If you already deal with facial acne, chances are you might also be dealing with body acne. Since there are oil glands all over our bodies there is also a good chance for acne popping up on areas like the back, chest, and even butt especially if you deal with overly active oil glands.
But, the appearance of body acne doesn’t mean that you have poor hygiene. Actually, the opposite is usually true. People with body acne tend to overdo exfoliation and cleansing of areas of the body with acne. Over exfoliating can lead to the skin becoming more dry. And, when the skin is super dry, it’ll overproduce oil to make up for all the natural oils you’ve stripped away.
When treating body acne, you have to look at what’s causing it, like dead skin and excess oil. While some factors can’t really be changed (like genetics) by keeping the skin clean, you can help prevent future breakouts.
What causes body acne?
Many of the causes of facial acne including genetics, stress, excess oil, and hormone imbalances are the same for body acne.
Acne generally occurs when oil, dead skin, bacteria, and dirt get trapped in pores. Factors like genetics and hormone imbalances can trigger breakouts especially when it comes to oil production.
If you (and likely your parents) have oily skin, then it is more likely that you may deal with body acne. The same goes for hormonal imbalances. When hormones surge, like during the menstrual cycle, oil production can increase. With all this excess oil sitting on the skin, it is more likely that it can get trapped in pores and cause breakouts.
One difference when it comes to body acne is clothing. Anytime you exercise while wearing tight, athletic type clothing, sweat can get trapped under the clothing and can cause or aggravate existing body acne. And, if there is any friction between the clothing and your skin, this also tends to make things a bit worse.
For this reason, it’s pretty important to practice appropriate hygiene after some time at the gym or after playing sports.
How is the skin on my face different from the skin on my body?
One of the main differences between the skin on the face and the skin on the body is the level of thickness. As you’ve probably noticed, the skin on the face is thinner than the skin on the body and for this reason you should be gentler with your facial skincare.
If you are wary about using physical exfoliants on the face, it’s likely that you can still use one on the body. Using a physical (or chemical) exfoliant can be beneficial for body acne since it helps lift excess oil and dirt on the skin. But, as mentioned earlier it’s important to avoid over-exfoliating the skin to avoid drying it out too much.
Additionally, since the skin on the body is thicker, if you experience dry skin you can use a generally thicker moisturizer on the body to help relieve dryness. But, it’s not the best idea to use body moisturizer on the face since thicker creams on the face may be too heavy and can clog up pores.
Can you use facial skincare on the body?
While you probably shouldn’t use body skincare products on the face, you can use some of your facial skincare products on the body.
For example, if you have a chemical or physical exfoliant that you already use on your face, you can also use it on areas like the chest or back (or other areas of the body where you experience acne). Same goes for your cleanser, especially if your facial cleanser contains ingredients that help lift and remove dead skin and excess oil.
Our Men’s Blemish Cleanser is a good example of a facial skincare product that you can also use on the body. Made with Bamboo, Tea Tree Oil, and Hyaluronic Acid, the men’s cleanser helps cleanse the skin of dirt and oil without stripping away the natural oils that help keep the skin moisturized.
And, for when pimples do pop up on the body, you can spot treat them with our Men’s Blemish Patch. Infused with Tea Tree, Aloe, and Bamboo, the Men’s Blemish Patch helps minimize pimples without the inconvenience of traditional spot treatments that can potentially transfer onto clothing.
In conclusion…
While you can use some of your facial skincare products on body acne, it’s also important to keep in mind other factors like skin thickness and clothing choice when trying to treat back acne. But, if your body acne is pretty severe, it’s best to seek advice from a dermatologist.
