It’s time to reclaim your back.
Breakouts anywhere on your body suck. Whether due to the summer heat, sweaty workouts, or hormones, nobody loves to stumble upon those painful, red bumps. Especially if they’re in hard-to-treat places, like your back. “Bacne” is a little bit easier to conceal under clothes than an inflamed pimple on your nose or chin, but it can become the center of attention when you want to wear a cute summer dress.
Unfortunately, people who experience facial acne are likely to experience the back variety, too. “It is estimated that 50% of people with facial acne also have pimples on the back and/or chest,” explains board-certified dermatologist Dr. Joshua Zeichner, MD. “Only about 10% of people have acne on the back or chest, but not on the face.”
If you’re already treating breakouts on your face, you can easily use some of the same products to treat bacne. But, if you typically use a pricey topical, you may want a cheaper alternative for the rest of your body. Check out the list below for the best back acne products we’ve found available that will clear up those secret blemishes in no time.
Best Overall
Paula’s Choice Weightless Body Treatment
Active Ingredient: Salicylic Acid, Vitamin E, Chamomile, and Green Tea | Size: 7 oz
The brand is known for its BHA Liquid Exfoliant for the face with the same 2% salicylic acid which has impressive pore-clearing properties. Similarly, this body version will help remove layers of built-up skin that can be the root cause of body breakouts. The featherweight lotion sinks right into the skin and leaves behind a silky, exfoliated feel. The formula also taps vitamin E and chamomile for soothing hydration. This potent formula does come with an equally strong scent. It’s not a fragrance, but users described it as “weird,” however it dissipates quickly after you rub it in.
Best Budget
The Ordinary Salicylic Acid 2% Solution
Active Ingredient: Salicylic Acid | Size: 30 ml
This no-frills serum is as straightforward as it comes. Salicylic acid is oil soluble, so it can penetrate deep within the pores, allowing it to dislodge dirt and oil, treating and preventing breakouts. Because of its budget-friendly price point, you can feel a little less bad about using it liberally on a larger area like your back. It is technically made for the face though so it’s a little challenging to apply to the back. We suggest following it with a hydrating body lotion so the skin doesn’t become too dry or irritated.
Best Body Lotion for Back Acne
CeraVe SA Lotion for Rough & Bumpy Skin
Active Ingredient: Salicylic Acid and Ceramides | Size: 8 oz
It’s easy to throw lots of actives at acneic skin in hopes of clearing pores and drying out blemishes but with that often comes a major loss of moisture (and maybe even peeling). What’s worse, this drying effect can also cause the skin to produce even more oil and therefore acne, which no one wants. Enter this best of both worlds lotion that contains acne-clearing salicylic acid with moisture barrier-protecting ceramides to ensure smoother, hydrated skin after use. We love how smooth it leaves the skin, but since it’s on the gentler side, it can take time to work. But with patience comes clear skin.
Best Spray
Differin Clearing Body Spray
Active Ingredient: Salicylic Acid and Glycolic Acid | Size: 6 oz
This spray applicator makes getting the actives in this product onto your back much easier. Similar to an SPF sprayer that allows you to cover your whole body (without enlisting the help of others), this fine mist dispenses quickly and the large bottle means you won’t run out of treatment anytime soon. The formula contains 2% salicylic acid to nix breakouts, 3% glycolic acid, and 2.5% witch hazel to exfoliate and reduce oil. Use as needed up to three times daily. One caveat: the formula comes out quickly, so be careful to aim before spraying or you may get it into places you do not want.
Best Body Wash
PanOxyl Acne Foaming Wash
Active Ingredient: Benzoyl Peroxide | Size: 5.5 oz
This potent two-fer can be used on the face and body (a big plus in our acne-prone books). The maximum strength formula packs 10% benzoyl peroxide (BP), which is known for its acne-treating and preventing powers. As the antimicrobial wash lathers to whisk away dirt and oil it’s also helping unclog pores. You may be wondering why it has such a high percentage of active ingredient—it helps the product work harder for the shorter time it’s on the skin.
“Generally I recommend low concentrations of benzoyl peroxide when it comes to leave-on products,” says Dr. Zeichner. “However, when it comes to cleansers, the higher the concentration of the active the better to maximize the chances of the active ingredient penetrating into the skin with short contact times.”
Best Spot Treatment
Rael XL Spot Control Cover
Active Ingredient: Hydrocolloid | Size: 6-count
Acne patches have become insanely popular because they’re practically invisible, allowing you to stick ’em on and ultimately forget about them until it’s time to take them off. This oversized version is perfect for slapping on larger areas of cluster breakouts that can occur on the back. They’re great for preventing picking and irritation as well as keeping the area clean. Remove after four to eight hours once that patch turns white; that means it’s done its job of absorbing oil and sebum (gross, but satisfying). You’ll notice a flatter, less inflamed back in no time. The one downside is it can be challenging to place the patches without a second set of eyes.
Best for Post-Acne Marks
Gold Bond Age Renew Overnight Lotion
Active Ingredient: Retinol, Peptides | Size: 7 oz
Retinol is the gold standard in anti-aging; it helps boost skin cell turnover allowing for a smoother, more even complexion. It wasn’t until recently that the ingredient typically reserved for the face started being recommended for the body as well (in case you’re curious, retinol body lotions are legitimately a thing now). Aside from its anti-aging benefits, this retinol-infused formula can help heal and diminish discoloration after a breakout, too. The retinol can make skin sensitive to the sun though so be sure to slather on SPF 30 or higher while using this one.
Best Body Scrub
Pacifica Acne Warrior Body Scrub
Active Ingredient: Witch Hazel, Salicylic Acid | Size: 6 oz
Chemical exfoliators are great, but sometimes dead skin build-up needs a little extra nudge in the form of physical exfoliation; this scrub offers both. The exfoliating ingredients are paired with cucumber and aloe, which help reduce swelling and inflammation. A word of caution: body scrub is a great preventative step, keeping skin clear of buildup and excess oil, but may be too harsh for bodies with active breakouts.
Best Pads
Neutrogena Rapid Clear Treatment Pads
Active Ingredient: Salicylic Acid | Size: 60 count
One of the leading causes of back breakouts is trapped sweat, so derms always recommend changing out of wet clothes after exercising. That’s not always doable when you’re on the go, but that’s where these sal acid-soaked rounds come in. Toss a few into a plastic sealable bag, keep them in your gym bag (or your purse for everyday sweaty situations), and simply swipe after your workout. The formula is clinically proven to reduce pimple size, swelling, and redness in just eight hours, so you’ll get treatment and prevention benefits with use. Our only complaint is the pads could be larger to cover larger surface areas.
Best Multipurpose
Soft Services Clearing Clay
Active Ingredient: Sulfur | Size: 8 oz
This multitasking formula takes a unique approach to treating body breakouts by using sulfur, most often found in facial spot treatments. Sulfur is antibacterial and antifungal, which is great for treating back acne that’s caused by trapped oil, sweat, and bacteria. The clay paste can be used in the shower as a wash, applied as a deep-penetrating mask for a longer time, or as a spot treatment. We like this as a mask for bacne spots, but be warned it does have a strong sulfur, stinky eggs smell.
What to Look for in a Back Acne Product
Exfoliating ingredients: Some of the best ingredients to have on hand when treating acne are chemical exfoliating in the form of acids. Alpha hydroxy acids (glycolic acid) and beta hydroxy acids (salicylic acid) work on different layers of the skin to clear away dead skin cells, and excess oil, and keep pores clean. They can help heal current breakouts as well as prevent future ones. Benzoyl peroxide is another tried and tested ingredient—it’s an antiseptic that reduces the amount of bacteria on the skin to fight acne. These ingredients come in different percentages depending on your skin’s sensitivity.
Formula: You can choose between leave-ons, such as lotions or serums, or rinse-off formulas such as body washes or spot treatments. Consider how often you want to apply your product: ones with lower concentrations of active ingredients may be applied daily as part of your regular skincare routine while higher concentrations or more targeted treatments may only need to be applied a few times per week. Treating acne can be difficult, but adhering to a given product’s recommendations (or those of your dermatologist) should help you get the most out of it.
FAQ
- How do you get rid of back acne?The biggest culprit of back acne is bacteria, so it’s super important to keep skin clean and in fabrics that won’t trap sweat and bacteria (this is why derms warn against sitting in sweaty gym clothes all day). In addition to doing your best to prevent bacne with lifestyle changes, you can incorporate different acne-specific cleansers and treatment products like a benzoyl peroxide wash and salicylic acid spray. Keeping a mist or treatment pads with you on-the-go is a great way to keep skin clear and prevent a build-up of dirt and oil.
- What’s the difference between salicylic acid and benzoyl peroxide?“Benzoyl peroxide works by lowering levels of acne-causing bacteria to reduce skin inflammation,” says Dr. Zeichner, “it also helps open up the pimples themselves.” Salicylic acid is a beta hydroxy acid (BHA) that removes excess oil and dead skin cells to keep pores clear—it also has a drying effect on pimples. Essentially both can target the root cause of acne, but they go about it in different ways.