How to Treat and Prevent Body Blemishes

In this article:
What are body blemishes?
What causes body blemishes?
How to get rid of body blemishes
Body blemish skin care routine
What to avoid when you have body blemishes
How to prevent body blemishes

Blemishes can be frustrating enough on your face, but some people also deal with breakouts on their body—with the neck, chest and back often being hit the hardest. Even worse is that body blemishes tends to be stubborn, hanging around much longer than you’d prefer due to their varying causes.

But body blemishes aren't uncommon. It’s estimated that up to 85% of the population globally will experience body breakouts at least once in their lifetime (1). If you sit within this 85%, fear not. There are research-proven ways to control body blemishes based in practice (consistency counts!) and education.

Stay with us as we walk through body blemish causes, treatment and prevention so you can achieve smooth, clear skin from your head to your toes.

What are body blemishes

Body blemishes, just like face blemishes, are the result of an inflammatory skin disorder. It is also known as truncal blemishes because it occurs primarily on the trunk, or torso, of the body (2). It can even happen on the legs–in fact, breakouts can appear almost anywhere on the body! Truncal blemishes can be broken down into additional types of blemishes, including chest blemishes, arm blemishes and back blemishes.

While some of the root causes of body blemishes are the same as those for face breakouts, there are some unique distinctions between the two, primarily because of the differences in how the environment affects your skin plus physiological differences that occur between the face and body.

What causes body blemishes?

Body blemish causes are often the same as those behind face breakouts. An overproduction of sebum, a natural substance and a component of skin's oil, (caused by sebaceous glands) mixes with dead skin cells and debris within pores, creating the perfect breeding ground for Cutibacterium acnes (the bacteria whose over proliferation causes blemishes). The number of sebaceous glands varies on the body, with the most located on the chin, scalp, forehead and mid-back (fun fact: there are none on the palms or soles of the feet).

Unique to body blemishes is the fact that the stratum corneum (skin’s outermost layer) in the torso is thicker than that on the face, but sheds slower, leading to a buildup of keratin, a protein that makes up body hair and part of skin’s structure (3). This buildup results in more clogged pores and a greater risk of breakouts.

Friction from clothing (in what is known as mechanical blemishes), when combined with sweat, heat and occlusion from fabrics can cause body blemishes as it might lead to sebaceous duct blockages that cause breakouts (4). “Truncal blemishes are exacerbated by the fact that occlusion and sweat increase during workouts and that the back and chest are easy areas to ignore during cleaning because they aren’t as apparent as the face,” adds board-certified dermatologist Dr. Corey L. Hartman.

One important note: some body blemishes, most notably butt blemishes, aren't breakouts at all, but a form of folliculitis (inflammation of hair follicles). Confusingly, folliculitis can look and even feel like regular body blemishes but must be treated differently.

How to get rid of body blemishes

When it comes to treating body blemishes with anti-blemish skin care, the same ingredients that are proven to be effective for the face also work on the body. Here are the basics, including best products and ingredients, when it comes to body blemish treatment:

• Cleanse skin gently. A gentle body wash is the first step toward improving skin. When we say gentle, we mean free of irritating fragrance or sensitising ingredients that cause additional inflammation, meaning more breakouts. Also avoid bar cleansers, as the ingredients that help maintain their solid form can clog pores.
• Incorporate a salicylic acid exfoliant (also known as beta hydroxy acid or BHA) into your routine. A well-formulated, leave-on BHA exfoliant works within pores to unclog and balance oil flow, plus reduce redness (all of which can send body blemishes on their way faster than you’d expect).
• Use the gold standard blemish-fighting ingredient benzoyl peroxide. Benzoyl peroxide is an extremely effective anti-blemish ingredient because it targets and eliminates the bacteria responsible for blemishes (5).
• Use sunscreen! Studies have found that exposure to solar radiation can trigger or worsen breakouts (6). Protecting exposed body skin every day with a sunscreen is a must for keeping skin healthy.

Body blemish skin care routine

The above advice about how to best manage and get rid of body blemishes might seem overwhelming, so we broke it down into easy-to-understand sample routines. Here are examples of what research-based, anti-blemish body care routines might look like:

Daytime body blemish routine:

1. Cleanse skin with a fragrance-free, irritant-free blemish body wash. You may choose to use a face wash for blemish-prone skin on areas of your body that are especially prone to breakouts.
2. Exfoliate skin with a salicylic acid exfoliating body spray that works from all angles, so you can hit even the hardest to reach spots.
3. Spot treat breakout areas with a 2.5% benzoyl peroxide treatment.
4. Apply a body sunscreen to every part of your body that will be exposed to sunlight throughout the day.

Nighttime body blemish routine:

1. Wipe breakout-prone areas of skin down with exfoliating toner pads pre-soaked with BHA.
2. If your body blemishes are particularly stubborn, spot treat with a a 5% benzoyl peroxide treatment. But make sure skin's dry before putting on clothing or risk bleaching the clothes.
3. Finish up with a body care product for blemish-prone skin. You might want to consider a pore normalising niacinamide body serum or a retinol body lotion that will help improve skin’s cell turnover.

One last note: if your body blemishes result in red or dark spots on skin, also known as post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation (or PIH), be sure to explore our guide on how to get rid of post-blemish marks.

What to avoid when you have body blemishes

Beyond the skin care basics for body blemishes, here are some basic tips and lifestyle tweaks to help deter body breakouts:

• Thoroughly rinse out hair conditioner: Many conditioners have emollient formulas that, if not rinsed thoroughly, can cause clogged pores on the back, neck and chest. Be sure to rinse conditioner out well and wash any residue from skin by cleansing your body as the last step in your shower routine.
• Shower or wipe down after a workout or other sweat-inducing physical activity. As mentioned above, sweat on skin’s surface mixed with oil and skintight workout clothes creates an ideal environment for breakouts. If possible, shower as soon as possible after these activities or at the very least, wipe down your body with fragrance-free, cleansing or exfoliating body wipes.
• Don’t scrub body blemishes with a harsh scrub or loofah. You can’t scrub breakouts away. The abrasive action of these mechanical products works to damage skin's barrier, leading to increased inflammation that can make existing breakouts worse.
• Don't use coconut oil for body blemishes. Coconut oil is a wonderful natural emollient and even has mild antimicrobial benefits. While sometimes promoted as a body blemish treatment, unfortunately its naturally occlusive properties can lead to clogged pores and an increase in body breakouts (7).

How to prevent body blemishes

Preventing body blemishes might seem challenging, but there are several steps you can take that will improve your odds in fighting off breakouts. To prevent body blemishes, you can:

• Wear loose, breathable clothing during workouts or other physical activity. The mechanical breakouts we mentioned earlier can be helped by avoiding the friction that’s often the culprit for body breakouts by wearing clothing that doesn’t cling to skin, trapping sweat and moisture. On top of this, seek out clothing made of breathable, natural fibers.
• Pulling back longer hair when the back or shoulders are exposed. It can be difficult to avoid irritating fragrance or heavy, occlusive textures in hair styling products, so to minimise their contact with skin, tie hair up if there’s a chance it will be sitting on exposed skin for an extended period of time.
• Choose gentle skin care products. We mentioned earlier that your cleanser should be free of harsh, sensitising ingredients, but that holds true for every other step of your skin care routine, from toners and treatments to moisturisers and sunscreens. Every step must be gentle!
• Analyse your diet. Studies have found that for some people, dairy products and foods that rapidly raise blood sugar (i.e., they have a high glycemic index) increase the risk of developing blemishes (8, 9).
• Consider adding active ingredients such as retinoids, niacinamide or azelaic acid to your skin care routine. We mentioned above that retinoids help improve cell turnover and that niacinamide benefits pore function. Azelaic acid is good because it has mild exfoliating properties and helps alleviate redness (often associated with body breakouts).

By following the tips above and avoiding the habits that only make breakouts worse, you’ll be on your way to clear, smooth, even-toned skin you’ll want to show off on the front and back of you!

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References for this information:

1. Dermatology Times, December 2022, ePublication
2. Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology & Venereology, October 2020, pages 2,241-2,246
3. Journal of Dermatological Science and Cosmetic Technology, May 2025, ePublication
4. International Journal of Exercise Science, February 2022, ePublication
5. Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, March 2022, pages 403-409
6. Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, June 2023, pages 1,919-1,928
7. Indian Journal of Dermatology, Venereology and Leprology, November 2024, pages 1-3
8. Nutrition and Acne Vulgaris, pages 31-37, Esraa M. AlEdani, Howard I. Maibach, Editors, April 2025
9. Journal of the American Academy of Dermatologists International, June 2022, pages 95-112