Benzoyl Peroxide one of most common treatments for acne. Between Salicylic Acid and Benzoyl Peroxide, benzoyl peroxide is by far the strongest of the two. Even though it is very effective in clearing breakouts, it is extremely harsh for the skin. Since this ingredient can cause some serious damage and is a common ingredient in acne fighting products, I wanted to share some of the issues with this ingredient.
How benzoyl peroxide works is by destroying acne causing bacteria in your pores. It works primarily as an exfoliating agent, thus increasing the turnover of skin cells and removes the dead skin cells and extra sebum from the pores. It is so powerful that it is used to treat all types of acne including blackheads, whiteheads, and inflamed blemishes. It comes in three concentrations, 2.5%, 5%, and 10%, each is recommended based on the severity of the acne and the person’s skin type. While all of this sounds like a dream come true for those of us seeking a solution, the downsides of this ingredient is disheartening.
I think it would be best to relate the downsides of this ingredient by sharing my experience with it. I developed acne when I was about 11 years old, which is around the typical age that our hormones start to change, so it’s expected. However, things didn’t pop up in ones and twos, my whole face became invested. I tried every drug store product on the market and nothing worked. Then one day I heard a commercial for Proactive. I was thirteen and was completely at my wits end. I told my mom about it and she graciously bought me the starter kit. After using the products for a couple days, my acne began to clear up, which made my heart so happy! However, after several weeks, my skin began to change. I went from having oily skin to really dry skin. My skin started peeling and it became very sensitive to the sun. The tops of all my sheets and blankets were bleached, as well as several of my pajama tops. I had to start using white towels to wash my face, I bought some white pillow cases and sheets, and had to change what shirts I wore to bed.
Despite the fact that my skin was peeling and felt super dry, I figured that this was better than having blemishes all over my face. So, I continued to use it. Fast forward several years and I started to see more acne spot appearing. At this point, I was 21 and I couldn’t believe that it was happening again! How could Proactive NOT be working anymore? I did a bit of research and discovered that I wasn’t the only person who had had this issue. Apparently, after a period of time, your skin can become used to certain ingredients and they become ineffective. Thus my quest for clean/organic skincare began. I realized that if something was bleaching my clothes and sheets, that it’s probably not good to put on my skin. Also, if it’s so strong that it actually altered my skin type, then I should stay far away from it!
The next several months were a bit painful, I must admit. My skin began a purging process, since there was nothing holding it back now. Even though benzoyl peroxide kills bacteria, the other ingredients combined with it formed a barrier in my skin. It was like it was slowly breaking down and allowing my skin to finally breath. It wasn’t’ pretty, but after the initial breakout, things slowly died down. The natural products that I started to use helped to balance out my skin and clean up my skin. I still get blemishes from time to time, but it’s only one or two.
So, moral of the story? Benzoyl peroxide is extremely harsh and can do some pretty significant damage to the skin. Not only can it change someone’s skin completely, it can also cause severe redness, hyperpigmentation (dark spots), itching, and other skin irritations. Some people can also have allergic reactions to it, which can result in rashes and swelling, especially of the face, tongue, and throat. Dizziness can also occur and others have trouble breathing. Fortunately, non of this happened to me, but the fact that this COULD happen is a red flag.
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