Is Your Conditioner Causing Bacne? Here’s How To Tell

Bacne is especially frustrating for girls because the goal is to have silky smooth, clear, and hairless skin. Lots of things can contribute to skin blemishes – everything from your body wash to the food you eat. But if you feel like you’ve put extra thought into your skin health and you’re still suffering from bacne, then it might be time to investigate your conditioner. 

Potential Causes of Bacne

Back acne, or bacne, is essentially caused when your pores get clogged by things like bacteria, sweat, oils, and dead skin cells. There could be a multitude of reasons for developing back acne. If your family has a history of acne, you could be more prone to it. Outside sources that contact your skin can lead to bacne, like sweat and certain skincare products. Poor hygiene, medication, hormone changes, and stress can also contribute to it. This is why it’s so important to keep yourself clean and to avoid products with toxic ingredients.

There are a few things you can do or be aware of that will help you avoid acne. When you break a sweat playing a sport or working out, it's essential that you clean off afterward to avoid letting the sweat sink into your pores. Also, keep a balanced diet and be aware of your hormonal changes to keep the acne controlled. Certain nutrient and vitamin deficiencies could be contributing to your acne, such as vitamins B and D, iron, zinc, selenium, and omega-3 fatty acids. 

With all that said, if you take good care of your skin and you still experience back acne, it might just be your conditioner. 

Conditioner-Causing Bacne

Conditioner is a hair product that is used to keep the hair soft, smooth, and to help prevent damage. As a result, the creamy and thick properties of the conditioner can also clog your pores. This is even more prevalent with leave-in conditioners. While it’s a good idea to use conditioners that support your hair type and help prevent breakage, keep in mind that the same products that are helping your hair can be an issue for your body. 

The creamy and thick properties of conditioner can also clog your pores.

Watch out for ingredients like shea butter, petroleum, and oils. Other potentially problematic conditioners contain silicones or are pomade-type conditioners. These ingredients aren’t necessarily comedogenic themselves, but they can “hold pore-clogging particles that ultimately lead to breakouts.” 

How To Treat Bacne

I'm not suggesting you sacrifice a good conditioner in order to avoid bacne. There are other options to help you with this. One option is to start your shower routine with washing and conditioning your hair. Get that out of the way first, and then wash your body to clean off your pores. If you leave your conditioner on for a while before rinsing, consider wearing a shower cap over your conditioned hair or clip up your hair. Then, when it’s time to rinse, flip your head over to do so. Make sure that washing your body is the last step of your shower routine so that you completely wash and rinse off any leftover product. 

If you’re having a bad bout of bacne, try an over-the-counter salicylic acid spray, Benzoyl peroxide, retinoid, or skin cleanser. These products work to kill the bacteria that clog your pores and lead to acne. 

Closing Thoughts

Acne, in general, is annoying and unflattering, so we try to prevent it as much as we can. Sometimes it’s just a part of life when we experience change and stress, but there are ways to prevent it or minimize it. Conditioning your hair might not be your first thought as to why you have back acne, but it turns out that it could be the culprit. Fortunately, it’s a pretty simple fix!

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