How to banish “Bacne” and why your bed sheets are important

How to banish “Bacne” - and why your bed sheets are important 

Let’s talk about Bacne (Back-Acne).

It often happens like this – you step out of the shower, fresh and clean after a scrub down, and you catch a reflection of your back in the mirror. There is it, staring right back at you in the mirror – bacne.  

A distant cousin of facial acne, back acne – or “bacne” as we so lovingly call it – is something a lot of people deal with on a regular basis. It is estimated that around 75% of people who suffer from facial acne also deal with bacne. Much like facial acne, the best way of addressing bacne is to directly confront the issue in order to move towards a preventative solution. 

Next time you have a bacne breakout, don’t just throw a shirt over it and pretend like it doesn’t exist. We can start tackling the issue right away with a combination of good skincare, wellness, and sleep regimen. That way, by the time summer rolls around, you can have the softest, smoothest back for halter tops and bikinis.

Working out? Wash off!

We all know that feeling – after an intense workout, you sit down to recover for a bit and then the tiredness starts to settle in. You might put off showering for later or maybe even wait until the next day! However, as tempting as these habits are, they are a top contributor to bacne. 

After a workout, make sure you are washing off the sweat right after! Sweaty workout clothes can irritate the skin, so try to minimize contact of wet clothes on the skin. 

Also be sure to always wear clean clothes to a workout, since dirt and sweat from old clothes can further exacerbate acne. And another factor to consider – tight gym clothes can trap sweat and oils that clog pores and hair follicles. Try to work out in loose fitting, clean gym clothes as much as possible when working out to minimize potential breakouts.

Skincare is the key

When we think of skincare, we typically think about our face first foremost. However, our back and chest actually have more oil producing glands than the face, which creates the perfect condition for acne. That’s why we should pay special attention to skincare for our back and acne since these are such sensitive acne prone areas. 

Exfoliate:

Pimples are created by bacteria and dead skin cells get trapped in a clogged pore. Because the pores on our back are larger than anywhere else on our body, we must be sure to exfoliate regularly and frequently to prevent breakouts.

Try to use a body scrub or exfoliant 2-3x a week to get rid of the dead skin cells and prevent clogged pores. Since your back isn’t as sensitive as your face, you can use a slightly more intense exfoliant on your back than you would as part of your facial skincare routine.

Moisturize:

When moisturizing, be weary of over-moisturizing your back and chest. There are more oil glands there than other parts of the skin, like the legs and arms. To prevent clogging your pores with heavy creams, use a light moisturizer for your back and chest.

Spot-treat:

Just as you would for your face, you can also spot-treat your bacne. You can use spot-treatment cream containing ingredients like salicylic acid and tea tree oil on your back to specifically target those tough to get rid of pimples. Leave it on overnight just as you would for your face.

Don’t let your showers be the culprit

We all know you should let your conditioner sit in your hair to fully take effect; however, don’t save rinsing the conditioner off your hair as the last step of our shower routine! Hair conditioner can trigger acne since the oils easily clog pores, especially if you let the conditioner sit on your skin.

Be sure to give your body and back another wash after you’ve rinsed your conditioner. While you’re at it, give your body a good exfoliation to get rid of deal skin cells.

Sheets are Important - Sleep Cleanly

Believe it or not, one of the biggest triggers of bacne is the type of sheets you are sleeping on! After all, you are spending about 8 hours a night (or least one can hope) lying in your sheeting. If your sheets are bacteria ridden, they can cause acne breakouts on your skin.

Normal cotton sheets are woven in a way where the fibers can trap sweat and bacteria. As your body expels heat when you are sleeping, the fibers catch the heat, which promotes your sweat glands’ activities and often produce more sebum. This is the reason why it’s important to find the best sheet material for skin; look for sheets that are breathable and allows heat to pass through as you are sleeping.

Sleeping on cotton sheets that trap sweat is also problematic for the skin, because it creates the perfect breeding environment for bacteria. All this sweat and oil combine to act as the breeding ground for bacteria to grow and spread. If you don’t wash your sheets often enough, the bacteria can break you out.

So what should you look for in your sheets to prevent this?

Find sheets that are ultra-breathable and hypoallergenic, which can mitigate acne outbreak by prevent bacterial growth on the fabric. Eucalypso sheets are woven to be 3x more breathable than cotton and wick moisture from the body 70% better than cotton.

Eucalypso sheets are made with TENCEL™ Lyocell fibers that naturally manage the transportation of moisture, enhancing fabrics by keeping your skin feeling pleasantly comfortable. Composed of natural material, the microscopic fibrils of cellulosic fibers are structured to regulate the absorption and release of moisture. This contributes to breathable fabrics that support the body’s natural temperature regulating properties, creating a refreshingly cooling sensation on your skin. 

Look for sheets that are also hypoallergenic in order to prevent bacterial growth. Bacteria do not stand a chance when it comes to our sheets. The moisture management properties are responsible for reduced bacteria growth. The moisture is completely transported to the inside of the fibers; thus, no moisture film is formed which does not allow the bacteria to grow.

With our innovative fabric technology, the fibers absorb moisture efficiently. In comparison to polyester and synthetics, there is less available moisture formed on the surface of the fiber for bacteria to grow. Consequently, TENCEL™ Lyocell fibers provide a less favorable environment for bacterial growth, offering better hygienic qualities to fabrics

So what are you waiting for? Take precautions to minimize the chances of bacne outbreaks through a combination of great skincare, regular cleaning, and comfortable sheets! As the temperature rises, it’s time to ditch the cover-ups and embrace the skin you are in.