Solutions for Bacne

[Silviaball]

Spoiler

Hello! I was wondering if anyone has any recommendations for products that alleviated their bacne. I don’t have sensitive skin and thankfully my bacne is not too severe and is mostly near my shoulder blades, but I do have some cystic acne towards my upper back.
As for causes, I think it may be because I let my conditioner run down my back when I wash my hair and because I do sweat a lot with my backpack. 
Thank you!:) 

[EmzJQ]

Cerave SA cream, hands down. I have used it for back, butt, back of thigh, upper arm bumps/acne/KP. I use it right after the shower and it works like a dream. 

[SportyGirly125]

@Silviaball @My husband used Alba Bontanica Anecdote face and body scrub. 

[Silviaball]

Thank you!! I’ll have to try it out:)

[WinglessOne]

Hi @Silviaball ! Are you sure the acne on your back is truly cystic? Asking because true cystic acne is rather difficult to treat with over-the-counter products. Even benzoyl peroxide struggles with it, and that stuff's a gold standard acne fighter. It's best to see a board certified dermatologist or primary care doctor to help clear that type of acne. 

I often use a low strength (0.5%) salicylic acid (BHA) cleanser on my back and shoulders when I shower: either Paula's Choice CLEAR Pore Normalizing Acne Cleanser 6 oz/ 177 mL or CeraVe SA Cleanser. This is mostly for maintenance, to reduce formation of new acne. If I do get new acne back there, I switch to a 2% salicylic acne cleanser like The INKEY List Salicylic Acid Cleanser 5 oz / 150 ml or CeraVe Acne Control Face Cleanser. Another (probably more effective) option you can try is a benzoyl peroxide face wash like PanOxyl—the 4% version's probably fine, though they do also make a 10% version. If you try any of those BHA or benzoyl peroxide cleansers/washes, let it sit on your back for a couple of minutes before rinsing it off to make sure the active ingredient has time to do its job. Also, fair warning: benzoyl peroxide likes to stain any fabric it touches (washcloths, towels, clothes, bed sheets, etc.). 

Also, wash and condition your hair before you wash your back. I used to always shampoo my hair, rinse it out, apply conditioner, let it sit while I washed the rest of my body, and then rinse off body wash and conditioner at the same time. This definitely contributed to my back and shoulder acne. I get less acne there now that wash my back after I've rinsed out conditioner. I still let conditioner sit while washing other parts of my body—just not my back and shoulders. 

Oh, and you can use a leave-on BHA product on your back. A convenient option is Paula's Choice CLEAR Acne Body Spray (contains 2% BHA): the spray works even while held upside down, making it very easy to apply. You can also try a leave-on benzoyl peroxide product but, again, beware of fabric staining. 

[Silviaball]

Wow all of this information is super helpful! To be honest, I’m not 100% sure if the acne is cystic. All I know is that there is no head that forms, it is just large, inflamed, and it goes away over time. It seems like it’s deep so I assumed it would be cystic acne. 
I will definitely be trying some of the products you recommended and will see a dermatologist if it gets worse. I also will try the process you described and hope that helps! Thank you so much!!