Bye-Bye, Blemishes: How to Banish Chest and Back Acne

TL;DR: Chest and back acne can be treated like you’d treat face acne, with products formulated to go hard on zits. Use our Activated Charcoal Body Wash daily and our Detoxifying Peel-Off Charcoal Mask weekly to get breakouts under control.

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Fighting chest and back acne? We know you’re a one-of-a-kind guy, but this isn’t a one-of-a-kind problem. After the face, the chest and back are among the most common hotspots for pimples for adults and teenagers. The point? Don’t be too hard on yourself if you’ve got a serious zit situation under your t-shirt. The other point? We can help you get it under control.

As with any skin problem, there’s no magic wand that’ll erase zits on your face or body. But there are a few things that come pretty close, like activated charcoal and salicylic acid. The key is to get yourself on a good routine and follow it religiously. Here’s ours.

• Step One: Shamelessly Purge — Before we hop into products to use to banish back and chest acne, let’s go over a few that should be moved to the no-fly list. Purge the shower of drugstore body wash and harsh soaps because this stuff may contain ingredients that clog your pores and cause acne. Plus, most of it isn’t made for acne, so it’s probably not doing you any favors anyway.
• Step Two: Up Your Body Wash Game — And now for the good stuff. Replace that basic shower gel with something designed specifically to clear away acne, such as Activated Charcoal Body Wash . Most importantly, use it every single day in the shower. This powerful body acne eraser contains a couple of the most effective ingredients in acne products, including:

1. Salicylic acid to unplug clogged pores and reduce redness . Salicylic acid is the MVP of any good anti-acne regimen because it has the unique ability to loosen up dead skin and deep-clean even the dirtiest pores. Many people think you can only find salicylic acid in your face wash (we use it in our Activated Charcoal Face Wash ), but that’s not the case.
2. Charcoal powder . This ingredient is the star of the show because it has a purifying effect, drawing out dirt, oil, bacteria and other gunk to keep the zits away. Think of it like a detox for your skin. Charcoal powder is also especially good at soaking up excess oil, so if you err on the oily side, this is definitely what you need to try.
3. Cucumber fruit extract to help chill out problem skin. This ingredient repairs dry, damaged skin and leaves behind a softer, smoother appearance so your chest and back will be perfectly touchable.

• Step Three: Mask Up — If you’re not familiar, anti-acne face masks can be a game-changer for stubborn skin, and there’s no reason you can’t occasionally use it on your chest and back, too. Use our Detoxifying Peel-Off Charcoal Mask once a week to help banish zits and blackheads on your whole body, including problem areas on the back and chest. Tip : Elicit the help of a partner to apply the mask to your back. Peeling off this stuff is oddly satisfying, so it won’t be hard to find help.
• Step Four: Live Your Life — Following a solid skin care routine is the main thing you need to do to get rid of chest and back acne, but there are some simple lifestyle changes you can make to prevent it, too. Make sure you shower daily and after getting sweaty, even when you feel like you don’t need to. You also want to make sure you’re not using any products that could be pore-clogging (otherwise known as “comedogenic” in the skin care world), like certain body lotions, sprays and oils.

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Remember, your skin care routine is only as good as your ability to follow it, so try to get on a good schedule and stick to it. Stocking up on the right anti-acne products and knowing how to use them can whip even the most wicked under-shirt acne into shape.