Let’s face it: we all get acne in weird places. And one of those weird, unfortunate places is our butts. Butt acne is common and can happen to anyone. It’s most likely the result of irritation of hair follicles from wearing tight clothing or shaving, but regardless, it’s annoying. And with summer coming in hot, we definitely don’t want butt acne. Here is how you can quickly and efficiently zap those annoying butt zits:

The first thing you need to do is to wash the area. And not just with any regular soap and water- you need to use a good antibacterial soap. This will help to clean the area of dirt and bacteria. You can also opt for a wash that contains a high amount of benzoyl peroxide. A good acne wash that can help with the infected area is PanOxyl, which has 10% maximum strength benzoyl peroxide in it.

While the area is healing, it’s also best to avoid tight-fitting clothing. Just like how you want your skin to be able to breathe on your face, the same goes for your behind. It’s best to wear loose-fitting cotton clothing.

And if you require a spot treatment, tea tree oil is a great natural option. Apply a little bit of tea tree oil to the infected area, and its antibacterial properties will help kill the bacteria.

Another easy way to soothe and prevent butt acne is by showering after a workout and gently exfoliating the area. Often, sweating during a workout causes dirt and bacteria to build up, leading to acne. It’s also a good idea to gently exfoliate your butt in the shower as that helps to remove dead skin cells and leftover dirt that will clog your pores. Don’t scrub too hard, though, as that can lead to further irritation. Even a simple exfoliating lotion should do the trick.