Does benzoyl peroxide cause premature aging?
September 2nd, 2010 | 
Author: I have read recently that benzoyl peroxide causes free radicals which in turn causes premature aging of the skin. Does anyone know if this is true? The sites where I read this seemed a little sketchy and seemed to be making this claim so that people will buy their anti-acne products. I have suffered from acne since I was 12 (I’m 23) and have been using benzoyl peroxide products for years. I don’t want to have prematurely aged skin! I’m concerned about this.
Also, I use an SPF facial moisturizer daily… will this help counteract the possible premature aging effects?
Posted in Women's Health FAQs | 
Tags: acne, acne products, benzoyl peroxide, facial moisturizer, free radicals
When you use benzoyl peroxide you burn off a protective layer of your skin, a layer that would normally be a barrier to protect you from bacteria, dehydration, and UV rays of the sun. The reason it works to fight acne is because that’s the layer where acne surfaces from. When you stop using a benzoyl peroxide product your skin is left defenseless so you break out even worse because your natural defense system was burned off. So, you need more benzoyl peroxide product to keep the bacteria dead, while it kills more of your own cells. Not only will this cause premature aging but you might also have a seriously high risk of skin cancer.