Do you have a strapless dress-worthy back?

Annet King of The International Dermal Institute Provides the Do’s and Don’ts to Treat and Prevent Back Acne

Back acne, also known as “Bacne,” is a very common skin condition among teens and young adults. It is important to take care of the skin on your back as you would your face. However as the clothes we wear trap sweat and dead skin cells, causing this area (which is hard to reach!) to breakout – what to do? Here Annet King, Director of Global Education of The International Dermal Institute, provides a few fail-proof DIY tips and tricks to combat back acne.

Cleansing: Be sure to use a soap and fragrance-free anti-bacterial cleansing wash. Many people over-cleanse the skin with harsh soaps and use vigorous scrubbing tools and products. The use of Alkaline-based surfactants or soaps not only rob skin of moisture, but also provide a bacteria-loving environment. This can also exacerbate the breakouts and slow down the healing process.

Toning: Spritz with an oil and bacteria controlling toner. Many bacne sufferers will try mentholated and alcohol astringents which provide a cooling sensation on their skin, however in most cases these are S.D.-Alcohol based, which strips the skin of lipids, causing the skin to over-produce oil. Look for alcohol-free toners in “smart trigger” packaging that allow for easy spritzing over your back. Before heading out to the gym, pack anti-bacterial wipes to use after you workout.

Exfoliate gently: Many people use Loofahs and brushes to try and rid the skin of back acne, which only worsens the condition. The use of such tools causes micro-lacerations in the skin, making it once again a hospitable environment for bacteria to breed and grow. A gentle fragrance-free scrub should be lightly massaged over the area and washed off.

Don’t squeeze and pick: Seek out the help of a professional skin therapist to give you a back treatment to clear impactions, exfoliate gently and dry up the lesions with high frequency, a machine that omits an ozone gas that kills bacteria and heals pimples. Use a topical spot reducer instead and apply a clay masque twice a week for 15 minutes and rinse off.

Tips & Tricks:

• Treat the affected area overnight with a Salicylic Acid-based gel as well as during the day.
• Avoid waxy hair product that may come in contact with the skin on the back.
• Wear cotton clothing versus synthetic fibers which can trap oil and dead cells.
• Pillow and sheet hygiene is a must! Pillowcases should be changed at least every other day and sheets twice a week. Avoid using fabric conditioners on bed linens as they can cause a breakout.
• Avoid tanning beds! Many believe that this will speed up the breakouts however the effects are only temporary. UV exposure increases cell production, causing more breakouts.

About Dermalogica®:

Dermalogica® revolutionized the skin care industry when it emerged into the marketplace in 1986 with innovative formulations, which excluded common irritants, including SD alcohol, lanolin, mineral oil and artificial colors and fragrances. Jane Wurwand developed the products to better support the advanced curriculum she had developed a few years earlier for The International Dermal Institute, which she also founded. Beginning with Dermal Clay Cleanser, Multi-Active Toner, Skin Smoothing Cream and Skin Prep Scrub, which remain among the company’s top-sellers today, Wurwand led the company’s growth from an idea to the world’s most-requested professional skin care brand. Dermalogica has been selected as one of UK’s CoolBrands® for five years in a row.

Dermalogica® products are currently sold in 51 countries and are only available in select skin treatment centers on the recommendation of a qualified professional skin therapist in addition to the brand’s concept spaces in Santa Monica, CA; New York, NY; London, England; Berlin, Germany; Auckland, New Zealand; Dubai, United Arab Emirates; and Mumbai, India. Dermalogica® is made in the USA, with its global operations based in Carson, just south of Los Angeles. To learn more about Dermalogica® and the brand’s concept spaces, please visit www.dermalogica.com.

This sugar cane scrub has a nice, minty feel and it gets ALL the gunk out! It gets rid of most blackheads and helps buff away dead skin and debris. The best part is that it doesn’t irritate my sensitive skin and it leaves absolutely no residue – just soft skin.

Ingredients include: apple, pomegranate, green tea, horsetail plant, witch hazel, lemongrass, peppermint and citrus oils. The scrubby stuff is the sugar cane.

I don’t recommend using a scrub on your face when you have open sores or breakouts, as it can spread bacteria. You can work around open breakouts or just wait. Azap recommends using this twice a day, but that’s a bit much for me. I use it every other day, alternating with my regular, non-exfoliating face wash.

Plus, it’s only $15 – not a bad deal at all!

I highly recommend this product. In fact, I’m going to give it My Beauty Bunny’s Cruelty Free Favorite award! What does that mean? Well, basically, I get a ton of free products to review. (Yes, it is pretty great, but it’s also A LOT of work!) I only review the good products – the ones I want to tell you about – but the Cruelty Free Favorites are products I would pay good money for (or buy again). These are the best of the best – the products I most highly recommend.

Liquid Sand

Self mockery aside, I wholeheartedly endorse the brand.  I was quite skeptical at first when my girlfriend first introduced me to a collection of bottles proudly featuring a stylized dragon and named Billy Jealousy.  I thought to myself, “these various oils and ointments will go great with my collection of Affliction T-shirts and subscription to Maxim magazine.”  But when I actually tried these products, I was pleasantly surprised.

I first applied the LiquidSand exfoliating facial cleanser.  The suspended particles were perfectly sized so that they weren’t too abrasive to be painful but nevertheless felt productive.

The formula itself, as a whole, felt well balanced — my skin felt moisturized while still rinsing cleanly and the alpha hydroxy acids did not irritate my face.  I appreciated this characteristic, especially as part of my pre-shave regimen when I must already subject my skin to my inept flailings with a razor.

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After rinsing, I then proceeded to spread the Hydroplane Super-Slick Shave Cream.  I have been a foaming cream man since puberty and looked dubiously at this non-sudsy pretender.  Once again, Billy Jealousy exceeded my expectation.

About Face Anti Aging Serum

The combination of post face wash moisture and the shave cream combined to form the perfect shaving accompaniment.  There was no snagging, even against the grain.  And the cream was much cleaner than dealing with foamy mess everywhere.  Billy Jealousy has definitely made a convert of me.

I ended my routine with the About Face Anti-Aging Serum.  It seemed to combine well with the residual Hydroplane and leave my skin feeling nicely coated, as opposed to greasy or gloppy.

I understand that it is not intended for use after shaving; I will assume that my skin in that highly sensitive, post-shave state is ill-equipped  to stand up to the serum’s exfoliating effect.  Nevertheless I experienced no significant irritation.  Indeed, my skin felt marvelously pampered.

The entire line was not heavily scented, which means it won’t fight too much with your choice of cologne (not that anything is a match for my High Karate, Rowr!)

It’s  exactly the same qualities I seek in a good wing man – someone who’s there to make you look good in front of the ladies and knows when to take a hint and fade into the woodwork.  And I’m pretty sure that Billy Jealousy would have no problem jumping on a grenade, and chatting up her still-sober roommate.

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Mint Marrakesh by Shea Terra

Mint Marrakesh Black Soap Elixir is a great summer body wash from Shea Terra.  It’s made with African shea butter, coconut oil, a blend of African herbs and black soap.  What is black soap you may ask?  It’s a centuries-old blend made by the Yoruba tribe in West Africa – it’s made from cocoa pod ash, plantain peel ash, palm kernel oil and camwood bark.

It’s actually black, but washes completely clean, taking all the sebum, debris, dead skin and other yucky stuff on your skin with it.

It has a minty-herbal smell which I really like.  It’s great for acne and oily skin – you can use it on your back, chest, face, booty – wherever you want!  It’s gentle, but effective.  It’s also been used for dark spots, razor bumps, and for reducing fine lines.  I have the kind of razor bumps that can only be cured by NOT shaving anymore (yeah, right), so I’m not the best judge of that.  Try it for yourself and let me know what you think!

I’d also like to mention that this company, Shea Terra, donates a portion of the proceeds to self-empowerment and environmental projects throughout Africa.  They offer fair trade wages and actually let the producers set their own prices.  They research and source sustainable African oils, herbs and butters, and then make sure they produce the products in an eco-friendly manner.  I’m really impressed with all they have done – you can read more about it here.

Sircuit Skin Savior

I’ve always wanted to try Sircuit Skin. I’d like to say it’s because it’s an all-natural line with organic ingredients, but I have to admit it’s the playful product names and modern packaging that really caught my eye.

So, I started with a product I was hoping to love, a facial cleanser for problem skin, Sircuit Skin Savior. And happily, it hasn’t disappointed.

Like any good acne cleanser, this one uses Salicylic Acid, a Beta Hydroxy Acid, to gently exfoliate the skin. But as a bonus, it also contains Lactic Acid, a gentle Alpha Hydroxy Acid, which also helps to keep the pores clear through exfoliation and skin softening. Both of these acids can also improve the appearance of aging skin.

After using it for a few weeks, I have noticed a difference. It has been keeping most of my acne under control and my pores appear smaller. Because it’s free of sulfates, my skin doesn’t feel tight or dry after I use it, just clean and comfortable. The clean feeling is a result of the Organic Peppermint Oil and Tea Tree Oil (great pick me ups in the morning and great for your sinuses). The comfort is the result of soothing ingredients like Meadowfoam Seed Essential Oil, Shea Butter, and Aloe.

But that’s not all, this cleanser even has natural antioxidants, Organic Olive Leaf Extract and Totarol, to ward off free radicals seeking to destroy healthy skin cells. It’s free of artificial colors, fragrance, preservatives and is of course cruelty free.

The only drawback I found is that the formula tends to separate (a common problem of natural products), but give it a good shake and it will mix back together. Oh, and be careful not to get it around your eyes, the peppermint will cause burning and irritation. Besides that, it’s a great find and I’ll definitely keep using it to keep my skin clear and happy.