5 common products that may be causing your back and chest acne
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Body acne can be just as embarrassing as face acne. If you find yourself avoiding certain clothing or summer events because you want to hide the acne on your chest or back (aka bacne), take a good look at these common everyday products:
1. Scented laundry detergent: Laundry detergents contain fragrances that can clog and aggravate the follicles of acne-prone individuals. Use a fragrance-free detergent like Tide Free or Arm & Hammer Free instead.
2. Fabric softener: Whether you are using dryer sheets or liquid softener, these products contain a waxy substance that coat your clothes and can clog your pores. Switch to one of the dryer balls on our Acne Safe Household Products Boards instead.
3. Comedogenic hair products: Probably the biggest and least-recognized offender of body acne is actually hair care products. Whether it is shampoo, conditioner, or styling products, most of them contain comedogenic ingredients and they drip down to our back and chest when we wash our hair. Common comedogenic ingredients to look out for in hair products include sodium lauryl sulfates, sodium laureth sulfates, coconut oil, and argan oil. Check out our Acne Safe Hair Care Board for products that contain none of these pore-cloggers.
4. Perfume/Cologne: In addition to containing synthetic fragrances and oils, perfumes contain unknown ingredients that are not required to be clearly listed on packaging. Pair that with the fact that most of us spray perfume on our necks and this can mean unsightly chest pimples. You can still wear your favorite perfume, just make sure you apply it to your wrists or the back of your arms where our pores are not prone to clog.
5. Body care products: No surprise here, lotions and body washes are some of the biggest offenders when it comes to pore-clogging ingredients. Check out our Acne Safe Body Care Board and always look out for these common comedogenic products before purchasing body products: safflower oil, cetearyl alcohol & ceteareth 20, coconut oil, avocado oil, and isopropyl myristate.
