As someone who suffers from acne, I can tell you that I have some ups and I’ve had some downs. I’ve had times when my benzoyl peroxide cleanser has worked wonders and other times when I’ve done some things that have turned out to be unwise. Experience is a valuable thing, though, and I’m going to try and impart some of what I’ve learned on my acne journey.
So, I hope you can stay with me now and hopefully learn a few things about what and what not to do when you’re battling what can be a miserable problem.
My Dos When Using Benzoyl Peroxide Cleanser
While some of this stuff might not be news to you, I’m going to cover what I feel are some of the most useful bits of advice on what you should definitely be doing when using a benzoyl peroxide cleanser. Let’s see what’s what, shall we?
DO Keep Going if You Get a Reaction – I must admit that once or twice at the beginning, I had a bit of irritation when using benzoyl peroxide – which caused me to consider stopping using it. However, it wasn’t until I did a little research that I found out that this is perfectly normal. So long as your irritation is mild, it’s not a cause for concern, so keep going.
DO Take Things Slowly Until You Find Your Level – another great tip is to take things slowly at first, as you need to find your level. Everyone’s skin is different, and there are different strengths to choose from, so you don’t go too slowly or too fast. However, if you take things nice and slowly, it will give you time to ensure that your skin stays largely unaffected.
My Don’ts When Using Benzoyl Peroxide
So, now we get to the things you shouldn’t do. As I said before, I’ve done my fair share of stupid things when combatting my own acne, and these droplets of wisdom should help spare you from the same troubles I had.
DON’T Use More Than One BP Product at the Same Time – in my younger years, I had the idea that using more than one BP product at the same time would be a good thing, in that it would speed things up, right? Wrong. All it does is overload your skin and cause more irritation than anyone could want. If you’re using a BP face wash, don’t use anything else with the acid in it.
DON’T Use Expired BP Wash – at one point, I went three years without using my BP wash, and I thought it was ok just to start using the same bottle again after it had been opened for more than 36 months. I applied it, but it didn’t foam and actually burnt my skin a little, so my advice would be to avoid using expired BP wash – it’s just not a good idea.
There are a ton of other things I could tell you if I had the time, but these relate to my own experience with the product. All I want to do is ensure that my troubles weren’t in vain.
Follow These Benzoyl Peroxide Cleanser Tips & You’ll Be Ok
There’s sometimes a fine line between getting the results you want from BP products and getting adverse reactions. However, it’s all about reading the instructions and doing a little reading on the subject before you do anything.
It’s worth reiterating that you should take things slowly at first – as I didn’t, and it caused me the most trouble of all. I hope that reading my blog spares you from unnecessary inflammation and other associated skin problems.
