Body acne is quite frustrating. Acne generally occurs on the chest, back, shoulder or upper arms often. You try your best to deal with it. Yet it worsens. This happens due to poor showering habits or mistakes in our routine. You think you are doing everything to control the acne and it is correct but still the problem is not solved. This happens because of mistakes you are committing in your shower routine. This does not calm down the acne but worsen it sometimes.
Yes, showering routine does matter. It can either calm or worsen acne. Choosing the wrong type of soap, rubbing harshly all these small mistakes can lead to increased acne. No need to worry, you just need to make some changes in your routine and correct your mistakes. You don’t need complex routines or products. Choosing the right soap for body acne and correct habits are proven to give results.
Acne occurrence
Body acne occurs because of clogging of pores that happens due to oil, sweat, dirt and skin debris. The skin is thicker than the face. Areas like back and chest are more prone to acne. It is because of more oil glands. There are various factors that influence acne occurrence like, excessive sweating, oily skin, tight clothing, poor hygiene and hormonal changes. Other factors that can lead to acne are using heavy products that build up on the skin. A soap for oily skin can help in controlling oil secretion and is oily skin friendly.
Common mistakes in showering routine
- Waiting too long to shower: After going out in hot weather, there is too much sweating. Workout or outdoor activities can also result in increased sweating. When sweat sits for a long time, it gets mixed with dirt, oil and bacteria. When this gets trapped under our clothes it may lead to clogging of pores and cause acne. Now not showering immediately after such a situation can cause bacterial infections.
The fix – Try taking a shower immediately after sweating. Showering soon after workouts helps in cleansing the sweat and other which protects from clogged pores. If we use a soap for body acne here, it might be able to give even better results.
- Using harsh soaps: People use soaps that are harsh on the skin and breach the skin. You don’t need to always go for soaps with high content of harsh substances for dealing with your situation. It can lead to skin irritation and dryness. It can even cause higher oil secretion. Redness and sensitivity of the skin increases and also affects skin barrier.
The fix – You need to select a soap that gently removes the impurities like sweat, dirt and oil properly without drying moisturise from skin. It must be able to hydrate the skin and not affect the skin elasticity.
- Aggressive scrubbing: Scrubbing too hardly and with force using a loofah or brushes when acne occurs might seem right at the moment but it is not. It can cause acne to burst which can lead to skin irritation and redness. This can dry out the skin. It also worsens the current acne problem.
The fix – Always try to do gentle exfoliation to protect your skin. Use your hands, soft cloth or a soft loofah for the scrubbing purpose. Use a soap for acne and let the soap do its work instead of forceful scrubbing.
Additional tips for a better skin
- Wash your hair before your body because hair care products can contain comedogenic ingredients that are not suitable for the body and can lead to clogged pores. So after hairwash body can be cleansed properly to prevent product buildup.
- Using water at the wrong temperature. Too hot water can lead to opening of pores leading to excess oil and too cold water causes closed pores which inhibits sebum secretion. Both these situations cause acne.
- Using the same towel repeatedly for a long time without washing. It causes bacterial infection growth. You must be washing your towel at least once a week and using soft towels instead of harsh ones is recommended for better results.
- Don’t use body lotions with heavier ingredients that can clog the pores. Try to use a non comedogenic product.
- Wear breathable and comfortable clothes that do not stick to the body.
Type of soap that can be used
- Use a soap that is non comedogenic.
- Total fatty matter is less than 60%.
- The pH of soap is suitable.
- Use a soap for body acne that is gentle on skin and hydrates it.
- Use a soap without harsh surfactants.
- Ingredients like neem, turmeric, aloe vera, tea tree oil and salicylic acid are suitable to use in a soap.
How to use a soap for a clear skin in routine
- Firstly wash your body with water at the right temperature.
- Then take the soap in your hands or loofah and rub it to form lather.
- Gently scrub this on your body.
- Target areas with acne but don’t do harsh scrubbing.
- Now rinse off the lather and dry your body.
- Apply a non-comedogenic moisturizer.
Key takeaway
Everyone follows a showering routine, but it might or might not be correct. We think we are doing everything right and still there are no results. Think again there might be some mistakes that can worsen acne. Try to follow the right routine with the right type of soap. A soap for oily skin can be useful for dealing with body acne. You just need to follow a proper routine and maintain hygiene.
