What is benzoyl peroxide?

/Home/Acne Therapy: Treatments & Cure/Benzoyl Peroxide

Question: and why is it in nearly all acne treatments?

Answer: Benzoyl peroxide is a chemical compound that the FDA has evaluated and approved as a medication for the treatment of acne. A key feature of its chemical makeup is that it is a strong oxidant or oxidizer – in essence a bleach.
At the risk of oversimplification, you can think of oxidation as breaking things down. The rusting of a nail is due to oxidation. The fading of the paint on your car is oxidation. The clothing falling apart because of too much bleach is oxidation. And oxidation is the mechanism by which benzoyl peroxide breaks down the bacteria that cause acne.

It is closely related to hydrogen peroxide, the old reliable part of home emergency supplies everywhere. The usefulness of hydrogen peroxide is that, when used in the cleaning of a wound, it is a wonderfully effective antibacterial agent. We’ve all seen the reassuring bubbling when it’s hard at work.
Similarly, one of the key features of benzoyl peroxide is that it is one of the best antibacterials available for use in acne.

• Deep into the pore. A characteristic of benzoyl peroxide is that it is able to penetrate deep into the pore, past the plug that blocks the way for many agents.
• No Resistance. A major concern when prescription antibiotics are used is that bacteria (the ‘acne bacteria’ being targeted and other bacteria exposed to the antibiotic) can develop resistance to the antibiotic making it more difficult to treat. The nature of the way that benzoyl peroxide works makes it impossible for bacteria to develop resistance.

In addition to its antibacterial benefits, benzoyl peroxide also penetrates into and helps to break up the plug that blocks the pore in acne. As the pore becomes unblocked, the oils that have been backed up behind the plug can now make their way to the surface in a normal manner.

The downside of benzoyl peroxide has to do with its oxidative activity as well. Just as it can damage – and kill – the bacteria that cause acne, it can also damage the cells of the skin it is also in contact with.
So, benzoyl peroxide can cause frustrating side effects, the commonest of which are a general redness, dryness and flakiness of the skin. The skin frequently feels irritated and tight.

With these side effects, it is often tempting to discontinue use – especially if the acne is not totally out of control. But, doing so sets you up for a yo-yo effect with alternating periods of the acne being in control and out-of-control.
The FDA allows use of benzoyl peroxide in non-prescription acne medication at a concentration anywhere from 2.0% to 10%. Different products use it at different levels. The popular Proactiv treatment uses 2.5% benzoyl peroxide, whereas the drugstore product AcneFree uses it at 3.7%.

What’s best for you? Well, ideally you’d like to use a concentration of benzoyl peroxide that is high enough to get good control of your acne. But, a concentration low enough to avoid significant side effects. Unfortunately, everybody is different, so there’s no one product that will be the right balance for everyone.
T
he AcneRecovery approach allows each user to adjust a dial, selecting just the right strength benzoyl peroxide for their own acne situation – anywhere from 2.0% to 7.0% concentration. For most people, this solves the frustrations associated with using benzoyl peroxide medication to treat their acne.Time-Release Benzoyl Peroxide

As you might guess, the more benzoyl peroxide impacting the skin at one time, the more likely there is to be irritation and redness.

But, a recent development in delivery systems makes it possible for the lotion to release benzoyl peroxide gently over time. The result is that the impact on the skin happens spread out over time, minimizing the potential for irritation.
The high-tech process of making the time-release delivery system adds significant cost to the ingredient. Most acne treatment systems thus avoid using it.
However, the AcneRecovery System uses a large amount of time-release benzoyl peroxide. Fully half of the benzoyl peroxide delivered in the Treatment Lotion is in the time-release form. Its instant-release form goes to work immediately, supplemented over ensuing hours by the time-release form.

Antioxidants and Benzoyl Peroxide
Here’s a final observation about using benzoyl peroxide. Antioxidants are a popular skincare ingredient and are widely recognized as important to skin health – especially in acne. So, it would be nice to have antioxidants in your acne product, right?

Well, the problem is that if you combine an oxidant and an antioxidant in the same product, you end up with them neutralizing each other. Sort of like combining hot water and cold water – you end up with neither. As a result, if you read ingredient labels on acne products containing benzoyl peroxide, you won’t find antioxidants included.

A good solution is to use a benzoyl peroxide product at night – and then to alternate it with a salicylic acid product, which can include antioxidants, in the morning.
http://dermnetnz.org/treatments/benzoyl-peroxide.html

Benzoyl peroxide
Benzoyl peroxide is a commonly used topical treatment for mild acne. It is safe for adults and children, and can be used in pregnancy.
Benzoyl peroxide has the following properties:
•Antiseptic i.e. it reduces the number of skin surface bacteria (but it does not cause bacterial resistance and in fact can reduce bacterial resistance if this has arisen from antibiotic therapy). It also reduces the number of yeasts on the skin surface.
•Oxidizing agent - this makes it keratolytic and comedolytic i.e. it reduces the number of comedones.
•Anti-inflammatory action.

Benzoyl peroxide is available as cream, gel, lotion and wash at concentrations of 2.5 %, 5 % and 10 %. It may be combined with other topical or oral therapy. It is especially valuable in combination with topical or oral antibiotics as it may reduce the growth of antibiotic-resistant bacteria.

In New Zealand, products containing benzoyl peroxide are available without prescription. They include:
•Benoxyl™ 5%, 10% Lotion
•Benzac™ AC2.5%, 5%, 10% Gel; Wash 5%
•Brevoxyl™ 4% Cream
•Oxy™ 5 5% lotion, Oxy™ 10 10% Lotion
•PanOxyl™ 2.5%, 5%, 10% Gel, PanOxyl™ AQ 2.5%, 5%, 10% Gel

How to use benzoyl peroxide products
•Make sure the skin is clean and dry before applying
•Apply a thin smear to areas of skin affected by acne, initially every second night, then build up to once or twice daily as tolerated
•It can be used on the face as well as the trunk
•Be patient: acne responds very slowly to treatment. It may take several months to notice improvement

Problems with benzoyl peroxide products
•Dryness of the treated area can be expected and is usually mild. If the skin is visibly scaly, apply a light non-oily moisturizer.
•Skin irritation is rarely severe. Occasionally, irritation means that product must be discontinued. Consider applying it less frequently.
•Contact dermatitis (red, dry, itchy skin) can be due to irritation or allergy. It can be treated with a topical steroid such as hydrocortisone cream (available at a NZ pharmacy without prescription).
•Bleaching of clothing. Make sure the benzoyl peroxide has completely dried before the treated skin touches clothes or bedding.