Mathilde 0 Share Posted April 9, 2017 I decided to try this new cleanser from neutrogena, the rapid clear stubborn acne cleanser, containing 10% benzoyl peroxide. When I tried it my face went really red, a lot more red than when I've used other acne treatments not containing benzoyl peroxide. My face got a bit less red throughout the day, and i didn't think it was so bad anymore. However, when i woke up the next day, my face was really red again, it was a little swollen, and itchy. I did not reapply the cleanser, I've only used it once. Even the day after that, my face was still itchy, but not very red. Could I have used to much of the cleanser, did it contain too much benzoyl peroxide or am I allergic? Should I avoid other products containing benzoyl peroxide? Please help Quote Link to post Share on other sites
username110 78 Share Posted April 10, 2017 yes Benzoyl Peroxide can cause redness. 5% or weaker is best. some say BP creams can be washed off after 10mins to avoid redness. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Rachie39 33 Share Posted April 11, 2017 10% bp is VERY high. Expecually if this is your first time using it. Start with 2.5%. It does a great job and while it sounds like a low dosage, its still pretty strong. My skin does exactly what you described when I use the 5% one. Just stop using it and in a few days the redness will fade. Stay away from BP until the redness is gone, then begin the 2.5%. If you dont give your skin a chance to heal, as its very irritated right now, it will just get worse. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
BlueSorghum 8 Share Posted April 13, 2017 I agree that 10% is too high for a first try. I burned my skin very badly as a teen even using 5% benzoyl peroxide cream. It was so red and swollen that my mom let me stay home from school. We thought it was an allergy at the time, but in retrospect I think it was because I got overly enthusiastic about getting rid of my acne and cleansed too much and put too much BP on after stripping my skin, which gave me a chemical burn. I started my daughters out with a 2.5% benzoyl peroxide cream and they tolerated it very well. Quote Link to post Share on other sites