Need advice with Benzoyl Peroxide Use?

I was recently put on benzoyl peroxide, 5% and clindamycin (an antibacterial cream) for adult acne. To be used once a day. I am just three days into useage and my face is so dry, peeling and red. It burns terrible when I add these products. I cannot get enough moisturizer, I would soak my face in a vat of it if I could! Are these all normal side effects? If so, any advice on how to make it a little more bearable?

Need advice with Benzoyl Peroxide Use?
It sounds like your side effects are on the extreme end of normal. If the pain is really severe, call your dermatologist or doctor.





Maybe only use the BP every other day, or as suggested by another answerer, find a lower concentration of it. I know that there are %'s lower than 5 readily available at drugstores.





Using one in the morning and one at night is also a good idea, so your skin doesn't get bombarded by both at the same time.





If you are not under the care of a dermatologist: is the acne topical or cystic? If it is cystic, salicylic acid is more effective and not quite as harsh on the skin.





I also recommend Cetaphil moisturizers, if you don't already have a high quality one. You can get them at drugstores or the grocery store, and they're very non-irritating and effective.





Best of luck.
Reply:Yes that is normal i ahve the same exact thing and it burned for a few days, just dont put anything on it till the cream drys and if you are putting on a night cream wash off the cream and then wait a little while and put the night cream on Report It

Reply:use proactiv solution! it works! also use lotion and wear sunscreen. im in the same situation! good luck!
Reply:BP is known to dry the skin. This is often not a bad side effect since many w/ acne have OPEC-level oil production.





I'd separate when you put your creams on. Do the BP in the AM, and the antibacterial in the PM, before bed. (Chande your pillowcases every other day, too!) Dont' scrub the zits. And get the BP ONLY on the zits and no ton surrounding skin to help the dryness stop.
Reply:I'm assuming ur going to a dermatolgist. I go to one also. If ur face is red and peeling, ur face is defintely dried out. u said that u put a lot of moisturizer and nothing is working. I would suggest lowering the %. See if there is a lower benzoyl peroxide. i don't know what to say about the clindamycin cuz i take that also and i don't have a problem, and i'm not sure if there' differnt levels of that. All i can say is lower the %
Reply:I have been using ProActiv for 4 months...and I haven't seen any results.





If usage of benzoyl peroxide is causing pain upon application, I would recommend that you stop using it.





Benzoyl peroxide is highly effective in the treatment of most forms of acne. It is typically placed over the affected areas in gel or cream form, in concentrations of 10% and lower. However, it can cause dryness and irritation. A small percentage of people are sensitive to it and this is characterised by burning, itching, peeling or possibly swelling. It is best to use a little at first and build up as the skin becomes accustomed to the treatment. To avoid this, it is worth looking for a treatment that contains around 2.5% benzoyl peroxide, which studies show is as effective as the 10% options but with fewer side effects. While it is not fully known how benzoyl peroxide works in fighting acne, it is presumed that benzoyl peroxide is easily absorbed into pores where it works by interfering with acne bacterial metabolism through oxidation.





Clindamycin is a lincosamide antibiotic. Clindamycin is a semisynthetic antibiotic and derived from lincomycin by the addition of chloride. Clindamycin is sold under brand names such as Dalacin and Cleocin. It is most effective against infections involving the following types of organisms:





* Aerobic gram-positive cocci, including some members of the Staphylococcus and Streptococcus (eg. pneumococcus) genera.


* Anaerobic gram-negative bacilli, including some members of the Bacteroides and Fusobacterium genera.





It is used primarily to treat infections caused by susceptible anaerobic bacteria. Such infections might include respiratory infections, septicemia and peritonitis. In penicillin allergic patients clindamycin may be used to treat susceptible aerobic infections as well. It is also used to treat bone-infections caused by Staphylococcus aureus. Topical application of clindamycin phosphate can be used to treat severe acne.