Dermatologist Christie Kidd says the order in which you clean yourself in the shower makes a big difference. Many of us use a deep conditioner, and as it sits on our hair, we do other things. We may think that is efficient, but it can be hurting us. If you wash your body and then rinse your hair, your deep conditioner could be leaving an oily residue or a film on your body. That can clog pores. Instead, Christie says you should shampoo and condition first, and wash your body last. You can also clip up your hair with a darby clip once it’s clean to be sure you are washing your back and shoulders. Dr. Kidd shared this info on Kendall Jenner‘s website, in her Skin Savvy section.
HollywoodLife.com reached out to Dr. Melissa Kanchanapoomi Levin, a board-certified NYC dermatologist and clinical instructor at Mount Sinai Icahn School of Medicine, who told us: “The chest and back have a higher concentration of hair follicles and sebaceous glands compared to other body areas. Therefore, in addition to having more hair follicles and oil glands, factors such as increased sweating, occlusion from clothing, repetitive rubbing and irritation from clothing, hair or body products that clog pores, and hormonal changes which can increase the amount of oil production can all worsen or cause acne on the chest.”
To combat bacne, she said: “I recommend wearing breathable fabrics, keep the hair tied up (if your hair is long), and washing the hair first and then rinsing the body to minimize any unintended residual hair products from staying on the skin. Wipe off the chest before and after working out to remove any excess sweat and dirt on the chest. I like to recommend keeping a pack of cleansing cloths such as Cetaphil Gentle Cleansing Cloths immediately before and after a work-out session; especially if you are unable to shower immediately afterwards.”
Dr. Levin also recommends these two treatments:
“Retinoids: While retinoids were previously only available through a prescription by your dermatologist, Differin Gel 0.1% adapalene recently became available over the counter. Differin Gel is well-tolerated and can easily be applied on the chest.
Salicylic acid wash: Salicylic acid is a common over the counter product that breaks up dead skin cells to clear out clogged pores. Importantly, salicylic acid is a lipid-loving acid and therefore, concentrates in pores since pores are connected to our oil glands. My favorites are: La Roche Posay Effaclar Medicated Gel Cleanser, Obagi Clenziderm MD Daily Care Foaming Cleanser, PCA Skin Blemish Control Bar (which I like for the body).”
HollywoodLifers, are you trying to get rid of bacne?