Natural Remedies for Body Acne

Have had acne since early teens and I'm now 22 and have tried EVERYTHING! I saw all of these post about ACV and decided to try it. I've been on it for about 3 weeks and have seen a really big difference in my shin. My chest is completely clear and back 90% better. Face 99% better! :)

I can't drink ACV with water, it's horrible! So I've been just taking a measuring spoon 1 tablespoon of the ACV one in the morning and one at night and having a glass of water in my other hand and gulp the ACV first then quickly drink glass of water right after.

I've also been using ACV on a cotton ball each night as a toner on my face chest and back and sleep on it and shower in the morning. It has worked wonders. I will use this tool for the rest of my life! :)

I have tried some of the remedies on the Earth Clinic site for bacne. I have had bacne my whole adult life. After using the 20 Mule team Borax on a back brush every morning in the shower my back is clear of acne! It did take about 2 months for it to clear up. I am so glad to have found this site. I love how my back looks now.

I had tried practically EVERYTHING to try to rid myself of acne on my legs and buttocks. I had a lot of tiny pimples and large red ones. It was embarassing and made me self-conscious. I stumbled across an article about the therapeutic benefits of ocean water and clearing up complexion. I decided to experiment and purchased Sea Salt (made from evaporated sea water) and Tea Tree Oil. I mixed 1/4 cup of salt and 1/4 tsp of Tea Tree Oil in a spray bottle with hot water.

When I take a shower, I use a bit of 20 Mule Team Borax (the kind in the laundry detergent aisle) and wash my acne prone areas with this. After I dry off, I spray the sea salt/tea tree oil mixture on my buttocks/thigh area and leave it on there for the rest of the day. I work from home so I was also reapplying the mist 2-3 times a day.

Sea salt will draw out the impurities from your skin so expect your acne to get a bit worse before you see results. After 4 days, there was a remarkable difference! I'm on day 7 and my little zits are all gone and I only have a few red ones left which have greatly reduced in size and redness. It will sting a bit but it is bearable. I've read it takes longer to have clear skin in that particular area so you will need to be patient. I had tried the apple cider vinegar, coconut oil, Witch hazel, exfoliating and borax alone before trying the sea salt and although it helped, I was still not happy.

I expect after another week, I will have perfect skin again! Good luck!

Borax instead of soap: After reading all of the information about borax on the earthclinic website, I decided to experiment with it. I started using borax in place of the liquid bodywash that I normally used in the shower. I have always had breakouts on my chest and back and have tried everything (acne creams, soaps, kits for problem skin, alcohol, changing laundry detergent) and never had any lasting success keeping my skin clear from breakouts. Well let me tell you, since I started using the borax to wash myself with, my skin is COMPLETELY CLEAR! I've been using the borax now for about two months straight and will never go back to bodywash. I also started using it on my face and I will no longer buy facial cleansers again since the borax works so well. I still do use regular shampoo. I tried using just borax to wash my hair and the first day my hair looked great but the following two days my hair looked terrible. I now add a small handful of borax to my shampoo and use that with very good results. It is winter in NJ right now and usually I have a lot of static in my hair, but the borax seems to be counteracting that. I attribute the lack of static to the borax as that is the only different thing I am doing.

One last thing, the borax that I am using is the stuff you can get in the laundry aisle--20 Mule team borax. I love using borax and I love the Earthclinic website!

Borax instead of soap: After reading all of the information about borax on the earthclinic website, I decided to experiment with it. I started using borax in place of the liquid bodywash that I normally used in the shower. I have always had breakouts on my chest and back and have tried everything (acne creams, soaps, kits for problem skin, alcohol, changing laundry detergent) and never had any lasting success keeping my skin clear from breakouts. Well let me tell you, since I started using the borax to wash myself with, my skin is COMPLETELY CLEAR! I've been using the borax now for about two months straight and will never go back to bodywash. I also started using it on my face and I will no longer buy facial cleansers again since the borax works so well. I still do use regular shampoo. I tried using just borax to wash my hair and the first day my hair looked great but the following two days my hair looked terrible. I now add a small handful of borax to my shampoo and use that with very good results. It is winter in NJ right now and usually I have a lot of static in my hair, but the borax seems to be counteracting that. I attribute the lack of static to the borax as that is the only different thing I am doing.

One last thing, the borax that I am using is the stuff you can get in the laundry aisle.

I had bad acne on my outer thighs and butt. Tried all different scrubs and creams but they were never fully effective. Cleaning with which hazel and then putting Aloe Vera gel on my skin has cleared it all up! It has taken a few weeks, but I can visibly see a difference and I'm not getting any new pimples. The Aloe Vera gel (100% with no coloring) has also reduced the redness on my face - it's great stuff!

Hi Jennifer, Make magnesiumsulfate (epsom salts) paste by grinding the epsom salts untill it is very fine then add glycerine very slowly until it is a firm paste. Put it onto the holes to draw out the junk, then you may solve the problem. It may be painful in the begining, when it does not burn anymore the hole is clean & should heal. Cover with a plaster.

For Body Acne, put organic coconut oil all over your body and pick off any black specs that come out of your pores. Look closely you will see them. Some call it morgellons but I think it is a parasitic fungus everyone has but it affects others differently or not at all. Once we started getting them out of my whole family, all our acne/bumps/rashes started to go away.

I've suffered from acne since I was 13, with bouts of body acne that spring up every now and then. Body acne is a humiliating and self esteem-damaging problem. One of the reasons that acne is so frustrating and hard to treat because a lot of us don't get to the root of the problem. Topical treatments just act like a band-aid to temporarily treat the existing blemishes, but doesn't keep new ones from popping up. To provide a lasting treatment for acne, you have to get to the root of the problem.

Here is a small, but certainly non-inclusive, list of what may be the problem and how to treat the acne problem accordingly.

Your acne might be hormonal if:

- You are female

- You are a young male/female (13-18 years old)

- You are pregnant

- You get breakouts around your menstrual cycle/you are menopausal

- You are taking steroids/growth hormone supplements

- You have a known (or suspected) hormone imbalance, such as a thyroid problem, PCOS, or have other symptoms of a hormone imbalance such as increased bodily hair, irregular periods, hair loss, or difficulty controlling weight.

- You have acne on your face as well as your body

If you have hormonal acne, clearly the way to treat it is to balance the hormones. For me and a lot of other women who suffered from hormonal acne, my skin cleared up considerably after taking birth control pills. Some women also notice their skin clearing considerably after taking hormone-balancing herbal supplements such as maca, raspberry leaf tea, dong quai, or spearmint tea. I have also seen a lot of women claim that drinking detox tea clears their skin considerably!

For all acne sufferers, you need to be on a CLEAN DIET. I travel to France several times a year and I notice that while many American girls have acne, I have rarely seen a French girl with even a blemish. Seeing the way that French girls eat, I am not surprised - the French eat mostly natural foods free of nasty American chemicals and preservatives. If you can't pronounce it, don't eat it. Also, wash fruits and veggies THOROUGHLY before eating, because American pesticides contain estrogen compounds. Another French habit I noticed - and that I think Americans need to do more of - is drink more water and less sodas. 8 glasses of water will help clear your skin and give it a healthy glow.

Your acne might be due to retention hyperkeratosis (failure of the skin to exfoliate itself) if:

- Your acne responds well to exfoliation/chemical peels/Retin-A

- You have a lot of clogged pores and blackheads

- Your acne gets worse after periods of sweating (such as going to the gym)

For me, clogged pores are the cause of my body acne problems. My skin responded beautifully to using Aqua Glycolic body wash with a Japanese bath towel in the shower. Just put a little dab of body wash on every morning and scrub away (if your skin is blemished, do not overscrub - it will aggravate your acne). Be patient with this treatment - body acne takes longer to go away than facial acne - it took me 2 months to get perfectly clear body skin. ALWAYS take a shower after sweating or if you have some kind of product on your skin - like sunscreen - that can clog your pores. Also, if you have a tendency to have clogged pores, watch what shampoos and conditioners you use. When you rinse your hair, take care that the lather does not touch your body. If you live in a humid/hot environment, wear cottons or other breathable fabrics, and do not wear tight-fitting clothes.

Your acne might be product-related if:

- You don't take measures to prevent shampoo/conditioner residue from hitting your back/buttocks/chest or area(s) where there is body acne

- Your shampoo/conditioner contains pore-clogging ingredients or SLS

- You are using a product to control your body acne and your body acne has flared up worse after using it

- You also have acne on your scalp/suspect you may be allergic to a shampoo/conditioner you are using

If you suspect you might have product-related acne, switch your products. If the acne clears up, the product might be the problem.

Your acne might be fungus (pityrosporum folliculitis) related if:

- You are a man (although this condition occurs with women too - but is more common with men)

- You have a rashey kind of body acne, with chronic, red, itchy pustules on the back and chest, or sometimes on the neck, shoulders, upper arms and face

- Your body acne occurs mostly in the summer, after you sweat with tight-fitting clothes on, during sports activities, or are hot/sweaty

- You have come in contact with someone else with a fungal infection

This is the kind of body acne my fiance, and a lot of other guys, suffer from. This kind of acne benefits from using an anti-fungal shampoo (Nizoral or Head and Shoulders), coconut oil, or an anti-fungal cream on the affected area. Do not wear tight-fitting clothes when working out - wear something breathable instead.

Band-aids (quick fixes) to heal existing acne in the meantime:

- Tea Tree Oil/Alcohol solution - the best to kill acne bacteria/dry out existing acne

- Benzoyl Peroxide 5% - very good at killing bacteria/drying out acne - but beware, it will stain clothing.

- Apple Cider Vinegar - a lot of people rave about this cure, but it hasn't worked for me. I recommend the brand with "the mother".

Good luck everyone, hope that this helps someone with this frustrating problem!

I've had body acne and also folliculitus on my legs. The thing that helped me the most was taking weekly baths with ACV. I use just the regular grocery store kind, and I use about 4 cups in warm bath water. I soak until the water gets cold. Sometimes I add 2 cups of epsom salt if I have it around. In the begining I was taking the baths two to three times a week until the acne cleared up, now just once a week for maintainence. The baths also help prevent/eliminate shaving bumps.

Backne Treatment/Cure

My son is only 14 and was suffering from Backne(acne on the back) for about a year. It was getting worse from sweaty sports and it got to be that he would not remove his shirt so I could examine it. When he finally agreed I was sad b/c he was young and already suffering with body issues.

I went to work investigating and trying different products. I read about a TX of Apple Cider Vinegar and Tea Tree oil.

He started treating himself by GENTLE washing with acne face wash and DRYING of back (no scrubbing or harsh cleaners). He then uses Stridex pad to further clean. He then dabs on Tea Tree oil with a cotton square and then dabs on Apple Cider Vinegar with a clean square.

The results are amazing. He does this at least once a day and often twice during sports or when needed. He is very impressed by the results and I am thrilled by the all natural ingredients and expense $10 for a bottle of TTO and $2 for a quart of ACV. He has been doing this for 6 months now.

The one caveot is the smell of the TTO. It really stinks. You will get used to it so dont be afraid. Also it will dissapate after 20 minutes. My son usually goes with out his shirt for 20 minutes and no one has commented on any smell so he is happy.

He has classmates that are on all kinds of medicine and tx from dermatologist and still dont have the kind of results that we have had.

YES!!!!!!!!!!!! I too have tried EVERYTHING! I never had acne until my late 30's.... WITCH HAZEL was a miracle worker! I applied several times a day over affected area(s). I also used TEA TREE oil & Aloe Vera to lighten. Also, baking soda is a great wash/exfoliant/bath soak! .... DON"T BUY anything approved by the FDA..... It's all a scam!

Add 1/2 cup to 1 cup (depending on load size) of Borax to your washing machine loads. Do this for a good few loads to make sure no nasties are residing in your clothes or sheets. Also adding vinegar in the "bleach" part of your washing machine, instead of bleach, is beneficial. You can use ordinary white vinegar, no need to use your expensive ACV :) .

Jennifer, I don't have any direct experience with your disease, but here are my thoughts and suggestions.

I think your disease is caused by a virus, and that the weeping of fluid from your sores after the magnesium sulfate bath was a sign of the virally infected cells bursting due to the magnesium, sulfate or both. I would see that as a good thing and the reason it was global is because the minerals were absorbed into your body and thus attacking the virus everywhere.

I would begin taking vitamin C to bowel tolerance every two hours and also use a trace mineral supplement. Experiment with the antivirals like selenium, colloidal silver, baking soda, olive leaf extract, etc. Always a good idea to research them first and I always check the Amazon reviews to see what has worked for other people, etc.

You might want to experiment with the epsom salt baths to see if it improves your condition. It may take several baths and it may look worse before it starts to get better. Mineral baths are an old treatment for skin problems.

Please let us know what works and what doesn't!

Another "yea" for ACV/TTO. My favorite method of application is to soak some cotton in vinegar (the pasteurized cheap stuff works), then add 1-3 drops tea tree oil. I then use tape or an adhesive bandage to stick the cotton over the acne sore. I leave it there for hours. Even new pimples can disappear (or at least significantly shrink) in less than a day using this method.

Warning: I advise using this method only on non-sensitive areas. If you experience painful burning, this may not be the right method for you. The area will be a little red, especially if you use a larger piece of cotton than is your pimple.

Hi Loraine,

I'm sorry your daughter is experiencing this but you must really explore her diet. The acne is not the source of the problem but rather the outcome. All the outer remedies are not going to cut it. Go to the root source which is what she ingests. If she is eating the Standard American Diet (SAD), that is the source right there. The body needs whole foods and lots of greens for it to find its balance. Begin by cutting out ALL processed foods and adding in greens. The ratio should be 80/20 greens to other whole foods. It may sound difficult but, do it in stages if you must. As you change the balance, her body will actually begin to crave greens and healthy food. Especially when one sees the direct correlation between what goes in our bodies and what the state of our health is this becomes a "no brainer"!

I wish you both the best, Lisa

Hi Loraine, I think it has already been said but you need to fix her diet first and foremost.

I battled with acne for a lot of my adult life and found that Vitamin C in regular doses helped enormously. Build up the dose slowly as Vitamin C can cause stomach cramps and diarrhoea, also use Aloe Vera on the acne, it may feel like its drying out her skin but do not try anything else over the top of the Aloe. Apply the Aloe Gel as often as possible, this is a wonder for skin. Address the diet though, exclude all sugar as a priority and be patient.

I'm so sorry to hear about your daughter's issues with acne. I've been doing alot of reading and personal experimentation on acne as it's an issue for me too.

This is what I've come up with so far for myself. I'm speaking as someone with skin that's extremely sensitive to breakouts!

-as far as diet goes it seem iodine in salt can be an issue for some people in terms of causing acne

-I would take her off all commercial body or face washes as I found that these can exacerbate acne in people with sensitive skin. Also any soap made from animal fat or animal products can cause breakouts and make acne worse. I use all-vegetable handmade soap (that I make myself or buy at specialty stores from private craftspeople). Remember that her shampoo/conditioner can coat the skin of her back so be careful of that too

-I would also recommend against any commercial moisturizing creams or lotions. Natural oils are very healing and you can find lots of info online. In particular jojoba oil can actually help regulate skin sebum. I found a mix of about 30 ml jojoba oil with added essential oils such as lavender and tea tree oil (maybe 6 drops of each) prevents breakouts. I apply like 2x/day like you would any face lotion, and I use a few drops on a cotton ball as a toner on my neck & back

-for new breakouts, a concentrated mix of a few drops of jojoba oil and a few drops of oil of oregano (antifungal and antibacterial; buy the kind with the highest carvacrol content) can stop the breakout. It stings a bit!

-Dead Sea salt is very healing to bathe in and can also be dissolved in a bit of water to dab on breakouts to help healing ( I put some on at night). Regular sea salt doesn't seem to help me at all.

-supplements of Vit C and Vit A can help too but make sure to research Vit A dosage carefully or check with your doctor

Good luck, let us know it goes!

I wanted to report my success with a new treatment plan because I am incredibly happy with the results.

I am not 100% cured yet, I do not expect to be, but this has significantly reduced my breakouts to almost non-existent!

My back acne was to the point of uncomfortable when I would lay down, causing me pain. I have not been formally diagnosed, no idea what type of acne I have. I DO have a tendency towards cystic acne on my face (diagnosed), so I imagine that is likely what's going on throughout my body.

I began a regimen of salicylic acid body wash (2% - multiple brands) and that did not touch it. I also tried peroxide-based cleaners & still no luck. I used rubbing alcohol in my teenage years with some success & decided to give it a try again.

To be safe, I dilute it with witch hazel (50-50 mixture in a spray bottle approximately 4 ounces). I also add about 30 drops of tea tree oil, but you can certainly add more if you can manage the pungent scent & tingling sensations on your skin.

Really, you do not need the witch hazel. I did this for its toning properties & to reduce the drying effects of the alcohol. If you wanted to use distilled water, that would be fine too. I use this mixture morning before I dress & evening after a shower. It MAY sting just a little bit, particularly after the shower when your pores are opened. If that's unbearable to you, don't use the alcohol & stick to the witch hazel (& perhaps try diluting that with distilled water as well, just in case).

This has helped reduce my breakouts so much, I no longer fear wearing backless dresses or being on the beach. I will occasionally get a few here & there, but I no longer have entire patches of acne on my back & the lifespan of the few pimples I do get is reduced to about 2 days with this therapy.

After 3 years of cyclical body acne, I'm happy to say it's manageable. I think with continued therapy of the tea tree oil, it will only get better. I wish you the best of luck!

I have lots and lots of bad acne scars, and after years of them not getting better I finally found something that works. I use ACV to treat and prevent acne, but it doesn't fade scars in my experience (only keeps new ones from appearing while the old ones lessen with time.) What really works for me to fade the scars is the aloe vera from a company m........r....h..... It's the best aloe vera I've found other than straight from the plant, it doesn't include stuff like formaldehyde or alcohol. I didn't see improvements for a few months and was dissapointed. Then one day I looked in the mirror and my back scars were waaaaaaaaay faded and, even more amazing to me, the pock marks on my face were halved.

I also use Dr. Bronners baby mild soap (using ACV or the aloe as a toner afterwards) and occasionally a drop of organic jojoba oil on any really bad cysts, morning and night.

It may take a while for you to find exactly what works, but I know you can find something to heal those scars and it's worth trying the aloe from mrh. :) Good luck!!

Just my personal experience, I used to have pretty bad acne on my face as a teen. What I found that worked best for me was to use a washcloth that was soaked in water that was as hot as I could stand. I'd lightly wring it out and put it on my face, leaving it there to open the pores. Then I'd scrub with the washcloth, fairly firmly. Then I'd repeat the process again.

It helped with my acne and kept it down quite a bit. Other teens that I went to school with tried it as well and it worked for them as well. I hope it works for your daughter as well, it can be quite frustrating.

Your daughter seems very young to be getting acne, let alone on her back. Acne seems to be a condition that you manage rather than cure. She may be prone to break out so maybe evaluate remedies on the basis of improving rather than eradicating. I have used UV light (tanning beds). UV kills bacteria. I use a led light (hand held) on face breakouts. Baths. Epsom salt or borax. Keep trying. I have had problems with acne since I was a teenager and I am now 44 years old. I don't believe it has everything to do with hormones, or what you eat. I eat well and still have problems. The more I read, the more I believe that demodex mites are part of the problem. We all have mites. I just believe that in some people, these become more of a problem. As I have gotten older, I have gotten acne in more places than just my face. I believe this is mites spreading. I have just started treating myself with borax, baths and drinking. I went to the doctor to see about getting treated for mites. He hadn't heard of demodex, but he is referring me to a dermatologist.

WITCH HAZEL FOR ACNE AND THEN SOME... I am 36 years old. I had very mild acne in my teen years, but these past 6 months have been horrible for me. I have very painful, large boils on my back, smaller ones on my shoulders, neck, and face. Unfortunately, nothing seemed to be working and I ended up being put on tetracycline. I found this site and began using witch hazel as a toner. Combined with the antibiotic therapy, the witch hazel has proven to be a miracle. Even on the medicine, I will still have a boil or two appear, mainly on my upper back. A cotton swab with witch hazel and guaranteed within a couple of days, they will be gone! It can be drying, so please moisturize. I've spent hundreds on products and for 97 cents, you can't beat this miracle product! Plus, ladies, wetting toilet paper and cleaning with it after a bowel mvmt. really helps with hemmoroids! Honest!

I would like to know the recipe for 20 mule team borox body wash.

Prepare a bath as directed on the epsom salt container. Do not use ANY soap, bubble bath, etc in this bath. Soak in it for a couple minutes. Then, using a washcloth, scrub the skin for a minute or so. Soak the area in the bath for 20 minutes. Towel dry. Do this daily or every other day.

I found this out accidentally and I was pleasantly surprised to see it had an effect on my rear-end acne. I've been trying to get rid of it for 2 months! Soap and exfoliators seemed to make matters so much worse. After the first two soaks, the skin appeared softer and no longer red and inflamed. The cyst like formations were going away! I've been doing this for a week now and my skin looks and feels so much nicer now. I still have a few bumps but I bet they will be gone in another week. I hope this works as well for others as it did for me!

Changing my diet cured my back acne after about 12 years of suffering. It was pretty bad, especially in winter, occasionally I had cysts on my back, and even two surgeries to remove them with nasty scars left, but I am a guy, and do not care much of the scars. I visited doctors, tried medications, and of course it didn't work well, because acne at an adult age is a sign of internal disorder, and it can not be cured by tablets or gels. Finally I went through a cleaning program by myself (colon and liver), stopped esting any artificial food, and also easy digested carbohydrates (bread, cookies, sugar, portatoes and so on), and my acne virtually disappered in some months. I have again it only if violate my diet.

Popular Low-Glycemic Diet Shows Promise as Acne Treatment

This study was reported at the Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Dermatology today.

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters Health) Mar 09 - Most patients with acne report an improvement in their condition when they follow the low-glycemic diet originating in Florida known as the South Beach diet, researchers reported here at the 67th Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD).

Panta Rouhani, PhD, with the University of Miami, and colleagues analyzed 41-item questionnaires completed by 2,528 patients who said that they were on the diet at the time they completed the survey and 467 who were not following the diet.

"Today, it is generally accepted by dermatologists that diet and acne are not related; however, this notion is based on only two primary references," the authors wrote in their poster presentation.

"Diet is a well-recognized factor in acute and chronic hyperinsulinemia," they added. "Recent evidence suggests that diet-induced hyperinsulinemia triggers a hormonal cascade, eliciting an endocrine response that simultaneously triggers unregulated epithelial growth and keratinization as well as androgen-mediated sebum secretion."

The South beach diet mimics the nutritional characteristics of diets found in non-Westernized populations known to be acne-free, they said. It is free of processed foods, cereal grains, dairy products, refined sugars, and refined oils and almost entirely comprised of unprocessed fresh fruits, vegetables, and lean meats, fish, and seafood.

Whether adherence to a low-glycemic diet can alter acne in Western populations is unknown.

In the study, patients with acne lesions (75.3%) were asked if any changes in their skin occurred and whether these changes were improvements in their acne.

Overall, 86.7% reported noted skin changes to be improvements (90.7% of those on acne treatment versus 81.7% of those untreated, p < 0.001).

Most (86.7%) noted these improvements within 3 months of starting the South Beach diet (58.0% of those on acne treatment versus 42.0% of those untreated, p = 0.34).

Of patients on conventional acne treatment, 91.0% either reduced the dose or amount of treatment they were using.

The investigators said that the improvement in acne after a low-glycemic diet suggests that lifestyle factors such as nutrition may indeed play a role in the pathogenesis of acne.

They added that future research is needed to further clarify the underlying pathophysiologic mechanism and independent roles of nutrition, weight loss, and exercise.