THE POWER OF BENZOYL PEROXIDE

Benzoyl peroxide, or BPO as it’s also known, is an ingredient that’s been around since the seventies as a topical acne treatment, and for good reason: it works. Wondering how it helps your acne? Read on!

Take a closer look at its name for a clue. Peroxide sounds familiar, right? Yes, the very same stuff from your childhood that would fizz away when your Mom poured it over your scraped knee is a component of BPO. Those bubbles are the reason hydrogen peroxide works as an antibacterial agent for wounds. What makes benzoyl peroxide particularly effective for acne is that it’s formulated in such a way that it doesn’t just sit on the surface of the skin; it delivers the active ingredient of oxygen deep inside the pore where it’s needed most.

So, why does an acne-prone pore need oxygen? Well, there are two types of acne: inflamed and non-inflamed. Inflamed breakouts occur when the P. acnes bacteria (which are present on all of our skin) feed on the debris inside of a clogged pore and begin to replicate. Your immune system then enters the picture to fend off the invasion, resulting in red, painful, swollen, and sometimes pus-filled pimples. Fortunately though, the P. acnes bacteria do have a weakness: they cannot live in the presence of oxygen. This gives benzoyl peroxide kryptonite-like powers in the face of inflamed acne. When you regularly apply a BPO product to the skin, such as our Acne Med, oxygen dives down into the pore and both eradicates the bacteria as well as prevents them from invading in the first place.

Another just as important function of benzoyl peroxide is its ability to exfoliate the inside of the pore. Why is this necessary? Remember that acne is a genetic disorder of the pore in which the skin sheds too many layers of dead cells per day. Your poor pores, unable to keep up with this onslaught, form an impaction made up of these skin cells along with sticky oils. This is what is known as clogged pores or non-inflamed acne. Benzoyl peroxide comes to the rescue, causing the debris in the pore to loosen by thinning out those oils and peeling the pore. BPO addresses the clogged pores you currently have and also keeps them from forming.

Here’s how you can make the most of your Benzoyl Peroxide:
– Make sure you follow the timed schedule to allow your skin to get used to it before using it overnight.
– Use it every single day.
– Don’t just spot-treat! Acne affects all pores.
– Apply a dime to a nickel size amount. The skin needs to be saturated with it in order for it to be effective.
– Choose your product wisely. Pick a non pore-clogging, water-based formula (as in our Acne Med).

Now that you know how benzoyl peroxide works, you can see why it’s such a superstar! Let it be your faithful friend in the fight for clear skin.