Naturally Get Rid of Back Acne

Acne is the most common skin condition amongst adults in the United States.[1] The various types of acne include blackheads, whiteheads, pimples, and cystic or nodule-type acne, all of which can appear on a person’s back. Back acne usually occurs when an abundance of sebum (a naturally occurring skin oil), sweat, dead skin, and other pore cloggers obstruct the pores around hair follicles on a person's back. The presence of bacteria on the skin can lead to lesions and more severe acne as well. You can use natural methods at home to treat mild acne; however, moderate-to-severe acne may require a trip to the dermatologist.

Steps

Using a General Skin Care Routine

  1. Take a bath or shower daily. Sweat, bacteria on the skin, dead skin cells, etc. all clog pores and lead to acne. You can reduce the risk of acne by showering every day.
    • You should also shower after a workout or any other sweaty activity since sweat is a huge contributor to acne.[2][3]
  2. Use a gentle cleanser. As with any product you use to help treat acne, find a product labeled as non-comedogenic, which means it won’t clog pores. Brands such as Neutrogena, Cetaphil, and Olay all make gentle, non-comedogenic cleansers. You can also find store-brand equivalents. Ensure you choose a cleanser that doesn’t have alcohol as well. Alcohol over dries and damages skin.[2]
    • You can use the same acne cleansers on your back that are marketed for facial acne. Many of these contain benzoyl peroxide, salicylic acid, or alpha hydroxy acids that can help control acne by chemically peeling away dead and dying skin cells.[2][3]
    • Always follow the directions on the product. Overusing a product won’t lead to better or quicker results. Instead, overuse risks making the problem area worse.[4]
    • Try products at low concentrations of the active ingredients first to ensure that your skin isn’t too sensitive to the chemicals. If the product doesn’t get the results you want nor does it irritate your skin, then you can try a product with a higher percentage of benzoyl peroxide, salicylic acid, or alpha hydroxy acids.[5]
  3. Apply the cleanser with your fingers. Many people think you should apply a cleanser with an exfoliating applicator, but this just risks irritating the area more. Apply the cleanser gently with your fingers. You can also use a back-washer with a soft cloth for harder-to-reach areas of your back.[2]
  4. Use a gentle circular motion. You shouldn’t scrub or scour at the skin. Instead use a gentle circular motion to lather the cleanser on your back. Scrubbing can make current acne take longer to heal, and it can lead to permanent scarring. Scrubbing can also damage the skin and cause the bacteria loosened by breaking up pimples to infect other areas. Damaged skin is more prone to acne as well.[2]
  5. Do not pick, pop, squeeze, or touch the blackheads. Don’t let anyone else pick at them either. This can also cause flare-ups, longer healing times, and scarring.
  6. Protect your back from sun damage. Stay out of the sun and don’t use tanning beds. Sun (and tanning beds) can damage your skin, and damaged skin is at a higher risk for acne.[6]
    • Antibiotics such as ciprofloxacin, tetracycline, sulfamethoxazole, and trimethoprim; antihistamines like diphenhydramine (Benedryl); drugs used to treat cancer (5-FU, vinblastine, dacarbazine); heart drugs like amiodorone, nifedipine, quinidine, and ditiazem; Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs like naproxen; and acne medications isotretinoin (Accutane) and acitretin (Soriatane) all make your skin more sensitive to UV rays as well, so take special care if you have been prescribed any of these medications.[7]
  7. Wear cotton clothing. Cotton allows sweat to evaporate more efficiently and, as mentioned, excessive sweating can exacerbate acne. Always wear clean clothing each day, and use cotton sheets to further reduce the risks of acne.
    • Make sure you change your sheets often to avoid sleeping in dried sweat that can cause acne as well.
  8. See a dermatologist. If you do not begin seeing results from any of the skin care methods you try within approximately four weeks, then consider seeing a dermatologist.
    • Additionally, if the pimples on your back are pea sized or larger and form deep under the skin, then you likely have cystic or nodule-type acne, which may require a prescription-strength treatment from a dermatologist regardless of your skin care method. Nodule and cystic acne are also the most likely to scar.[3]

Creating Your Own Antimicrobial, Herbal Bath

  1. Purchase essential oils. Many essential oils have antibacterial and antiseptic qualities, which means they can kill bacteria and other microorganisms that can infect the skin and cause pimples.
    • Spearmint or peppermint. Peppermint or spearmint may be irritating to some. Start with one drop/quart of water. Both peppermint and spearmint contain menthol, which has antiseptic and immune-boosting properties.[8]
    • Thyme boosts the immune system and has antibacterial properties. It also increases circulation of the blood by opening up blood vessels.[9]
    • Calendula accelerates healing and has antimicrobial properties.[10]
    • Lavender is soothing and can help with anxiety and depression. It also has antibacterial properties.[11]
    • Tea tree oil. Test an area of skin free of acne first. Tea tree oil can irritate some people’s skin, which risks making the acne worse.[12]
    • If you don’t have essential oils, you can substitute 4-5 tablespoons of the dried herb of the respective oil. The result will be messier but just as effective.
  2. Test oils for sensitivity. Since different people have different reactions to essential oils, experts recommend that you test any oil on a smaller portion of skin before using it in a full bath. Add one drop to eight ounces of water before soaking a cotton ball in the water. Squeeze out the cotton ball, then apply it to a patch of skin. Make sure you test each oil separately since you won’t know which causes the irritation once you mix them.
  3. Fill the tub with hot water at your desired temperature. Make sure your bathtub is clean, then fill it with water. Hot water won’t harm the essential oils you’ll add, so make it hot enough to be comfortable.
  4. Add essential oils. If your skin did not have any reaction to the sensitivity tests, start with 5-10 drops of the oil in a full bath. You can increase to 10-20 drops if the 5-10 drops do not have any effect on your skin.
    • If you want to turn the aromatic, herbal bath into a real spa-style treat, you can even add up to a cup of sea salt to the bath.
  5. Soak for 20-30 minutes. You want to give the oils/herbs plenty of time to take effect. Soak in the tub for around 20-30 minutes.
  6. Rinse thoroughly. You will want to rinse off thoroughly with clean water before getting out of the tub. This is especially the case when using herbs in the water.
  7. Pat dry. Pat your back dry instead of scrubbing your back with the towel. Scrubbing can irritate skin.

Making Your Own Acne Medicine

  1. Gather the ingredients. You can make your own herbal acne medicine if you want to know for sure exactly what’s going into your acne treatment. Astringent herbs tighten or tone the skin while the antibacterial herbs help kill off bacteria. Essential oils are the easiest form of the herbs to work with, but the powdered herbs will work just as well. For this homemade medicine, you will need:
    • 5 tablespoons of honey. Medicinal honey (Manuka honey) is preferable, but any pure honey will work due to its antibacterial and astringent properties.[13]
    • 2 egg whites. In addition to the astringent properties, the egg whites will also help to thicken the medicine.
    • 1 tablespoon lemon juice. In addition to working as an astringent, the lemon juice is also a whitening agent to help reduce the appearance of blackheads.
    • 1 teaspoon peppermint
    • 1 teaspoon spearmint
    • 1 teaspoon lavender
    • 1 teaspoon thyme
    • 1 teaspoon calendula
  2. Mix all of the ingredients thoroughly. You don’t have to worry about mixing the ingredients in a particular order; however, starting with the pure liquids will make it easier to mix in the other ingredients more easily.
  3. Spread the mixture on your back. You may need help from a parent, partner, or someone else you’re comfortably asking to spread the mixture over your back. You can also use a Q-tip or clean fingers to apply the mixture as a spot treatment.
  4. Allow the mixture to dry for fifteen minutes. You need to give the herbs time to dry and work on the acne. Wait approximately fifteen minutes before rinsing the mixture off completely with lukewarm water.
    • Make sure you remember to pat the area dry rather than scrubbing the area dry.
  5. Apply a non-comedogenic moisturizer. Non-comedogenic simply means that the moisturizer won’t clog pores. The product label will specifically say non-comedogenic. Common examples include products from Neutrogena, Cetaphil, and Olay or their store-brand equivalents.
    • You can also find organic non-comedogenic moisturizers if you’d like a natural option for that as well.
    • If you prefer to make your own moisturizer at home, then consider using these non-comedogenic oils: hemp seed oil, mineral oil, petrolatum, safflower oil, or castor oil.[14]
  6. Refrigerate any extra mixture. You can use this treatment method daily. Refrigerate any leftover mixture you have each day, but allow it to warm to room temperature before using it again.

Tips

  • Consider seeing a dermatologist for moderate-to-severe acne, which is defined as anything over 20 comedones (blackheads), 15 inflammatory lesions (pimples, cysts, or nodules), or 30 combined blemishes of the various types.[15]

Related Articles

Sources and Citations

  1. ↑ https://www.aad.org/dermatology-a-to-z/diseases-and-treatments/a---d/acne
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2577647/
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 https://www.aad.org/dermatology-a-to-z/diseases-and-treatments/a---d/acne-scars/tips-for-preventing
  4. ↑ http://acne.about.com/od/acnefaqs/f/overapplying.htm
  5. ↑ http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/acne/in-depth/acne-products/art-20045814
  6. ↑ Goodman G. Cleansing and moisturizing in acne patients. Am J Clin Dermatol. 2009;10 Suppl 1:1-6.
  7. ↑ http://www.skincancer.org/prevention/are-you-at-risk/photosensitivity-a-reason-to-be-even-safer-in-the-sun
  8. ↑ Kamatou GP, Vermaak I, Viljoen AM, Lawrence BM.Menthol: a simple monoterpene with remarkable biological properties. Phytochemistry. 2013 Dec;96:15-25
  9. ↑ Figueiredo AC, Barroso JG, Pedro LG, Salgueiro L, Miguel MG, Faleiro ML. Portuguese Thymbra and Thymus species volatiles: chemical composition and biological activities.Curr Pharm Des. 2008;14(29):3120-40.
  10. ↑ Cravotto G, Boffa L, Genzini L, Garella D. Phytotherapeutics: an evaluation of the potential of 1000 plants. J Clin Pharm Ther. 2010 Feb;35(1):11-48.
  11. ↑ Kasper S. An orally administered lavandula oil preparation (Silexan) for anxiety disorder and related conditions: an evidence based review. Int J Psychiatry Clin Pract. 2013 Nov;17 Suppl 1:15-22.
  12. ↑ Pazyar N, Yaghoobi R, Bagherani N, Kazerouni A. Int J Dermatol. 2013 Jul;52(7):784-90.
  13. ↑ Brudzynski K, Sjaarda C.; Honey glycoproteins containing antimicrobial peptides, jelleins of the major royal jelly protein 1, are responsible for the cell wall lytic and bactericidal activities of honey. PLoS One. 2015 Apr 1;10(4):e0120238
  14. ↑ https://www.beneficialbotanicals.com/facts-figures/comedogenic-rating.html
  15. ↑ http://www.merckmanuals.com/professional/dermatologic-disorders/acne-and-related-disorders/acne-vulgaris
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