Benzoyl peroxide - acne treatment

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My GP prescribed this as I’m TTC so the antibiotics that I normally use aren’t appropriate. I tried to get Zineryt as that worked for me years ago but she said no...

Anyway, the bloody cream is making my chin itchy and red and I’ve got two new spots! I only had one before! Although the cream does zap them quickly. It’s been four weeks now and I’ve been building up from twice a week to every night...I’ve had to put E45 cream on tonight to soothe it and take an antihistamine.

I’ve read online that people have had success with contact therapy - leaving the cream on for 5 minutes and washing it off works just as well.

Is it worth having a break for a couple of days and then trying contact therapy? Or should I order Zineryt online?

Be careful. I had a big reaction to this as a teen and it sensitised my skin forever.

I was prescribed this yesterday. I'm ttc so can't have zineryt too. I'm Interested in this too as I'm a bit worried to use it but also desperately want rid of the spots.

BP gave me a horrific allergic reaction and triggered sensitive skin. I'd avoid it if at all possible. Salicylic Acid is my go to ingredient and available over the counter (try Clinique/Vichy Normaderm). I now use differin (retinoid cream) overnight and cleanse with cetaphil but use a moisturiser with salicylic acid (Vichy).

mothtoaflame - does differin cause the itchiness and redness that BP does? Is it effective for you?

Had a nightmare with this as a teenager and in drying it out, my face became more oily in the day which made my spots worse, my spots got worse so I used more BP and there began the cycle. It’s taken me a long time to realise that hyaluronic acid, retinol and a very good moisturiser work better for my still acne prone skin than anything like BP. also had good results with a drop of salicylic acid on individual spots. A brand called The Ordinary sells it for a very reasonable price.

Differin only causes dryness but not irritation and I use a hyalaronic acid moisturiser over the top.

BP doesn’t work for me either but I didn’t have as extreme a reaction to it as you have.

I don’t understand why you would buy zineryt online if you’ve been advised not to use it?!

It did work for me but don’t be tempted to over - use it and make sure you’ve got a good oil free moisturiser and non stripping cleanser.

Also be very careful as it stains bedding and clothes like a bitch!!!

I used dalacin t while pregnant. Gp was happy enough as was topical antibiotic

I always found it way too strong for my skin. Have you tried Salicylic Acid? That’s the best thing for my skin, effective but not too harsh.

Best thing to do with the benzoyl peroxide is to use a cotton bud, put a small account on the cotton bud and put it directly into the spot and that way it doesn’t touch any other skin. And only use it once a day, I find I use it before bed.

Fiddlersgreen - Zineryt is safe to use in pregnancy. I can’t get a GP appointment but I can buy from an online pharmacy.

I’m so confused about BP. Reading online some sources say to use on whole affected area (chin for me) and not on each individual spot. Others are saying only on each spot.

I did the method where I applied, waited 10 minutes and then washed off and my skin isn’t irritated. So I’ll see what it looks like tomorrow.

Hi OP I had great success with BP. However I used 2.5% and followed acne.org regimen. Look it up on google. I order the medium sized tube (I think it's 8oz) and it costs less than £20 usually to UK and no import duty at that amount. If you can find 2.5% locally you can use that too but it can be difficult to get.

Anything higher than 2.5% is too harsh for your face.

One spot is gone completely. The other two have really gone down and stopped hurting. Far less irritation. It’s been 4 weeks so I’ll give it a bit longer. I read that it takes 8 weeks for a spot to form or something and new skin treatments can cause the skin to “purge” causing more spots in the short term.