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Benzoyl peroxide

Rated by Lovi · Unbiased, science-based skincare AI trained on real user outcomes · How the Fit score works

Benzoyl peroxide

Topical benzoyl peroxide improves acne more effectively than placebo, significantly decreases bacterial skin load, achieves superior treatment success with greater reductions in inflammatory and noninflammatory lesions, and provides clinically relevant improvements in lesion counts. This active ingredient suits dry skin and oily skin best, and it comes in serums. It fits into a routine by working well with niacinamide, ceramide-building complex, and zinc oxide, while needing to be kept apart from adapalene, glycolic acid, and vitamin C.

The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 2020Journal of Shoulder and Elbow Surgery, 2021American Journal of Clinical Dermatology, 2022

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Benzoyl peroxide serums

What reviewers say about popular benzoyl peroxide products

The highlight reviewers mention most for each popular benzoyl peroxide product on Lovi.

Other benzoyl peroxide products

Benzoyl peroxide for dry skin

Benzoyl peroxide for oily skin

Benzoyl peroxide for combination skin

Benzoyl peroxide for sensitive skin

Benzoyl peroxide for acne-prone skin

What to combine benzoyl peroxide with

IngredientTogetherHow to use them
Niacinamide Works well Apply benzoyl peroxide first and niacinamide afterward in the same routine, because niacinamide soothes the dryness and irritation caused by benzoyl peroxide. Benzoyl peroxide and niacinamide
Ceramide-building complex Works well Use them together in the same routine, applying the ceramide product right after your benzoyl peroxide to calm and protect your skin. Benzoyl peroxide and ceramide-building complex
Zinc oxide Works well Use them together in the same routine, applying zinc oxide after benzoyl peroxide dries. Benzoyl peroxide and zinc oxide
Zinc Works well Use them in the same routine by applying benzoyl peroxide first, because zinc helps soothe the skin while fighting breakouts. Benzoyl peroxide and zinc
Zinc sulfate Works well Use them together by applying zinc sulfate first and benzoyl peroxide second, because their combined action targets blemishes more effectively. Benzoyl peroxide and zinc sulfate
Zinc gluconate Works well Use them together in the same routine, applying the zinc gluconate first and following it with the benzoyl peroxide. Benzoyl peroxide and zinc gluconate
Tri-ceramide complex Works well Use them together by applying the benzoyl peroxide first and following with your tri-ceramide complex, which helps prevent dry, peeling skin. Benzoyl peroxide and tri-ceramide complex
Adapalene Keep apart Use them at different times of day, applying benzoyl peroxide in the morning and adapalene at night, because they cancel each other out. Benzoyl peroxide and adapalene
Glycolic acid Keep apart Use glycolic acid and benzoyl peroxide on alternate nights to prevent severe dryness, redness, and irritation. Benzoyl peroxide and glycolic acid
Vitamin C Keep apart Use them at different times of day with Vitamin C in the morning and benzoyl peroxide at night, because they cancel each other out. Benzoyl peroxide and vitamin C
Retinol Keep apart Use them at different times of day by applying benzoyl peroxide in the morning and retinol at night, because they cancel each other out. Benzoyl peroxide and retinol
AHA blend glycolic and citric acids Keep apart Use them on alternate nights because combining them in the same routine causes severe skin irritation and redness. Benzoyl peroxide and aha blend glycolic and citric acids
Salicylic acid Keep apart Use them on alternate nights because combining them causes severe dryness and irritation. Benzoyl peroxide and salicylic acid
Tretinoin Keep apart Use them at different times of day, applying benzoyl peroxide in the morning and tretinoin at night, because they cancel each other out. Benzoyl peroxide and tretinoin
Bio-placenta peptides Keep apart Use them at different times of day, applying the peptide product in the morning and benzoyl peroxide at night, because benzoyl peroxide can break down peptides and ruin their anti-aging benefits. Benzoyl peroxide and bio-placenta peptides
Hexapeptide Keep apart Apply them at different times of day, using benzoyl peroxide in the morning and hexapeptide at night, because heat and certain harsh conditions can break down the peptide. Benzoyl peroxide and hexapeptide
Pro-retinol Keep apart Use them at different times of day, applying benzoyl peroxide in the morning and pro-retinol at night, because they cancel each other out. Benzoyl peroxide and pro-retinol
Retinal Keep apart Use them at different times of day, applying benzoyl peroxide in the morning and retinal at night, because they cancel each other out. Benzoyl peroxide and retinal
Lactic acid Keep apart Use lactic acid in the morning and benzoyl peroxide at night to prevent severe skin irritation and barrier damage. Benzoyl peroxide and lactic acid
Acetyl hexapeptide-3 Keep apart Use them at different times of day, applying the peptide cream in the morning and benzoyl peroxide at night, because they clash and cancel each other out. Benzoyl peroxide and acetyl hexapeptide-3
Mandelic acid Keep apart Use them on alternate nights because combining them causes over-exfoliation and irritation. Benzoyl peroxide and mandelic acid
Retinoid blend Keep apart Use them at different times of day by applying benzoyl peroxide in the morning and your retinoid at night. Benzoyl peroxide and retinoid blend
Granactive retinoid Keep apart Use them at different times of day, applying benzoyl peroxide in the morning and granactive retinoid at night, because they cancel each other out. Benzoyl peroxide and granactive retinoid
Hydroxypinacolone retinoate Keep apart Use them at different times of day, applying benzoyl peroxide in the morning and hydroxypinacolone retinoate at night, because they cancel each other out. Benzoyl peroxide and hydroxypinacolone retinoate
Collagen peptide Keep apart Use them at different times of day, applying collagen peptides in the morning and benzoyl peroxide at night, because heat and harsh chemicals break down peptides. Benzoyl peroxide and collagen peptide
Copper peptide Keep apart Use them at different times of day, applying benzoyl peroxide in the morning and copper peptides at night, because they cancel each other out. Benzoyl peroxide and copper peptide
Citric acid Keep apart Use them at different times of day by applying citric acid in the morning and benzoyl peroxide at night to prevent severe skin irritation. Benzoyl peroxide and citric acid
Hexapeptide-9 Keep apart Use them at different times of day, with benzoyl peroxide in the morning and hexapeptide-9 at night, because they cancel each other out. Benzoyl peroxide and hexapeptide-9
Isopropyl alcohol Keep apart Use them at different times of day, applying isopropyl alcohol first and benzoyl peroxide later, because combining them causes severe dryness and irritation. Benzoyl peroxide and isopropyl alcohol
Peptide-rich plasma Keep apart Use them at different times of day, applying the peptide serum in the morning and benzoyl peroxide at night, because they clash and cancel each other out. Benzoyl peroxide and peptide-rich plasma
Triple peptide blend Keep apart Apply them at different times of day, with benzoyl peroxide in the morning and peptides at night, because benzoyl peroxide breaks down peptides. Benzoyl peroxide and triple peptide blend
Palmitoyl pentapeptide-4 Keep apart Use them at different times of day, applying benzoyl peroxide in the morning and peptides at night, because benzoyl peroxide ruins peptide effectiveness. Benzoyl peroxide and palmitoyl pentapeptide-4
Palmitoyl tripeptide-1 Keep apart Use them at different times of day, applying benzoyl peroxide in the morning and palmitoyl tripeptide-1 at night, because they cancel each other out. Benzoyl peroxide and palmitoyl tripeptide-1
Sodium lauryl sulfate Keep apart Use them at different times of day, applying the cleanser first and the benzoyl peroxide later, because combining them causes severe skin dryness. Benzoyl peroxide and sodium lauryl sulfate

From the ingredient rules behind the "Works well with" and "Don't mix with" notes on every product in the Lovi app.

Questions and answers

What does benzoyl peroxide do for the skin?

Topical benzoyl peroxide may help improve acne more effectively than no treatment.

The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 2020

How do you use benzoyl peroxide?

Topical benzoyl peroxide may improve acne effectively, but it requires careful coordination with other ingredients. For instance, you can use niacinamide in the same routine by applying benzoyl peroxide first and niacinamide afterward to soothe dryness and irritation.

The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 2020

Should you use benzoyl peroxide in the morning or at night?

You can use benzoyl peroxide in the morning or at night depending on what else is in your routine, as it is used at different times from certain ingredients like adapalene, retinol, and vitamin C.

Can you use benzoyl peroxide every day?

Yes, topical benzoyl peroxide may help improve acne when used regularly, though it carries an increased risk of treatment discontinuation due to adverse effects compared to placebo.

The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 2020

Does benzoyl peroxide cause purging or irritation?

Yes, benzoyl peroxide may help improve acne, but it has an increased risk of treatment discontinuation due to adverse effects like irritation compared to placebo. Topical benzoyl peroxide is unlikely to cause skin purging, focusing instead on reducing bacteria and lesions.

The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 2020

Which skin types is benzoyl peroxide best for?

Benzoyl peroxide is best for acne-prone skin, where Lovi rates Clean & Clear Persa-Gel 10 as a Superior fit. For oily acne-prone skin, Clean & Clear Persa-Gel 10 is rated as a Superior fit by Lovi.

The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 2020

Can you use benzoyl peroxide with niacinamide?

Yes, you can use benzoyl peroxide and niacinamide together in the same routine by applying benzoyl peroxide first and niacinamide afterward. Niacinamide helps soothe the dryness and irritation caused by benzoyl peroxide.

Can you use benzoyl peroxide with adapalene?

You should keep benzoyl peroxide and adapalene apart by using them at different times of day, applying benzoyl peroxide in the morning and adapalene at night, because they cancel each other out.

Research on benzoyl peroxide

Behind this ingredient guide

Lovi checks every ingredient with brand-independent rules our dermatologists and cosmetic chemists build and review, and personalizes every pick with AI trained on the real results of millions of users. Lovi trains its fit score models on a proprietary dataset built from more than 10,000 expert-labeled products and more than 100,000 simulated examples, following an internally consistent methodology presented at Cosmoprof, AMWC, and Skin of Color Update.

  • Nadia Kapleva, MS

    Nadia Kapleva, MS

    Co-founder, Medical Director

    Cosmetic chemist, cosmetologist, aesthetic products developer

  • Alexey Shagraev, PhD

    Alexey Shagraev, PhD

    Co-founder, CEO and CTO

    PhD in computer science, 3x US patent holder, ex-Google, ex-Yandex

  • Dr. Sofía Perea Pérez, MD, MSc

    Dr. Sofía Perea Pérez, MD, MSc

    Medical Board

    Aesthetic medicine practitioner, MSc in Longevity and Anti-Aging Medicine

  • Aishani Shah, MD

    Aishani Shah, MD

    Medical Board

    Specialist dermatologist, MBBS, MD, IFAAD

  • Asya Zubkova, MS

    Asya Zubkova, MS

    Medical Board

    Cosmetic chemist, SCS, IFSCC member

  • Hanna Kurets, MD

    Hanna Kurets, MD

    Medical Board, Medical Advisor

    Dermatology MD

  • Elina Nazarenko, MD

    Elina Nazarenko, MD

    Medical Board

    Dermatology and diagnostic consultant

  • Victoria Derkova, MS

    Victoria Derkova, MS

    Medical Board

    Cosmetic chemist, cosmetic development technologist

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