Yes, watch the conditioner running down your back.
I would get a loofah on a stick. My husband had backne and we started using Dr. Bronner's soap with a loofah sponge. He washes his back with the loofah and that has helped a lot! He scrubs it and it unclogs the pores.
I also stopped using fabric softener. My husband sweats on his back and we started thinking that the fabric softener from his clothes was getting on his back as well and clogging the pores. I now use a vinegar rinse and an all-natural laundry detergent.
You could try a facial mask on your back as well! There are some neat recipes for masks on the internet that use ingredients you probably have at home already.
If you can't get someone to apply the blemish toner I would suggest a cotton ball and a clothespin. I broke out in a bad allergic rash once and it was all over my back. I was itching so bad and I lived alone and I needed to put the medicine on my back so I used a cotton ball and a clothespin! Worked great! Haha, sometimes you just get creative!