My story of using benzoyl peroxide and quitting it!
I was originally prescribed benzoyl peroxide as a spot zapper by my doctor to treat my mild acne. It was only a few spots but what I thought was terrible acne at the time (it wasnt). So then the spots developed a little worse the following year and I thought I had to do more to treat my spots. So I came across this website which suggested benzoyl peroxide is most effective when used all over your affected areas. So for 1.5 years I used bp all over my tzone to prevent spots, involved applying bp once at night and moisturiser in the morning. Worked great at getting rid of all spots, literally didnt have a spot. It came with the ups and downs of using bp, because it clears spots but left my skin super dry, red and irritated, and made my tzone excessively oily which it wasnt before I started, I understand from reviews that this is part of the reaction to bp. My doctor refered to it as being a dermatitis or erythema caused by excessive irritation and dryness of my facial skin
Last year I got tired of the constant use of bp and uncomfortable feeling of my skin from being dry and irritated. In August last year I gradually weaned off the product by gradually reducing the dosage slowly every week. I weaned off because you cant just quit and stop using it, if you try then you break out like mad and your skin goes mental!!! So after gradual weaning off in December 2013 was the last time I ever actually applied BP, which was great because I was finally free of using this product which previously meant I had to use it every day or else I would get a freak breakout from my skin withdrawing from the bp. At that point my skin was now off BP but in a very poor state because of the toll the past 2 years of BP use had taken on my face. So my tzone was still crazy red and irritated, it felt tight and dry and was flaky, the texture was scaly, and it was getting crazy oily still during the day.
Its been 4 months since then and my skin is taking a very long time to recover. I have been using moisturising creams and emollients religiously twice a day to help speed up healing. The skin has gradually improved to a point where its still red and irritated but not severley and not as noticeable, its still quite tight and dry feeling, the texture is getting better and not scaly but is quite rough and looks like an elderly person, it still gets well oily still too.
So basically it is taking blooming ages to heal and get back to a place where it is its natural skin tone, colour, and texture. Isnt hindsight a wonderful thing, but you cant turn back the hands of time and can only move on and make the situation better.
If you have been through a similar experience comment below. A few spots are better than aggravating and deteriorating the health of your skin, it also has a serious mental affect.
Your skin should be back to normal by now if you haven't used BP since December. Normal just meaning not irritated. What are you using to cleanse and moisturize your face? Do you have any other skin conditions like rosacea? Most people's skin gets used to BP over time, not the opposite. Were you using any sort of exfoliators?
I find this very strange.. I used Bp for awhile now and the acne org one is working wounders for me. Usally when you first start your skin is terrible i remember when I first tried it at 14 I was flaky beyond and it was terrible but over time your skin becomes accustomed to the Bp maybe your skin had a reaction 2 it. However, to clear your dry flakyness I would suggest 3 things. 1) every time you wash your face exfoliate. NOT with a wash cloth scrubbing your face super hard. This will cause a lot of irritation and hurt your skin so bad! but go in little circles with your fingers I say st Ives next you can use a facial cleanser that is also moisturizing I don't know a good one if your struggling with acne but Dove sensative bars are very moisturizing to skin. 3) moisterizer moisterizer moisterizer!!!! This is your friend! If you really dry I would use cetaphil loation and mix some (johobo? Sp) oil into it and that should take away the dryness big time!
Hey, I used BP a lot when I was younger, mostly on my forehead then where my acne was, honestly it took a good couple of years for my redness to calm down, I wish I had never used it either.
I went back to using only a small amount on a cheek breakout I had about this time last year, and only used it for about a month but when I stopped my skin went mental and it has taken me this long to get things back on track. My skin was so dry I had wrinkles and my spots just wouldn't heal so I have been left with a couple of scars, I never scarred before I used BP, honestly it damages your skins ability to heal. I use differin now to control my acne, it's helped me to restore the texture of my skin, although I wouldn't advise it for sensitive areas, I only use it on my cheeks were I broke out, but if I use it on the insides of my cheek near my nose or forehead I do get a bit irritated so I don't use anything on those area, maybe a little bit of salicylic acid if I have some blocked pores. Moisturising is key and I keep my skin well moisturised all the time now, a good spf is needed to to protect your skin from the sun. I also take a supplement called altrient C, it's a vitamin C supplement in a lipo soluble gel and you mix it with water, I've noticed a big change in my skin since taking it.
Just be gentle and give things time, it will take a while to get back to normal.
I agree moisturising is important and using a low strength BP, I have spot treated with 10% before but used 2.5% mostly for treating acne over larger areas, it just doesn't agree with me, I think because I'm getting older as well, 28 :S....my skin just freaks out at bp and honestly the area I used it has taken nearly a year to get back to normal, I had small breakouts on other parts of my face where I didn't use BP and those areas healed so much quicker. I also found it made red marks take much longer to fade, BP also oxidises in the skin which can cause irritation, dryness and premature ageing, I just don't think it is ideal for long term use, but that is only my opinion and I appreciate it helps others, everyone's' skin is different and some more sensitive than others. The main thing is to be gentle to your skin and nourish it from inside and out