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Galderma Benzac AC 5 for acne-prone skin

High

  • HighCombination Skin Fit
  • HighEffectiveness
  • HighSafety

A great choice for acne-prone skin; a few serums fit it even better.

This fit is calculated for the concerns frequently associated with acne-prone skin: breakouts, blackheads, and post-acne marks. For scores and recommendations based on your full skin profile, including your 12D face scan results and any goals or preferences you have, please use the Lovi app.

Page built Nov 8, 2026How the Fit score works

Lovi Assistant explains

  • Offers excellent treatment for your acne-prone skin as benzoyl peroxide effectively reduces acne lesions and blemishes by targeting bacteria, while glycerin provides essential hydration for combination skin.
  • The formulation is highly suitable for combination skin, balancing the antimicrobial action of benzoyl peroxide with the humectant properties of glycerin to manage acne and maintain hydration.
  • The safety profile is excellent, with no risks of irritation for your acne-prone skin due to the absence of prohibited or harsh ingredients.

How to apply

  • Use your serum as part of your PM routine and start 3x/week before working up to daily use.
  • Apply this treatment after cleansing and toner, and before your moisturizer.
  • Gently press 2-3 drops of the serum into your skin and let it absorb for a minute.
  • Apply the product on clean, dry skin to help manage your breakouts safely.
  • Avoid the eye area and do a patch test before your first use.

People Say

★4.5Overall rating based on 200+ reviews

Users report this gel is highly effective at drying out active acne and reducing inflammation, often showing results within a few days. It is frequently noted to be drying and can cause peeling or irritation, making it best suited for oily or tolerant skin types rather than sensitive skin.

Highlights

  • Causes dryness Mostly Mentioned
    • “skin peeling off”
    • “left my skin dry”
    • “cheeks felt sandy/dry”
  • Clears acne fast Often Mentioned
    • “cleared completely in 1 week”
    • “drastically improves blemish overnight”
    • “pimple free within a week”
  • Bleaches fabrics Often Mentioned
    • “bleached my towel”
    • “ruined my pillowcases”
    • “orange stains on clothes”
  • Prevents breakouts Sometimes Noted
    • “stopped all my acne”
    • “keeps face feeling smooth”
    • “rarely get pimples now”
  • Reduces redness Sometimes Noted
    • “angry redness tones down”
    • “reduces size and swelling”
    • “flattened angry pimples”
  • Causes stinging Sometimes Noted
    • “burning redness and pain”
    • “face felt tight/stripped”
    • “itchy and burning”
  • Effective on body Rarely Noted
    • “excellent for back/chest”
    • “cleared acne on back”
    • “works on thicker skin”
  • Initial purging Rarely Noted
    • “worse before it got better”
    • “breaking out first 4 weeks”
    • “purging phase”

Sources: lovi.care, clicks.co.za, 1mg.com, chemistwarehouse.co.nz, acne.org, skinsort.com, and more

Questions and answers

What makes Benzac AC 5 a great fit for acne-prone skin?

Galderma Benzac AC 5 is a great fit for your acne-prone skin because benzoyl peroxide effectively reduces acne lesions and blemishes by targeting bacteria, while glycerin provides essential hydration. This formulation balances the antimicrobial action of benzoyl peroxide with hydrating ingredients to manage acne while keeping your skin comfortable.

The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 2020Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2017

Which ingredients make this cream a good fit for acne-prone skin?

Benzoyl peroxide and glycerin make this cream a great fit for your acne-prone skin because benzoyl peroxide targets bacteria to reduce blemishes, while glycerin provides essential hydration to keep the skin balanced. Topical benzoyl peroxide may improve acne effectively, and glycerin helps maintain moisture.

The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 2020Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2017

What does Benzoyl Peroxide do for acne-prone skin?

Benzoyl Peroxide helps clear acne by targeting breakouts and reducing pimples, while also lowering the number of acne-causing bacteria. It may sometimes cause dryness or irritation, so pairing it with a gentle cleanser or moisturizer helps keep skin comfortable.

The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 2020Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2013

What does Glycerin do for acne-prone skin?

Glycerin helps keep acne-prone skin hydrated and calm without clogging pores or feeling heavy. It supports the skin barrier so it stays soft and smooth while handling everyday treatments.

The British Journal of Dermatology, 2008International Journal of Toxicology, 2019

Where does this cream go in a skincare routine for acne-prone skin?

This treatment goes in the evening routine after cleansing and before your moisturizer. Putting it at night keeps things simple and helps protect your skin around sun exposure.

Can I use this cream with retinol, and in what order?

You can use this treatment with retinol by applying them on alternating nights or separating them into different steps of your routine to lower the likelihood of skin discomfort. Using benzoyl peroxide helps reduce acne-causing bacteria while glycerin maintains hydration, making it easier to manage breakouts safely.

Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2024American Family Physician, 2012

How often should I use this cream?

This treatment is used in the evening as part of your routine. Benzoyl peroxide helps clear acne blemishes, while glycerin maintains essential skin hydration.

The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 2020Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2017

Can this cream clog pores, cause breakouts or purging for acne-prone skin?

Galderma Benzac AC 5 is a great fit for acne-prone skin because benzoyl peroxide effectively targets bacteria to reduce blemishes while glycerin helps keep your skin hydrated. This treatment is unlikely to clog pores, but you may experience initial purging when you first start using it.

The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 2020Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2017

Is this cream fragrance-free and alcohol-free?

Yes, it has no fragrance and no drying alcohol.

What the research says

  • Topical benzoyl peroxide may improve acne more effectively than placebo or no treatment, while showing little to no difference compared with adapalene or clindamycin, but with an increased risk of treatment discontinuation due to adverse effects compared to placebo.

    The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 2020
  • A single application of a moisturizing fluid containing hyaluronic acid 1%, glycerin 5%, and Centella asiatica stem cells extract significantly increased skin hydration by 29% and reduced transepidermal water loss at 24 hours compared to baseline and an untreated control site in twenty healthy women.

    Clinical, Cosmetic and Investigational Dermatology, 2017
  • Once-daily fixed-dose clindamycin phosphate 1.2%/benzoyl peroxide 3.1%/adapalene 0.15% gel achieved superior treatment success (52.5%) and greater reductions in inflammatory and noninflammatory lesions compared to vehicle (8.1%) and dyad component gels in participants with moderate-to-severe acne over 12 weeks.

    American Journal of Clinical Dermatology, 2022
  • Formulating octyl methoxycinnamate into hybrid solid lipid-silica nanoparticles produced stable particles with high encapsulation efficiency and a non-irritation profile suitable for topical UV protection.

    Heliyon, 2020
  • Twice daily application of a multitargeted dermocosmetic cream provided comparable efficacy to benzoyl peroxide 5% gel in reducing inflammatory, non-inflammatory, and total lesions in 150 Caucasian subjects with mild-to-moderate acne over 56 days, while demonstrating superior skin tolerability.

    Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2024
  • Topical clindamycin phosphate 1.2%/adapalene 0.15%/benzoyl peroxide 3.1% gel achieved significantly greater treatment success and lesion reductions compared to vehicle in participants with moderate-to-severe acne.

    Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, 2023
  • Daily application of adapalene 0.3%/benzoyl peroxide 2.5% gel reduced and prevented atrophic acne scar formation, achieving a total scar count change of -15.5% versus +14.4% for vehicle over 24 weeks in 67 subjects with moderate or severe facial acne.

    American Journal of Clinical Dermatology, 2018
  • The emollient V0034CR significantly reduced TEWL compared to vehicle and vehicle plus glycerol, and significantly increased corneometry scores compared to vehicle and vehicle plus petrolatum in healthy volunteers with dry skin, demonstrating combined barrier function improvement from petrolatum and hydration improvement from glycerol.

    Journal of Cosmetic Dermatology, 2020
  • Ten days of treatment with a cream containing 20% glycerin significantly increased skin hydration measured by corneometer values in 17 healthy volunteers compared to a placebo cream, but showed no influence on transepidermal water loss or skin sensitivity to an irritating surfactant.

    International Journal of Cosmetic Science, 2001
  • Niacinamide/glycerin body moisturizers provided better rapid and prolonged improvement of cosmetic xerosis through functional improvement of stratum corneum barrier function compared to no treatment and conventional moisturizers in female subjects.

    Journal of Drugs in Dermatology, 2012
  • A functional cosmetic cream containing bioactive materials from Streptomyces sp. T65 embedded in SBA-15 decreased skin roughness by 4.670% and increased skin brightness by 0.472% after 4 weeks of application, while demonstrating antimicrobial, antioxidant, anti-aging, and whitening activities.

    Antioxidants, 2020
  • Film-forming formulations containing porous silica achieved skin permeation rates comparable to immediate release formulations while confirming prolonged drug availability and causing no skin irritation in healthy volunteers.

    European Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences, 2017
  • Topical treatment with silica mud and microalgae extracts from the Blue Lagoon improved skin barrier function by inducing epidermal gene expression and reducing transepidermal water loss in healthy humans, while preventing skin aging markers in vitro.

    Experimental Dermatology, 2008
  • Treatment with a combination of propylene glycol, ethanol, water, and shampoo was found effective, easy to use, and cosmetically attractive with no observed side effects in patients with dandruff.

    Cutis, 1988
  • A moisturizer containing glycerol and propylene glycol reduced transepidermal water loss, decreased epidermal thickness, increased stratum corneum thickness, and reduced dermal inflammatory infiltrate compared to untreated disrupted skin in six healthy beagle dogs.

    Veterinary Dermatology, 2020

Ingredients

Benzoyl Peroxide 50 Mg G, Docusate Sodium, Disodium Edetate, Poloxamer 182, Carbomer 940, Propylene Glycol, Acrylates Copolymer, Glycerin, Silicon Dioxide, Sodium Hydroxide, Water

Behind this fit score

Lovi calculates every fit score from the full ingredient list 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.

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