25 Ways to Get Rid Of Chest Acne

Acne. When we talk about acne, we immediately assume that it’s the acne that appears on our face. Unfortunately, acne has more than one favorite places to appear, such as the chest.

If you don’t know this already:

Acne is basically clogged pores or in other words, sebum that’s stuck in the pores. And even though this usually happens on the nose, chin, or forehead areas, we have pores all over our bodies.

So acne can literally appear everywhere!

One of the more common places for acne to appear on the body is the chest.

This can happen because of many different reasons.

But, it doesn’t mean you have to suffer because of it!

In this post, I will explain to you how to get rid of chest acne as well as reasons why this might be happening to you.

Through this, you will gain some insight and be able to figure out the cause. And of course, knowing the cause is the first step towards finding relief from the annoying appearance of acne.

What Causes Chest Acne?

Chest acne is most commonly caused by one of the following culprits:

• Hormonal imbalances
• Perfumes, lotions or detergents that contain perfumes
• Sweating through your clothes when working out
• Dehydration
• Prolonged sun exposure
• Overly dry skin
• Greasy and oily lotions or moisturizers
• Foods high in sugar or simple carbs

As you can see, there can be many different reasons why acne starts appearing on your chest. So how do you get rid of chest acne? Well, there can be many solutions to this problem.

Find out the best 25 ways to get rid of chest acne below!

1. Wear loose clothes

Your skin needs space to breathe!

Remember this and adjust your clothing choices. If you have problems with chest acne, forget about nylon, wool, and similar irritating and tight clothes. Instead, try to wear clothes that allow your chest to breathe.

One of the best options for this is wearing looser clothes made of cotton. Like this, your skin can breathe, and it won’t be irritated.

2. Drink more water

No matter if it’s chest or face acne, more water is the first golden rule!

Water flushes out toxins and bad bacteria from your body. So, instead of waiting for this dirt to pop out in the shape of a pimple, hydrate yourself and drink at 8 glasses of water per day.

An additional bonus tip – add some lemon or cucumbers in your water in order to feel a better detoxifying effect.

3. Regular Showers

This is another very important point – especially in the summer months when we are sweating, and all the dirt and pollution sticks to our skin. Showering once a day, every day is a must!

When you shower before going to bed, for example, you remove all the dirt accumulated on your skin throughout the day. This will prevent clogged pores, thus diminish the chances of an acne breakout.

For the best results, never use hot water but rather lukewarm water. And at the end of your shower, be courageous and rinse your body with cold water for a couple of seconds.

This will not only improve circulation but also close the pores so that there are fewer chances of dirt particles entering your skin.

4. Switch to non-comedogenic moisturizers

When you use a heavy and oily lotion to moisturize your body, it can get stuck in your pores. Like this, the moisturizer itself can be the main culprit for your acne breakout.

If you think that this might be the problem, switch to a non-comedogenic and lighter lotion or milk. Use water-based moisturizers instead of oil-based and make sure that they don’t make your skin oily but instead, they get absorbed and leave only this beautiful, soft feeling on your skin.

5. Use exfoliators

Exfoliation is also an important step if you are wondering how to get rid of chest acne. You probably know that we are all constantly shedding dead skin cells and our skin is renewed. Well, why not speed up this process a bit?

Our bodies are not always perfect, so we need to give a helping hand once in a while. Dead skin cells can sometimes get stuck in your pores which combined with the dirt and sebum can cause what we know as acne.

If you wish to get rid of chest acne, find a gentle exfoliator and use it at least once a week.

Of course, avoid exfoliation altogether if you have open-wound acne on your chest!

And finally, even though exfoliation is an important step in your way towards a clearer skin, don’t over exaggerate and don’t be too rough with your skin. Otherwise, you might cause even more irritation and pimples since acne exfoliation can be a bit tricky!

6. Change your laundry detergents

If you cannot find a good reason why you suddenly started noticing acne on your chest, then look in your laundry room, and you might have the answer right there – in front of your eyes.

It is very common that the skin can be overly sensitive to certain detergents or washing powders, especially if they contain artificial perfumes and fragrances. Yes, of course, your clothes will smell nice, but there are better and safer options for your skin out there.

Do a test run and try to switch to a milder detergent in order to see if your acne condition has improved. If it has, then your skin is definitely sensitive to laundry detergents, and now you will know what to use the next time!

7. Start using an anti-acne body wash

If none of the above helped you get rid of your chest acne, try using a body wash which is specially formulated to treat acne-infected skin.

Such lotions will most likely contain salicylic acid which will control the sebum production and dry out your skin in order to reduce acne.

When it comes to acne-fighting products, you might need to do some tests and experiments until you find the products that work for you.

8. Shower after the gym

You’d be surprised how many people forget the importance of a shower right after working out!

Especially if you are working out in a gym where everyone sweats!

Your skin doesn’t need long to get clogged and form acne. So, to avoid this as much as possible, shower right after your gym session. And the same goes for each type of physical activity.

Even if it’s just some garden work – when it’s hot, and you are sweating, a shower is a must!

You should quickly see an improvement in your chest acne.

​9. Eat better food 

And of course, I have to mention the food choices we all make daily.

It’s not just about chest acne, and it’s not even about acne in general. Eating a balanced and healthy diet can improve every organ in your body (including your skin as your biggest organ)!

How to get rid of chest acne?

Eat more vegetables, fruits, complex carbs, lean protein, etc. Make sure that your whole body is as healthy as possible. Trust me, the acne will go away on their own when you bring balance back to your body.

Next time, instead of ordering a takeout burger, order or make yourself a nice and rich salad. It will be just as delicious!

10. Differentiate summer versus winter products

If you only get chest acne in the summer, you might want to consider replacing your winter products with summer ones.

Forget your thick and greasy moisturizer and instead purchase a lighter one that’s water-based.

Also, forget about the heavy perfume you always apply on your chest during summer. As a replacement, you could either avoid putting any perfume on your chest whatsoever or use a lighter body spray.

In the summer months, your skin is never is dry as in winter because it gets hydrated naturally from the perspiration and the hot weather, so you really don’t need thick creams and lotions.

The same goes with any makeup you might be applying on your chest.

Give it a rest!

Trying to hide your chest acne with makeup might seem like a good idea, but it will prove worse in the long run.

11. Topical spot-on treatments

Some spot treatments for pimples and acne can be a great way to get rid of chest pimples.

Salicylic acid and benzoyl peroxide spot treatments are both very good for acne because they dry them out and suck all the dirt that’s clogged in there.

Some of these products can be bought over the counter, while for others you might need to visit a dermatologist. For example, products containing retinol might need a prescription.

And this is for a good reason – some of these products can be too harsh for certain skin types, so always start with a smaller dose and gradually bring it up if it doesn’t irritate or harm your skin.

12. Never pick on your chest acne

The same rule applies for any acne, but your chest and back are two areas which are especially prone to marks and scarring, so avoid popping pimples there no matter what!

Chest acne is a common appearance and nothing you should be ashamed of. If it bothers you so much for a special occasion, try putting a bit of light, water-based and non-comedogenic foundation.

13. Regularly change your sponge and exfoliating glove

Wet and warm places are the perfect environment for bacteria to grow and multiply. Such “places” are your sponge and your exfoliation glove.

Replace these with new once every 1 or 2 months, so that you avoid showering with even more bacteria!

The same goes for your pillow cases, blankets, and any other thing that touches your skin!

14. After-beach routine

The same as going to the gym, going to the beach also needs a shower as soon as possible.

During the summer days, especially when you are at the beach, you sweat a lot and your glands produce more sebum and oils, which in return results in acne. Plus, add the dirt and the sand that sticks to your body, as well as the sunscreen, and you get an inflamed pimple.

For this reason, it’s important to shower immediately after you come back from the gym. When you rinse out all the dirt and sweat from your skin before they enter your pores, you decrease the chances of getting acne.

15. Reduce stress

Just like with regular facial acne, stress is a huge factor for chest acne as well. In fact, it can worsen acne no matter where they are on your body.

In order to get rid of chest acne, try to lower the stress in your life as much as possible. And yes, I know this is not always so easy, but there definitely are ways.

For example, try to stay away from conflicts and stressful situations or start with some calming and relaxing type of exercises such as yoga or meditation.

Different things work best for different people, so try out some stress-releasing techniques and find out what works best for you personally!

16. Don’t over-dry your chest skin

Sometimes, in an attempt to get rid of acne, you might make the mistake of over-drying your skin and thus cause more acne.

Even though it’s true that you are supposed to dry out acne with some products, you are not supposed to make it overly dry or otherwise, your acne situation might worsen.

When your skin is too dry, you are basically causing the opposite effect. As soon as your skin becomes too dry, your body will produce extra sebum to moisturize your skin. And extra sebum is the last thing we need when we suffer from acne.

For this reason, no matter what product you use, whether that’s exfoliators, salicylic acid, even acne body washes, don’t overdo it!

17. Check for allergies

Sometimes, especially when acne appears on your chest suddenly and without any obvious cause, you might actually have allergies to something. This can be practically any cosmetic product you have recently started using such as lotions, perfumes, washing detergents, soaps, etc.

So, how to get rid of chest acne caused by allergies?

Start removing products from your daily routine slowly and one by one, so that you can figure out which product causes your chest acne breakouts.

18. Unwashed clothes or bedding

Acne on your chest can sometimes appear simply because of bad hygiene. Make sure that your clothes, towels, pajamas, and bedding sheets and blankets are washed regularly.

Clothes, bedding, and towels all have bacteria and dead skin cells on them. Even if they don’t smell bad, you still need to wash all of these things regularly to destroy the bacteria and remove the dirt that accumulates on them.

19. Sea salt water

Sea salt water is an incredible cure for chest acne. It opens the pores, kills the bacteria that’s build up in your pores, and acts as a gentle exfoliator to remove all the excess dead skin cells from the surface of your skin.

To prepare this magical cure, all you need to do is soak a towel in water and sea salt and place it on the affected area on your chest. Let it dry and then repeat the process a couple of times. If possible, even stay overnight like this so that you let the sea salt get absorbed and do its magic!

Of course, you will probably need to do this daily, a few days in a row to see visible results. But trust me, it will be worth it!

20. Calamine lotion

Used for ages, Calamine is one of the safest topical lotions with the greatest medical benefit. Aside from being used to treat skin irritations and insect bites, Calamine lotion can also be used as a cure for chest acne.

And that’s not all!

Calamine is also famous for its scar-reducing properties. So, this feature of Calamine can help you fade away those annoying acne marks, blemishes, and redness that don’t seem to go away!

21. Tea Tree oil

Probably one of the most well-known acne cures is tea tree oil.

This is a powerful yet natural solution to your chest acne problem!

Just use tea tree oil as a spot treatment directly on each acne or use it diluted and smear it all over the affected areas.

There are also many anti-acne products out there that contain tea tree oil as their main ingredient. So find the one suitable for you and use it regularly for the best results.

22. Lemon

Lemon is also one of the best natural anti-acne treatments! The acidity of lemons has the ability to decompose and suck out all the impurities from within your pores and prevent further clogging and acne.

When you use lemon juice on your chest, the best is to cut one lemon in half and rub the affected area with it. Then, leave the lemon juice on for some hours before washing it off to give it more time to work on your acne.

Do this a couple of times per week, and you will soon start to see incredible improvements.

23. Cooked Oatmeal

How to get rid of chest acne? Slap that breakfast all over them!

Oatmeal is yet another incredible homemade cure for acne which produces amazing results if used regularly!

Its anti-inflammatory properties and its ability to absorb oil from your skin are what makes this breakfast favorite also an acne favorite!

In order to prepare this oatmeal paste for your chest acne, boil some oatmeal and add some lemon and honey. Once your oatmeal is done and it gets a thick and smooth consistency, rub it all over the acne-affected chest area and leave it there to dry.

When it’s dry, wash it off with lukewarm water. The next day, repeat the process. Do this regularly, and you will see a visible decrease of acne on your chest.

24. Garlic

This powerful vegetable is not just good for our immune system and overall health but also for treating chest acne (and any other type of acne for that matter)!

Garlic contains a compound called Allicin which can kill the bacteria that are present in acne pimples and repair your skin tissue. In this way, you will treat your existing chest acne as well as fade all the marks left on your skin from any previous acne.

Plus, garlic has anti-inflammatory properties which will soften the irritation and reduce the acne redness.

You can cut a garlic clove in half and rub it on the affected areas, or you can crush the garlic into a paste and apply it in this form. Leave it on for 15 or 20 minutes and then rinse well.

25. Finally, visit a Dermatologist

If none of the things I have mentioned in this list helps you get rid of your chest acne, then a visit to the dermatologist is in order!

Sometimes, what we think is acne might turn out to be another condition that has different treatment options, so you need to visit your dermatologist as soon as possible!

If you have tried all the safe options and still did not see results, do not reach to stronger medication such as antibiotics on your own, especially since you do not know the root of the problem.

For example, if the problem is hormonal, then topical cures might not do anything for you. That’s why the dermatologist is always the first step before doing something you’ll regret later.

Conclusion

I really hope you found this article to be helpful and that you were able to incorporate some of my tips into your daily routine. If so, congratulations on being one step closer to having a clear skin!

When it comes to chest acne, none of us are really sure why they appear, what caused them, and how to treat them.

However, I tried to give you a couple of possible causes as well as a list of incredible treatments that will answer your question “how to get rid of chest acne once and for all”!

And finally, my last advice would be to wear anything you feel like wearing, regardless of your acne, scars, or any other beautiful imperfection you might have!