If you have severe to moderate acne — chances are you’ve heard of benzoyl peroxide. But just because something is well-known, doesn’t mean it’s well-understood. Yes, benzoyl peroxide is one of the most widely used active ingredients for acne. But what happens when your skin finally clears up & you stop using it?
Benzoyl Peroxide is a powerhouse active ingredient in the war on acne. This hero can help you break up with your breakouts but it can very quickly become the villain in your story if you quit him cold turkey. Weening off BP after using it for a substantial period of time can be a little daunting and frustrating.
Don’t worry though – there is a proper way to approach this dilemma without sacrificing your clear skin.
But first…
What is Benzoyl Peroxide?
Technically speaking, benzoyl peroxide is an organic peroxide that acts as an oxidizing agent. In other words, it’s a chemical compound that, through oxidizing activity on the skin helps treat acne.
What does oxidizing activity mean, exactly?
Benzoyl peroxide is actually similar in structure to hydrogen peroxide in that it is a peroxide type of medication that releases oxygen on the skin to destroy bacteria.
BP is so effective and reliable for acne because it works in several different ways at once. It is both antimicrobial, killing bacteria and other organisms, and an exfoliant, unclogging pores and gently sloughing off the surface layer of skin.
So, there you have it: antimicrobial, plus anti-inflammatory, plus exfoliant, equals a powerful acne-fighting ingredient.
How Do You Quit Benzoyl Peroxide?
We do not recommend quitting benzoyl peroxide if you are still in your teens. And, we recommend it lightly for our adult clients who have been clear for at least 12 months continuously.
We offer three levels of BP — 2.8%, 5% and 10%.
The first step to weening you off is to make sure your diet is on point; your skincare practice is diligent (twice per day using our Beachy Clean regimen).
Then we can take you from BP 10 to BP5 and eventually BP 2.8 and then off of BP altogether.
This is a process that happens over a period of time.
Having a clean diet is a crucial part of having clear skin! We can’t reiterate enough the importance of what you put into your body is what you see on your skin. When you follow our famous clear skin nutrition plan — you will be amazed at the skin clarity you will achieve.
What Do You Do When You’re off Benzoyl Peroxide?
This skin-care ingredient isn’t new or trendy, but that’s part of what makes benzoyl peroxide so powerful: It’s reliable. It is, however, very drying; and we ultimately aim to get our clients on such a clean diet and use of proper skincare and very diligent routine that they can wean themselves off of BP.
There are two options –
Make sure to stay diligent with your exfoliation (clarify serums, A Plus, Glycolic or Salicylic) these are what is keeping your pores clean and clear. Acne treatments also help reduce bacteria, oil, and dead skin cells to keep our pores clear.
Benzoyl peroxide is the bacteria killer, while our slough serums do more of the heavy lifting to remove oil or cell build-up within the pores that causes blockage which ultimately leads to acne.
And, if you want to have safety net for your skin…
We recommend adding WipeOut O2 Purifying Lotion to your routine.
This formula utilizes hydrogen peroxide to help kill off bacteria and keep the pores super clean but without drying your skin.
Final Takeaway
Benzoyl peroxide is undoubtedly one of the most beneficial and inexpensive acne treatments around. However, when it’s time to say good-bye to the product that helped you clear – it must be done with care.
Have you been clear for a while? Are you ready to start transitioning off Benzoyl Peroxide? Ask us to guide you; and let’s take the next steps in clear skin. Schedule your consultation & let us help you stay clear for the New Year!
Cheers to clear!
Rene