Taylor WolkUSC ID: 1309452489

WRIT 340

Secrets behind keeping an acne free complexion

Bio: Taylor Wolk is a junior at the University of Southern California, majoring in Interactive Entertainment at the School of Cinematic Arts. Creating costumes and video games are Taylor’s passions. Her true desire is to make something that can reach viewers and make them smile.

Abstract: Benzoyl Peroxide is now considered to be the best remedy in acne care. Recommended by doctors over oral antibiotics for all levels of acne, Benzoyl Peroxide skin creams and face washes are inexpensive and suitable for all consumers.

Keywords: Benzoyl Peroxide, Acne, Puberty, Care, Skin, Health

Multimedia: Visual representation of a pore when infected and how acne medications clear the areas.

Full Text:

It is a safe bet that most people use some sort of face wash as part of their daily

routine. I would wager that most college sctudents buy the products to fight acne. There

is no shame in doing so; I use acne wash everyday! But did you ever take the time to

check what is actually cleaning your face? The majority of face washes use small

amounts of Salicylic Acid for “acne treatment,” and it performs well, but there is another

compound out on the market, Benzoyl Peroxide. If you go to your dermatologist for help

maintaining your acne, it is a sure bet you will be prescribed medication with Benzoyl

Peroxide instead of Salicylic Acid. This effective drug is changing how people tackle

acne.

Before you start putting this compound all over your skin, let us first talk about

the elements that make up Benzoyl Peroxide. The Molecular Formula of Benzoyl

Peroxide is C14H10O4, which means there are fourteen Carbon atoms, ten Hydrogen

atoms, and four Oxygen atoms for every molecule of the substance [1].

Figure 1. Chemical Structure of Benzoyl Peroxide. Complete with bonds and

Hydrogen and Oxygen details. [1]

Today, Benzoyl Peroxide is “synthesized commercially” with the use of benzoyl

chloride, sodium hydroxide and hydrogen peroxide [3]. Based off of the composing

elements, Benzoyl Peroxide is an acid and is commonly used as “a bleaching agent” [4].

Check some of your cosmetics; you might have been using Benzoyl Peroxide more often

than you think. This compound is a common ingredient in hair dye, dye removal, teeth

whitening products and is even used for whitening flour [4]. This fact can be concerning;

however, in small dosages, it is not harmful to the human body [5]. When being used on

the skin as a salve, Benzoyl Peroxide is viewed as an “antiseptic,” meaning that it kills

bacteria in applied areas [6]. This is essential to help control acne outbreaks.

Acne is formed when the pores of the skin become blocked by outside substances.

The most common blocking materials are dead skin cells and sebum, or oil [7]. Our body

is constantly making both skin cells and sebum, so it is inevitable that acne will form at

some point. Once a pore is opened, by touch, scratch or other means, the dead skin cells

and oil start to block the pore and eventually the pore is completely obstructed. As the

pore becomes blocked, bacteria attack the area and cause irritation in and around the pore

and eventually leads to infection [7]. After a few days, red bumps appear on the skin,

which we have come to call acne.

Benzoyl Peroxide is not the only medicine used to cure acne, but it is by far one

of the most effective. When applied to the skin, the acid cuts through the bacteria, yeast,

and fatty acids by process of oxidation [4, 6]. As a face wash or a cream, Benzoyl

Peroxide assists in the removal of dead skin and stops the dead cells from clogging pores

[4]. Effectively, Benzoyl Peroxide singlehandedly eliminates the main causes of acne and

stops the growth of bacteria on the skin. It even dries out already existing acne and stops

swelling [6]. By reducing swelling, the pain and itchiness felt around acne decreases and

the color of the skin returns to normal. When using Benzoyl Peroxide to combat

developed pimples, most over-the-counter gels and creams work well and treat the

swelling of acne faster than their prescribed counterparts; in reality, these do not truly get

rid of the cause of acne [6]. It is a quick fix to hide the swelling for a time, but the over-

the-counter cream is not meant for long periods of use and do not clean deep in the pore.

This is because Over-the-counter creams usually have less concentrations of Benzoyl

Peroxide (see Figure 2). Prescribed Benzoyl Peroxide creams usually have a greater

concentration of Benzoyl Peroxide, (around 5-10% versus the 1-2.5% of the over-the-

counter creams). These prescribed creams are meant to be used over a longer period of

time, such as daily or nightly usage instead of spot-on treatment. Both are easy to apply

and not expensive, so no worrying about having laser removal or paying sums of money

to help with acne.

Figure 2. Acne Creams. The blue tube on the left is doctor prescribed and the

white tube on the right is an over the counter cream. Both have Benzoyl Peroxide but in

small dosages. The Duac Topical Gel only has 5% Benzoyl Peroxide while the

Neutrogena Gel has 2.5% Benzoyl Peroxide. [8]

When used alone as a cream, Benzoyl Peroxide is effective and works just as well as oral

antibiotics and in some cased, outperformed them [9,10]. If the acne is extremely severe,

Benzoyl Peroxide can also be combined with other compounds, such as clindamycin, (see

Figure 2) or with oral antibiotics for better results [11]. Tests using the clindamycin 1%

and Benzoyl Peroxide 5% compound (see Figure 2) even eliminated ache in patients with

severe acne [12]. Benzoyl Peroxide is an effective remedy to keep away acne, but it is not

without its imperfections.

Like any medication we ingest or any lotion we put on our skin, the possibility of

injury or sickness is present. A given with most medical creams, one should never be

overexposed lest inviting negative side effects. Benzoyl Peroxide, being an acid, can lead

to skin irritation and possibly burns [4]. For those same reasons, it should never be

applied to sensitive skin, near cuts, near one’s eyes or any sensitive regions of the body.

There are slight problems Benzoyl Peroxide can cause in everyday life.

Figure 3. Discolored Towel. Normally light green in color, after exposure to

Benzoyl Peroxide, this towel has splotches of yellow where the green dye has been

oxidized. [13]

Benzoyl Peroxide is a bleaching agent, so the condition in the towel in Figure 3 is not a

stretch [6]. Any fabric that comes into contact with the Benzoyl Peroxide on your skin

runs the chance of becoming like the towel above. Jewelry may even tarnish as a result of

Benzoyl Peroxide’s oxidation capabilities. A person’s skin can also be discolored or

“bleached” by Benzoyl Peroxide, but a reaction like this is unlikely. Dry skin is another

possible side effect from using Benzoyl Peroxide, but this is also uncommon and can be

treated by applying lotion to the dried areas [6,10]. Skin becomes sensitive to sunlight

and prone to sunburn when using Benzoyl Peroxide [6]. However, burns can be avoided

by use of sunscreen. These are just minor inconveniences compared to the extreme cases

of reaction to Benzoyl Peroxide.

Though unlikely, using Benzoyl Peroxide can cause moderate to major skin

damage or irritation. Benzoyl Peroxide has the possibility to irritate current blemishes

and increase infection, which is what it is supposed to cure [4].

As can be seen in Figure 4, Benzoyl Peroxide can have an adverse affect on one’s skin.

Reactions of this type vary from person to person, but reactions are usually caused by

overexposure to the drug. If left on for too long, Benzoyl Peroxide can burn live skin

cells, aggravating the skin causing it to swell and sometimes blister.

Figure 4. Skin Irritation Due to Benzoyl Peroxide. The woman’s skin is inflamed

and discolored. Benzoyl Peroxide is normally used to help cure these problems, not cause

them. [14]

The skin appears swollen and red until healed [14]. In some cases, scarring can occur

from mishaps. Using Benzoyl Peroxide alongside other acid-based products can yield the

same results [6]. Problems such as these can be avoided if the user tests the products on a

small area of unaffected skin before applying products to acne.

But why are we so obsessed with our skin’s appearance? Unfortunately, we live in

a society driven by looks. Your face is your identity and how others remember you; no

one wants to be remembered for having weird colored bumps on their skin. Acne is not

pleasing to the eye and it can scar the skin. “A beautiful face” is free of blemishes and

spots (see Figure 5 below).

Figure 5. Healthy Skin. “Healthy skin” but really “healthy” means visually

appealing, not necessarily “healthy.” [15]

This is an example of what people believe to be “healthy skin.” Sure her skin might be

“healthy” but what they are trying to say is “visually appealing.” We have no idea if this

woman has a skin disease, unhealthy pH levels, wearing make up, etc, but cannot see any

acne or scars; this is what so many strive to look like. What people need to realize, while

it is great to look “beautiful,” you should be more worried about your skin’s health.

If you care for your skin it is likely that your skin will be mostly free from acne

and scarring. When acne appears, you should not scratch it or attempt to “pop” the

pimple, this will not solve your problems. You just need to keep your pores clean. This

means washing your face at least once a day to clean the fatty acids, oils, dead cells, and

dirt from your skin. This lessens the chance of having clogged pores, however you can

still get acne even if your face has been washed and is “clean.” Acne is just an infection

of a pore and should be treated with care.

People commonly associate acne with being dirty or having oily skin, but this

simply is not the case. Anyone can have acne, no matter what their skin type is or their

age [6]. Puberty does start the rush of hormones that are known to cause the production

of oils, which leads to acne, but acne can last for years to a whole lifetime. But you do

not have to struggle with acne if you get a little help.

Benzoyl Peroxide is a great resource for people suffering from mild to severe

acne. It is accessible and affordable and not much of a secret anymore. Just because you

have this fantastic formula, don’t forget to wash your face daily! Don’t do it just for

looks, do it for the health of your skin!

Bibliography

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[7] The Acne Resource Center Online, How Does Acne Develop?, The Acne Resource Center Online, 2010. [Online]. Available: http://www.acne-resource.org/understanding-acne/development.html [Accessed Nov. 2012]

[8] Wolk, Taylor, Acne Creams, Author Photo.

[9] “Benzoyl peroxide is best for acne,” Chemist & Druggist, 5 Jan. 2005. [Online]. Available: Proquest, http://search.proquest.com.libproxy.usc.edu/ [Accessed: Nov 2012].

[10] S. Benady, “Benzoyl Peroxide on par with antibiotics for acne,” Medical Post, vol. 41, no.5, Feb. 2005. [Online]. Available: Proquest, http://search.proquest.com.libproxy.usc.edu/ [Accessed: Nov 2012].

[11] S. Choudhury et al, “Efficacy and safety of topical nadifloxacin…” Indian Journal of Pharmacology, vol. 43, no. 6, Nov/Dec 2011, pp 628-631. [Online]. Available: Proquest, http://search.proquest.com.libproxy.usc.edu/ [Accessed: Nov 2012].

[12] C. Guttman, “Combination clindamycin/benzoyl peroxide succeeds simply in moderate-to-severe acne,” Dermatology Time, suppl. Indiscriminate Damage, vol. 23, Sep. 2002. [Online]. Available: Proquest, http://search.proquest.com.libproxy.usc.edu/ [Accessed: Nov 2012].

[13] Wolk, Taylor, Discolored Towel, Author Photo.

[14] J. Heilman, Skin Irritation Due to Benzoyl Peroxide, Wikimedia Commons, Jan. 2011 [Online]. Available: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8b/BenzoperoxideRx.JPG [Accessed: Nov 2012].

[15] Healthy Skin, Fashion Minutes, Nov. 2012 [Online]. Available: http://www.fashionminutes.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/healthy-skin-diet-and-clear-skin.jpg [Accessed: Nov 2012].