How to prevent body acne from sweating

Can sweat cause body acne?

Sweat alone is not the whole explanation. Sweat mixes with oils and bacteria on your skin and can contribute to clogged pores, especially if your skin is prone to acne. Heat, oil, bacteria and friction work together to clog pores, making sweat pimples a group effort with no useful participants. Breakouts can happen throughout the year, not just in summer.24

How do you prevent sweat pimples?

1. 1Before exercising, put on clean, loose workout clothes and wipe down exercise equipment.
2. 2During exercise, blot sweat with a clean towel. Avoid rubbing, which can irritate skin and trigger breakouts.
3. 3After exercising, remove sweaty clothes and shower as soon as possible. If a shower is unavailable, gently clean sweaty skin with an oil free cleansing wipe and change clothes anyway.
4. 4Afterward, wash workout clothes and used towels before reusing them. Change bedsheets regularly, about every couple of weeks, to reduce accumulated sweat, oil and dirt.

Should you shower after sweating to prevent acne?

Yes. Shower after a workout or an extended period outside, rather than waiting until bedtime in sweaty clothing. Use warm rather than very hot water and a gentle, fragrance free body wash. If you shower several times a day, use ordinary soap or body wash only once to limit drying. Sensitive or eczema prone skin needs less soap: focus it on the face, armpits and groin rather than automatically soaping your whole body.45

What clothes help prevent body acne?

Choose loose cotton or sweat wicking workout clothes rather than tight clothing that rubs. Change tops when they become sweaty. Friction can worsen back acne, so a backpack can be an unexpectedly committed workout partner. A handheld bag avoids rubbing your back. For excessive sweating outside workouts, loose clothing is also useful; avoid tight clothes and synthetic fabrics such as nylon.167

Keep skincare light and cleansing gentle

Thick moisturizers can add to pore clogging in hot weather, so more layers are not automatically more skincare. Choose lighter moisturizers and noncomedogenic sunscreen instead of dropping sunscreen. For exposed skin, use broad spectrum, water resistant sunscreen with SPF 30 or higher. Avoid abrasive scrubs, loofahs, back brushes and harsh antibacterial soaps: irritation can worsen acne. Do not pick or squeeze spots, because picking can cause scars.134

What if you already have body acne?

Mild back acne can respond to treatment applied to the skin. A pharmacist can help you choose benzoyl peroxide or salicylic acid. For back acne, a daily benzoyl peroxide foaming wash works best when left on for two to five minutes before rinsing. A 5.3% wash is less likely to cause dryness, irritation or peeling than stronger options. Benzoyl peroxide can bleach fabrics. Treatment can start showing results in six to eight weeks; complete clearing can take three to four months.136

When should you get medical help?

Not every bump after sweating is acne. Heat rash causes a prickly, burning itch; folliculitis, an infection of hair follicles, can look like pimples but tends to be itchy and tender. Get medical help for worsening or persistent bumps, deep painful spots, scarring, or hot, swollen skin. See a dermatologist if acne treatment makes no difference after six to eight weeks.1234

Sweating during exercise is normal. If you sweat when your body does not need cooling, speak to a pharmacist about excessive sweating. See a doctor if sweating disrupts daily activities, happens at night, or occurs while you take medicine for another condition.7