This Works & Stops Active Breakouts
Pros: - This product doesn’t have much of a smell. (slight chemical scent at first but dissipates quickly) - It does kill acne / active breakouts - Works quickly, 5-7 days to see visible improvements - Strongest concentration available without a prescription Cons: - Very strong which means it is highly irritating and drying - Does not dry clear - Bleaches everything - Will cause skin sensitivity, a good SPF will be needed daily, as well as a moisturizer. A con only if you don’t like having a skincare routine My skin is oily, acne prone, and slightly sensitive. Benzoyl peroxide is very harsh and drying, so if you are a beginner, I wouldn’t recommend this only because of the common beginner’s error of using more than you need, thinking it will work faster. Start with 2.5% or 5% first, and then switch to this once your skin adjusts and you have a feel for how much you actually need. This product in particular is very strong, it is harsh, but it works. When used consistently, it will clear active breakouts and prevent new ones from forming. As I mentioned above, you will need both a moisturizer and a facial sunscreen of at least SPF 30, because Benzoyl Peroxide causes photosensitivity. Sun exposure will also cause any leftover scarring to darken and stick around on your face for much longer. As a side note, if you have sensitive skin and this is too irritating, you can try out a benzoyl peroxide based face wash. Those do work - there are studies proving benzoyl peroxide to be effect with short contact on skin. A leave-on BP product is infinitely more harsh on the skin than a wash-off formula but for some breakouts, a leave-on is necessary. For active breakouts, Neutrogena's Rapid Clear Stubborn Acne Spot Gel works well. Benzoyl peroxide is a powerful ingredient, 10% is the maximum recommended concentration which is what this product contains. 10% is very drying, so you will need a moisturizer with this, otherwise you will probably experience a breakout due to your skin being overdried. This product is a white cream that does NOT dry clear. I like to use it as a spot treatment (at night only, because it is streaky and white) on active pimples and as a cream over areas that I get breakouts (chin, forehead). It also bleaches everything, so keep your hair pulled back and sleep with an old towel on your pillow. I don’t think you could use this during the day, even when it dries if you try to apply make-up over it will flake (and it dries white and tends to “crackle” and flake) Overall, 5 stars because it’s benzoyl peroxide, and it does what it is supposed to do. This is packaged well, the cap seals it well so there’s no problems with oxidizing. It only works if you use consistently. I went with Neutrogena because it’s a trusted brand I have had success with in the past, and I also enjoy their lines of moisturizers. Read more