BANISHING BODY ACNE

Some people breeze through life without ever dealing with body acne, while for others, it can be a persistent challenge that feels never-ending. Fortunately, the solution can often be as simple as tweaking your daily routine or switching to a new product. In this post, we explore a variety of causes behind body acne and offer practical solutions to help you on your journey toward clearer skin.

Acne on the back, neck, and shoulders can usually be traced back to hair care products.

Take a deep dive into your hair care products

Pore congestion caused by hair care products is one of the most common causes of body acne among my clients. Many shampoos, conditioners, and styling products contain ingredients that work wonders for your hair but aren't always skin-friendly. As you wash and style, these products can transfer to your neck, shoulders, back, and beyond, where they can get trapped in your pores, leading to breakouts. In many cases, a simple product switch is all it takes to see improvement. But how do you figure out which product is the culprit, so you don’t end up in the same cycle?

There are a few key ingredients commonly found in hair care products that can contribute to pore congestion. To help you avoid these, I’ve listed the top offenders below. When reviewing the ingredient list, remember that the first 4-6 ingredients make up 90-95% of the product and have the greatest impact on your skin. The others may still cause some irritation, but their effects tend to be less significant.

Check your products for these top offenders:

• Sodium Lauryl Sulfate & Sodium Laureth SulfateSulfates are surfactants (cleansing agents) that create the suds you’re used to in shampoos and other products. While their job is to cleanse, they can easily clog pores, leading to breakouts. These two sulfates are the main reason many high-quality shampoos are labeled "Sulfate-Free."

• Coconut-Derived IngredientsCoconut oil is a natural ingredient many think is universally safe, but it can break out some of us, particularly on the face, neck, shoulders, and back. Look for ingredients like "caprylic," "capryl," or "coco" in the list. For more updated info, Erica Julson’s website has a good resource for coconut derivatives.

• Panthenol (Vitamin B5)While excellent for strengthening hair, panthenol can clog pores, especially when used in high concentrations. If it appears further down the ingredient list, you're likely in the clear.

• Other Oils and IngredientsA variety of oils rate highly on the comedogenic (pore-clogging) scale. Websites like Simple Pure Beauty and Acne Clinic provide comprehensive lists of these oils and ingredients to avoid.

For safer shampoo and conditioner choices, brands like Kiehl’s, Aveda, and Shea Moisture are generally safe for most people. Regardless of your product choice, always make sure to rinse your hair thoroughly and clip it up if needed while you rinse your back and shoulders one last time. When styling, wear a t-shirt to create a barrier from any leftover product.

Look closer at your body care products

Just like your hair care, lotions, oils, body butters, and cleansers can contain pore-clogging ingredients. Not every ingredient will affect everyone the same way, and some may be worse in certain areas. For example, while coconut oil may be perfectly fine on your arms and legs, it can cause breakouts on your face, neck, shoulders, and back. It's a good idea to check the ingredients of your body care products and see if anything might be causing issues.

Look for not so natural and safe ingredients in your self care products.

Ingredients to

use cautiously :

• Cocoa butter

• Coconut oil/butter

• Cupuacu butter

• Lanolin

• Palm oil

• Carrageenan

• Wheat germ

• Sodium lauryl/laureth sulfate

Laundry products can also cause you to breakout

Detergents, fabric softeners, and dryer sheets can clog pores and irritate follicles with synthetic fragrances and other chemicals. Detergents contain high-powered surfactants that would not be safe to use on skin, so when they don't get fully rinsed out of your clothes, they're getting transferred to your skin where they can get trapped in your pores. Usually this happens when too much soap is used in the wash cycle. Try cutting down the amount you use and see if it has an affect on your breakouts. You might also want to switch out one product at a time for a more natural or fragrance free product, giving yourself a week in between each one to assess.

Cleanliness is a balance and depends on each individuals needs.

Evaluate your personal-care routine

Dirt and debris that accumulates on our skin throughout the day can get trapped in pores with sebum, sweat and oil, and if it's left for too long it can start to build up and cause congested pores. If you sweat a lot during a workout or just in general, you may need to rinse off more often than you think. I'm all for showering less to save your skin from hot water and soap, but everyone's different and some of us might need a quick rinse more often than others. Wearing tighter clothing and accessories (eg: hats, headbands, sports bras, spandex) can further exacerbate this process in the areas where friction is causing irritation to already congested skin.

What's left to consider?

If you've gone through your routine, checked the boxes, and switched your products and you're still breaking out, it's time to dig a little deeper. There are still a few things you can do on your own to try to break the cycle. Read our post on Hormonal Acne for a deep dive inside the body's systems and ways you can clear up your skin from the inside out.