How I Cleared My Bacne In 30 Days: My Daily Routine

For years, I avoided backless dresses and felt anxious about spending a whole day at the beach with my back exposed. Even though I knew there was nothing to be ashamed of, I couldn’t accept my bacne and constantly looked for ways to fix it. I tried countless products over the years but never stuck to a routine long enough to see real change.

Three months ago, with summer approaching, I decided to get serious. I created a consistent routine using products that target the root causes of bacne—and within just 30 days, my skin looked completely different. If you’re struggling with the same thing, I hope my routine can help you too. Here's exactly what I did

Understanding Bacne: Why It Happens

For me, the main cause of bacne seemed to be stress. Whenever I experienced a stressful situation, I would start to feel tiny bumps developing on my back. I now know that those small bumps often turn into big, painful pimples later on. And once they appeared, they were incredibly persistent and just wouldn’t go away. Other common causes of bacne include sweat—especially when left on the skin after a workout—hormonal fluctuations, and tight clothing. I knew I had to break the cycle somehow, and eventually, I discovered products that target bacne at the root.

Ingredients That Work For My Skin

First up, it’s important to find products that kill acne-causing bacteria (Cutibacterium acnes) at the root. The first ingredient that works for me is salicylic acid, also known as BHA. Salicylic acid is a beta-hydroxy acid that penetrates deep into the pores to dissolve excess oil, unclog buildup, and reduce inflammation, making it highly effective for treating acne.

Second, I use products containing benzoyl peroxide. Benzoyl peroxide kills acne-causing bacteria, reduces inflammation, and helps clear clogged pores, making it effective for both inflammatory and non-inflammatory acne.

The last—and most powerful—ingredient I use is a prescription tretinoin cream. Tretinoin is a retinoid that speeds up cell turnover, unclogs pores, and boosts collagen production, helping to treat acne, fade hyperpigmentation, and improve overall skin texture. There are over-the-counter forms of retinoids I’ll mention later on to make this routine more accessible. That said, I do encourage you to speak with your GP about your acne to see if a prescription is right for you—because tretinoin is a highly effective way to clear bacne.

Disclaimer:The products mentioned above are effective, but if used incorrectly or too frequently, they can cause skin irritation and potentially damage your skin barrier. The skin on your back is more resilient than the skin on your face—it’s thicker and less sensitive. For me, this is why I was able to use all of these ingredients, but not without giving my skin time to adjust. Now, here are the products I use and how often I use them.

My Daily Routine: Morning and Night

Cleansers

The first step of my routine is, obviously, using a cleanser. It’s important to find a gentle cleanser that contains salicylic acid. I use the CeraVe SA Smoothing Cleanser (or Renewing SA Cleanser in the US). This cleanser contains both salicylic acid and ceramides—the latter helps protect and maintain the skin barrier. I use this cleanser morning and night without exception. For me, washing my skin twice a day made a noticeable difference.

On 2–3 nights a week, I swap my CeraVe cleanser for a benzoyl peroxide wash. I recommend the PanOxyl Acne Foaming Wash (US) or the Benzac Wash (EU). I let the wash sit on my skin for about 5 minutes before rinsing it off. Very important: be careful not to let the wash come into contact with your hair, clothes, or towels—it can bleach fabric.

Treatments

After cleansing, I use treatments like serums and creams containing powerful ingredients. This is where I introduce tretinoin cream. Tretinoin is very effective, but your skin needs time to get used to it, and it can cause a lot of irritation if used improperly. Start by applying it once a week, using a light layer on dry skin (wait 15 minutes after showering). The sandwich method (moisturizer–tretinoin–moisturizer) is also recommended to reduce irritation. Gradually build up to using it three times a week. I wouldn’t recommend using it daily, as it’s important to let your skin repair itself after each use. Also, avoid using other treatments on your back for at least two weeks while introducing tretinoin. Over-the-counter retinoids that can be swapped for tretinoin cream include Differin Gel (Adapalene 0.1%) and the Paula's Choice Clinical 0.3% Retinol + 2% Bakuchiol Treatment.

Once your skin has fully adapted to tretinoin, you can introduce exfoliants like AHAs and BHAs to help remove dead skin cells from the surface. I recommend The Ordinary Glycolic Acid 7% Exfoliating Toner (AHA) or The Ordinary Salicylic Acid 2% Solution (BHA). I use one or the other 1–2 times a week, on days when I don’t use tretinoin cream.

Moisturizers

It’s often misunderstood how important moisturizers are for acne-prone skin. They help maintain the skin’s natural barrier, prevent dryness and irritation caused by acne treatments, and keep the skin balanced without clogging pores. However, it’s important to use moisturizers that are non-comedogenic to avoid clogging pores.

The moisturizer I use daily on my back is the CeraVe Moisturizing Lotion. I choose the lotion rather than the cream because it’s lighter in texture. It contains ceramides and hyaluronic acid, which help soothe irritation and prevent dryness. On tretinoin nights, when using the sandwich method, I apply La Roche-Posay Cicaplast Baume B5 because it really helped my skin better tolerate the tretinoin. I've already written an honest review of the Cicaplast Baume B5—feel free to check it out if you're interested in a deeper dive.

Sunscreens

Using a broad-spectrum SPF is crucial when using actives like tretinoin and BHAs because these ingredients make your skin more sensitive to UV rays, increasing the risk of sunburn, irritation, and long-term damage like hyperpigmentation and premature aging. My personal favorite is the SOL LABS® Natural Mineral SPF 30 Daily Sunscreen Lotion. This broad spectrum SPF is non-comedogenic, lightweight and reef-friendly.

When using tretinoin, it is very important to cover up your skin when going to the beach because tretinoin increases your skin’s sensitivity to the sun by speeding up cell turnover and thinning the outer layer of the skin. This makes it more vulnerable to UV damage, which can lead to sunburn, irritation, dark spots (hyperpigmentation), and premature aging. Even brief sun exposure without protection can undo the progress tretinoin helps you achieve.

The best way to prevent all this is by covering up the skin in your back. I recommend swimwear from Solbari because their pieces are designed with UPF50+ sun protection, making them perfect for sensitive or acne-prone skin undergoing treatment. This long-sleeve swimsuit not only covers your back completely—protecting it from sun exposure while using actives like tretinoin—but also looks sleek and stylish, so you don’t have to compromise between skin health and feeling confident at the beach.

If you’d like to try these products, feel free to use one of my affiliate links—at no extra cost to you, I may earn a small commission. I only endorse products I genuinely stand behind—either because I fully support their ingredients or have tested them myself.

The Bottom Line

Clearing bacne doesn’t happen overnight, but with consistency, the right ingredients, and a bit of patience, real results are possible. This routine helped me transform my skin in just 30 days—and I hope it empowers you to find what works for yours. Protect your skin, stay committed, and don’t forget: progress is more important than perfection.