Whenever the last quarter of the year hits, the skin on my body starts acting up. My arms and legs start getting itchy with scaly skin and my back, chest and shoulders start breeding acne.
The reason for this? The oil glands on the back, chest and shoulders area are bigger than any part of our body.
The cooling weather causes the skin on the surface to dry up and clog the pores while oil production is still active underneath, producing more sebum with no way out causing the pressure to erupt into acne.
The dry areas? There are very little to zero oil glands on the extremities so the colder weather dries the necessary moisture, leaving you with crocodile skin that flakes, cracks and itches like crazy.
Body acne remedies
When you shower, wash with a body bar like VMV’s Id body bar with salicylic acid and very fine apricot grains for added exfoliation. This works by lightly peeling off the dead skin on the surface and penetrating deep down to treat acne-causing bacteria.
Use a Japanese towel or back scrub to get to hard-to-reach areas like the middle of your back.
Using it on legs and underarms actually helps prevent ingrown hairs from shaving and waxing. After a shower, pat dry affected areas and apply either an antibacterial gel like VMV Hypoallergenics Id Sweat Acne and Overall Antibacterial Monolaurin Gel or spray with Celeteque Acne Solutions Back Spray.
The back spray feels lighter and less sticky so it may be a better choice if you are going out and do not want clothes to stick.
Monolaurin gel is best if you are doing active sports during which sweating may go out of control.
The treatments come in handy when you wear cardigans and sweaters that don’t allow skin to breath, making acne eruptions worse.
Dry skin remedies
Switch to a shower gel like The Body Shop (TBS) or moisturizing body bar like Olay age-defying or moisturizing soap to prevent skin from drying out further.
After showering, spray or apply light oil like TBS Oil mist spray in Olive or Pomegranate, Johnson’s Baby Oil Lite or Neutrogena Lite sesame body oil to seal moisture in for the whole day.
Top stubbornly dry areas like elbows, knees and feet with body butter. Carry around hydrating spray or hand cream to reapply throughout the day.
Tip: Hydrating sprays are best if you handle a lot of items or work with your hands (bag, computer, medical instruments) and do not want these to be stained with grease or slipping off at crucial moments. They feel like silky water when sprayed on but they retain so much moisture (not oil) so that hands and arms will feel really comfortable throughout the day.
When sprayed on the face, skin feels hydrated and comfortable without making one look oily. Works great on chapped areas around lips and won’t cause breakouts around lip area, unlike very greasy balms.
Favorites: Neutrogena sesame line, Johnson’s Baby Oil Lite, The Body Shop Body Butters with matching shower gels, Celeteque Hydration Hydrolized moisturizing mist
E-mail the author at kinnyski@gmail.com