Quinoderm : (5% or 10%) Benzoyl Peroxide and (0.5%) Potassium Hydroxyquinoline Sulfate Cream

I've had acne on and off since my teens, so about 20 years. I used this for about six months every night and some mornings. When I first started using it it seemed to work wonders, but towards the last few months I started getting breakouts again. This, combined with the adverse effects made me stop using it. The worst of which was excessive drying of the skin. After every shave my skin looked like the salt flats of the Atacama desert. It was hard finding the right moisturiser that would be good enough to rehydrate the skin, yet not make my skin too greasy. It was a pain and I would be more concious of my dry skin than my spots. I'd often go to work only to look in the mirror and find loose flakes of skin on my face. There's also the hassle of having to place an old sheet on my pillow to stop it being bleached. Plus I wouldn't use it when with my partner, it's nasty stuff and wouldn't want to expose anyone else to it. Basically, it's not practical or realistic to use this product long term, it's too harsh. In the end I think the bacteria became immune to it. I visited a skin clinic in London and they recommend I use products with salicylic acid instead. There are many such products on the market. It's naturally occurring and it's a much gentler ingredient. I was worried the breakouts would return with a vengeance but after a few weeks so far so good. The most important thing is to keep your skin clean and don't touch. I will also start using an exfoliator with glycolic acid, a natural substance which removes dead skin and clears pores, supposedly. This, together with the salicylic acid should replace the two functions of Quinoderm. Since stopping the Quinoderm, my skin has got a lot more greasy, though I think and hope this is a reaction to the sudden withdrawal of the drying agent and that it will soon reduce. I'm so glad and relieved not to be using this product anymore.

Never Again!!!

I would never ever recommend this product to anyone, unless I hated them and wanted them to live in misery like I have!! If this doesn't clear up soon I'll probably turn into a manic depressant. I look hideous.

I've developed my acne problem about 7 months ago just after I turned 16. I went on 10% benzyl peroxide 5%antibiotic for 3 months and literally nothing happened. I had about 1 good day each month and then my acne would just flair up again. Also, my skin (especially around my mouth) was extremely dry and flakey for the entire 3 months I was on it for, this obviously took some doing because I normally have very oily skin. Saying that, my friend was prescribed exactly the same thing as me and after 3 months her acne was completely gone. It must just work on certain people and not others.

I read reviews about people using this product got dry itchy skin, and I overlooked it as i've used a lot of different products on my skin over time, but JESUS none of them have EVER done what this product has done to me. I used the tinyest, little dab on the few spots I have left last night before I went to bed, and i'm literally writing this as soon as I woke up, I didn't have more than 2 hours sleep, first my face was burning, then the itching came, at 3:00 am I went to get a drink of water and saw my face was bright red, it was stinging all over and felt horrible, even opening my mouth hurt. Then my throat started to swell up too and now it feels like i've got a sore throat. Seriously this stuff is evil, I can't really say whether it works or not because i'm throwing it away right now, after just one application i'll never go back to that - it's not worth it, nothing is worth that - makes you look even worse, and feel - terrible. You have been warned!