January 26, 2021 

“Periods of stress can lead to an increase in a stress hormone called cortisol, which in turn causes breakouts — and not necessarily on the face,” explains Allure. “Pandemic stress-induced acne, including the “maskne” caused by face coverings, have driven the skin-care discussion this year. But a more overlooked (perhaps because it’s quite literally unseen) rise in body acne seems to be occurring parallel to the new bumps on our faces.”

Body acne, especially on the back, is a common and frustrating experience. However, glycolic acid, the gentle chemical exfoliant, can help tame breakouts and stop future cases of back acne.

Similar to facial acne, back acne is most often a symptom of excess oil and dead skin cells clogging the pores.

Once pores become clogged, bacteria is primed to thrive and cause skin inflammation. This is followed up by the telltale whiteheads, blackheads, and cysts of back acne.

“Acne on the chest and back is called folliculitis, and it comes from pores that are clogged with oil, dead skin, or other debris, resulting in inflamed hair follicles that appear as small red bumps. Dermatitis, an irritation of the skin sometimes caused by clothing friction combined with sweat, can also lead to breakouts,” writes Leah Prinzivalli. 

The back in particular is also especially prone to acne because the back tends to contain more sebaceous glands, which produce the oily, potentially pore-clogging substance sebum.

Back acne is a common issue for so many consumers because a number of factors can irritate the skin and lead to breakouts.

To start, wearing sweaty workout clothing or itchy, tight-fighting clothing can irritate and inflame the skin and cause breakouts. Additionally, shampoos and conditioners left behind on the back after hair washing can also clog pores and lead to blemishes.

Another issue? Unfortunately, overcleansing the skin or scrubbing roughly at acne patches can also exacerbate back acne. This well-intentioned, but too-harsh approach ultimately triggers more inflammation and can even damage, rip, or tear the skin.

“Antibacterial soaps, astringents, and abrasive scrubs can worsen acne. Ditto for loofahs, back brushes, and buff puffs. For best results, you’ll want to use gentle, fragrance-free skincare products,” says the American Academy of Dermatology Association.

Despite all of the common, everyday triggers behind back acne, there is a simple solution to treating back acne: glycolic acid.

Glycolic acid is the perfect ingredient to treat body acne on the back because it is a superior chemical exfoliant.

Glycolic acid is able to quickly penetrate the skin cell, thanks to its small molecule size and weight. Then, by dissolving the glue that holds dead skin cells together, glycolic acid can easily sweep out debris from pores like dirt, excess sebum, and pore-clogging skin cells. 

“Glycolic acid is my favorite, gentle way to loosen up the outer dead skin cell layer that clogs up pores,” Jennifer MacGregor, MD, dermatologist, told Brydie. “The gentle chemical exfoliating agent allow the cells to come apart easier and just gently fall off, without too much irritation. In contrast, abrasive pastes scrape at the skin, cause irritation and don’t do much to truly dissolve the keratin and dead cells.”

Additionally, glycolic acid is key for treating back acne because it spurs skin cell turnover. This helps to create healthier, newer skin cells faster, which helps to control back acne breakouts.

“Glycolic acid stimulates cell turnover and renewal as well as collagen, elastin and fibroblast. It’s one of the most diverse AHAs and helps to clear old and bacteria from the pores,” Bianca Estelle, medical aesthetician, told Yahoo! News.

Back acne is a frustrating, embarrassing, and very common issue. Glycolic acid offers an effective, fast-acting solution to reducing back acne breakouts and helping to prevent future blemishes.

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