Panoxyl, which strength?

[hollyround]

Ok so I have suffered with BAD skin since puberty and at 32 I am so fed up with spots and spending money on products that don't work! I have had the mirena coil fitted as I suffer with heavy/painful periods so that is now sorted but the spots are still here! I have tried everything from types of the pill to antibiotics to roacutane twice! I have just bought some panoxyl 10 but after three days my skin is red, sore and rough.. have I bought the wrong strength or do i persevere? Please help as I have had enough of dealing with spots every day for twenty years : (

Hi- just saw this and thought I'd add.. I'm 31 and still get acne- luckily only around my period but you can bet that'll always be just when I don't want spots...

Anyway- I've been using a cream called Quinoderm for a few yrs- think its similar to panoxyl with the 10% Benz peroxide but also has an antibiotic.

I find it great- its £3-4 over the counter at boots. I did get a reaction initially with bit of redness/ peeling but this really improves with time..

Hope that helps..

I never found Quinoderm anywhere near as good as Panoxyl but everybody's different. I use the 5% Panoxyl and I find it does help control spots without totally flaying my skin. I prefer the gel (which is sort of a cream) to the cream (which is definitely a cream) but they both work the same

I have bought the face wash and the gel, both 10%. I have used the wash once a day in the mornings and the gel in the evening, maybe I went for too strong a type first off? I just want to have at least a better complexion rather than spots, especially the cystic ones, all the time! Do you thinnk I should try the 5% or 2.5% or persevere?

I actually don't think there is much evidence that the stronger formulae actually work any better than the 2.5% - but they do irritate the heck out of your skin. So I'd stick to the lowest you can find. Www.acne.org is a great site for loads of info and tried and tested.

My saviour has been Paula's choice BHA, a chemical exfoliant - £20 or so on the web, last 6 months easily, no side effects, after a couple of weeks twice a day made such a difference. a mild (non acne) facial wash is also essential, minimise the irritation to your skin. And don't be afraid to use a light moisturiser.

If oral antibiotics and roaccutane haven't worked though I think you might want to ask fr a referral to a dermatologist.

dd uses the panoxyl 2.5% aquagel which is less harsh and does the job. I think moisturising the skin is key, she uses simple moisturiser. Panoxyl has a bleaching effect so be warned when it comes to flannels, towels etc.