Benzac AC : Benzoyl Peroxide (2.5%) Gel

Benzoyl peroxide is the devil. It is quite potent as an antibacterial which is why it may clear up acne for some individuals (and granted it doesn't lead to antibiotic resistance). However, the way it works is damaging to the skin- it produces free radicals which will kill bacteria but will also damage your own skin cells! This will lead to inflammation, irritating your skin and preventing it from functioning smoothly, and build up of dead materials inside your skin which contribute further to comedogenic acne and breakouts. Free radical damage can also contribute to premature aging and promotes acne scarring- nobody wants that. I used benzac for a couple of months and while it did sort of help my superficial breakouts (whiteheads etc) it didn't do anything for deeper cysts. My skin was constantly dry and peeling, and my complexion was very dull and discoloured. I was also left with scarring and pigmentation from even the smallest blemishes, which didn't happen previously. So even when I didn't have any breakouts I wasn't comfortable without makeup due to pigmentation, scarring and a strange, dull, brownish complexion. In addition to this I developed forehead lines real quick- I'm only 19! I started using retin-a and when I used benzac with this it was extremely painful and my face basically peeled away (tretinoin cream is fabulous stuff without using benzac with it!!) I'm studying medicine and the fact that derms recommend this product makes me angry- it's really not healthy for your face in the short or long term. Switch to another antibacterial agent such as azelaic acid (brand is az-clear or finacea)!! Azelaic acid is anti-inflammatory and antioxidant and is equal to benzoyl peroxide in its antibacterial effect. Due to reducing inflammation it will prevent scarring and post-inflammatory hyper pigmentation. It also reduces pigmentation and sun damage. Until I used this I didn't believe that it was possible to make up-and-coming breakouts disappear overnight- but this stuff literally does. You can use it in a smaller amount all over your face (I do this ever morning) or just smear a thicker layer over a spot and pain will disappear and it shrinks down real quick!! It also works well with retin-a/stieva- reduced my peeling. Just don't put them on at the same time as they do not work in a synergistic manner- use one in the morning and one at night. For reference: Schulte BC, Wu W, Rosen T. Azelaic acid: evidence-based update on mechanism of action and clinical application. J Drugs Dermatology. 2015;14(9):694-698. (find on pubmed) In saying all this, acne is usually a result of internal imbalances and will never be 100% cured by topical treatments- check your diet for foods that may be promoting internal inflammation and overgrowth of unwanted bacteria and parasites or creating pH imbalances. Eat your 2 & 5 and do some research. I haven't had a breakout in months (as long as I stick to a plant based diet high in healthy fats and veggies) and my face legit glows.

People, be REALLY careful using even the lowest concentration of Benzoyl Peroxide as it still might have some very nasty and unpleasant consequences that might last for weeks!!! I started to have some small issues with my face skin (small pimples on my cheeks and jawline) after I moved to another country, so I was suggested by the pharmacist to try Benzac AC to quickly get rid of those imperfections. First I was almost convinced to buy 5% as he told me that 2.5% will be just too mild. Thanks God, I did not listen to him! I ended up with Benzac AC 2.5% gel in my bag and instructions to use it twice a day. But after reading some reviews I decided to take it slow and apply pea size amount of BP only once before going to bed and afterwards put some moisturizer to help ease the potential dryness. Well, guess what happend. First and second day everything seemed wonderful. Pimples where slowly going away and I thought that BP is really a miracle cure! But... It was way too soon to jump from joy. Third morning when I woke up my face was AWFUL. Red, swollen, peeling and itchy and believe me it is WAYYY worse than few pimples that you can cover with makeup. I threw out BP immediately swearing never ever to use that thing in my life. Its been 3 days after I stopped using that devils gel, but I am still dealing with the consequences. I am forced to spend my days at home as I cannot show my face in public. My face still looks really bad and I can only pray that it will get better in few days...