Benzoyl peroxide is probably the most common acne fighting ingredient found in over the counter topical gels, creams and face washes.

This chemical mixture can be fairly effective topically in treating very mild acne in my opinion, but it just doesn't cut it for more severe acne that is usually related to hormonal imbalances or high stress levels in adults.

This more severe and "deeply rooted" cystic-type acne is much more stubborn and usually requires a more agressive oral treatment aimed at calming hormones and cleansing the skin from this inside, so to speak.

Benzoyl peroxide is a solution that acts as an antibacterial agent, and helps prevent further infection and growth of acne cysts and postules. The problem with this solution being used on adults with acne is that adults begin to experience two things at various ages: wrinkles and thinner skin. Benzoyl peroxide, while somewhat useful as an acne treatment for adolescents, is too drying and too irritatin for adult skin.

When I've used benzoyl peroxide, it was effective for me only in one product for spot treatment - Neutrogena acne spot treatment gel. It helped dry out the blemish, and seemed to keep it from reforming a whitehead pretty effectively. The drawbacks to benzoyl peroxide for me were: increased redness and irritation, excessive dryness and flaking. Many times these side effects override the benefits, since dry, flaky, red skin can look just as bad if not worse than the acne itself!

This effect really exacerbated as I got older and tried to use benzoyl peroxide to treat my adult acne. I learned my lesson the hard way. One tube and dried out, irritated and "tough" feeling skin later, I decided I would ditch benzoyl peroxide for good in favor of more natural and gentle acne clearing products and even an oral natural acne treatment to help clear up my acne at its source.

Bottom line, this OTC acne medication can come in handy for some spot treatment, but I wouldn't rely on it for serious acne or any type of cystic acne needing a more serious approach like internal natural medicine (recommended) or even a dermatologist prescription.

About the author:

Danna Schneider is the webmaster of CosmeticsGalore.com CosmeticsGalore Cosmetic Product Reviews, where you can find the latest natural cosmetic medicines to battle acne at it's source, and get rid of it for good, without irritation or dryness.