Dealing with acne is no easy task. It is most definitely annoying when it gets severe in other parts of the body like the chest, back, and arms.
The prevalence of body acne increases during hot summers when the clothes you wear cause you to sweat more or when the heat opens up your skin pores to give entry to bacteria that causes acne.
Like face acne, body acne is not easy to treat, especially when you have no idea of what is causing it. Therefore the first thing you need to do is try out an acne body wash. The best acne body washes are formulated with critical acne-fighting ingredients like Benzoyl Peroxide and Salicylic acid.
If you try these body washes and your acne persists, kindly consult with a dermatologist to rule out any underlying health conditions. The following are five acne body washes you can try to reduce your painful acne and blemishes.
1. PanOxyl Acne Foaming Wash Benzoyl Peroxide
- Maximum strength formula contains 10% Benzoyl peroxide
- Highest over the counter Benzoyl peroxide wash available
- Maximum strength, antimicrobial foaming wash kills acne-causing bacteria on contact and lifts dirt from pores for a fresher, clearer you.
- Works to clean and unclog pores on face, chest and back
- Clears existing acne and helps prevent new blemishes from forming
This acne body wash is your best bet for a no-prescription effective body wash. It is formulated to clear and prevent acne from parts of your body, such as the chest and back.
It contains the powerful Benzoyl peroxide, which acts fast to kill acne-forming bacteria. It also allows faster skin shedding and reduction of excess sebum to keep your pores unclogged, thus preventing new acne formation.
Benzoyl peroxide tackles blocked follicles before they can become acne. It also contains some bleaching qualities, and it will help your skin clear old and new acne blemishes so you can enjoy smooth and spotless skin.
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2. The Body Shop 1096012 Tea Tree Skin Clearing Body Wash
- Enriched with Community Fair Trade tea tree oil from Kenya
- Enjoy clearer-looking skin from head-to-toe
- Perfect for blemished
- It’s a daily tea tree body wash that will work wonders on your skin, without things turning into a dry, flaky mess
- The Body Shop’s Tea Tree Body Wash is a best friend to oily skin types
If you want a vegan body wash, look no further than this one from The Body Shop. It is made with two natural ingredients known to treat dermatitis, acne, and other skin conditions. The main ingredients are tea tree oil and tamanu oil, known to be organic antibacterial and antimicrobial agents.
This body wash is 100% vegan, and using it daily leaves your skin feeling healthy, soft, and clean without leaving it dehydrated or itchy. For best results, you should use the wash daily. The acne wash is ideal for the face and body and has no side effects.
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3. Eau Thermale Avene Cleanance Cleansing Gel Soap Free Cleanser for Acne-Prone, Oily, Face & Body
- Cleanance Cleansing Gel is a soap-free cleanser for blemish-prone, oily skin. It eliminates impurities without drying (or stripping the...
- Biodegradable and formulated with a plant-based extract also known as silymarin to help reduce excess oil.
- Use twice daily on oily skin. Apply in the morning and/or evening to moistened face and/or body.
This cleansing gel is ideal for your face and body. It is a soap-free gel that eliminates impurities on your skin and reduces excess sebum to help clear acne without stripping your skin of its needed oils for moisturization.
Because the cleansing gel is soap-free, it does not interfere with your skin's pH. It will gently cleanse your skin without drying it and leave you feeling refreshed. The gel comes enclosed in a clear bottle with a dispenser cap that makes it easy to dispense.
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4. Mario Badescu A.H.A. Botanical Body Soap
- [DAILY-USE] AHA body wash for all skin types
- [VISUALLY IMPROVES] uneven skin tone and texture
- [CLARIFIES SKIN] for Brighter, softer, and smoother skin with a luminous glow
- [FORMULATED] with a blend of fruit enzymes, ginseng, grapefruit and linden to hydrate & brighten skin
- [FREE FROM] parabens, as well as, vegan, cruelty-free and made in the USA
If you have incredibly oily skin or are dealing with a severe acne case, then this Mario Badescu acne body wash is the remedy you need.
It is formulated with extracts from the papaya fruit and grapefruits and enriched with the Ginseng extract that works as a skin rejuvenator. It is further enriched with oat protein to soothe any irritation on your sensitive skin.
The body wash formula breaks down dead skin cells to heal the skin, leaving you feeling soft and smooth. It also exfoliates and controls any hint of acne.
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5. Neutrogena Body Clear Acne Body Wash with Salicylic Acid Acne Treatment to Prevent Breakouts
- 8.5-fluid ounces of Neutrogena Body Clear Pink Grapefruit Acne Body Wash with 2% salicylic acid acne medication specially designed for...
- This refreshing body wash fights acne & breakouts on your back, chest and shoulders with Micro Clear technology that works to cut through...
- The effective acne-fighting formula of this daily shower gel contains salicylic acid, an acne treatment, and a refreshing naturally-derived...
- Our lathering acne body wash unclogs congested pores while removing dirt and impurities, and rinses clean without leaving behind a...
- Help fight and prevent acne breakouts without over-drying your skin with this refreshing citrus acne body cleanser from the #1 dermatologist...
This Neutrogena acne body wash is ideal for you if you struggle with dry skin that welcomes painful acne breakouts so often. The formula contains 2% salicylic acid, which is a critical acne-fighting ingredient.
It is also formulated with natural pink grapefruit extract and vitamin C to enable microtechnology that allows the formula to penetrate to any skin pore to remove excess oil.
This acne wash is tested and recommended by dermatologists as ideal for dry skin prone to acne and blemishes. It is an oil-free acne body wash that does not clog pores. It also contains a pleasant fragrance that will energize you the moment you open the bottle.
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Factors You Need to Understand When Buying The Best Acne Wash
When looking for an effective acne body wash, it is essential to understand the following factors about your body acne.
1. What is causing your acne?
Many things could be causing your face and body acne. Let's explore some of the main ones below.
a). Oily skin
If you have oily skin, your skin's excess oil is clogging your skin pores. All types of skin produce some oil to keep it hydrated, but for some people, the oil is too much for the skin to handle, often leading to bad acne breakouts. But you might wonder what causes your skin to be extra oily. These are some of the possible scenarios;
- You inherited the oily skin genetically from one or both of your parents.
- You are in your youthful years when your sebaceous glands are very active and produce excess sebum.
- You live in a hot area or humid climate that keeps your pores open, thus activating your glands to release more oil.
- You have had a skin condition previously, such as acne, or you've had weight fluctuations that leave your skin pores enlarged. Enlarged pores will inevitably release more oil.
- You are using the wrong skincare products or not moisturizing enough. If you don't know your skin type, it is not uncommon to mistake or confuse the products you use for your skin. For instance, you might have dry skin but are using products that are ideal for oily skin. Also, you might be moisturizing inadequately after using some beauty products. For instance, if you use a body wash or cleanser with ingredients such as salicylic acid or benzoyl peroxide, you need to moisturize after use even if you have oily skin. If you don't moisturize, the skin will produce more oil to keep it hydrated.
b). Bacteria
You must understand the role of bacteria as a cause for your specific acne. The most common type of bacteria that causes acne is the Propionibacterium acnes, also known as P. Acne. Naturally, this bacteria lives on your skin and is relatively harmless. However, if a pore is clogged, bacteria get stuck and result in an infection that manifests as pimples.
When buying a body wash for acne, you should look for one that contains antibacterial agents if you have pimples that look infected (have pus).
c). Clogged pores
Your skin is the one organ of your body that keeps growing every second. Thus, old skin is replaced continuously with new skin cells, and the cycle continues. For this reason, it contains oil glands that produce an oily liquid, sebum, to transport the old skin cells through a follicle to the surface where you can clean them away. When the dead skin cells are removed, hair grows in the follicle to keep it closed.
If you have clogged pores, oil, hair follicles, and dead skin cells are stuck in the pores to form a plug. When buying the best acne body wash, you should look for one that can unclog pores and contains a soft body scrub to remove the dead skin and oils.
2. Ingredients in the acne body wash
Once you discover what is causing your acne, you can comfortably look for the following elements on your best body wash.
a). Glycolic acid and salicylic acid
According to skin experts, these acids are ideal for unclogging your pores. They unglue dead skin cells and oils to leave your pores fresh for healthy skin.
b). Benzoyl peroxide
This chemical is fundamental to any exfoliating body wash. It actively kills the P. acne bacteria to reduce the occurrence of acne. However, it will help to be careful when using a body wash that contains this chemical as it can be quite strong. If you have very sensitive skin, it can cause some harm as it tends to dry excess oil and so could leave your acne more irritated.
c). Tea tree oil
Tea tree oil is another vital ingredient to look for if you have infected acne pimples or wounds. As the oil is an antibacterial agent, it will help deal with the P. acne that causes your skin problems.
d). Zinc
If your skin is badly damaged by acne wounds, a wash that contains zinc will accelerate the healing process.
e). Sulfur
As a natural keratolytic, sulfur contains antibacterial properties that help break down impurities for faster pore unclogging.
f). Moisturizing agents
As most acne washes strive to reduce acne-causing bacteria and reduce oil production, it is vital to buy products that leave your skin moisturized. Thus, you can check for ingredients like hyaluronic acid that ensure your skin is not stripped of all its moisturizing powers.
3. What ingredients to avoid
While in the hunt for the best acne body wash, there are some ingredients you should avoid. As seen, acne is caused by excess sebum production, dead skin cell buildup, and bacteria. The following are ingredients that can feed the bacteria and improve the occurrence of pimples.
- Sugar will feed bacteria and fungus for worse results.
- Edible ingredients such as coconuts and olives.
It would also be best to avoid scrubbing agents in your acne wash if you have painful and swollen pimples. Scrubbing before these pimples will cause more irritation and leave you with blemishes.
How to Get The Best Results Out of Your Best body Washes
When you buy your best acne body wash, you must understand how to use them to get the best out of them.
1. Avoid showering with hot water
If you are struggling with acne, avoid showering with scalding water as it will irritate your acne more. Furthermore, hot water will open your pores, thus allowing dirt and oil in.
2. Leave your body wash on for a while before rinsing
It would help if you left your healing body wash on your skin a bit longer before washing it off for best results. It would be best to apply it on dry skin and leave it for at least two minutes. Leaving it on ensures the ingredients tackle the bacteria and unclog pores to treat your acne.
3. Do not overuse
It would be best if you used your body wash twice a day and no more than that. Overusing the body wash can expose you to serious skin complications.
