Benzoyl Peroxide- An enemy of acne

Benzoyl Peroxide is the old faithful of acne care. First identified as an acne treatment in the 1920s by beauty giant Revlon, it’s still widely regarded as the first line of defense against acne.

Propionibacteria acnes, or P. acnes, are the bacteria found in acne lesions.  Since they are an anaerobic bacteria, they are easily destroyed when  the oxygen-rich benzoyl peroxide is introduced to the area. By reducing the number of bacteria on the skin, the number of breakouts can be reduced as well.

Benzoyl peroxide is normally used in strengths between 2.5% and 10%. I personally recommend the 10% Clean and Clear Persa-Gel for individuals whose skin can tolerate that strength. If not, Clearsil makes a more mild version at 5% that should be useful to nearly everyone. If your the benzoyl peroxide dries out your skin, add a bit of a nut or seed based oil – olive, grapeseed, sweet almond or apricot kernel – to the affected area. It’s completely counter-intuitive, but it will not promote further breakouts. Rather, the vitamin E and squalene in these oils will serve as a protective and restorative barrier to your damaged skin.

Please keep your eyes open to this blog for more spot treatment information. Benzoyl peroxide alone may not work on everyone. But never fear – there are other powerful products and ingredients that, in conjunction with the benzoyl peroxide, can leave your skin healthy and blemish free.