Benzoyl Peroxide: Benefits and How to Reduce Its Irritation
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Benzoyl peroxide, a.k.a. the Acne Killing King. And uh, the thing that leaves your towel and pillow cases looking like this….
Sigh, it’s true. This acne killing machine does unfortunately cause bleaching if it comes into contact with WET fabric. As an aside, benzoyl peroxide resistant towels and sheets can be found at your local target (check the dorm section). Them college breakouts though…..
It’s one of the most powerful acne treatments available today, and its efficacy has withstood the test of time, with studies dating back 50 years. (1) Cooler yet, there has not been a single known instance of microbial resistance to benzoyl peroxide despite its use in dermatology since the early 1900s!
Today we’ll be discussing all the things science and benzoyl peroxide. Make sure to stick around for the secret tips on how to reduce its irritation.
What is Benzoyl Peroxide?
Benzoyl Peroxide (BP) is an organic compound and antibacterial ingredient used in acne medications. Besides it’s antibacterial properties, it’s also an effective comedolytic and keratolytic agent, meaning it unclogs pores and sloughs off dead cells (i.e. corneocytes).(2, 3) Unlike antibiotics, it does not produce bacterial resistance. (4, 5, 6, 7)
It’s the second most prescribed acne medication in the United States (given in 12.8% of all cases), (8) and can be found over the counter in concentrations ranging from 2.5% to 10%.
Pro-tip: use 2.5%. Studies have shown it’s as effective as 10% with less irritation.
In my humble opinion, it is the most effective treatment against acne (besides accutane), and what I personally use to keep my skin clear! 🙂
It can reduce cutibacterium acnes (i.e. acne causing bacteria) by up to 97.5% in just 5 days. (9) In fact, benzoyl peroxide has the broadest spectrum microbicidal activity of any acne medication today — effective against cutibacterium, staphylococcus, malassezia, pseudomonas, and candida (among other species).
Fun fact: the in vitro microbicidal activity of benzoyl peroxide shows its most potent and rapid action is actually against malassezia versus cutibacterium and staphylococcus. That means BP is more effective as an anti-fungal than it is a bactericide, which explains why studies have shown it helps seborrheic dermatitis. (10)
The difference however, is very slight. Only 0.25 BP (mmol/L) is needed to inhibit malassezia, whereas 0.50 BP (mmol/L) is needed to inhibit cutibacterium and staphylococcus. (11) At the end of the day it’s still VERY effective against all three, meaning BP kills every major microorganism involved in the formation and / or exacerbation of acne. (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28)
Benzoyl Peroxide Side Effects.
Unfortunately benzoyl peroxide can be pretty irritating. One study found it caused contact dermatitis, or dry-red-itchy peeling skin in 67% of benzoyl peroxide users. (29) It’s also known to induce erythema (redness), and increase sun sensitivity. (30)
The takeaway here is that it will make your skin drier than the turkey I made last thanksgiving (I’m a terrible cook, so that means VERY dry). However, there are some secret ways to minimize irritation without reducing its awesome acne fighting prowess. 😉
How to Reduce Benzoyl Peroxide Irritation.
Time for the juicy secrets! There are 3 ways of doing this:
1. Buffer it with a moisturizer.
In other words, apply your moisturizer first and then layer Benzoyl Peroxide on top of it. This only slightly decreases its effectiveness, and helps reduce redness and dry skin.
2. Short contact therapy.
Generally, when people use benzoyl peroxide they leave it on overnight or throughout the entire day, which could unfortunately cause irritation. Doing this might be unnecessary altogether.
One study examined the effectiveness of washing off benzoyl peroxide after a two minute application. (31) The researchers ended up ruling that it was “highly effective in reducing the quantity of P. acnes,” and comparable to a “leave on” 5% benzoyl peroxide product. Best of all, it didn’t irritate the skin!
3. Use a micronized benzoyl peroxide product!
Micronization is the process of milling down the average diameter of a solid material’s particles. Malezia’s acne treatment gel, for example, has an average particle size of 5 microns — that’s smaller than the size of a bacteria cell!
This is important because homogenous dispersions of finer particles have proven to yield better results in fighting acne with less risk of irritation. In fact, one study found micronized benzoyl peroxide actually INCREASED skin moisture! (32)
Alrighty. That does it for Benzoyl Peroxide, folks. Hope you’ve enjoyed this!
Cheers,
—f.c.
Save your poor friends from unnecessarily irritating their faces with BP. Share this!
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Hi f.c! I’ve been lurking here for months after discovering it. I am using a prescribed BP (5%) for 3 weeks now with topical and oral antibiotics. i already have a dry skin to begin with! I can tell how much i appreciate your both of your advice. i choose to buffer it with moisturizer and it works very well so far. 🙂
But i have a problem. I have normal whiteheads and deep&painful pimples. whiteheads cleared up for the first 3-4 days or so and one morning, bam! i got seven pimples. also i feel the bumps under my skin when i massage with my oil cleanser. can those pimples appear because my cycstic acne decided to come to head? It’s been 3 weeks and i still get acne. from my understanding BP does not cause purging. And they always say you should keep getting acne on BP. so i think it’s just not working for me. My derma told me to use these for 2 months and come back later. Do you think it’s worth keep using it? Am i wasting my time?
Hi fc, I’ve read somewhere that incorporating AHA/BHA into their regimen broke them out severely and I’m afraid it could do the same for my skin (here’s the thread: https://www.reddit.com/r/AsianBeauty/comments/405oin/warning_unpleasant_acne_pictures_chemical/).
But I battle with closed comedones now on my forehead and right cheek (nothing serious, but kinda looks ugly under makeup, and naturally more obvious!). What do you think is the best way to reduce the possibility of worsening my skin as a result of AHA/BHA overexfoliation? I read from one your writeups to introduce one product at a time. What do you think I get first for my closed comedones the AHA or the BHA? Thanks!
Hi!
I am living overseas, is there any other substitutes of acne.org bp? Cause amazon wont ship this product to my country, thanks a lot!
Keep in mind when reading clinical studies the type of BP they are using. Prescription BP is soluble and not milled like OTC brands. It’s a complicated and more expensive processing method. Soluble BP completely enters the pore and surrounding tissue unlike milled versions which leave hit spots of BP crystals.
I read a study recently that found benzoyl peroxide wash to be very effective in reducing acne. I’ve consistently used OxyMax 10% Benzoyl Peroxide Wash and I’m wondering if I should switch cleansers? The wash is very gentle and has helped with my acne.
Hi fc
I started the regimen in early February and stopped after 2 and a half weeks because I couldn’t take the dry, flaky, lizard skin. I really wanted to push through but I just couldn’t handle it. My friends were asking what was wrong with my face. So after about 5 days of not using it my skin went back to normal thank God! Anyway I am now going to start over and put the BP on first thing in the morning, let it dry and then wash it in the shower and then put on my moisturizer. I don’t like The Regimen moisturizer and I tried Cerave cream and cerave moisturizing lotion but the cream is too heavy and the lotion I think broke me out a little but who knows if that’s the real culprit. I do like the Cerave PM and do you think it’s okay to use that in AM and PM? I don’t see why not but just figured I’d ask. Also, do you use AHA? when do you think would be safe to start using that and if you do use it, when in your regimen do you put it on?
Thanks so much!
Hey again! I left a comment earlier, and I’ve been on your blog legit the last hour or so. Okay, I think I’m going to give contact therapy a shot with the BP, and replace my acne.org moisturizer with the ELTA MD therapy one. Maybe I’ll start putting it over my moisturizer a few nights. And I will probably invest in a vitamin C serum down the road. Just want to say THANK YOU for this blog, it’s so nice to learn from someone who’s been on The Regimen with BP, and have some other solutions to keep it clear without the excessive flakiness I get from constant BP.
Hi,
i tried using the acne.org bp for a few days and i only used a pea sized amount as instructed. i only used it every other day and it cleared active pimples but until now my face is irritated, red and scaly. I dont know if this is an allergic reaction or eczema as get eczema once or twice a year. Im going to try the short contact therapy once the irritation is gone!.
How much bp do you use everytime? do you use a finger length or did you apply less the first week? im also wondering if you wash your face with a cleaser first, apply bp then wash again with a cleanser or do you just apply bp before cleansing?? thank you so much in advance!!!!
Im so happy i found this blog, ive been reading about success stories with short contact therapy and im glad it works for you
First of all, your blog is amazing!
I am one of the unfortunate people who developed a massive allergy to BP (the acne.org one). Sadly it is the only thing that keeps acne 100% at bay (and partially antibiotics, but I don’t want to use those for the rest of my life). What replacement would you recommend? I’ve been using azelaic acid once a day for a few months; it’s been good at brightening my skin and decreasing the intensity of acne lesions, but it’s not THAT effective. I am thinking about pairing it with something…not sure what would go well with it 🙁
hi,I’d like to know do you still use the benzoyl peroxide to this day? and how often do you apply on your face? thank you
Hi fc
I am starting to incorporate BP into my skincare routine. But I’m not sure where it fits within my regimen. Currently:
-OCM
-Cleanser
-BHA then AHA
-Hydrating Toner
-Essence
-Moisturizer
Where would I add a full BP facial application? Thanks for your help.
Hi there, just discovered this tip on your blog. I’m still using Sebamed and the credentials glycolic lotion. My skin is better overall but still generating white heads and some blackheads (especially in this super hot weather). It’s the worst when a whitehead pops up during the work day, then when I stop into the bathroom, I realize my co-workers had to have noticed the bugger on my face. So embarrassing.
Anyway, I have a 5% BP that has a fairly simple formula, is it ok to use that for contact therapy for a couple minutes, or too harsh? Also, do you rinse it off with water first, or just apply cleanser directly over it and then rinse it all off? thanks!
Hi, I am loving your website! So much amazingly detailed eye-opening information!
My question is regarding the BP short-contact therapy, would it be better or worse (effective wise and irritation wise) to use a BP cleanser and let it sit on the skin for a few minutes, as compared to using a BP gel in the way you are doing?
I want the least irritating & most effective way.
Thank you!
Andrea
Interesting that you recommend applying BP after moisturizer to reduce irritation effects as opposed to applying moisturizer after BP to counter the irritation. Was it because applying moisturizer after BP is less effective in hydrating? Thanks!
P.S. your site info is very informative and i like very much the portion of product reviews where you advise on where the product is used in the sequence along with other products, very useful info which alot of site reviews they dont really tell you.
Is the exfoliating properties of BP enough for exfoliation or should a scrub or chemical exfoliant be added to my routine?
I am now using both Mad Hippie and BP and following your sample routine, that is using the BP as the last, after Mad Hippie and Moisturizer. I read that one should not use both Vit C and BP products in same routine, something about render both ineffective. Should I take note of that? Thanks!
Ugh i am sorry i made so many typos and mistakes. It’s my 3rd language but I sware i can English. 🙁 i meant i ”can’t” tell how much i appreciate your advices. And at the last paragraph i meant they always say you should ”not” keep getting acne on BP.
I too use the short contact therapy and do moisturizer first strategy.
I use short contact therapy when I have time and at home. If I’m out camping I do moisturizer and then spot treatment only with benzoyl peroxide.
Hi!
Your posts are really helpful. Thank you very much! I just have a quick question, when using benzoyl peroxide wash, does it still stain your clothes? I want to use it to treat my back acne, but worried that it could ruin my clothes.