Benzoyl Peroxide: Miracle Ingredient or Harmful Ingredient

                With acne being such a constant in our community, acne treatments and acne creams are made in large amounts with a new product being offered it seems like every other week. There always seems to be a new active ingredient that is better than the rest in treating acne which seems to be unbelievable. How can people produce new ingredients in acne creams and treatments at such a fast rate and have them be the best or better than the rest? A prime example of this kind of force in the market place is an ingredient by the name of Benzoyl Peroxide and you will be surprised at what this additive does.

                The first and most noticeable reaction of Benzoyl Peroxide used in acne creams and treatments is the drying effect. This is due to the synthetic nature of the ingredient. Now do not get me wrong, Benzoyl Peroxide does kill bacteria that causes acne as well as any other product, it is just that the flaking red irritated skin from Benzoyl use is a very bad side effect. This ingredient right here used in some of our acne creams and treatments can actually end up producing scarring on the face from the amount of irritation it causes.

                The second reason why Benzoyl Peroxide should not be used in some of our acne creams and treatments are reactions that can have future impacts on our bodies. Have you ever heard of the molecules by the name of Free Radicals? Benzoyl Peroxide use has been proven to produce these types of molecules. For those of us who may not know what Free Radicals are, let me give you a quick tidbit of information for your use. Free radicals are molecules without electrons. What they do is attack to whole molecules, or cells, and steal their electrons eventually producing more and more of these instable cells. When the Free Radical count becomes bigger, cancerous activity can become evident in your skin. This was evident in test done on mice who not long after having Benzoyl Peroxide applied to them, produced tumors. So for people who use acne creams and treatments with Benzoyl Peroxide as an active ingredient for a while are at risk of some serious consequences.

                Here is another fun fact that people who have been using Benzoyl in their acne creams do not truly have to worry about but it still shows the dangerous aspect of the ingredients. In higher concentrations, Bezoyl Peroxide is highly explosive and can cause fires without even an ignition. You want to definitely set fires in the hearts of people who look at your face; but you do not want to be able to set a fire with the ingredients used in your facial treatment.

                All in all, Benzoyl Peroxide is just another “amazing” ingredient that turned out to be not as great as we all thought.  For the best acne creams and treatments, my suggestion would be to stay away from this ingredient and all other ingredients that are of a synthetic nature. Go for the organic or natural based ingredients that work with your face not against it. So for the safety of your already delicate skin condition, make sure you know what you are using. It will be the best decision you have ever made.