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Benzoyl Peroxide; How It Works

Benzoyl peroxide is a chemical in the organic peroxide family. It consists of two benzoyl groups; they are benzoic acids and carboxylic acid. This chemical is used to treat acne among other uses. It is normally prepared by reacting sodium peroxide with benzoyl chloride.

Use of this chemical as acne treatment started in the 1920s. The man who developed this treatment was Jack Breitbart of Revlon laboratories. This product comes in the forms of gels and creams. The concentrations normally range between 2.5 and 10 percent. A concentration of 5 percent is usually better tolerated and therefore it is considered more effective.

Benzoyl peroxide normally causes dryness and sometimes skin irritation. This usually happens in the initial stages of use but the skin normally develops tolerance after about a week or so. If you have a sensitive skin, you may experience burning, itching, peeling and swelling sometimes. It is therefore advisable to start by using lower concentrations of the product. As your skin continues to gain tolerance, you can increase the concentration. An increase in concentration leads to a better subsequent acne clearance.

This product works as a peeling agent. It helps in not only increasing the skin turnover but also in opening the pores of the skin. It has antibacterial properties and this helps in eliminating bacteria on your skin. Benzoyl peroxide should be handled with care. It is highly flammable, explosive and toxic. It is also thought of as a tumor promoter and may also act as a mutagen. It can lead to temporary hair loss if regularly applied near or to the hair.

Mercy Maranga

Mercy Maranga Reports on Health and Fitness issues. Visit Her Site here for more information on acne and its treatment. Acne

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