BACNE AT IT AGAIN
BEAUTY
So imagine this. It's your best mates surprise party coming up. You have the jeans but the nice top is a mission and half ( we all know the situation). But the universe has delivered for once and that beige bandeau beauty is heading straight for your basket. But there's just one issue standing in the way. Your bacne. The infamous back acne is the most common body imperfection women and men face daily, including myself. It really can be soul destroying and effect ones self-esteem, I'm dramatic, but its true.
I've spent some coin on a few products here and there and I'm going to share with you my best bacne banishing picks that wont break the bank either! But first lets dive into what unbeknown to you may be causing your breakouts.
TO MY FELLOW GYM RATS
We are more prone to getting body acne because we sweat more. It's an obvious one but if you can shower straight after the gym, do it. Staying in sweaty clothes can clog the pores causing breakout city on your face and body. But on the plus side using the gym showers means you’re saving some dollar on them water bills, it's a win win babes.
DIRTY BEDDING
It's my most hated adult task but changing your bedding will help prevent body acne. If you’re getting into bed at night to dirty sheets, do you wonder why your breakouts are having a party? To be even more gross we sweat and shed more skin while we sleep. A mixture of dead skin cells, sweat and bacteria all build on our bedding. So despite cleansing and popping on that luxury night cream, if you’re tucking yourself into grubby sheets, its not going to be a dreamy affair for your skin.
YOU NEED TO CHILL THE F*%! OUT!
Work stress, fresh break-up feelings and to be honest the ongoing anxiety of being able to pay them ever rising bills, ( I defo feel the last one kids) can have a big impact on not just our mental health but our skins health. Our sympathetic nervous system releases stress hormones such as cortisol and adrenaline into your body when were stressed. Cortisol increases oil production, and what does this do, clogs our pores equaling breakouts. Anything soothing not just externally but internally can help balance the nervous system and help your skin repair and heal. Keep reading as I've got tones of remedies coming up!
HOW DO YOU WASH YOUR HAIR?
Thick creamy conditioners, scented shampoos, leave ins, all dripping down your back in the shower. Ring any bells? My bacne was inflamed with cystic spots and after trying everything my friend asked me how I washed my hair. Like we all do with water duh. But when I think about it makes sense. After switching to washing my hair over the bath my bacne cleared up almost within a week. It didn't disappear, but fear not, your skincare sister is here with the bacne tried and tested treatments, that with never have you looking back!
THE TREATMENTS
Okay so we know the culprits, now I'll provide you with my bacne secrets starting with showering. I've got a mixture of washes, lotions and also chemical solutions that have all got rid of my bacne and kept it under wraps even in the summer months of constant sweating.
Australian body care wash
Anything from Australia talks to me and this wash is the dogs and your new shower sidekick. The main powerhouse ingredient in this wash is tea tree oil. A well known acne treatment as of its antibacterial and a natural antiseptic properties. It can be very potent tea tree oil but this wash is perfect for even the sensitive sallies like me. It does foam which scared me at first, as this usually means its going to leave you as dry as a dessert but surprisingly it left me super soft and moisturised. If I ever get post-gym breakouts this really helps clear them up asap.
Neutrogena Body Clear Body Scrub Salicylic Acid Acne Treatment & wash
Scrub a dub dub. Okay so this ones a scrub but it also contains acne's most hated mate, salicylic acid. Don't overdo it and scrub your skin off, once or twice a week is enough. If you’re not mad for a scrub but fancy the benefits of salicylic acid they also have a wash version. Annoyingly its not stocked in the UK but I have always found it over on eBay. I'll attach a link below but again very affordable and they both worked wonders for my stubborn shoulder spots.
Paulas choice The 2%BHA body spot exfoliant & Skin revealing body lotion 10% AHA
If you're on the drier side, creams containing acids could be the treatment for you. Acne fighting ingredients such as AHA's and BHA's are always favoured as they not only are anti inflammatory but they reduce further breakouts when added to a consistent routine. Paula's choice of AHA and BHA creams are life savers for me, and my hero bacne product in the colder months.
THE 2%BHA BODY SPOT EXFOLIANTS contains Salicylic acid which gets right inside the pores and gets rid of debris and excess sebum. With the help of chamomile flower extract it will soothe them soar spots and calm the redness leaving them to heal.
Paula's choice also has another lotion that's a little bit stronger for the more sensitive acne prone skin. THE SKIN REVEALING BODY LOTION 10% AHA contains glycolic acid which works on shedding dead skin on the surface. It does tingle slightly but after 3 mins it went away. The morning after my skin was smooth as a baby and the post inflammatory hyperpigmentation from previous breakouts was noticeably less visible. With an addition of antioxidant green tea and nourishing shea butter it also gave me the added moisture most exfoliants don't.
STRESS REMEDIES
So when my bacne was it its worse were talking sore cysts that were multiplying by the day. Like all of us I turned to google and the images of cystic acne and bacterial skin infections had me running to the docs, in the hope she would save me.
The first thing she asked me was "Are you stressed". I mean yes I was behind on a work deadline, my sleep was shocking and the more I tried, my skin was starting to affect me mentally. I mean, I told a tiny white lie. I said “Noooo I'm goodddddd”. She gave me a cream which did clear my bacne, but only for so long. Like everything, you can put a bandaid on it, but it doesn't solve the root cause.
She suggested also looking after my stress levels. She could smell the melt down from a mile away. She suggested meditation and holistic therapies to calm my skin triggers. I wasn't really sold. Not until my bacne came back like a pissed off Vecna after 11 closed the gate.
SOUND BATHS
Meditation for most people is hard but something I love which helps me chill out is sound baths. Sounds baths are basically a form of meditation where you guessed it, ambient sounds and vibrations are played to increase relaxations. Remember the parasympathetic nervous system, well this can assist it to do its jobs which helps the body's digestion process, treat mental in-balances, and induce sleep. Like they say when your good on the inside it shows on the outside. After a session I have the best sleep and I definitely notice a change in my stress levels and skin.
ACUPUNCTURE
+The thought of acupuncture used to make me wince. The thought of tiny needles being inserted into my skin gave me horror film vibes. But it's now one of my favourite treatments. Not only for stress but to keep my skin glowing and clear.
+So this ancient Chinese practice works with the body's meridians. Fine needles are placed onto certain parts of the body which stimulate nerves under the skin. When these nerves are given a nudge they then get to their bestie, the brain telling them to get things going. The boss then releases natural pain killers called endorphins.
+Acupuncture also helps our bodies naturally reduce inflammation and pain as well, which can both increase with chronic stress. To anyone wondering, its painless I felt nothing not even a scratch, I actually had a little snooze. The benefits are noticed were dramatic. My digestions improved, my energy was predominantly better throughout the day, (no afternoon sugar cravings) and my skin was clear for the first time in months.
My final tips are pretty basic, treat your acne from the inside out. Not just the food you eat but also anything that could potentially be sending your body into fight or flight mode. Late night Netflix, (blue light exposure) sugar, not taking a break. I hope you find some of these treatments helpful for your skin and I hope you have found what you’re looking for with me.
SHE WRITES