Check here: http://www.acne.org/faq.html#resistant
Lower strengths of bp have been shown in studies to be just as effective as the stronger versions, but with less dryness and irritation. So, your skin may actually do better with lots of 2.5% bp rather than 10%. It's worth a try anyway, imo.
See, I could argue that one could become, in a sense, immune to BP. When a person starts using BP, his or her skin will become really dry, but with time he or she can use more and not get dry. This is simply because the skin adapts. It seems to me that BP is not working as well for this reason. I have also read places that it may cause your skin to change and become more oily...
Is it possible for one's skin to become immune to BP? Also, I have been using BP 10% mainly because of price and availability, but I'm looking to move down to 2.5%, Do you think it will still wrok because i'm used to the 10% ?
You can not become immune to it. B.p works by creating oxygen under the skin. Acne bacteria can not physically exsist in this enviroment so you will not get immune to it.
10% is too aggressive and lead to excessive drying out of the skin which leads to irritation which leads to more spots.
2.5% all the way.
Contrary to conventional wisdom, BP doesn't work by drying out your skin. It works by killing the P. acnes bacteria. While you may grow "immune" to the drying effects of BP on your skin, the P. acnes bacteria will never grow immune to BP because BP creates oxygen, which makes it impossible for the P. acnes bacteria to survive.
No your skin should't become immune to BP but on the other hand BP usually doesnt penetrate deep into the pore... That is why people like Dan suggest rubbing it into your skin. Using a lower % should be just as effective. I would however suggest using an exfoliator every other day to help keep those pores open and to allow the BP to get in there good.
BP kills the acne bacteria, but with daily use, acne bacteria *will* become immune to it and it will only create dryness.
Yes, to some degree, your skin will get more accustomed to stronger chemicals, but salicylic doesn't cease to work in the way that BPO does.
This is what we learned when I was certified, and this is also why Proactiv stops working for people until they take a long break from it.
You need to understand he mechanism of action for bp. BP oxygenates your skin which makes it impossible for p.acnes to grow. I know this is a stupid analogy but think of it this way, if our oxygen that we consume some how was blocked, what would happen to us? It's not like overtime our bodies will adapt to not being able to take in O2 anymore, we would die instantly if we could not breath. This is the same idea with BP and P.acnes. You oxygenate their environment (deep down in our skin where the environment lacks O2) you kill them instantly.
I replied to a post a couple weeks ago regarding how P.acnes lives. Essentially, they need to I've in an environment where there is no O2. The minute they are put in a place with O2, they will no longer be able to thrive and live.
hope this helps.