Topical Antibacterial
Reviews
3.5
20781 Reviews
Topical Antibacterial
Efficacy
54%
Based on All Available Studies
Strength of Evidence
1
2
3
4
5
Note: Benzoyl peroxide clears the skin completely when applied correctly.
Topical Antibacterial
Side Effects
Low-Medium
Topical Antibacterial
Acne.org’s Real World Take
It’s been a staple of acne treatment for decades for a reason. When used properly it can completely clear the skin. It is widely available and affordable. Comes with side effects for the first few weeks and can bleach fabric.
Topical Antibacterial
How to Get It
This is an over-the-counter treatment. Here are some places you can find it online.
Read All About Benzoyl Peroxide
Compare To Other Treatments
5
31.3%
4
25%
3
17.2%
2
12.5%
1
14%

Used Benzoyl Peroxide? Rate It:

Choose from 1 to 5 stars
May 29, 2017
Would not recommend
This gel gets a big no from me. I've been using it sparingly every now and then during a big breakout. It did definitely work for the breakouts even ones that were on my face fit weeks with no sign of going away. HOWEVER: I could only use this product once over night (I never used it during the day) on top of moisturiser and Only a minimal amount. If that was done one night and never again, the redness it created would go away fairly quickly. 1-2 days and my skin was fine. The moment I applied it the next night, the next morning I the area was extremely red, EXTREMELY dry which felt like a dry shell created over the area, the area swelled up a little + my skin burnt a bit. Saying that, my skin at the moment is still red to this day (been like this for roughly 4 days now) but it is slowly going away. The area is still raised due to swelling. The dryness is horrid and nothing seems to help. I still get some burning sensation on one area I applied this on my cheek despite not using this for 4 days and having washed my face every evening and morning since. I would only recommend this if your skin is tough and can take the usage of this more than one time in a row.
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July 31, 2017
This happened me to. My face was very badly burnt from this product. Hydrocortisone acetate cream (hc45) prescribed off my doctor got rid of my swelling and the redness/burn this product caused.
August 25, 2017
I got the same reaction and got prescribed the same from my doctor. How long did it take for your redness and swelling to go down
September 6, 2017
Same! My who skin got red, itchy and pealed. The product definitely works as my sports diminished and transformed into marks just for 2 days. However next time when i use acnecide I will be careful and put only on the sports
May 1, 2017
It was my savior until
I started Clinique when I was a broke 14 year old whose face was an oily sheen dotted with yellow bumps and her pulled fully back into a pony tail showing my mess of a face for all to see. It started as a gift- the set which lasted me about 3 months and boy were those months the best. My face was less oily and less covered in this yellow dots. But then I finished it and I didn't have the money for it. 3 years by and I had enough money to cover Clinique for the next 3 years- there was improvements, not the greatest, but improvements nonetheless. Eventually I decided to drop because the price was so expensive and my skin had become accustomed- it was like throwing money into the drain basically. Overall, it really helped my mild/mod acne during my HS/College years.
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April 16, 2017
saved my life and self-esteem
I want to start out by saying I never write reviews. That's how amazing this product is. Anyway, Last summer my acne started getting quite bad (moderate-severe) to the point where I never left my house for months straight and started staying home from school. Then I started acne.org and although it took about 3 months (which is what it says in the guidelines that it will take) I have completely clear skin now! I NEVER get pimples anymore and have never been more happy! Please take my word and get this product it honestly saved my skin and my confidence. I go out makeup less ALL the time and feel confident doing so!
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April 6, 2017
Unsure
So I have been struggling with mild acne for over three years now. I should consider myself lucky/blessed to only be mild acne there is much worse out there, but having it constantly and waking up everyday with two or more new pimples really can begin to take digs at your self-confidence and self-esteem - which I now have none. I have tried a quite a few over the counter remedies, home remedies, pill and even acne tablets but NOTHING has worked! I had come across acne.org before but was skeptical about buying online - about three-four weeks ago I caved in and ordered, I was desperate! So far, I can report that I am still waking up every day with new pimples.. my scarring /marks are deeper and darker then what they were prior to this treatment (once again effecting my self-esteem), and my face is still EXTREMELY DRY. I always wear make-up when I am out and about, and even then my confidence is non-existent because by the end of the day it is gross, dry and crinkly - but still its better in my mind's eye then walking around with my acne on full display. My acne affects my social life as well.. I've made excuses to cancel events because of my skin - it ruins my life. I will still with this treatement... I might order another 80z... but if I don't see any more improvements I will give it a toss. I am hopeful that soon it will help my skin but as for now I still suffer. Hope this helps.
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March 27, 2017
Product used: The Regimen
Should i keep using this or not?
I've just used regimen for 7 days and my skin getting worse day by day. I am so dessperated and stressful about my ances. What should i do now?
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April 20, 2017
Hang in there. It gets worse before it gets better. You need to use it for at least a month to tell if it's workimg
March 13, 2017
Product used: The Regimen
Never ever will I buy these products again!
I will never ever buy these products again! I have followed this system exactly how Dan said and 3 weeks in I have had to go to the doctor and have been given steroid cream to apply to my face due to a huge inflamed rash all over my face I have tiny bumps all over my face to it's horribly itchy and super irriatated I'm so so disappointed in these products. Happy for everyone it's working for but this didn't not work for me one bit!
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March 6, 2017
THE BEST PRODUCT I HAVE EVER USED ON MY ACNE COVERED FACE (and I've had acne for 15 years)
I tried Accutane when I was 14 and it cleared up my skin but after a couple of years i begun to break out again. I went on the pill but it made very moody and emotionally unstable. I've tried every chemist product you can think of, I used proactive and that actually worked for me but while travelling I lost the bottle and my skin broke out worst then ever, when I finally got a new bottle it had no effect on my acne and actually made it worst. Spiralactlone did nothing but give me slight heart palpitations and antibiotics did nothing. I've tried estroblock and natural hormone supplements. Liver supplements. I've washed my face with oils and also tried not washing it at all. I've watched million of YouTube videos and follow instagram pages. I'm 27, how is this normal??? I started Carleys Clean and Clear a week ago and I can already tell the difference!!!! I will be sure to keep everyone update. TRY IT!!! WHAT HAVE YOU GOT TO LOOSE? They sent me all these free samples as well and all have worked wonders on my skin. I would stay at homes on weekends because of my skin. I still Have scaring but now I can have makeup on without the lumps and bumps. This is just wonderful!!! X
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March 31, 2017
@Chanae Which of her products did you order?
August 3, 2017
What is the update after 4 months ??
February 24, 2017
The only thing that actually works!!!!!
This seriously is the best acne treatment out there. I'm never using anything else ever again. I didn't have horrible acne, but it was bad enough for me to not want to go out in the world. I mostly had clusters of breakouts on my chin, forehead and upper lip, then would get a pimple here and there on my cheeks. The breakouts on my chin and upper lip were BAD. I used salycilic acid from clean and clear as a spot treatment every night. I washed my face every morning and night with the Demi Lovato skin care line (the cleanser, toner and primer). But I still kept breaking out and my existing acne wasn't going away. I was starting to actually get cysts on my chin and when that happened I was like, okay something has to change. My younger sister had worse acne than I did and I noticed that her skin had cleared up considerably so I asked her what she did and she said she used this stuff from acne.org. So I went online and bought the regimen (the cleanser, benzoyl peroxide treatment, the lotion and AHA). I didn't know if it would work at first because I tried benzoyl peroxide a couple of years ago in high school and it didn't work and just tried my skin out. But I bought it anyway and tried it. I followed the steps very carefully. I washed my face very gently. I splashed water on my face and lathered the cleanser in my hands before applying it to my face, then I gently in circular motions rubbed the cleanser on my face for less than 10 seconds. I was skeptical about this at first because I didn't think that was enough time to get all the dirt and makeup and such off of my face, but it apparently gets the job done. Granted, I don't wear a lot of makeup. I wear coverup under my eyes for my dark circles lol and then I wear some blush or bronzer and then a little bit of eyeliner and mascara. Before I cleansed though I carefully took my mascara off with water and used make up remover for my eyeliner but that's it. After cleansing I used a clean towel to pat my face dry and let the rest of the water dry on its own like it says to do. Then when my face was fully dry I applied the treatment. I only applied the treament where I had acne. So just my chin, forehead and upper lip, then on the spots where I had random pimples on my cheeks. I used a little less than a dime sized amount in total. Then I waited for that to dry completely and put on the lotion. THE LOTION IS WEIRD. I was like "this is trash" at first but I used it anyway. I put one pump in total all over my face. At first it really does not absorb into the skin. You can rub it around all you want and it just wont absorb into your skin. But I just let it dry on my face (it takes about 5-10 minutes to dry) and it REALLY moisturizes my skin. I have really oily skin and before I started using this, throughout the day I would have to wipe my face with those oil wipes you can buy at the drugstore like twice a day. Its super uncomfortable if you know what I'm talking about! I'm pretty sure my face was overcompensating natural oils because my face wasnt getting enough moisture. But this moisturizer is so good I literally never feel oily ever. Now, when I first started the regimen, I was applying the benzoyl peroxide treatment every night. For the first couple of days I was fine, but on the fourth or fifth day my face starting getting REALLY dry around my mouth. So I bought this CeraVe moisturizing cream and applied it to the dry spots like every 6 hours. That helped a lot with the dryness. I stoped using the treatment every night and changed it to 3 times a week. Basically, this stuff is seriously amazing. In just the first 3 days I my face cleared up considerably. I haven't broken out once yet (even when I'm on my monthly thing). Its also fading my acne scars which is AMAZING. It seriously has such fast results I just don't understand how. I've only been using it for about a week and I am SO happy with my skin. Almost all my acne is gone I'm not even kidding. I haven't even used the AHA yet (because you're supposed to wait for about a month before using it) and my acne scars are fading fast. Throughout my high school years and before a week ago I had been using so many different things to get my skin to clear up, natural remedies like tea tree oil, the body shop products, lush products and just generic stuff from target or walmart and literally nothing works like this stuff does. If you have tried everything and feel like there is no hope BUY THIS STUFF. It literally saved my life and I feel very confident going out in public with no makeup on. Thank you acne.org!!!!!!!
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February 8, 2017
"Perfect skin"
first let me tell you, that i am a highschool senior.. so i know all about the pressure of perfect skin!!! i never really had acne until my freshman year, even then it wasn't that bad.. only a frw breaks out.. but i had them 24/7 & they would not go away for anything. i tried many soups, masks, washes, even got facials, nothing worked! so i started researching & cake apon this site! & it was the best thing i ever did! i have been using this regimen for about 4 weeks know, along with the cleanser & moisturizer (bought in the kit) & my face cleared up within a week, i still have one breakout on my check, that does not seem to want to leave!! other then that, this has helped me so much! i no longer have to wear foundation, nor worry about make up clogging my pores even more then they were!!
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February 7, 2017
Help with using BP
I've been using this regimen for 3 weeks now. The BP really helped with my oily t-zone; but it really broke me out in my chin area. I get cystic acne pimples and I have 8 on my chin. I'm so disappointed and upset. I'm not sure if I should continue with this regimen. I have not added in the AHA yet I'm kinda scared. Not sure what to do. I've never had this much breakout at one time before. I have a wedding to attend in a couple of weeks and I'm really upset and nervous about my face. Please help?????
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February 9, 2017
Hey! This is normal, your skin is just going through the normal purging stage. All the trapped acne is coming to its surface. Continue using the regimen, it will all clear up within the next few weeks. The key is to stick with it no matter what. The same thing happened to me, it is discouraging at first but I promise this regimen is amazing with consistency! hope this helped

Finding a Doctor

The right dermatologist can make a big difference to your patient experience and the success of your acne treatment plan. Here are the steps to find a dermatologist who is a good fit:

  1. Use the search feature on the American Academy of Dermatology website to look for board-certified dermatologists in your area, and filter the search results for doctors with a special interest in treating acne.
  2. Read online patient reviews of any dermatologists you are considering and ask people you know whether they have any experience with these dermatologists.
  3. Do your research and go to your first appointment with questions prepared.
  4. Listen to what your gut feeling tells you once you see a dermatologist in person. If you are not completely comfortable, try a different dermatologist.

Finding a Doctor

Only a select few plastic surgeons specialize in acne scar revision surgery. Be certain to find a provider who specializes in acne scar repair and who is passionate and experienced in this area.

Be sure to:

  • Look at before and after photos, the more the better, especially patients with similar scarring to your own.
  • Be realistic about results. Look for improvement, not a cure.

Questions to ask a potential scar revision specialist:

  • Are you board certified? Be certain that they are board certified.
  • How long have you been performing these procedures? Normally, the more experience the better, however, some younger surgeons may be more on top of the latest procedures.
  • Can I speak to some of your other patients? Ask for references for several patients who had similar scarring and speak to them about the process and their satisfaction with results.

Red flags:

  • Their story changes: As you discuss different treatment options, if they tend to change their mind easily, or agree with whatever you say, consider this a red flag. A confident, experienced surgeon will possess strong, unwavering opinions.
  • Your gut tells you "no": Trust your gut. If you just don't feel that the doctor is the right fit, trust that and move on. On the other hand, if you feel they are the perfect specialist for you, trust that feeling.