My Health Care Zone

Acne vulgaris or acne can be considered a chronic inflammatory disease of the pilosebaceous unit (hair shaft or hair follicle). This is the most prevalent skin disorder known till date. Almost 85% to 100% of the human population is affected by this problem. It can occur due to factors like:

1. Increased sebum production due to androgenic effects
2. Pathogenic effects in acne
3. Propionibacterium proliferation
4. Inflammation of acne

Although women are more careful and conscious about acne, it also badly affects men.  There are a lot of products available for acne treatment like accutane, isotretionin, doxycycline, benzoyl peroxide etc. the most commonly used one being benzoyl peroxide.

This type of acne treatment is used by mostly without prescription. Acne treatment has been made simple and effective with the use of benzoyl peroxide as a method of treatment. Benzoyl peroxide is an organic compound belonging to the organic peroxide family.

Benzoyl peroxide gets decomposed when it react with the skin. This results in the production of benzoic acid and oxygen-free radicals which are non-toxic. This oxygen-free radicals help in the oxidation of bacterial proteins in sebaceous follicles. It helps to reduce the quantity of irritating free fatty acids from anaerobic bacteria. It is also having a keratolytic (removal excess skin resulting in thin skin) and a comedolytic (opening of closed pores) effect. This is more effective in the treatment of adult inflammatory acne. Acne treatment using benzoyl peroxide can be made more effective with the help of creams and lotions containing vitamin E and tertiary amines.

1. Benzoyl peroxide acts as a peeling agent. It removes the dead skin on the outside and brings out the fresh skin.
2. It helps in clearing the pores of the skin thus reducing the chances of infection.
3. It works effectively as an antimicrobial agent reducing the bacterial infection and dries off excess sebum, thereby helping the infected acne to be cured.
4. It is also an effective antiseptic

A lot of products containing benzoyl peroxide for acne treatment are available in the market. These are lotions, soaps, gels, creams etc. Benzoyl peroxide for acne treatment comes in the form of gel and creams. The concentrations for benzoyl peroxide vary from 2.5% to 10% depending on the treatment necessity. The mainly used concentration is 2.5% and studies show that there is not much effect caused by increasing the concentration of benzoyl peroxide.

Precautions while using benzoyl peroxide

• For one hour, do not apply any other medicine on the area where benzoyl peroxide is applied.
• Do not wash the skin for a minimum of 1 hour after the application of benzoyl peroxide.
• It is important not to use any other skincare product containing peeling agents like resorcinol, salicylic acid, sulphur or tretioin, in the area where benzoyl peroxide is applied.
• Usage of hair products that cause irritation are is not advisable, while trying benzoyl peroxide.
• Never use products that can cause sensitivity to the skin like lime and anything in the citric species, with benzoyl peroxide.
• It can cause irritation with alcohol-containing skincare products like astringents, shaving creams, after-shave lotions etc.
• It is not advisable to use skin products that cause drying of the skin such as soaps, skin cleansers etc.
• Some doctors prescribe tretinoin together with benzoyl peroxide. In that case, use tretinoin at night and benzoyl peroxide during the day time to avoid irritation and other side effects.

Side effects of benzoyl peroxide

• Initially, due to benzoyl peroxide treatment there are chances of irritation and dryness. Later on there is a chance that the skin will develop tolerance after a period of 1-2 weeks.
• But for people with more sensitive skin, it leads to burning, itching, peeling, swelling and other type of allergic reactions.
• Skin rashes are common effect of benzoyl peroxide.
• It can act as bleach leading to the darkening or lightening of the skin.
• Benzoyl peroxide results in the flaking of the skin.
• It can cause inflammation of the face, eyes and nose
• It leads to tenderness of the skin.

Benzoyl peroxide treatment during pregnancy

It is believed that there are no side effects in taking benzoyl peroxide treatment during pregnancy. Topical creams and gels contain 2.5 to 10 % of benzoyl peroxide. It is considered to works by killing bacteria in the deep pores of the skin. During pregnancy, lower concentrations of benzoyl peroxide are used. The skin becomes very sensitive during pregnancy. There are chances for the skin irritation due this chemical. Till now there have been no reports of miscarriages or birth defects due to the usage of this drug. It is mainly because it is a treatment from the outside of the skin and does not get into direct contact any organs.

Another point to be taken into consideration is that benzoyl peroxide decomposes easily to produce free oxygen radicals. These free radicals destroy bacterial metabolisms and in turn kill bacteria. With this reaction the free radicals are eliminated as it forms complex compounds with bacterial protein. Furthermore, there is no harm with the free radical. Hence, theoretically benzoyl peroxide is safe during pregnancy. However, clinical reports and researches in this field are yet to add strength to this theory.