Benzoyl peroxide (BPO) is one of the most common active ingredients in all kinds of acne products and it has been one of the most useful tools in helping clear our hundreds of clients.  Benzoyl peroxide can significantly reduce signs of inflammation like redness, swelling, pain, and pus and it can help wash acne-causing congestion out of the follicles. Our method is based on purging acne from the inside out so that clients are not just clear on the surface of their skin but they are clear deep down inside of the skin and our Clearing Treatment is one of the most helpful tools in facilitating this inside-out clearing process. Yet so many of our new clients start our program and say things like “I’m allergic to benzoyl peroxide,” or “benzoyl peroxide doesn’t work for me,” or “benzoyl peroxide makes me irritated”.  But after coaching hundreds of people with acne, I can tell you that I have had less than a handful of people who are actually truly allergic to BPO and the majority of people who think they are allergic or sensitive to it have actually just been using it wrong. Read on for my response to some of the most common complaints about BPO.

WHAT IF I AM ALLERGIC TO BENZOYL PEROXIDE?

When clients tell me they are allergic to benzoyl peroxide, I say, “Are you really though?” There are definitely people that are allergic to benzoyl peroxide but out of the hundreds of people with acne I have helped clear over the years, less than 5 have actually been allergic to benzoyl peroxide.  Most of the benzoyl peroxide products on the market have a concentration of 2-10% of active ingredients in them. So how do you know you aren’t allergic to one of the other 90-98% of ingredients? A benzoyl peroxide product is not a product with only benzoyl peroxide in it. It’s not even a product with mostly benzoyl peroxide in it. And even though benzoyl peroxide is listed as the “active ingredient”, that doesn’t even mean that is the ingredient that feels the most active.  For example, you could be allergic to something natural like aloe or wheat so if one of those is listed in the “inactive ingredients,” it will feel way more active than the BPO because you will likely break out in hives or a rash.  

WHAT IF BENZOYL PEROXIDE IRRITATES MY SKIN?

Does it though?  That is like someone telling their personal trainer “squats irritate my body”.  Sure, squats can hurt your body if you do them incorrectly or you do too many too fast. But they probably wouldn’t hurt if you had a personal trainer who made sure your muscles were properly stretched out and you were doing them with proper form and the number of squats that are appropriate for your fitness level.  Well, your skin is just like a muscle and how well your skin tolerates a product or an ingredient depends less on the product itself than it does on the condition of your skin, how slowly you integrate it, and whether or not your skin is healthy enough to tolerate it. And your skin’s health is largely dependent on the other skincare products you are using and whether or not they are nourishing, soothing, and hydrating your skin so that your skin can better tolerate active ingredients like benzoyl peroxide.

BENZOYL PEROXIDE DOESN’T HELP MY ACNE

Hmm I doubt that.  Back to the body analogy we go.  Someone saying “benzoyl peroxide doesn’t help my acne” is like someone saying, “running doesn’t help my fitness”.  Sure, running alone won’t help your fitness if that is all you are relying on and you are still eating donuts all day and not doing any other types of exercise.  But if you are taking a multi-targeted approach to fitness and running is a part of a comprehensive program that includes a well balanced diet and strength training then running with proper form and in the right amount can be tremendously helpful.  So, yes, benzoyl peroxide won’t help your acne if that is all you are relying on and you are still using comedogenic makeup, eating dairy, and not managing your stress. But if it is part of a comprehensive program like ours that aims to manage acne using a multi-targeted approach then it can be tremendously helpful. 

HOW TO FIGURE OUT IF YOU ARE ACTUALLY SENSITIVE OR ALLERGIC TO BENZOYL PEROXIDE

• Start slow

  Just like with a new exercise, you need to start slow to give your skin time to acclimate and adjust.  We teach our clients how to perform a patch test and integrate our Clearing Treatment slowly during their Initial Consultation or through our e-course.

• Strengthen at the right pace 

  We also teach our clients how to slowly level up the strength of their product plan.  For example, they might start with using it for 15 minutes at night then 30 minutes at night then eventually use it every other night.  You have to be able to assess where your skin is at and adjust your product usage accordingly.

• Stinging and burning is not a good sign

  So many people mistakenly think that if a product stings or burns, it means it’s working.  But that is absolutely not the case. Stinging and burning are a sign that something is wrong and it’s not necessarily a sign that you need to stop using your BPO product but it could be a sign that your skin wasn’t ready for the usage and dosage or that it needs more nourishment and moisture.  

• Nourish, soothe, hydrate

  You know how a simple walk could feel really terrible for someone who is really out of shape?  Well if your skin is not healthy, it doesn’t matter how slow you use an active product. If your skin is dry, sensitized or not well balanced, it could make even the most gentle product feel irritating so it’s important that you are also using other skincare products that are nourishing, soothing, and hydrating your skin.

• Use compatible products

  If you are doing squats, the rest of the exercises in your fitness plan need to be compatible with it.  For example, if your trainer doesn’t include enough stretching or makes you do too many hamstring curls right after doing squats than they can do more harm than good even if the squats were done with perfect form.  So even if your benzoyl peroxide is appropriate for your skin type and used properly, it doesn’t matter if your other products are not compatible with it.

• If you suspect you are allergic to benzoyl peroxide, consult your Physician before following anyone’s recommendations. 

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