Comments on: Battling Bacne

By: Mike

Mike — Thu, 11 Oct 2012 19:08:36 +0000

I mean different things work for different people depending on their genetics…

By: Mike

Mike — Thu, 11 Oct 2012 19:07:18 +0000

Seems like alot of it is just genetic, maybe some things work better than others.

By: Richard Rivers

Richard Rivers — Wed, 30 Jun 2010 18:47:51 +0000

While calling them alpha-hydroxy and beta-hydroxy acids is technically correct, the specific ones which are (almost always) in these products are, respectively, glycolic acid and salicylic acid.

Glycolic acid is potentially dangerous if used incorrectly or at too high a potency. You want to shoot for a product that is around 30% glycolic acid by volume. More risks damage, less risks no significant effect. The pH of the solution ought to be around 2 or 2.5. Again, lower pH risks damage, higher pH risks no significant effect.

There’s actually a big difference between a pH of 2 and a pH of 2.5. The pH scale is logarithmic, so half-increments actually differ by a multiple of the square root of 10, which is about 3.2. So a pH of 2 is actually about 3.2 times more acidic than a pH of 2.5. A pH of 1 is 10 times more acidic than a pH of 2, about 32 times more acidic than a pH of 2.5, and 100 times more acidic than a pH of 3.

You may want to avoid salicylic acid, since it actually makes your skin more sensitive to sunlight. In extreme cases it can induce hyperpigmentation, which is not nearly as easy to get rid of as it is to cause. Pyrithione zinc, the main ingredient in most dandruff shampoos, works just as well and doesn’t cause photosensitivity. It’s actually a potent antiseptic, working equally well on bacteria and fungi. Some such shampoos also contain salicylic acid, but these days it’s more the exception than the rule. The leading brands do not.

A small minority of people are allergic to pyrithione zinc, so if you’ve never used it before, be sure to try a small amount on a test patch of skin and watch for swelling.

By: Giovanni

Giovanni — Thu, 10 Jun 2010 06:20:00 +0000

One thing that also would help to know is detoxification. We live in a toxic environment and cleaning our bodies from the inside out is also important. This includes juice fasting and water fasting. I did a 3 day water fast and literally saw my eyes sparkle and my skin clear up.
The first 3 days suck though – if you decide to thoroughly cleanse your body. Learn about that by searching on NaturalNews dot com.

I remember finding the solution to acne very quickly: Just be clean. This includes what your skin touches on daily basis and what you put into your body. You attitude is also a factor: having a bad temper or negative attitude makes a pretty toxic environment for your body. Notice how when you get stressed out you also get breakouts.

Anyway, if I sweated, I changed my clothes and showered. No fake shampoos or soaps. Only real stuff.

By: todd b

todd b — Wed, 12 May 2010 19:27:38 +0000

I’ve heard that excess protein can also cause acne and or bacne. Try to limit your protein intake and see if that helps.

By: Bill

Bill — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 18:39:30 +0000

Best and cheapest thing I’ve found is a mixture of witch hazel and tea tree oil applied after a shower. You can find all sorts of recipes, but I put a bottle of tea tree oil from Trader Joe’s (about $6) into a bottle of witch hazel from Target ( under $2). I put it in a spray bottle, give it a shake, and then spray it on my chest, back and shoulders. If I have any irritating breakouts, I put alittle tea tree oil directly on it.

By: Andrew Lambert

Andrew Lambert — Wed, 23 Dec 2009 16:50:51 +0000

Just adding to what has been written: I’m lactose intolerant and once I eliminated diary, the bacne cleared quick.

By: Bob SAget

Bob SAget — Sun, 08 Nov 2009 11:59:43 +0000

@ Chris Richardson -

Poor kid, how can he get any girl in that condition?

By: Chris Richardson

Chris Richardson — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 16:15:25 +0000

My workout partner is a doctor, and we have the opportunity to discuss the many unusual cases he sees everyday, and he told me about a young man who was admitted to the hospital with “bacne” so bad that it would have killed him if he had not been brought in. The sores on his back had become so infected that it had entered his blood stream and he was very sick. So this stuff can really get out of hand if you don’t keep it in check!

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 16:24:37 +0000

It sounds ridiculously simple, but I found that my bacne problem disappeared pretty much completely after simply drinking more water. Never underestimate the simple.