It was in the 1920s when Jack Breitbart from Revlon got the idea of curing acne through benzoyl peroxide. Ever since then, it has become one of the most commonly used acne treatments throughout the world. It usually comes as a cream or gel with a concentration of 2.5%, though higher concentrations up to 10% are available too. Over time, its usage in over-the-counter acne products has dramatically increased and benzoyl peroxide has surely enjoyed its fame being a decades old treatment. Being relatively cheap yet effective when compared with other costly treatments, acne sufferers usually go for benzoyl peroxide when they seek a cure for the first time.
One of the main reasons for continuous growth of acne is the P. acne bacterium, which fails to survive in the presence of sufficient oxygen. It is this weakness of P. acnes that benzoyl peroxide targets, eliminating these bacteria by creating an oxygen-rich environment around the skin surface. And with the elimination of these bacteria, your acne lesions automatically vanish gradually.
In addition to P. acnes, the excessive lineup of dead skin cells also results in acne as pores get blocked this way and sebum is trapped inside. Benzoyl oxide is also effective in clearing the pores by preventing the accumulation of dead skin cells. So this way, new acne breakouts are stopped too while the P. acnes bacteria get killed on the other hand.
However, treatment using benzoyl peroxide can take some time and its use has to be continued even after you get rid acne. You can consult a dermatologist for more advice on this issue as the time may vary from one patient to another.
While this method is highly effective and low cost, it is not recommended for people who have a dry skin. You are likely to experience skin dryness after benzoyl peroxide usage. While you can use an acne-friendly moisturizer with this treatment, people with sensitive skin can experience itching, irritation or even swelling. For this reason, you should start with 2.5% concentrated benzoyl peroxide in the beginning and should gradually move higher to the 10% creams.
If you feel uncomfortable with this method, then you can go for vitamin b5 acne treatment instead, which is safer and a good low-cost alternate. For more information on acne vitamin treatments, please read our detailed acne guide.
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