Rear View: How to Clear Your Bum Blemishes

We spend a lot of time talking about how to control acne on the face, the back, the chest, but there’s one area we haven’t addressed. We’re talking to you, derriere.

Come now, who among us has never had a bum breakout? It happens. This seems like the perfect time to talk about it; with spring in the air, swimsuits can’t be far behind. It’s time to put your backside front and center and give your bottom the respect it deserves.

In terms of how bum blemishes occur, it’s pretty much the same as what happens on your face. Pores get clogged by dead skin cells, and oil and follicles become impacted and inflamed. Because the skin on your bottom is mostly covered up, it can create an environment that makes breakouts more likely, especially if you are wearing non-breathable panties (ditch the nylon).

Fortunately, the skin on your bottom is pretty resilient. You can give it a sound scrubbing and not have to worry too much about disrupting the skin barrier or creating irritation. Here’s your plan for getting baby-smooth in time for swimsuit season.

Exfoliate

What’s good for the face is good for the bum. Use Mandelic Acid 3-In-1 Exfoliating Cleanser to slough away dead skin cells and spur the regeneration of new healthier cells. It’s antibacterial and anti-fungal, so it will help flush pores, clear impactions, and prevent future bumps from appearing. It’s also a melanin inhibitor and natural brightener, so if you have any dark or reddish marks left behind from previous pimples, it will work to fade those as well. Use it in the shower every morning.

Clarify

After you shower, while skin is still moist, swipe one of our Daily Repair Pads over your backside. The mix of acids—mandelic, salicylic, (both of which are antibacterial), and lactic—plus healing ingredients niacinamide and zinc peptides will clarify pores and kill acne bacteria while promoting healing and regeneration.

Target

For those resistant pimples that just don’t want to go away, try BP 10% Gel Medication. This is the one time we recommend spot treating. Use this concentrated acne fighter to rapidly to kill bacteria and strip the impaction from the follicle. Be careful not to get this on your towels or clothes as it can bleach fabrics.

You can also use a therapeutic Sulfur Clay Mask to draw out impurities and leave skin feeling exceptionally smooth and soft.

For constant folliculitis (the small red or white bumps associated with a bacterial, fungal, or yeast infection) or more severe breakouts, add an application of Clear Body Therapy to your regimen every third day. The concentrated vitamin A and lactic acid cream formula has a dramatic retexturizing effect that begins working immediately to pull impactions to the surface and slough them off.

A few more tips:

Get out of your workout clothes immediately after your workout and get into the shower to get rid of oil and sweat that can clog pores and breed bacteria.

Definitely do not pick at any blemishes. This just causes further irritation and potential scarring. Let your products do the work.

Wear breathable, cotton undies. Nylon and polyester can trap perspiration and lead to irritation and clogged pores.

And just like that, you’re on your way to a clear rear and a smooth sailing all summer long.