ORIGINAL REDDIT POST
[Product Question] body acne
hey everyone!!! i’m looking to clear up my scars on my body before my birthday in october. I work out and since then I’ve been getting some back acne that leads to scarring. I also want to clear up ingrown scars on my bikini line. I’ve been using the ordinary…
hey everyone!!! i’m looking to clear up my scars on my body before my birthday in october. I work out and since then I’ve been getting some back acne that leads to scarring. I also want to clear up ingrown scars on my bikini line. I’ve been using the ordinary toner but I haven’t seen much improvement. I’ve tried naturium vitamin c body wash no improvement. I’m down for any suggestions!!! Thank you!!!
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The best is a benzoyl peroxide based cleanser. Leave it for a couple of minutes in the shower and then rinse it off properly. It takes a couple of usage to see a difference, but it totally works. Use a hydrating moisturizer after it.
the AHA toner? I would try a benzoyl peroxide wash or salicylic acid wash, and leave it on for a few minutes in the shower. if it just started after you started working out, you could also try showering right after working out if that's possible or changing into a clean shirt :)
For acne scars I would try an exfoliating or retinol body moisturizer but it takes a long time to fade them. If you want quicker more apparent results I would look into microneedling sessions but make sure acne is managed first
I am curious what your body wash/post-workout cleansing routine is like. My body acne improved when I started exfoliating with a japanese-style washcloth (long, polyester, rough) with bar soap + benzoyl peroxide. I scrub my back pretty aggressively, then let the lather sit on my skin for ~5min before rinsing. You can follow this up with a toner like glycolic acid, or skip that and just moisturize with something non-comedogenic. Best of luck!
Worth separating two things, because they need opposite approaches. The active back acne is one problem, and the marks it leaves are another, and those marks are usually pigmentation, not true scars. That matters because if breakouts are still happening, chasing the marks first is a losing game. Deal with the source: quick shower after the gym, change out of sweaty clothes, a gentle acid exfoliant on the back. Once new spots stop, the marks fade on their own, though pigment takes months, so October is more realistically "better" than "gone." Anything actually raised or pitted rather than flat won't respond to products and is worth getting looked at in person.