Why should you moisturize active acne? You should absolutely moisturize your skin even if you have active acne. It's an absolute myth that moisturizing your face will worsen your acne. In fact, moisturizers are necessary to keep acne-prone skin as relaxed as possible.
Back Acne Body Moisturizers
Since acne medications can be drying, it's important to properly moisturize the affected area. "Those with acneic skin might have issues with certain lotions and creams clogging their pores even further, so look for ones that are labeled 'oil-free' and 'non comedogenic,'" says Dr. King.
When creating an acne treatment plan, dermatologists sometimes include a moisturizer. Acne can cause your skin to feel oily and greasy, so a moisturizer may be the last thing you'd think of trying. A moisturizer, however, may be just what you need if you're using one of the following acne treatments: Benzoyl peroxide.
Fortunately, moisturiser itself can't cause acne. However, the way you apply it can. Over moisturising can have a detrimental effect on your skin. Not only will it clog up your pores, but it can also stick dead cells to the skin's surface and stop oxygen from getting to the skin.
Benzoyl peroxide (emollient foam wash): This helps to kill the bacteria that cause acne. Used daily, it can help control back acne and reduce flares.
Like all acne, back acne is caused by overactive sebaceous glands. These glands produce an oily substance called sebum, which helps keep skin healthy. However, too much sebum can lead to bacteria growth and dead skin cells, which can block pores in the skin.
“Hot water strips the skin of its natural oils and healthy bacteria,” Grous explains, “which plays a major role in keeping moisture in—and the bad stuff out. And because dryness triggers the sebaceous glands to produce more sebum, hot water can worsen preexisting acne or cause a breakout.”
These expert-approved tools will help you hydrate the hard to reach spot. Moisturizing efforts tend to focus on the places you look at every day; your face, hands, arms and legs.
"You'll notice your skin feeling dry, tight, and ashy, because you're rapidly losing water," says Gohara. "Moisturizer doesn't just add water back into your skin, it also traps in the water you already have to plump it up and protect it."
Most people need to moisturize at least once a day. When you get out of a hot shower is one of the best times to reach for lotion or cream. The hot water can actually dehydrate your skin, and moisturizing immediately after can save your skin.
The bottom line. Putting body lotion on your face once or twice probably won't cause any lasting harm. All the same, body lotion isn't meant for facial skin, so it could make some skin concerns worse. Sticking to products specifically formulated for your face will generally do more to benefit your skin in the long run.
Cold water tightens your pores and reduces the overproduction of sebum and excretion of acne-causing bacteria. In contrast, hot water opens them and does the complete opposite, leaving your skin more prone to irritation.
“Since cold water tightens your pores, bacteria and debris can get trapped and won't clear out as easily as using warm water,” explains Knapp. She recommends washing your face with lukewarm water first as a way to remove any makeup and pollutants from the day.
Treating back acne at home comes down to two star ingredients: benzoyl peroxide and salicylic acid. “[Those ingredients] will help desquamate those top dead layers, keeping the pores open so the oils can get out onto the skin and not be collected under the skin,” said Boh.
While back acne (a.k.a bacne) is totally normal, it may still leave you feeling insecure from time to time — and that's also normal.
Cystic back acne is treatable, but a person will usually require prescription medication and advice from a certified dermatologist. Although treatment can take time to work, the skin should show signs of improvement within 6 months. Treating cystic acne early can help prevent scarring.
Can body wash cause acne? Some body washes—even those formulated to specifically target acne—can actually trigger acne or exacerbate existing breakouts. Zeichner says that body washes with heavy oils or fragrances can also lead to skin irritation, and in some cases, cause breakouts.
“Use a long handled cleansing sponge with your acne-fighting body wash, or even a body brush. These clean the back thoroughly in the shower,” says Dr. Nancy Samolitis.
Like many acne-fighting ingredients, benzoyl peroxide helps to clear away oil and dead skin cells that are caught inside your pores, but it's also antibacterial, so it helps kill the bacteria that's caught in there too. Using a body wash or soap that contains benzoyl peroxide is a “tried and true” solution, says Dr.
Parts of the body, such as your elbows, hands, knees and neck, are prone to dryness more than others and may demand extra attention. To help soothe and soften very dry areas, you might like to apply body lotion to those areas throughout the day as well as after your bath or shower.
Ask any dermatologist and they'll tell you that moisturizing every inch of your skin — even those hard-to-reach areas — is best practice.