I’ve had a few questions lately in the Ask Fran forum about how to wean off Benzoyl Peroxide, so today I recorded a video about it-
If you’ve had an experience coming of Benzoyl Peroxide or had success in managing your excessively dry skin, let us all know about it in the response box below.
19 responses ↓
I swear by BP to get rid of pimples, but it does dry out my skin big time. Johnson & Johnson’s baby lotion works great on moisturizing super-dry flaky skin. I know its not a face lotion, but its so gentle that it doesn’t feel greasy or cause further breakouts. I swear by it as a night cream (not day cuz there’s no SPF).
Hey Fran loving the videos. I have been using Benzoyl Peroxide for about two years now and i have just come off like two days ago, and as expexted a couple of new pimples have appeared however im still experiencing flaky skin? im also annoyed because my acne seems very stubborn now and it seems like the spots and scars on my cheeks just wont go away no matter what i do. i recently went to a healthfood store and the worker gave me clear complexion tablets and evening primrose oil to take for my acne will this clear my scars aswell as my acne and when will my skin be clear again, its really getting me down at the minute no matter what i put on the scars there just still there in the morning. please respond thanks fran your amazing!
Thank you, Fran. This had definitely put me at ease.
Hey Fran. I used to use Benzoyl Peroxide but it did dry up my skin far too much, so I stopped a few years ago.
I wanted to let you know that for the past month I have been eating much healthier than I ever have before, and I have been doing yoga and pilates and focusing on being more calm all the way around, and my pimples have started to really clear up. And anytime I have too much junk food in one day, my skin will break out immediately, same with getting too stressed or skipping yoga for a day.
Point being, thank you so much for your website. I’ve been slowly turning in to a health nut for almost 6 months now, but it was you and your wonderful youtube videos that really gave me that push I’ve been needing.
Hey Fran,
I love following your blog and gaining tips for wholistic approaches to healthy skin. It must also help with your hair too becuase it looks amazing! Slightly off the topic of skin care, can you tell me what your hair care regime is? as in what products you use? I would be very interested to know.
Keep up spreading the healthy word!
Hi Sammantha, the dry skin will most likely take a couple of weeks to heal, but it will get there. Your skin is just freaking out a little at the moment so will take some time to return to its natural balance.
The scars will also go away FASTER when your skin isn’t so dry. So just relax, and know that your skin is doing a great job at looking after itself.
Hey Bern, that’s so funny because I was watching this video and thinking that my hair was looking really bad and I need a cut!!! So thanks for the compliment
I’ll have to do a post about it soon ..
I find BP definitely DID work. Quite well. But after reading a fair bit of negative stuff about it, I quit it. Yes, my skin went nuts.
I lived with terrible breakouts/inflammation for a few long months ’til I tried the Paula’s Choice BHA liquid (2%) via your recommendation, and that seemed to clear things up by about 80%+. I know it’s still not natural, but I hope it’s at least more gentle than BP. I really like how it’s PH balanced.. I have VERY sensitive skin (like, ridiculously so) and it doesn’t irritate me what so ever (surprisingly!!). People who can’t use Salicylic Acid should probably avoid this though.
I tried a couple of different variations of BP before and I too agree with a couple of the readers above, getting off it usually means a recurrence of breakout which are more persistent and stubborn and tend to scar more. Proactiv, and the Dan regime at acne.org were the 2 i’ve tried. Temporarily, it gave good results but yes dry skin was indeed one of the major downside. The idea of long term dehydration didn’t sit well with me though so I have decided to quit using it and am now on a regime which mainly consists of gentle cleanser, AHA, Vit C & E and evening primrose based moisturizer and very very occasionally some tretinoin (0.1%).
Hi Fran.
It’s Taylor from AcneTeen.Org.
As you know, I am huge fan of Proactiv. It literally saved my skin. After years of messing around with the product, I have finally managed to subside all side effects.
1. I only once a day (right before bed).
2. I only let my face touch water twice a day.
–a. Once when I am using Proactiv.
–b. Again when I take my morning shower.
My routine.
1. Wake up.
2. Brush / Floss Teeth
3. Shave
4. Moisturize
5. Shower (short and sweet)
6. Pat face dry.
7. Moisturize.
8. Use Proactiv (night time)
When using Proactiv, I cleanse for 10 seconds. Gently wash the cleanser off and pat my face dry. Then, I use the toner. Finally, the repairing lotion.
I do all of this with Extreme care. The less amount of time you touch your face for, the better of you are.
Following the Proactiv instructions got me pretty good results, but I had pretty bad side effects, and wasn’t all the way clear.
Switching from once a day to twice a day relieved dryness and caused less clog pores causing my skin to stop breaking out altogether.
Yes. Proactiv works, folks. But really, I’d try using it once a day if you’re having problems.
Thanks for the reply Fran, so your saying my scars will go away faster in moist conditions. Would Manuka Honey Skin Lotion totally get rid of my scars then. benzoyl peroxide has done so much damage to my skin im so glad im off it now! what is the best thing to do to get rid of these scars?
Bp is the only thing that has worked for me! And it doesn’t dry my skin out at all maybe because I have oily skin? But I love it! The only thing it don’t help me with is blackheads.
Hey Sammantha, manuka honey may help but it’s more likely that your scars will just fade on by themselves with time.
Hi Fran, I used proactiv for about 5 years. It did work for me but I wanted to go all natural so I stopped using it. I now get cystic acne on my chin and I have lots of whiteheads on my cheeks along with redness and itching. I’m trying to calm my acne now with Burt’s Bees all natural acne treatment. Have you heard anything about this product. Also it does use SA but in the natural form. Will this be safe to use twice a day or will it have the same results as BP?
Randi, I believe that I have heard Fran say that SA is a little safer than Benzoyl Peroxide.
In my opinion, Benzoyl Peroxide is no more dangerous than talking on a cellphone and getting brain cancer, but that’s just me.
Anyway, using a topical product alone will not clear your acne if you’re looking to use something other than B.P.
To clear your acne naturally, you’ll have to treat your acne from the inside-out, as well. This means, eating healthier, exercising, and so on and so forth.
Hey Frann i’ve read some of your articles especially the one about sudden breakouts.
Well my skin has been very clear before but last July when an acne showed up I started using cleansers. And boy! my acne breakouts came a lot more frequent,but only on the right side of my face the left would have a one or two but would come off easily unlike the right side.
I stopped everything I’ve been applying to my face, sunscreen, powder,and cleansers, because I thought I was having an allergic reaction but still nothing has changed.
Now I’m using 2.5% benzoyl peroxide (i’ve been using it for a week). Do you think I should continue using it? Could you suggest a better alternative?
I have read some of the products you were recommending but I’m afraid they are not available here in my place.
Please help…
hi fran!
I’m signed up for your free mini course.
I’m 22 and have always had clear (ish) skin and only minor problems with acne til this summer when BAM I got hit with a full forehead, chin, and upper lip of cystic nodular acne. I’ve eliminated most sugars and refined carbs from my diet, started taking vitamins and trying to stay connected to my inner consciousness (in case some of it is my body purging stress–which I have had a lot of this year), but I am still experiencing acne, and what’s worse, scars. I know you had cystic acne and I was wondering how you dealt with acne scars?
I am devastated about the news I’ve just learned about the damaging affects of BP! I, like Randi, have been using Proactiv for years… unfortunately close to 12 years. I loved Proactiv- it cleared my skin and has continued to do so for over a decade.
I began noticing a change in my skin tone, pigmentation, and texture over the past few years. I guess I wrote it off as an impending effect of nearing my 30’s.
It wasn’t until recently that I started making changes in my lifestyle toward a more natural (green) way of living. I discovered Lerosett Acne Treatment (all natural/ organic), and have been using it for the past 3 weeks.
Initially, my skin felt softer. My skintone immediately became more radiant and less dull like it was with Proactiv. My pore size was shrinking and I was a getting compliments from friends about how great my skin looked! And then….
My skin went haywire!!! I have zits popping up hourly it seems and my face is beginning to look like it did in my teens!
I contacted Lerosett about what to do? If I was using the product correctly? If they’d experienced this with other Proactiv customers? Etc. I wanted Lerosett to work so badly because it’s organic and the initial affects.
It was Lerosett customer service who informed me about the damaging free radical effects caused by Benzoyl Peroxide. They eluded to the fact that my skin has been on “a drug called Benzoyl Peroxide” for 12 years. I panicked! Immediately began researching the effects of Benzoyl Peroxide, and the more I read the more I realized that the changes I’ve been noticing in my skintone and pigmentation were a direct reflection of the product I was using for over a decade.
My research led me to your website. I really appreciate the information you have provided here! Thank you so much!!!
Unfortunately for me, I do not have speakers so I need to ask you a favor…. can you email me or post to your website a text version of the article “How to Wean off Benzoyl Peroxide?”
I would GREATLY appreciate access to this article, and any information you can offer about weaning my skin from the use of Benzoyl Peroxide.
How long will I have to deal with breakouts like this? What is your opinion or have you heard about Lerosett?
THANK YOU!! THANK YOU!! THANK YOU!!
Kim
P.S. Taylor- I understand why you are a fan of Proactiv, but be aware! Proactiv might clear your acne NOW, but you will be faced with a whole new problem of premature aging in the NEAR future. I just want to save someone from the problems I’m now facing. Good luck!
I hate Benzoyl peroxide. I used to post on acne org and i made a post about how awful bp was and they suspended my account for it. Basically what happened was a father was asking how to get rid of his 12year old sons very mild acne. i recommended a vitamin supplement and 3 moderators of the sight all advocated bp, surprise surprise. So i attacked how they were sucking up to the person on the sight and that bp was an awful chemical – so they kicked me off for it.
Honestly i came off bp about 3months ago, ok yes i swapped it for roaccutane – but i did need that drug i had acne all over my back, chest and face. Bp helped it on my face but never cleared it even after 2months and the damage i got from it was awful. My skin peeled off, i went bright red and it was honestly so awful. The side effects, i.e. dryness, is nothing compared to Bp and accutane works so much better – its cleared my chest is on its way to clearing my back and facial acne. Fran is right BP is awful – if you have mild/moderate acne use some of these natural things id personally recommend witch hazel. But if you do have extensive severe acne roaccutane obviously does work.
Btw: Aloe vera is brilliant thank you so much fran!!!! – it got rid of all the redness from Bp and has stopped accutane ever giving me redness – i buy it in a 99.9% percent organic aloe vera gel things that is sold in the chemist for people with sunburn.
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