Benzoyl peroxide is probably the most common acne fighting
ingredient found in over the counter topical gels, creams and
face washes.
This chemical mixture can be fairly effective topically in
treating very mild acne in my opinion, but it just doesn't cut
it for more severe acne that is usually related to hormonal
imbalances or high stress levels in adults.
This more severe and "deeply rooted" cystic-type acne is much
more stubborn and usually requires a more agressive oral
treatment aimed at calming hormones and cleansing the skin from
this inside, so to speak.
Benzoyl peroxide is a solution that acts as an antibacterial
agent, and helps prevent further infection and growth of acne
cysts and postules. The problem with this solution being used on
adults with acne is that adults begin to experience two things
at various ages: wrinkles and thinner skin. Benzoyl peroxide,
while somewhat useful as an acne treatment for adolescents, is
too drying and too irritatin for adult skin.
When I've used benzoyl peroxide, it was effective for me only in
one product for spot treatment - Neutrogena acne spot treatment
gel. It helped dry out the blemish, and seemed to keep it from
reforming a whitehead pretty effectively. The drawbacks to
benzoyl peroxide for me were: increased redness and irritation,
excessive dryness and flaking. Many times these side effects
override the benefits, since dry, flaky, red skin can look just
as bad if not worse than the acne itself!
This effect really exacerbated as I got older and tried to use
benzoyl peroxide to treat my adult acne. I learned my lesson the
hard way. One tube and dried out, irritated and "tough" feeling
skin later, I decided I would ditch benzoyl peroxide for good in
favor of more natural and gentle acne clearing products and even
an oral natural acne treatment to help clear up my acne at its
source.
Bottom line, this OTC acne medication can come in handy for some
spot treatment, but I wouldn't rely on it for serious acne or
any type of cystic acne needing a more serious approach like
internal natural medicine (recommended) or even a dermatologist
prescription.
About the author:
Danna Schneider is the webmaster of CosmeticsGalore.com
CosmeticsGalore
Cosmetic Product Reviews, where you can find the latest
natural cosmetic medicines to battle acne at it's source, and
get rid of it for good, without irritation or dryness.
