Okay, so here goes. This is my as yet UNTESTED combination plan for getting rid of bacne, based on the methods pinched from other posts on this site.

I’ve scoured this site many times looking for solutions for this dreaded bacne, and I’ve noticed some positive results, if a little varied. Perhaps it was my lack of commitment to the suggested regimens, not allowing enough time to see full effects, or perhaps they simply didn’t work for me as well as they have for others. These different methods I have tried are:

Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV)/Tea Tree Oil (TTO) – mix together, apply, leave for 15 minutes, rinse off
ACV/TTO – after shower, apply and leave on
ACV/TTO/water – after shower, apply and leave on (1:1 ratio ACV/water, i.e. 50% each and a couple drops TTO)
Head and Shoulders for Men (I’ve since read on this site that H&S Classic is the one to go for) – wash with and rinse
Head and Shoulders for Men – wash with, rinse, reapply and leave on
Lemon juice – leave on for ten minutes, rinse in shower
Lemon juice – leave on
Neutrogena body clear body wash – err… just use it
Panoxyl – as directed
Aloe vera gel – can’t remember . . . this was a long time ago. Think it was just apply after shower and leave on.
2 teaspoons of ACV in water, drank 3 times a day
Take Zinc supplements
Generally drink loads of water
Bicarbonate of Soda (called Baking Soda in the U.S. – I think)

So, I had a brainwave yesterday. Probably not the biggest brainwave in the world, but it was one that hit my small brain nonetheless. Why not combine the things that work the best and do them at the same time and see what happens?

The truth is, I’m lazy. I yearn for a ‘normal’ life where I don’t have to mess around with my skin. I want results without worrying about what greasy food I eat, or how much I drink or smoke. As hassle free as possible. I generally lack the discipline of a proper regimen. Perhaps this is why I don’t stick to some of the suggestions I’ve read, or even attempted the others. And this is the reason why I haven’t tried Dan’s bacne regimen – which, judging from the feedback from other posters, works really well. But I don’t want to have to wear a white T-shirt everyday and sleep in a bed with white sheets because the peroxide will bleach my clothes. That’s too much hassle for me – I’m lazy. Similarly, I read on another post that Epsom salt baths work wonders – but I don’t want to bathe every morning, I want to shower. That’s too much hassle for me – I’m lazy. Is there a pattern emerging here?

So, I’m trying a regimen in order to nuke my bacne as fast and as successfully as possible, without the hassle of changing my life too much. I’m combining the several approaches that don’t take long to do, and I’m going to post updates here so those who are interested can see how it goes.

Here is my plan – remember, it’s not a recommendation yet, it’s still just a theory.
Regimen preparation: mix ACV and water in a spray mist bottle, 50:50. Add a couple of drops of TTO. This bottle of solution should last a while and not mess with my daily routine too much.

Morning –
Mix some Bicarbonate of Soda/Baking Soda with some H&S Classic and a drop of water and put to one side. This takes like 30 seconds, and therefore doesn’t mess with my day.
In shower, gently wash with H&S classic on a body puff and rinse
Still in shower, apply the H&S/Bicarb/Water mix with hands. Give it a bit of a gentle wash and leave on while I take care of washing hair etc.
Rinse. Shower shouldn’t take any longer than usual…
Pat dry – would’ve done this anyway!
Spray on ACV/water/TTO solution – takes no time at all. If I’m feeling I need to get a shirt on asap, I can always rub it in until dry and wash my hands. . . still no real time delay.
So I’ve added about a minute to my daily routine so far. Not bad.

Make up a litre bottle of orange cordial/squash (sorry, I don’t know what you call this in the states – it’s that orange drink you dilute with water and drink). Add 6 teaspoons of ACV. Drink throughout day, whenever I can. Would’ve drank this orange drink anyway, so still not messing with my day.

Take a Zinc supplement with one of my meals.

Evening
Bicarb mixed with a bit of water. Gentle wash, rinse.
ACV solution spray.
Bed.

Added about 2 minutes to my normal daily routine. I’ll let you know how it goes, thanks for being patient with reading this far. Hope you understand where I’m coming from with this “hassle” business I keep harping on about. Hope all of you are well, and good luck with your own plans for clearing up your body acne.

Be well,
Down in Albion

FIRST UPDATE - day 2

Something's working...

• When I started I had maybe 10-12 'active' pimples on my back and a whole bunch of red marks. Now it's just the red marks - still a little bumpy, but no discomfort or associated acne pain.
• Back looks clearer and is definitely less 'angry'. Might be my imagination, but red marks are looking less red too... More a light pink.
• Back feels so much cleaner too. You know how you just feel grubby and too warm when your bacne is bad and your back is greasy? None of that.
• No pain or accidental popping of spots when moving. Back feels like a 'normal' back.
• So far, no overdrying, redness, pain, flakiness or fresh outbreaks.

I'll keep you updated, if anyone's reading!

Cheers,
Down in Albion.

hey thats awesome - this is working for you!!

for the evening you use a acv solution spray and don't wash it off? are you tired of the vineger smell yet? haha i know i would be like 'gosh be gone already'!!

Hey, it's the pretty girl from yesterday!

For both the evening and the morning, I spray the ACV/water/TTO mixture and leave it on. And don't worry, because it's watered down and it's got a hint of TTO in it, the ACV doesn't smell bad at all. It's on my back, remember, not my face, which probably lessens it for me. Also nobody knows I have it on (if they did, they'd know not to say anything), but I've never had anybody say anything along the lines of "what's that smell?"/"who's preparing a salad dressing?" when they're with me.

Makes the bathroom smell a bit. But it's a bathroom, it could smell of worse. It's like every bathroom trip though - be sure to wash your hands!

Cheers,
Down in Albion.

SECOND UPDATE - Day 4

This is still working, so far...

• Back still feels clean and is not sore/too dry/annoying/itchy etc etc...
• Back is much smoother - there are a still a few bumps here and there, but there are definitely less. The bigger ones I have had are starting to drop down in size.
• Had one fresh tiny spot in that annoying part of my back that's difficult to reach. Other than that, it's all good and does look and feel a lot fresher. Keep waking up without a greasy back, which is obviously great.
• I think this improvement is to do with the external stuff I'm doing to my back, i.e. the bicarb, H&S and ACV/TTO/water mix and not ingesting the ACV - I had a really bizarre 12 spot outbreak round my mouth and nose today, out of nowhere. That kind of takes the piss! Therefore I think it's the cleaning regime that is working, not the drinking. Need to sort my face out now, which is a bummer.

Oh and I took the advice of a couple of people on this site and am now rinsing with cold water.

Hope this helps someone.

Cheers,
Down in Albion

THIRD UPDATE - Day 7

Up and down weekend...

Had a heavy night Friday night with booze/cigarettes/fizzy drinks and a hangover. This was the first real test to see if anything was being particularly "cured" or whatever, or if this pseudo-regimen was just masking something until I unleashed hell on my system. Plus I washed late on Saturday afternoon due to terrible hangover, which also didn't help.

• Fresh bacne on Sunday - maybe three or four in the morning
• By Sunday afternoon, there was maybe 10 small spots
• Today (Monday), things have calmed down again to an extent, but spots are still there.

I'm bored of this, I hate my back having to pay for a great night and depress me a couple of days later. I'm not into this walking on eggshells business, I hate compromising my lifestyle for my skin. There's my little whinge. I'm sorry to anyone reading but this is really annoying me.

Cheers.

I think it's important for the onlookers, to note that mixing of different regimens and chemicals can damage the skin, possibly irreversibly.

Your regimen however, applying acv and lemon juice, which probably are pretty similar in acidity, doesn't seem to be or would cause a problem.

It's good to see it has worked for you. Maybe it's my misunderstanding, but bacne seems to be mostly caused by bacteria. Panoxyl or Head and Shoulders seem to be doing people some fine justice.