How does Benzoyl Peroxide Work | Detailed Explanation

In the morning, when I woke up and looked in the mirror, I found a big pimple on my face. Do you feel that it particularly affects my beauty? How can we quickly eliminate acne and return to beauty? If you consult a dermatologist, benzoyl peroxide is generally the first choice. What is benzoyl peroxide? How does benzoyl peroxide work? Let’s explore together.

What is benzoyl peroxide?

Before introducing benzoyl peroxide, we need to first understand our enemy - Propionibacterium acnes, which is one of the main culprits causing acne. The increase in androgen levels in the body can stimulate the sebaceous glands to produce excessive sebum. At this time, the acne-producing bacteria, which feed on oil, multiply in large quantities after eating and drinking. After a certain amount of action, it can stimulate the skin to produce an inflammatory reaction. In addition, it also stimulates the sebaceous glands to secrete excess sebum, causing blockage of the hair follicle opening, ultimately forming red inflammatory papules, pustules, and cysts. Only by eliminating Propionibacterium acnes can we return our smooth faces.

Peroxybenzoyl is the hero who creates our smooth face! It is an organic peroxide, a weapon of war pox in the dermatology field, and belongs to the category of non-antibiotic antibiotics. After topical use on the skin, it can slowly release new ecological oxygen and benzoic acid, oxidize proteins in bacterial cell walls, kill Propionibacterium acnes, dissolve acne, and inhibit sebum secretion. Compared to topical antibiotics, bacteria do not develop resistance to benzoyl peroxide, so it is widely used in the antibacterial treatment of acne.

With such strong anti-acne ability, peroxybenzoyl can be the preferred topical antibacterial drug for the treatment of inflammatory acne. It can be used alone or in combination with topical retinoids or antibiotics. There are 2.5%, 5%, and 10% lotions, emulsions, or gel with different concentrations to choose from, among which gel is the most commonly used.

Applications of benzoyl peroxide

How to use benzoyl peroxide correctly? After cleansing, take a small amount of it on your fingertips, knead it into a thin layer, and apply it to the acne area. Take medication 1 or 2 times daily. Due to the mild irritation of the drug, it is best to wash it off after half an hour when first used. After several uses, the drug's retention time can be gradually increased.

How does benzoyl peroxide work? After being applied externally to the skin, benzoyl peroxide can slowly release benzoic acid and new ecological oxygen which is an atomic state of oxygen with strong oxidizing properties. It can oxidize proteins in bacterial cell walls, thereby killing propionibacterium acnes, ultimately dissolving acne and inhibiting sebum secretion. How fast is benzoyl peroxide treating acne? Generally speaking, it can take effect in one week. Experiments have shown that 2.5% benzoyl peroxide is the optimal concentration.

The bactericidal effect of benzoyl peroxide is amazing, but unfortunately, it is very irritating, manifested as dry itching, tingling, peeling, and redness. Moreover, benzoyl peroxide can reduce the level of antioxidants in the skin. Therefore, people with severely sensitive skin and frequent dermatitis such as seborrheic dermatitis and eczema may not be able to use benzoyl peroxide.

In addition, do not use benzoyl peroxide and retinol together. Because benzoyl peroxide can inactivate retinoic acid and the VA family. If it is necessary to use it together, it can be used separately, such as using benzoyl peroxide in the morning and retinol at night.

If adverse reactions occur, they can be treated by using milder cleansing products. Or apply moisturizing and moisturizing face cream half an hour before applying the drug and reduce the drug concentration and application amount to reduce irritation. If serious adverse reactions occur, medication should be discontinued and immediate medical attention should be sought.

Peroxybenzoyl cannot be used for open wounds and damaged skin areas, so for acne that has broken the skin, do not use peroxybenzoyl for treatment. Peroxybenzoyl has an oxidative bleaching effect, which can cause discoloration and whitening of clothing, bedding, and hair. Therefore, when using it, attention should be paid to avoiding contact as much as possible.

Conclusion

In this article, we learned about benzoyl peroxide, one of the most widely used drugs for treating acne, and answered this question: how does benzoyl peroxide work? Benzoyl peroxide is a cost-effective and efficient therapy choice for anyone looking to address acne-related issues. However, when used, care must be taken to minimize irritation and regulate the dose.