There is a reason why Benzoyl peroxide is so popular, because it works.
It's one of the most effective over-the-counter acne treatment there is, but if you arent
using it correctly, then you could be missing out on all the acne fighting benefits it provides
and end up having a love/hate relationship with the product like I once did.
In this video, ill go over how to use benzoyl peroxide for the best results, ill go over
some do’s and don’ts, and how long you can expect for it to kick in and clear your
acne once and for all, you dont want to miss this, so stay tuned till the end.
Hi guys, yaseen arsalan, media pharmacist here on youtube where I help you guys make
better and informed decisions about your health and wellness.
this week's video is on how to use benzoyl peroxide for the best results.
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can all beat that stubborn acne together.
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Lets face it, there may have been a point where youve already used benzoyl peroxide
and given up on it, this video isnt to discourage you, its to help reintroduce you to the product
and guide you step by step on how to use it correctly.
So lets begin.
Step 1: By the way if you dont have any on you, I left one that i personally recommend
in the description below, which seems to be the one most dermatologists are recommending
these days, so go ahead and pick one up, then come back to this video, to go over it one
more time.
The first thing you wanna do is: if this is your first time trying it, wash your hands
with soap and water for 30 seconds and then spot test it, to make sure you dont have any
serious reactions and to see if it is right for you before going ahead with itt. apply
a small amount to one or two small affected areas of the skin and Do this for 3 days,
and if you dont experience any discomfort or any unusual stinging, then you can go ahead
to step 2.
If you experience an allergic reaction, stop the product immediately, and get medical help
right away.
Step 2: Wash your face first with a mild cleanser, I currently use: CeraVes Hydrating Facial
Cleanser, its gentle and has been shown to work time and time again without disrupting
the skins protective barrier.
It might be more ideal to do this at nighttime before bed, especially when youre unwinding
and removing makeup.
So go ahead and wash your face then Afterwards, gently pat dry with a clean towel and wait
until your face is fully dry to move forward.
And I stress both words.
Gently Pat Dry and Clean towel.
You dont want to be aggressive when drying, and you want to make sure you arent using
a dirty towel, cuz thats counterintuitive.
You all know that Step 3: After youve washed your face.
Apply your 2.5% benzoyl peroxide and its important to start with the lowest strength first then
work your way up if necessary.
This is because lower concentrations of benzoyl peroxide have been found to work as effective
than higher concentrations, without all the drying effects..
A rookie mistake I made back in the day was to start off with 5 or 10% thinking its going
to work faster, it ends up over drying the face, causing flakiness, and irritation.
So your best bet is to go with the 2.5% in the beginning and apply just enough of it
to cover your affected areas and rub it in gently.
It doesnt have to be applied to your entire face, you can actually just focus in on your
troubled areas, the t zone being a popular one.
You can slowly incorporate using it twice a day, once in the morning and once at night
and follow all the same steps after about a week or so, giving your skin enough time
to get used to the new medicine.
Make sure to avoid sensitive areas like the eyes, nostrils, and mouth when applying
Step 4: After youve applied it, Leave it on for about 2 hours.
You might feel a mild burning sensation and redness, but don't worry itll pass.
Keep in mind if you're using a benzoyl peroxide in the form of a wash, you can leave it on
for about 2-3 minutes and then wash it off you dont have to wait the full 2 hours.
Gels or creams might work better as a leave-on treatment, so its important to distinguish
between which form you are using and how long to keep it on for.
Gels/creams 2 hours, washes- 2-3 minutes.
Step 5: Now you're ready to wash it off.
Rinse your face with some lukewarm water and not hot water.
This is another mistake I see people making.
Hot water opens pores and stimulates excess sebum production.
So make sure its lukewarm, which is defined as something just hot enough that you can
still comfortably wash your hands in.
Afterwards, pat dry with another clean towel.
One downside to benzoyl peroxide is that it bleaches things.
If you have dark hair, you'll want to keep benzoyl away from your hairline as it can
potentially bleach your hair.
That said, keep it away from anything you dont want to stain.
But hold on, youre not done yet!
Step 6: AFter you have washed it off, Apply a moisturizer right after.
Because lets face it, There's no two ways to go about it.
, benzoyl peroxide will dry out your skin.
It's the most common side effect.
But if you have super oily skin, it may not bother you as much.
But most people find it too drying, causing flakiness and peeling.
So as a pro tip: use a noncomedogenic moisturizer that wont clog your pores, and also make sure
its fragrance free.
I recommend using the Cerave PM Facial Moisturizing Lotion, that has all the right ceramides to
keep your skin moisturized throughout the night.
Now go get some beauty sleep.
Step 7: After youve had some beauty sleep hopefully, you want to make sure you use a
sunscreen during the day if youre exposed to the sun.
This is because Benzoyl peroxide can cause photosensitivity.2﻿ Making you more prone
to sunburn and sun damage.
. For this: Choose a sunscreen that's oil-free with an (SPF) of at least 30 and use it every
day to the best you can..
You'll protect yourself from skin cancer and premature aging, which are all bonuses.
Click the video on the upper right hand corner, that goes in depth on how to choose the right
sunscreen.
All the products Ive mentioned will be linked in the description below, so dont forget to
check those out.
And now for the burning question, no pun intended.
When will I finally see results.
Results can be seen in as little 5 days, but generally takes about 8 to sometimes 10 weeks
to noticeably see overall improvement when done right.
So My best advice here is to: Continue with the treatment for at least six weeks before
deciding if it is working for you or not.
The most common reason as to why it ends up not working, is giving up too soon thinking
that the treatment doesnt work, and ive been guilty of this, so dont give up just yet.
If, however, your skin hasn't improved after two months then make an appointment to speak
with your dermatologist who will advise you about other viable options.
In the end, Benzoyl peroxide is effective and reliable for acne because there are so
many different mechanisms going on at once, Its antimicrobial in that it destroys the
bacteria that cause acne, its anti inflammatory which calms down those angry large red pimples,
its comedolytic which means it opens up pores and decreases inflammation on site, and finally
it acts as an exfoliant as well to help with your skins overall appearance..
Thats a lot of benefits and I hope that this video demonstrates to you how you can soak
them all up.
I also hope that you achieve you skin care goals even sooner..
Like the video if you did enjoy it, and subscribe to stay on board with all my other weekly
health and wellness videos.
Thanks for sticking tuned till the end, and as always, see you on the next one.