Benzoyl Peroxide
Results
Side Effects

Benzoyl peroxide is a topical treatment that kills acne bacteria and dries/peels the skin, helping to keep pores unclogged.

It is usually applied once or twice a day to the acne-affected area. You should see results quickly, but sometimes it takes 4 to 6 weeks of treatment to become apparent.

3.5
20781
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:

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February 9, 2012
Product used: Proactiv Solution (Acne Treatment System)

Pros:

Clears up acne
Help prevent acne
Makes acne go away faster

Cons:

Dry patches
Flaking skin
Moisturizer not doing its job

I love this product. This helped my acne and help prevent it. Let me start with what skin type I have. I am a teenager. I have oily, acne prone skin with a little bit of sensitivity. This product works very well. It did what it was advertised and has some great add ons. The daily oil control works! This helped to give me less oil. The mask works wonders. I use it for 2 nights, and the fat red zit will be gone. A bad pint is that it dried my skin out. I cannot use the moisturizer in the oil control set I got because it does not do its job. It has SPF. It looks like, smells like and feels like a sunscreen. Second, this left me with dry, flaky patches all over my skin. I sometimes have just use a deep cleansing toner and a moisturizer and skip the system. The prices can also be deceiving though. Overall, I would recommend this product to people who have tried oth things and they have not wored for them. This is for people with ane people's, not for the occasional zit here and there.
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February 8, 2012
Product used: Proactiv Solution (Acne Treatment System)

Pros:

Quickly Noticed Results
Noticeable change in pores size
Softer Clearer Skin
Huge improvement on future blemish control..

Cons:

Finding Kiosk Locations to prevent the automatic renewal scenario

A little pricey
Run out of Toner prior to wash due to using it more.

I have heard about proactive for years and have always wanted to try but figured that as with most as seen on tv products it was only a gimmick. I am a professional performer and consistently have to use stage makeup that can cause breakouts by the end of a week of performances. In general I have very little acne but do have combination/slightly oily skin. I recently decided that I would give it a try after seeing the kiosk in a local mall (to prevent the automatic renewal horror stories) and decided to give it a try. Literally within 3 days the few minor blemishes had healed completely and my skins texture not only felt smoother but also blended some of the discoloration from previous blemishes. I write this only because I am truly impressed with the product and am grateful that I decided to give it a try. I do however suggest that the cleanser be used as directed for a full 2 minutes but only at night at the end of the day. Then use the toner in the mornings and for a quick refresher during the day. *The recommended dosage is what I believe and hear dries out the skin and cause some of the lack of improvement. I have already returned to purchase additional products including the oil free moisturizer which I use during the day and then The Repairing Treatment moisturizer at night time or when I am not out doing the strenuous activity. Lastly, to quickly aide in getting rid of a blemish here or that that pops up, utilize The Refining Mask but only a pea sized amount on the actual blemish/pimple and leave it on over night. Then the next morning simply rinse with water and only if necessary use the toner again. There is no reason to use the cleanser both morning and night other then to dry out your skin. Overall, I say give it a try... Obviously everything isn't for everybody, Nothing Ventured-Nothin Gained. All the best and Thank You Proactive!
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February 7, 2012
Product used: Neutrogena (On-the-Spot Acne Treatment (Old Formula))

Pros:

None

Cons:

Leaves a white residue
Balls up when moisturizing
Expensive
Dries to quickly

Just don't do it! The fact is you will be wasting your money. It balls up and flakes off so easily. Not worth the time or effort.
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February 4, 2012
Product used: Clinique (Acne Solutions Clear Skin System)

Pros:

Makes skin softer
Washes off makeup
Fast results
Zits become smaller within a night

Cons:

Dried out skin
Toner stings when applying to open pores from popped zits

I started breaking out really bad around December, but I didn't start using Clinique until late January. I've been using this for about 2 weeks now. At first, I didn't see any results that were listed in the reviews. It actually broke me out a little more (it says it on the information guide that comes with the acne set). I was going to stop using it, but after 1 and a half week, I began noticing that my acne stopped. I am now dealing with acne from probably a week ago. My face hurts less. It is also much smoother! The only thing is that it dries out my skin =/. And when I pop a pimple or accidentally scratch on it and wash my face and applied the toner, it stings. I'm not trying to scare you. It actually worked for me. My family noticed how my skin is getting better. But to be honest, I didn't depend on acne medication that much. I tried eating a better diet too. Hope this helps!
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February 4, 2012
Product used: Proactiv Solution (Acne Treatment System)

Pros:

No Pros

Cons:

They are very shady in the way they do business. I signed up for a 90 day supply that was advertised for 29.95 after 30 days I saw no improvement so I contacted them to inform them I no longer would like to use the product and they told me that I still have 2 payments left with a total of 107 dollars.

Not worth the amount charged, and the pricing is miss leading. You are better off getting the same stuff at wallgreens for 1/8 of the price.
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January 29, 2012
Product used: Solugel (Benzoyl Peroxide (4%) Gel)

Pros:

best benzoyl peroxide product
dries fast
easy to spread and easy to apply a thin layer
prevents acne rather than treating existing acne

Cons:

bleaches clothes, towels pillowcases but of course that comes with any BP product

this is the best benzoyl peroxide product i've used. the 4% strength is perfect, not too drying. used consistently with moisturizer pretty well prevents skin flakiness and redness completely. this is my absolute favorite because of how quickly it dries. i hated having to wait 20 minutes or more for thicker BP creams/gels to dry. however, forgetting to use once or twice can bring acne back super fast
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January 26, 2012
Product used: Carley's (Clear and Smooth Skin Treatment)

Pros:

free soap with every purchase!
Habits I didn't know I had and realized I had to stop (picking my skin/ product overlapping)

Also, did you guys think about everything you are putting on your face? If you are a woman, concealers and face primers can contain salicylic acid. Foundations/ powders can have comedogenics (ingredients that clogs pores/aggravate acne). All of these we use at once to try and cover our acne (I know I use them all the time) which in turn makes our skin worse because of all the chemicals competing to clear our skin when we are actually clogging it. For myself I use Cover-FX concealer and foundation which doesn't contain any of these and it's been good. Pricey yes, but worth it until my skin clears. Don't use anything else on your skin while using Carley's treatment. I think that is what's saving my skin so far. and DON'T PICK! I am a huge picker (c'mon we all do it!) which leaves those pores open to anything that's already on your face to enter and become trapped. Huge no-no! That was probably the hardest thing for me to stop!
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January 22, 2012
Product used: Proactiv Solution (Acne Treatment System)

Pros:

Sort of cleared skin

Cons:

Left skin SUPER DRY!!!

My skin got extremely flaky and dry! I couldn't even put cover up on. It looked so bad and SO FLAKY!!! I stopped using Proavtiv after about 4 days use. Bottom line? Do not use this product. Even a moisturizer has not helped me very much.
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January 22, 2012
Product used: AcneFree (24 Hour Acne Clearing System)

Pros:

-none.

Cons:

- irritated skin.
-redness.
-puffyness.
-red bumpy/griany patches all over face.

- I bought the sensitive skin care kit which came with a cleanser, toner and lotion. my friend recommended to me. after using it for 2-3 days i woke with red itchy,bumpy patches all over my face. the redness swolled my face/ cheeks up. the bumbyness is all over my face including eyelids. it burns, it stings, it itches. it feel horrible. i dont know what to do now with my skin. I just hope it goes away. its a horrible product. don't ever get it. :(
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January 22, 2012
Product used: Carley's (Clear and Smooth Skin Treatment)

Pros:

smells great
mostly natural
skin did feel softer
the owner responded quickly and personally to my emailed questions

Cons:

broke me out horribly
clogged pores
left my face shiny and tight
broke out in places where I rarely get zits including cystic acne along and under the jaw.
break outs continued a long time after I stopped; have lots of post acne marks to deal with

It may work for some but I cannot use a soap-based system or anything with heavy/moderate oils in them. I should have stopped when it first started breaking me out but continued thinking it would get better. A short amount of purging with new BP or salicylic acid products is to be expected (especially those under-the-skin bumps that are brought to the surface) but I got acne in many places where I didn't have it before. A light case of acne went moderate with cystic acne along the jaw and continued even after I stopped. It's been 2 months and I'm still dealing with the aftermath - my self esteem took a huge dive. Be careful with this product! I've done a lot of research on Paula's Choice website about acne and Carley's has a lot of the ingredients you should avoid. I feel like it "ruined" my face - but hopefully with time and a little TLC, it will improve. Am trying some of Paula's products. So far so good.
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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.
Find a Doctor Using The American Acacemy of Dermatology Website

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.
Find a Doctor Using the American Society of Plastic Surgeons Website